Chapter 19

Alice started on the first of March. Any fear I might have had, about animosity between her and Henny, was blown away from day one. They hit it off splendidly, and Alice openly admired Henny's kind and efficient personality. As far as looks were concerned, they could hardly have been more different. Alice was almost a head taller than Henny, and her slim, almost skinny figure, made her seem even taller. Her face looked quite exotic. Heavy black eyebrows, a long, straight and narrow nose, and a big mouth with full lips, crowned by her abundant black hair, which she ordinarily wore braided in a tail, hanging down between her shoulder blades.

I couldn't really evaluate her character these first two months, as she was too absorbed in learning all that Henny had to give her, but I got the impression that she was intelligent and a quick learner. True to my promise to Henny, I kept my tentacles out of her brain. My only complaint was the lack of office-pussy. With Alice around there were no visits to the 'archive', and we only managed one visit to her condo, as her husband was flying back and forth to Vancouver all the time.

One weekend around mid April he was at home for a weekend, and Henny decided to throw a small good-bye party for the four of us, on Friday. When Mary saw their apartment for the first time, she fell in love with it. They had not yet managed to sell it.

"I know it is pretty expensive, but the real problem is, that nobody has the amount of cash we want. We are leaving Denmark, and I do not want to have people owing me money. It's such a lot of trouble having money sent across the Atlantic, not to mention a new owner, who stops paying his mortgage." Carl looked a bit distraught when he said this.

"But it is such a lovely condo," Mary said. "It's bigger than most, and this view is absolutely perfect. What do you think, Erik, wouldn't you like to live here?"

"Sure, it's a nice place. You have mentioned earlier, that we should sell the house and buy a condo."

I knew that Carl was a wealthy man, and that he was moving to an even better position in Vancouver, so I had absolutely no qualms about planting a few images and words in his mind.

"The condos around here sell for about 450.000 dollars," Carl said, "but we're getting quite desperate to sell. It will be such a mess and a lot of trouble, if we have to sell after we've moved to Vancouver, so the price is negotiable."

Mary was absolutely shameless about the erotic way, in which she tried to persuade me to make an offer, and Henny's knowing smile didn't make it any better. Before nine o'clock we had settled a deal, with mind control as a very active partner, for 340.000 dollars cash, and take-over date set for the first of May. While Carl and I were very occupied, discussing price and other issues, and last, but not least, setting up papers to bring to our lawyers on Monday, Mary and Henny had disappeared. I guessed Henny had taken her on a round-trip of the apartment. When the preliminary papers were signed, Carl fetched a bottle of champagne and four glasses, and then he called out for Henny and Mary. When they arrived Mary looked a little flushed, but Henny looked at me with shiny eyes.

"We have agreed on a price, and from the first of May this is all yours," Carl said. "Let's drink a toast to celebrate it, even if Erik drove a hard bargain."

We saluted each other and emptied our glasses. While Carl refilled them I said: "Of course I drive a hard bargain, but I hope there are no hard feelings. You are welcome to cancel, if you think I took advantage of you."

"Hell, no, Erik. Maybe you got it a bit cheaper than I had expected, but on the other hand it is a problem solved, and it won't burden my mind for the last two weeks. Cheers. I hope you'll be happy here."

"I'm sure I will," said Mary. "I can hardly wait. To live right in the centre of town has always been my dream." She sidled up to me and kissed me warmly. At 11 we called a taxi to take us home. When we arrived we had parked Mary's Alfa Romeo in the private booth under the building, and with wine and champagne we felt that a taxi would be safer.