Livewire

Chapter 36

The taxi pulled up in front of the doors to the St Regis hotel. Kyle paid the driver and climbed out, grabbing their bags from the boot. They were on the clock. It was only a couple of hours until the buyer was expected to arrive and they had to prepare the room and themselves.

The concierge greeted them with a warm smile and a porter took their bags, guiding them to the presidential suite. It was an incredible room. There was a super king sized bed and a large lounge and dining area. All of the furniture and decor was of the highest quality, in marbles and mahogany.

He freshened up and straightened out his suit. It was important that he looked the part of the entrepreneur that he was playing. Trudie changed into a dress that matched her part too - his beautiful assistant, eye candy for the buyer. Then it was a waiting game. The buyer would be there for lunch and Kyle had ordered the best spread the hotel had to offer. At twelve o'clock, Trudie returned to the foyer to meet the buyer.

Kyle paced the room. He was nervous. While he pondered how things might go, he found his memory drifting back to his first encounter with Mr Coulter - on his birthday. Coulter had been calm and collected, which was intimidating but it also gave him the aura of authority. If Kyle could emulate him in this meeting, regardless of his humble origin and London accent, he would come across legitimate.

It was all an act, an outward show for the people around. All Kyle had to do was don a persona which matched the character.

Voices grew in the corridor and a moment later the door opened.

Trudie stepped in and held it open. "Mr Ellis, Mr Tracey for you sir." She was already in character, which helped him assume his.

He held up his arms "Welcome sir."

A man walked into the room in a beige linen suit and a pale blue shirt. He was wearing a cowboy hat, aviator sunglasses and his blond hair fell to just above his shoulders.

"Howdy to you Mr Ellis, I understand we have a mutual friend in César. The name is William Tracey." His voice was laced with a Texan twang.

He extended his hand to Tracey. "Thank you for meeting me Mr Tracey, please take a seat. Lunch will be with us soon."

Tracey shook his hand, then sat back onto one of the leather sofas. "Wonderful, I do love me some food. Now I hear you have a business proposition for me. I've been friends with César for some years now, so when he reached out I did not take it lightly."

Kyle sat himself on the opposite sofa and nodded. "You see I've been here a while now, in Mexico. The cartel has good grip on the drug trade, there is no point trying to take their slice of pie. But something less known about, is South American gold."

He let the words sink in and tried to gauge Tracey's reaction.

"Go on."

"It's a relatively untapped market. A way of cleaning money in a discreet way. You can buy bullion, properly marked, and sell it in the States with no questions of its providence. That's what I'm offering you today. A piece of that pie–"

There was a knock on the door. Trudie walked up and opened it, allowing hotel staff to enter with platters of food and set it down on the dining table. There was lobsters, shrimp, BBQ ribs, steak, patatas bravas, and a plethora of vegetables and other dishes. It was a veritable feast.

"Let's eat before we continue our business."

Tracey rubbed his hands together and walked up to the table. "You have pricked my attention young sir, but I have a rule. I do not do business on an empty stomach."

They both laughed and began to fill up their plates. Tracey's entourage ate too and they all filled up round the table.

"So Mr Tracey, tell me about yourself."