* * *
They climbed two levels to the sun deck. Although it was chilly out, and breezy, Gage felt much safer here. The sun deck itself was outfitted nicely. There were a number of chairs and chaise lounges. On the aft end of the deck was a lightly steaming whirlpool, bounded on both sides by large teak slat decks. Behind the whirlpool was a white dome that Gage assumed to be radar. There were two more domes just like it on the mast. Forward of the deck was an enclosure with several tables and chairs. Gage chose a chair in the enclosure with views forward and aft.
Once Gage sat, Il Magnifico opened a hidden humidor. “Cigar?”
“No, thanks.”
“Do you mind if I smoke?” he asked.
“Not at all.”
“Something else to drink?”
“Another water, please.”
Il Magnifico lifted a phone and spoke a few words. He then hung up, and spoke as he meticulously prepared a long cigar with a red and gold band. “You’re very careful, Mister Hartline. If you weren’t a friend of Marcel Cherbourg’s, I’d be offended by your actions.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but your feelings aren’t in my chain of concern right now.”
Il Magnifico smiled as he lit the cigar with a special lighter that sounded like a torch. He began to spin and puff the cigar. “Are you sure you won’t have one? These are Fuente Opus X cigars—the best I’ve ever smoked.”
“Thanks, but no.”
Il Magnifico puffed several more times and sat across from Gage. “You work for the Vogel family?”
“Yes.”
“What can I do for you?”
“I’ve been hired to handle a number of the Vogels’ business interests,” Gage said. “I was directed to you as one of Herr Vogel’s largest collaborators and wanted to determine if I could help you maintain your business relationship with the family.”
It was clear Il Magnifico was measuring Gage. He pondered Gage’s words as he smoked. Finally, he spoke.
“Who has given you this authority?”
“It was given to me by Claudia Vogel, before her death. I’m now legally authorized as an agent of the estate.”
“Are you in communication with anyone about today’s meeting?”
“The only person I’ve told is Marcel Cherbourg who, as you know, kindly helped set the meeting.”
“Very well.”
At this point, a young woman arrived with a fresh water and glass with ice and lemon for Gage. Also on the tray was a large Illy coffee for Il Magnifico. He accepted it with thanks and studied his cigar until the young woman had descended belowdecks.
“I will speak of things now that are sensitive. I will trust your discretion in how you utilize this information.”
“I appreciate your trust.”
“Of course, Mister Hartline,” Il Magnifico replied. He sipped his coffee. “Karl Vogel and I worked with one another in a buyer-seller relationship. Over many, many years, Karl had developed reliable sources for a variety of European-made pharmaceuticals.”
“I see.”
“Karl was extremely controlling in respect to his end of the enterprise and did not include any of his associates that I’m aware of. He did everything via relationships that he’d formed over a long business career.” Il Magnifico frowned and puffed the cigar once. “Naturally, this has put my interests in a bind since Karl’s death. It’s my hope that you can resuscitate the partnership.”
“Was he able to still manage the entire situation after he was bedridden?”
“As far as I could tell, yes. We didn’t detect any slowdown whatsoever. I believe our relationship was one of the few things that gave him pleasure. I attempted to preemptively move him toward a transition plan, but he wouldn’t hear of it.”
“So, if there was someone else helping him, he never told you about it?”
“I believe you’re looking in the wrong direction, Mister Hartline. I’m certain no one was helping him. If there were, they’d have come to me already. As I said, the genius of Karl’s end of the operation was his relationship with his sources. The man made a fortune simply by relaying my needs to his sources.”
“Was he buying directly from sources within the manufacturers?”
Il Magnifico hitched his head. “If I knew that, Mister Hartline, we wouldn’t be meeting. In all seriousness, I doubt it. In my business, the key is finding someone or some organization with legal authority to place enormous orders—orders that will hold up to governmental and regulatory audits. Once the source is established, business can proceed. It happens in every controlled industry.” The Italian gestured east. “In the next harbor there’s a yacht that makes this one look like a dinghy. The owner sells weapons throughout the world. He arms cartels, renegade countries, African kingpins, American crime lords—you name it. And, of course, his weapons come straight from the manufacturers, though they would never admit it.”
Gage wasn’t surprised by such enormous corruption. He moved to a new line of questioning. “Was there any animosity between you and Karl before he died?”
The question visibly threw Il Magnifico. His brow lowered. “No, not at all. What makes you ask that?”
“I’m simply trying to get a grasp of the situation.”
“Our relationship was as strong as ever.” Took a large swill of his coffee. “I was concerned about his health and the future of our business, but that was all.”
“Very well.” Gage crossed his leg over his knee. “If I were able to get the Vogel’s end of the partnership up and running again, do you have pressing needs that will result in future income for the remaining heirs?”
The Italian’s smile said far more than his words. “Karl and I had maintained monthly shipments for years. We’re now three months in arrears. Yes, we have needs—pressing needs that would certainly result in significant income for his daughters.”
“So, you know about his family?”
“Of course,” Il Magnifico answered, drawing on the cigar.
