Page 102 of Analysing Her Assets

The Oldest Trick In The Book

(28 days to end of year)

49. Tamar

Marina and she walked together to Ilan Ohayon’s office, just three days after Yelena had shown up in her place.

The T-team had reunited for one long night. They sat and listened to Yelena’s recordings, since day one of the brokerage project. She wasn’t lying when she said she recorded everything. Including the conversations picked up by Danny’s computer microphones. They heard Danny planning shady deals, twice. He checked share prices and volumes on his monitor and spoke on his cellphone, telling about his actions to his co-conspirators, the CEOs of the companies whose shares he was boosting. Yelena had isolated from her sheets, just the deals pertaining to these two small, third-tier companies, Annadin and Jaffa. The calls coupled with trade analysis made for compelling evidence. Tamar sent it to Ilan, and it was strong enough for the PI to send it over to Israel Securities Authority. It turned out that Ilan had a buddy there, from his army days, and that he was none other than the head of Investigations, Intelligence and Market Surveillance Department at ISA.

Green examined the data and agreed to a meeting.

“Are you and Gideon in touch?” Marina asked unexpectedly when they entered the elevator. “You looked so cute in Eilat together. I thought it would last.”

“He texted me about his father the other day and I offered best wishes for his health. He said there was a complication, an infection or something, and that he was in the hospital all the time, or in Berdiplast. It was all very businesslike, you know.” Her voice broke. She gulped. “I haven’t been in touch with him since.”

She wanted to visit the hospital, but his father was in a closed ward. And she didn’t know when Gideon would be there. And she was so busy with preparing her case for Ilan, she’d hardly had any time to spare.

Just like that, it was like she and Gideon had never been. Marina hugged her and handed her a tissue.

“He’ll come around,” she told Tamar. “You’ll see.”

She dried her tears. She couldn’t afford to fall apart now, right before trying to convince Israel Securities Authority to open an investigation into Peaks.

They entered Ilan Ohayon’s conference room, where Ilan and Aviad, his IT man, were sitting with a large man. He had a florid complexion and he was busy drinking coffee and eating cookies.

“Eran Green,” Ilan said. “Meet Tamar and Marina, two analysts from Peaks, who I believe are onto something.”

“These kaaks are great.” Eran Green smiled at Tamar and dipped the anise-flavored ring cookie into his cup. “Ilan knows he can get me here any time, just by saying his sister-in-law baked him a new batch.”

Her hopes dropped. He didn’t sound as if he was here for anything more than cookies and a chat with an old army buddy.

“Eran, I want to look into it.” Ilan’s request sounded more like a command. The serious PI was dressed head to toe in black and looked quite intimidating. But quite sexy too if you were into forceful bald guys. Tamar wasn’t. She was into wavy curls and easy smiles and she missed Gideon. All the time. Compartmentalize, she ordered herself, as she had done constantly for the past week.

“The calls are insufficient, Ilan. Not even with the spreadsheets you’ve presented me with. This is the largest money manager in Israel,” Green answered.

“And Danny Golan’s father is a real hardass, he can probably make life difficult, even for Eran Green,” Marina whispered. Tamar was very glad she wasn’t alone with the three men. Her friend’s brash presence fortified her.

“I understand that Danny Golan is aware of this investigation and of those recordings, correct?” Ilan asked.

“Yes,” Tamar answered.

“Before breaking up with him, Yelena was so upset, she told him she recorded him. He’s probably nervous, because he doesn’t know that ISA don’t think it’s enough,” Marina said, and everyone in the room detected the contempt with which she uttered ISA. Green’s meaty face got redder.

“Well, they’re here now,” Ilan said quickly, “because Eran takes it seriously.”

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