Free The Family Hightower by Brian Francis Slattery Page B

Curly’s more nervous, and he knows the man can tell. “So,” the man says. “I hear you are interested in investing in Ukraine.”
    â€œYes,” Curly says.
    â€œYou didn’t have to come here to do that.”
    â€œIt seems better this way.”
    â€œIs it?” the man says. “I suppose it’s easier in some ways. More complicated in others. But we are interested in your interest.”
    â€œAre you the Wolf?”
    â€œOf course.” Then he laughs. “No, of course not. Call me Dino.”
    â€œThat sounds Italian.”
    â€œDo I sound Italian to you?”
    â€œNo,” Curly says.
    â€œYou didn’t have to answer that. It was a joke.”
    â€œSorry.”
    â€œYou seem nervous,” Dino says. “You should be more like your friend here. He doesn’t seem nervous at all. He must be the one with the money.”
    â€œYou shouldn’t talk about him like he’s not here,” Curly says. “He understands more than he lets on.”
    â€œI don’t believe you. But I’m impressed. He must really trust you. Which means he’s not very bright. Would you say that? That he’s not very bright? I’m not judging. I’m just trying to understand the man for the purposes of entering a business relationship.”
    â€œHe’s not stupid, if that’s what you’re asking.”
    â€œAccording to you.”
    â€œOf course according to me. You’re asking me, aren’t you?”
    â€œYou’re smarter than he is.”
    â€œThat’s for you to judge, isn’t it?”
    Dino laughs, and it makes Petey want to talk, though Curly knows that when he does it’ll blow his cover; Dino’ll know he doesn’t understand a word. Curly puts his hand on his friend’s knee, says in English, “I’m glad that bullshit’s over.” Then to Dino: “Mr. Hightower would prefer to do the rest of this in English.”
    For the first time, Dino frowns. “I’m not as comfortable in English.”
    Now it’s Curly’s chance to smile. He puts on his courage. “Well, isn’t that too bad.”
    The idea is pretty simple. The organization, Dino explains in Ukrainian, is involved in a very large number of enterprises, all of them designed to take advantage of what the man says are lowered barriers to free enterprise. A certain freedom of goods, people, and currency across borders. Like any business enterprise, however, it always needs capital—or could use more—to expand its reach, to strengthen its existing operations. To make what it does more efficient and effective at bringing higher returns to its investors. Dino makes an expansive gesture, as if all the world will benefit from the things he does.
    â€œThe free market is a wonderful thing,” he says. “But in our operation, there is”— he falters, then chuckles, because he’s already seen enough American movies to know that what he’s about to say is a serious cliché in English—“there is a catch, which I understand you may be uncomfortable with, because we do not operate as you do in the United States. There, buying into the organization gives you access to the organization. Here, it does not.”
    Curly’s been translating all this. “What does he mean?” Petey says.
    â€œI mean,” Dino says, “that the way our organization works, the less you know about it—who is involved, what is being done—the better. The best scenario involves you never meeting anyone but me.”
    Curly doesn’t translate that just yet. “Are you sure you mean to say it that way?” he says. “It sounds like you don’t want our money.”
    â€œI mean every word,” Dino says. “Just tell him what I said.” Curly does.
    â€œWhat if I want to know where my money is going?” Petey says.
    â€œYou can’t. As in, we