Double Vision by Fiona Brand Read Free Book Online Page A

The thought was sobering. Despite the fact that Xavier was a thief, she hadn’t expected his motivation to be greed. “What kind of guarantee do I have that you won’t steal it all?”
    â€œYou don’t have any.”
    Her ace in the hole was that she didn’t care if he did take the money. Esther had no interest in it other than removing it from Lopez in order to break his hold over Cesar and shatter his power base. Once she and Rina were safely in hiding, she intended handing the money over to the authorities.
    â€œRelax,” he said smoothly. “It’s information I want, not the money.”
    She frowned. “About Lopez?”
    â€œAnd some of the interesting people he and his father do business with.”
    Her fingers tightened on the receiver. “Whatever you’re up to, it can’t impact on this. I have a daughter to protect.”
    â€œDon’t worry, my interest in Lopez is a separate issue. We steal the money, you and your daughter get to safety. Then I get what I want.”
    The flatness of the statement sent a small shiver down her spine. He made it sound cut and dried, as if the theft itself was just a detail, when the mere thought of what they had to do made her break out in a cold sweat.
    â€œIf we’re going to succeed, I’m going to need you to use that remarkable talent of yours.”
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    Xavier required information. However, obtaining computer passwords and access codes to Lopez’s accounts was as likely to land her in jail as stealing the money.
    Redan Capey Securities wasn’t a bank she had ever worked for, but she knew of it. RCS traded in what she liked to call “the banking twilight zone.” Their rates were cutthroat and they weren’t too choosy about their clientele. Based in the Cayman Islands, they ignored the regulatory procedures in place in Europe and the United States and made their own rules, practicing a policy of nondisclosure, which made them a big favorite with clients who had something to hide.
    When she checked with a contact in the business, she discovered that over the last decade RCS had expanded, taking on a more respectable facade. They had branches in London, New York, Florida and, surprise, surprise, San Francisco. Although, the fact that RCS had a branch in San Francisco shouldn’t have been unexpected. It made sense that Lopez would choose a bank—and a banker—that was physically within reach.
    The increasing respectability of RCS created difficulties, because that meant stiffer controls, but there was one ray of hope. An ex-colleague worked there. As advantages went, it wasn’t much, because Esther had never been particularly friendly with Dana Jones, but it was going to have to be enough.
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    The next morning, she dropped Rina off at school, drove home and dressed with care, applying makeup to minimize the split in her lip. Half an hour later, she parked her car just off California Street in the financial district and walked the block to the RCS building.
    The bank itself was surprisingly spacious, with a large reception area for clients. The receptionist rang through to Dana’s office, then indicated that Esther take a seat.
    What she had to do made her mouth go dry. If RCS practiced conventional banking routines, the passwords and access codes would be changed regularly, perhaps even daily. As efficient as Dana had been when they had worked together in Bern, she had never been able to keep track of the numbers. It was an illegal practice, but Dana used to write the codes down on the back of a business card and slip the card under her keyboard for easy reference.
    Her plan was almost ridiculously simple—get into Dana’s office and get a look at the codes—but the number of things that could go wrong were legion. First off, Dana might direct her to an anonymous interview room instead of her office. Secondly, even if she got into Dana’s office, it had