Numbered Account

Nick swallowed hard. Keep cool, he told himself. You're not there yet. Still, he could discern a pattern emerging. Ali Mevlevi constantly wove elements of his real life into his fictitious one. Allen Soufi. Allen Malvinas. Ali Mevlevi. The behavior fit. Hadn't the Pasha also mentioned that he had lived in California? Throw all the facts together in a blender, stir violently, and what came out? Could Nick conclude that eighteen years ago Alexander Neumann had entertained Allen Soufi, better known as Ali Mevlevi, as a client of the Los Angeles branch of USB? Or was it simply a whole lot of coincidence?

It was nothing, Nick told himself. You've never believed in coincidence. But for once his skepticism deserted him. He ran the facts through his head one more time, daring himself to believe it. Strangely, part of him was scared to accept his own hypothesis. It reeked of fate and karma and all the things he had fought against his whole life. It was just too improbable.

But was it? If he really thought about it, no. Many clients work with a single bank their entire lives. Many sons work for the same company as their father. He stared at the name written in his father's script and tossed aside his remaining doubts. "Sylvia," he said excitedly, "we've got to keep looking for this Allen Soufi."

"What is it? What have you found?"

"Confirmation that he's our man." Nick paused to temper his certainty. Humility demanded a modicum of doubt. "At least, I think. It's still a little iffy. Let's get back to the monthly activity reports. The answers we need are in there."

Nick and Sylvia returned to the dining room table. He pulled her chair close to his, and together they scanned the contents of the remaining reports. Each report began with a mention of deposits made by new and existing clients. A description of corporate loan facilities granted and those under consideration followed. Third came logistical questions: salaries, personnel reports, office expenses. And last, a section for miscellaneous information. It was in this final section of the March 1978 activity report that Nick had first found mention of Soufi. He scoured his father's reports, praying to find further word of the mysterious client. There had to have been a sound reason, a business necessity, that Soufi wished to work with USB Los Angeles.

Nick read through the June report. No mention. July, no mention. August, no mention. He reached for the next dossier. September, nothing. October. He slammed his hand on the table. "There. We've got him," he cried. "Sylvia, October 12, 1978. What does the agenda say?"

Sylvia thumbed through the pages energetically, sharing Nick's adrenaline rush. She found the correct date, then pushed the agenda closer to him.

The entry for October 12 read: "Dinner at Matteo's with Allen Soufi. Undesirable." The word undesirable was underlined three times and a box drawn around it. Nick looked at the writing and repeated the word. Undesirable. It had been one of Dad's pet phrases and he had misused it mercilessly. Dessert was undesirable. Anything lower than a B on a report card was undesirable. Television on weeknights was undesirable.

Allen Soufi was undesirable.

"What does the activity report say?" Sylvia demanded.

Nick passed her the notebook. His finger rested on the page at Section IV: Miscellaneous. Item 5.

Sylvia read aloud: "Third meeting held October 12 with Mr. Allen Soufi. Credit facility of $100K offered to Goldluxe, Inc. Additional trade financing as required okayed per instructions USB ZRH. AXN notes for record his opposition to the extension of the credit. Overruled by WAK- division manager."

Nick held his breath. Allen Soufi was connected to Goldluxe. Alex Neumann had mentioned visiting Goldluxe stores sometime during the early months of 1979. Nick picked up the agenda for 1979 and skimmed through the pages, finding the first referral to Goldluxe on March 13, 1979. Just an address. 22550 Lankershim Blvd. He picked up the yellow dossier containing that month and found the corresponding monthly activity report. A related item immediately caught his eye. Under "Trade Financing," letters of credit totaling over one million dollars had been opened by Goldluxe in favor of El Oro de los Andes, S.A. of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Allen Malvinas from Argentina.

Nick swallowed hard and kept reading. A note under Goldluxe's name said, "See attached letter to Franz Frey, senior vice president of international finance." The subject was listed as a company visit to Goldluxe, Inc. Nick searched the entire report but couldn't find the letter. It had either been lost or stolen.