Cruise by Jurgen von Stuka Read Free Book Online Page B

nicely made pastries.”
    “Really? Well, you can have them. I restrict my personal diet to fruit and steak,” Bibi said laughing as she pictured Frey, who was not exactly in great physical shape anyway, stuffing down the cake that was meant to be hers.
    “Not a chance, and a good thing you didn’t try them either. There was enough poison in each cake to kill a Hanoveraner. Nasty stuff too. Not very subtle, but one bite would probably have done it.”
    “How nice. What else?”
    “Well, it seems that you interrogated these boys and that they told you who the sender was, but you neglected to tell us.”
    “Oh, right. Sorry. I was a bit wound up and just didn’t believe them anyway. One said something about Brillcart. Mean anything to you?”
    “Yes and no. Two of the perps, the ones without the broken jaws and a few teeth remaining, gave us the same name under questioning. But we didn’t get anything else and now it’s too late.”
    “Judge sprung ‘em?” Bibi said.
    “No, they died in the bathroom of the jail. Right under a guard’s nose. All three got hold of some kind of death pill. Weird stuff, according to the med. Right now, we have three dead bodies and just ‘Brillcart’.”
    “Beats me,” said Bibi.
    “Yeah, me too, but I thought I’d ask. You going to be around for awhile?”
    “Well, no. Jean Groff and I have another assignment that might run for a few months, if we’re lucky. Security for a rich Scandinavian family on a big yacht in the Caribbean. I fly to Miami tomorrow. But you can reach me by e-mail if you need me.”
    “Sounds like a vacation in the sun. I doubt we’ll need you, so have a good time. But Bibi…”
    “Yes?”
    “The next time someone tries to kill you, please leave us enough pieces to perhaps get some decent information out of them.”
    “Bye, Frey. Thanks,” said Bibi. She finished packing and went to the airport where she and Karine kissed a fond good-bye and both headed for their own destinations.
    Karine left the international terminal at Tegel Airport and, looking for a vacant cab, she spotted a familiar-looking private limo standing near the far curb. She waved and the driver moved the car at once, stopping in front of her and jumping out, smiling broadly.
    “You are free?’ she asked.
    “Sure,” said the driver. “Where do you want to go?”
    “Can you take me to the Kempenski?” Karine asked, recalling that she and Bibi had stayed there once when they were only spending one night in Berlin and then flying out early the next day.
    “Of course, Miss,” the driver said, opening the rear door and taking her large shoulder bag.
    Karine ducked her head, stepped into the cab and was surprised to see, sitting in the rear seat, a rather portly, balding, older man with a cherub-like face, grinning at her over a pair of narrow spectacles perched on the end of his nose. In his gloved hand was what looked like an aerosol can of something and as she started to back out of the cab, he sprayed her in the face with a pleasant-smelling liquid and reached out, grabbed Karine’s silk scarf and pulled her into the auto.
    Karine stumbled on the car’s carpeted floor and toppled head first onto the seat. The fat man grabbed a handful of her hair and dragged her to him so that her face was in his lap, quietly telling the driver to close the door and get moving. He pulled her limp hands behind her back and yanked the collar of her jacket down and back, sliding it easily off her inert arms. He was less refined with the cotton shirt and bra, both of which he cut with a small pocket knife and pulled from her body. The razor sharp blade of the knife easily slashed through the lizard skin belt, skin-tight jeans and bikini panties.
    In less than the time it took the taxi to reach the airport boundary, Karine was stripped naked and still lying with her head buried in the man’s crotch, breathing quietly as he explored her body with both hands.
    “Perhaps we can give you a quick