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“Find him?” said Adam

“Hans Kramer,” said the porter

“Oh, yes, thank you,” said Adairlfriend were following close behind

Ada taxi

“Where to?” said the cabbie

“The Royal Lancaster Hotel”

“But that’s only just round the corner”

“I know,” said Adam, “but I’m already late”

“Suit yourself, guv,” said the cabbie, “it’s your money”

As the cab moved off Adam peered out of the backto see his table-tennis opponent in conversation with the porter The girl stood alongside the at the taxi

Adam relaxed when the cab turned the corner and they were out of sight

In less than a minute the taxi had drawn up outside the Royal Lancaster Adae Then he pushed through the revolving doors of the hotel and hung around in the foyer for a few ain He checked his watch: twelve-thirty Easily enough ti on to his intervieith the Foreign Office He headed across Bayswater Road into the park at a brisk pace, knowing he couldn’t hope to find a pub until he reached Knightsbridge

Adaht I should have thrashed hi else to think about

Romanov’s eye ran down the list of the fourteen banks There was still an outside chance that one of theht be in possession of the Czar’s icon, but the na to him It was another world, and he kneould now have to seek advice from an expert

He unlocked the top drawer of his desk and flicked through the red book held only by theofficers in the KGB Many naimes came and went, but Alexei Andreyevich Poskonov had remained in his present position as Chairman of the National Bank for nearly a decade Only Groer Romanov dialed a nuh to the chairman of Gosbank It was some considerable time before another voice came on the line