Maxwell Ogdenbaum. For fifty years his name had been associated with the jewels of kings and sultans. Glitter and glitz. Decker remembered reading about a tiara designed for some sultan’s wife. The price tag was about the cost of Hawaii.

“Yep, Sir Max is definitely a big player,” Guttenburg said. “If you’re approved, by appointment only. Getting a box from VerHauten is like getting a seat on the stock market. You’ve got to earn it and be big enough to afford it. Which leaves ninety-nine point nine percent of small players out of the first string. However, second-string players like me are vast and many.”

Decker said, “So a company like VerHauten wouldn’t even bother working directly with men like you or Arik Yalom.”

“You’re getting the picture.”

“Yet Arik used to travel to Antwerp.”

“That would make sense. There’s a huge secondary market over there. For my needs, Tel Aviv is better.”

“Mr. Guttenburg, what would it indicate to you, if a man like Arik Yalom had an ongoing correspondence with a vice president from VerHauten?”

Guttenburg paused. “What do you mean by ongoing correspondence?”

“Have you ever heard of a woman named Kate Milligan?”

“Everyone knows who Kate Milligan is. She was director of marketing and sales for VerHauten…used to work out of Belgium.” Guttenburg brushed sandy hair out of his milky-blue eyes. “She corresponded with Arik?”

“That would be unusual?” Decker asked.

“Very.”

Again, the room fell silent.

Guttenburg said, “This is all very interesting.”

Decker said, “Tell me about it.”

“Kate Milligan is a dynamo—a highly esteemed international lawyer. That’s how she originally came to VerHauten. But she was so sharp, they moved her into marketing and sales. Anyway, she passed the American bar here and in New York some time ago. Then suddenly, about a year ago, she opened up her own firm—a multinational law corporation. Its LA branch is just down the street.”

“She left VerHauten?” Marge said.

“Yes. It surprised everyone.”

“Is VerHauten using her offices as a front for their business?”

“No, they couldn’t get away with that,” Guttenburg said. “Milligan deals in international business law. You know, she helps foreign investors wade through the mountains of red tape to set up business here. No, her practice is her own. But I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of her practice was dedicated to finding a way to get VerHauten into the American market legally.”

Decker asked, “Are they bankrolling her?”

“Let’s just say rumor has it that they have a great deal of confidence in Kate Milligan.”

Marge said, “The parting was very amicable.”

“More than amicable. VerHauten and Ms. Milligan are on the very best terms.”