His face flushing a ruddy red, Dmytro turned away from Cate. “I will schedule an appointment for one o’clock this afternoon. That should give you time to collect your passport from the US consulate, gather what you need, and make it to the bank on time.”
“Thank you, Dmytro,” Cate said.
Draco frowned. “Can you sprinkle some of your pixie dust and get me in as well?”
Dmytro led Draco through the same process and added him as an additional member on the safe deposit box account.
“Now, we need to get there before the real owner empties the box,” Draco said.
Cate held up her cell phone, displaying the time. “We have a few hours until our scheduled meeting at the bank. One of those hours we’ll need to spend retrieving my passport at the consulate.”
“Consulate first, then shopping,” Draco said. “You could use a nice business outfit for our visit to the bank—and a wig.”
Cate frowned. “A wig?”
“The receptionist will remember us from yesterday and that we spoke with the now deceased Stefan Brunner.”
“Yeah. A disguise will help smooth the way.” She tilted her head to one side. “What about you?”
“I have a hat, sunglasses and a nice pair of trousers in my backpack.”
“Consulate for my passport and shopping for a disguise. When we’re done shopping, we’ll head to the bank as a couple checking the contents of their safe deposit box,” Cate nodded. “A wig and sunglasses should get us past the receptionist and the silent sentry who stood at the base of the staircase to Brunner’s office. Once we have the contents of the box, I want to have a chat with Inspector Brandt. He’s got some explaining to do if he thinks Brunner’s cause of death was suicide.”
“Agreed,” Draco said.
“Let’s get going,” Cate said. “I have my father’s credit card burning a hole in my pocket. I want to be ready when we arrive at the bank.”
“Do you need backup while you’re out shopping?” Crusher asked.
“It wouldn’t hurt,” Draco said, “especially after Brunner’s sudden demise.”
Crusher stood.
Marta rose to join him. “I’m coming,” she announced
Crusher’s brow furrowed. “Is that a good idea? It could place you in harm’s way.”
Marta snorted in an unladylike manner. “Wouldn’t be the first time. Besides, neither one of you can go into the ladies’ dressing rooms. I can.” She smiled broadly. “And I can help Cate make good decisions about the clothes she chooses.”
“She comes,” Cate said.
Draco exchanged a look with Crusher and shrugged. “We’ve been overruled. Are you ready to go now?”
Marta stood beside Cate. “Ready.”
“I’m ready,” Crusher said. “Lead the way.”
Cate retrieved her passport from the consulate, happy to have a form of identification after weeks without one.
For the next hour, the four of them shopped, guarded, and critiqued until Cate had nice charcoal-gray slacks with a matching blazer, a soft royal-blue silk blouse, and a pair of black ballet flats. Cate had insisted on flats over heels in case she had to run. They visited a wig shop and selected a wig of loose golden-blond curls that reached Cate’s shoulders. Sunglasses completed the outfit.
The women ducked into a lingerie shop and emerged half an hour later with a bag of what they termed “unmentionables.”
With Cate situated, the ladies turned on Draco and forced him into a men’s clothing store, where they outfitted him with dark gray dress slacks, a black button-down shirt, and a jet-black leather jacket. He cringed as the clerk rang up his selections, and he handed over his credit card. He had the money to cover it, but damn, nice clothes weren’t cheap.
By then, they were hungry and found a restaurant where they could sit inside, out of the cool air. Crusher and Draco sat with their backs against the wall, watching for any sign of trouble.
Marta and Cate reminisced about their time in captivity and their eventual extraction from Helvetic BioSolutions, with Crusher and Draco offering their perspectives on the rescue.
