Gaby Book 26 On The Edge by Maddy Bell Copyright© 2021 Madeline Bell Seventeen - it's a birthday overshadowed by its predecessor and successor and Gaby's looks set to follow that pattern. There are however big decisions to be made, should she grab life by the horns and experience everything it has to offer or take the more conservative, safer route through life. This volume, the 26th in the Gaby series has all the elements of classic Gaby, bike riding, teenage angst, developing relationships, grist to the mill for our heroine as life in the Ahrtal ticks on.

 
Now don't get me wrong, the workload of a mannequin, lets get this straight, I am not a model, in a fashion house can be intense at times but its not hard physical labour. For what I do for Monsieur Coupárd I get very well compensated, I try to keep my work for MI6 from interfering too much but Jean is very accomodating, never asking questions of my absences from duty.

Todays show, I use the term loosely, forget those showbiz extravaganzas the big fashion houses put on, no, todays show is rather more exclusive and refined. Yup, theres no runway, load music, flashing lights, just me, the dresser, Monsieur Coupárd and an audience of about a dozen women of the local monied class. I show an outfit, leave, change and repeat whilst the viewers drink, eat canapés and discuss the clothing, I am literally a moving clothes hanger that everything fits perfectly.

There is of course some form to the showing, an order of show, the outfits working from casual daywear through more formal statement pieces and ending with evening wear. Coupárd doesn't do swimwear, sports or lingerie, other houses specialise in that stuff, thats not to say I don't get to expose a bit of flesh but we aren't in the B listers radar.
 

The audience broke for lunch a little after two, we only started the showing at twelve, which gave me a chance to check in with Max.

"Bond, so how are the matrons?”
"Some of them are under forty,” I chuckled, "They aren't too bad, some old money, some nouveau, I'm sure Jean will get some business.”
"No leering husbands or boyfriends?”
"Banished to the golf I think, so, what news?”
"Staedtler appears to be headed your way, looks like something may be going down.”
"And Grönberg?”
"Just arrived at his poker game.”
"Okay, I'll try to check in before I'm collected, best get back to the day job, more frocks to wear you know.”
"Such a hard life Bond.”

"I'll see you back in Paris then Gabrielle.”
"Oui Jean, thanks for the lift.”

I closed the door of Jean's hired SUV, not exactly a glamorous arrival to the quaint harbour but I left the Bugatti at the hotel this morning, well I may have a drink or two with dinner, and besides, it might give Jean's customers the wrong idea. I took a table at one of the dockside cafés and ordered coffee.

"Fraulein von Strechau?”

I'd seen him of course, isn't that what compacts are for, spying?

"Oh, you surprised me, Armand?”
"Oui Ma'mselle, if you'd like to follow, Mr Grönberg is waiting.”

That sounds a bit ominous. I slipped a fifty under my cup and followed Grönberg's lackey along the harbour to a speed boat crewed by a Nordic looking giant of a man, clearly more than ships crew. Armand helped me down the steps and onto the boat, heeled sandals are not ideal but I could hardly wear trainers to dinner. By the time I was seated, Armand had cast off and we were edging out of the harbour.

Speed boats, the wind in your hair, it all looks very glamorous in the films, reality can be somewhat different. First of all, by the time you reach twenty knots the damn boat is bouncing all over, you are liable to get drenched at any moment and loose hair gets whipped about resulting in a somewhat more casual look than you started with. Knowing all this I took precautions, a silk scarf protected my coiffure and a careful choice of seat kept me almost dry.

Grönberg's 'yacht' was anchored about a mile off shore, a sleek Sunseeker affair which had to be fifty metres long, definitely in the 'don't ask the price' bracket. The Viking slowed us to a crawl on the approach to bring us alongside where Armand supervised my transfer to the larger vessel. Once on board I was escorted upstairs to where my host was talking to the mysterious Staedtler whilst a bevy of swimsuit clad 'ladies', including last nights displaced 'date', lounged about on various loungers taking advantage of the early evening sunshine.

"Ah, Fraulein von Strechau,” Grönberg greeted noting our arrival.
"I thought we were past such formalities Edvard, its Gaby to my friends.”
"Well Gaby, welcome to the Limoncella.”

I cocked a brow, Limoncella, really?

"Ah, I see you like my little play on words, Werner here really doesn't get such subtlties. Oh sorry, Gaby, my cousin, Werner Staedtler, Werner, this is the Bugatti woman I mentioned, Gabrielle von Strechau.”
Staedtler stepped forward and in an almost caricature way greeted me with a handshake, "Fraulein von Strechau, a pleasure.”
"The pleasure is mine and please call me Gaby.”

There was a vague familial resemblance but overall Staedtler gave the impression of a darker, more serious individual, a man for whom outdoor pursuits was a walk to the car, clothing off the peg, hair by Short and Practical. There was no feeling behind the smile, yes, this was a product of the SSD inside and out, question is, just why is he here, on his cousin's palatial yacht.

Staedtler made his excuses soon after my arrival, leaving me with Edvard who was keen to show off his floating drinks cabinet. Four decks, five bedrooms – certainly not mere cabins, fully equipped galley complete with starred chef, dining room, sun decks – even a gym and jacuzzi. I didn't get to see everything, there had to be some sort of office and communications centre – a man like Grönberg couldn't afford to be cut off from the outside world.

The tender i'd come out on lived in a boathouse shared with a couple of jetskis aft of the engine room. I counted ten crew, with the four 'ladies', Staedtler, Grönberg and myself making seventeen on board, if you took out the bathing belles, the odds in any action would be stacked against me. This is just an intelligence gathering operation though, Staedtlers attendance was a bonus of course but I'm here because of Grönberg's taste in women and technology.

Grönberg was an attentive host but I sensed he had something on his mind.

"Would you like to freshen up before dinner?”
"It has been a busy day,” I agreed.
"Use the port stateroom, Werner has the other, have a lie down, take a shower if you like, I'll send Armand to fetch you when we are ready to eat.”
"Until later then.”

I descended the spiral staircase to the guest quarters, I could actually do with checking in with Max but first...

The door was locked but it was hardly worth the fitting, I slipped into the room and carefully closed the door behind me. Werner was clearly travelling light, only the attaché case on the dressing table and some papers on the bed suggesting the room might be occupied. Of course the case was locked, four digit combination, no time for that at the moment, I took pictures of the documents, some sort of blueprints, maybe Max will have some idea what and maybe a failsafe for opening the case. At this point in spy thrillers, the hero or heroine is always discovered, this evening would of course play to that plot, I heard a key in the lock.

"La, la, la!” I chirped, the water cascading over my head, rinsing the suds from my torso.
A hand reached into the shower and turned off the water, "What are you doing here!”
"Eek!”
"Who are you, why are you in this room,” Werner demanded.

I did my best to cover my nakedness.

"Edvard said I could use the port stateroom to freshen up,”
He was of course waving a handgun at me, "This is the starboard cabin.”
"Port is left right? I came down the stairs and this was the left door.”
He visibly relaxed and lowered his weapon, "You got turned around on the stairs, port is next door.”
"Oops, I er should go.”
"You don't have to.”
"I erm need to get dressed for dinner.”

He now looked more like his cousin as a look of amusement crossed his face. I quickly scooped up my clothing, did a quick wrap with the towel he offered and scampered from the room. Of course, just my luck that Minah, the girl from the restaurant, was coming out of her own accomodation as I crossed the walkway to 'my' room, if looks could kill, well i'd be severly bruised.

I sank onto the bed, that could've gone either way, thankfully, considering his Stasi background Werner Staedtler isn't very observant, I mean, what woman would shower with her jewellery on let alone drop her knickers in the shower. Well okay, the last bit does happen, I just hope Q's gadgets are waterproof. I was of course still a bit sudsy, I actually wanted a shower now, there was something unsettling about the exchange with Staedtler, I kinda felt a bit dirty.

Showered properly – without Q's toys, dried, dressed, I even found dry underwear in a draw, clean, dry and better than going commando. Next up, contact Max.

"Hmm, looks like some sort of arming device.”
"Why would Staedtler have them and why bring them to Grönberg's boat?”
"My guess is that he, they, are selling tech to someone in the middle east, Israel makes a good cover.”
"Not mobile phones I'm guessing.”
"I'll get these images to the Americans, see if they know more.”
"Okay.”
"And Bond, be careful.”
"I always am.”

I ended the connection moments before there was a rap on the door, Armand to fetch me for dinner.

"Coming.”

Maybe it gets a bit old, eating al fresco but whatever the reason, Armand led me to the interior dining room rather than the open deck above. I wasn't the last to arrive, Staedtler and my host arrived as the steward seated me at the table. The two men were talking quite urgently, at least Werner was talking, Edvard was listening, the conversation too low for me to make sense of.

"Enough Werner,” Grönberg snapped, "We'll finish this later, lets not keep the ladies waiting.”

They joined us at the table, an unusual group of dinner companions.

 
The food was excellent, Gaspacho soup followed by lamb steak and concluding with an orange sorbet. Minah was giving me dirty looks throughout and Werner was clearly quite agitated, it was no surprise when Edvard addressed us as the steward started clearing the table.

"Ladies, if you would excuse us for a few minutes, there is some urgent business Werner and I need to attend to, I'm sure you can entertain yourselves until we return.”

An interesting turn but not one I could do much with, at least for now. The two men departed, aparently toward the bridge.

"Who are you, Gabrielle von Strechau? I get dumped last night and today you are here making moves on the cousin,” Minah almost spat.

I looked around, the others had exited stage left, I could see them outside on the open deck.

"Me, I'm no one, I'm sorry about last night and what you saw earlier, I just made a mistake with the rooms.”
"Likely story.”
"Its true, so how come you are on this gin palace? You don't strike me as the courtesan type.”
"A girl has to make a living, some stuff doesn't add up with you though, even I know that fancy car of yours cost mega dollars, you either ain't who you say or you have quite some sugar daddy.”
"The cars a loaner, from a friend, he wanted it in Venice so I got to drive it down.”
"This ain't Venice girlfriend.”

No shit Sherlock.

"I needed to be on Crete for work, I'll drop it off on my way back. So just what is a girl from Georgia doing on this tub in the Med? you never said.”
"Thats for me to know sugah, why all the questions?”
"Just curious.”
"If you has any sense, you'll not be too curious aroun' here, if ya gets ma drift.”
"Oh I get the message, don't worry I won't get in your way, I'll be out of your hair in a couple of hours. If you'll excuse me, I need to powder my nose.”

There's something not quite kosher about Minah, maybe I'm not the only one with a hidden agenda.

I cautiously climbed upstairs, there is indeed a toilet up here but its also the direction Grönberg and Staedtler had headed a few minutes ago. There were voices coming from the rear salon, a heated discussion in fact, not just the cousins but another voice too. I'm pretty sure whatever they are arguing about is the intel I'm after but there was nowhere to safely eavesdrop, at any moment one of them could look my way and I'll lose my chance, now then, what did Q say about these earrings?

"Ah, there it is!”
"Gabrielle, what are you doing up here,” Grönberg asked.
"Looking for this,” I dangled the earring i'd just scooped from the floor.
"Are you sure she's who she claims,” Werner opined, "I found her in my room earlier.”
"I got turned around.”
"Once is maybe a mistake, twice I think is more coincidence and I don't like coincidence, lets see that earring.”

if theres one thing you learn in this line of business its to be prepared, any hesitation can send things to poo real fast and could prove to be terminal. I dropped the gaudy earring into his waiting hand.

"So why were you and your wayward earring up here?” Edvard queried.
"Me, looking for my earring, the earring, I guess I lost it when you were giving me the tour earlier.”
"Well?” Grönberg prompted.
"It looks genuine, one way to make sure though,” he dropped it to the floor and brought his heel down heavily, shattering the faux gem stone.
"Hey! I know it was only paste but it was my paste!”
"I'm sorry Gabrielle, Werner is a little jumpy this evening, I'll make it up to you, come, lets join the others.”

Damn that was close, I slipped the remaining earring off and dropped it into my clutch.

"I insist,” Edvard stated, "Its late to be out on the water, Armand will take you back in the morning.”

Its not like I had a choice, short of taking myself I wasn't leaving the Limoncella tonight, and that is my last option if things go south. If they do have any suspicions still its an effective way of keeping me in check or maybe I'm just being paranoid.

"Okay, I'll stay.”
"Now we have that settled I think its time for the Cognac.”

"Bond, what the hell's going on?” Max squarked in my ear.

My host had kept me talking until almost one, Staedtler was long retired, Minah and co lasting till after midnight before calling it a day. I had expected Edvard to insist I joined him in the master suite but instead he claimed a business call to the West Coast so I was back in 'my' stateroom downstairs.

"Slight change of plan, having a sleepover, I'll be back in Heraklion in the morning.”
"Not from there you won't.”
"What do you mean, not from there.”
"You've been sailing east for the last three hours.”
"I have?” I paused, I hadn't noticed before, the barely discernable thrum of the engines, "Oh bugger. Where are you?”
"Fishing boat about an hour behind you.”

Well at least I have some sort of backup.

"Look i've got some intel for you, I'll send it over now.”
"Okay and please Gaby, be careful.”
"You know me.”
"That's what I'm afraid of.”

 
Maddy Bell © 20.04.2021