Chapter 5 of 12

(elle-nora')

Once he noticed his bumbling pursuer, Kendall considered where best to confront the man. He didn't want to do it on a public street... too many people... too many questions. Still... as Kendall sauntered down the Rue Madeline he was painfully aware the man was close behind.

Lazily, as if it were his true intention, Kendall turned into the Luxembourg Gardens and wandered aimlessly through the formal gardens until he was close enough to one of the mazes to slip behind the shrubbery and await his follower.

When the man passed in front of him... Kendall leaped and grasped the man by the collar.

"Looking for someone?"

Perspiration dripped from the man's forehead. He stammered, "Loo... look... looking?"

Kendall roughly went through the man's pockets, and finding his passport, read it, "Dieter Mueller? German?" Now why did that ring a bell?

"My wallet was stolen yesterday... I have nothing of value... Please!"

"Oh really!" Kendall was definitely tired of this. "Who hired you to watch me?" he threatened.

"Watch you?"

Kendall rolled his eyes... "Was the man an idiot?"

"Italy... Spain... now France... Just coincidence? I think not!" Kendall roughly replaced Mueller's passport. "Who hired you?"

The man swallowed nervously. "I don't know... not really... I was just told to follow you. Occasionally when I lost you... I'd call a number and be told where to find you again. The card with the number on it was in my stolen wallet... I don't remember the number."

Kendall lowered and his hands and stared at the fool. "You were hired to follow me... but you kept losing my trail so whoever hired you would tell you were to find me?" He laughed, "This makes no sense... What was the name on the card? Maybe it's a friend playing a practical joke."

The little man wiped his forehead with his handkerchief. "Johann Meinhoff."

Kendall Crane felt an icy dagger of fear. Thoughtfully he straightened Mueller's coat and brushed away imaginary lint. "If I were you... I'd find a new line of work. The next man you follow may not be so understanding."

Pivoting sharply... Kendall headed for the nearest exit... If Meinhoff were involved... then Kendall had done the one thing he should not have done... He had led the man straight to Benjamin. Damn! Whatever had made him think he could fool the man last year? He'd pretended neither to recognize the flamboyant painter nor to have any interest in his work at all.

Kendall had met a young woman at a bar in Venice who'd flirted a bit with him. Responding in like nature... he'd found himself several days later having agreed to model for her art class.

"You have such interesting... cheekbones," Magda had laughed... making it clear which cheeks she meant as she'd rolled off of him that morning. "Please Ken... you have to pose for me... all of us bring people in to pose... It's my turn."

"And that's all this was? Just a seduction to get me to take my clothes off?"

"Mmmm... at first!" Magda had sat up and stretched. "But I rather liked the private performance." Her pale blonde hair had fallen over her blue eyes and he'd found himself reaching for her again.

She had been something! So he'd posed. The class of nine students had seemed appreciative and he'd found he'd rather enjoyed the experience... though he doubted his old teacher would have approved. "Try not to let anyone paint your portrait or make a sculpture," Benjamin had taught him, "You never know when those bloody things will turn up!" But these were just students... these were just exercises in drawing the human form with charcoal... Kendall had doubted there would be any lasting ramifications. He'd assumed it was all harmless... At least until Meinhoff had walked in.

Instantly Kendall had realized he was unarmed and vulnerable. He'd steeled his face so that he betrayed no recognition... but Meinhoff had leered a bit... Later he'd "officially" introduced himself... He was the instructor of this class... he appreciated the young man's contribution... Would he like to continue? Would he be interested in posing for the master?

Kendall had decided that moving on might be the better course of action. As much as he enjoyed Magda... and he had... Kendall enjoyed his head on his shoulders far more. He'd bid her farewell with a kiss and left Venice behind him.

From his limited knowledge of Meinhoff... Kendall Crane knew the man was dangerous. He was younger than Kendall by about three centuries... but he'd racked up quite a tally from all he'd heard. And once... a few centuries ago... he'd been after Benjamin! Evidently... Meinhoff had recognized Kendall somehow... made the connection... Even after all this time... Johann Meinhoff was still after Adam Benjamin.

Kendall left another message for his friend at the tavern and left. He needed to find a place to work out... a place to practice. Every instinct he had told him to run... to leave Paris... But if Meinhoff was after Benjamin... then Kendall had to be ready. If he had inadvertently led Meinhoff here... then he would challenge him first... before he could get to Benjamin. He would not have it said that Kendall Crane had ever failed his friends... nor that he had ever betrayed them.