Frank turned sarcastic. "Did you try the cereal aisle?"
Josephine was annoyed. Frank had to know what she was talking about. "Buckwheat... is our code name for Roger Lococco."
Frank folded his arms. "That's your problem. That's not my problem."
Josephine rose. "I beg to differ. This IS your problem. My institute has more important things to do than chasing down your payback."
"I thought you called me here to discuss Vince Terranova," he told her.
Josephine raised her eyebrows. "If I did not have to waste precious institute time babysitting..."
"I get the point," Frank interrupted. "But what do you want me to do about it. I don't know where he is."
"Tell me some of his tendencies."
Frank sucked in his cheeks. "To be annoying, to get his own way. He gives a good headache."
Josephine folded her hands and placed her forefingers to her mouth. "I'm glad you're amused by all this. You can chuckle all the way to Hayle-Hayle Outpost in Antarctica which is exactly where I will have the OCB send you."
Frank chewed his saliva. "You want stuff like who he knows, what he likes to eat. That sort of thing."
Josephine lowered her hands. "My, my, the professional emerges." At this point she could not help being sarcastic.
Frank ignored her chide. "He likes Chinese food. Always insists on using chopsticks. Designer labels are a must. He likes B.B. King. I don't know who he knows... other than me." He gave her a 'does that help' look.
Josephine opened her mouth but was interrupted by her intercom.
"Ms. Lasker, Kyle says you're not going to believe this. But Buckwheat just passed through the security check gate."
"Thank you, Lydia," Josephine answered. She and Frank exchanged a surprised look. "What's he doing here?" she wanted to know.
Frank absently leaned against her desk. "Why do you keep asking me like I would know? Just be happy. You WERE looking for him."
Josephine rose. She reached for the intercom. "Lydia?"
"Yes, ma'am," was the response.
"Lydia, have Kyle bring Mr. Lococco to the debriefing room when he gets to the building."
Again, "Yes, ma'am."
Josephine rounded the desk. "You coming?" she asked Frank, though it sounded more like a command.
The debriefing room was smaller in comparison to the other rooms that Frank had seen at Von Yeager Complex, the Institute facility at which he was. A rectangular table in the center of the room was flanked by two chairs. Three more chairs sat against a wall. On the opposite wall was a mirror which Frank knew to be a two-way.
Roger Lococco was already seated at the table when Frank and Josephine arrived. Josephine took the seat across from him while Frank situated himself in one of the chairs along the wall.
"I suppose you're going to tell us exactly what you are doing here," Josephine said evenly.
Roger leaned back and in one fluid motion brought his legs to rest on the table and his hands behind his head. "I was hoping for something to eat first," he stated matter-of-factly. Nothing against that Hebrew course of yours but it WAS rather lacking in the food department. All I've been eating are zateem and gavina." He turned to Frank and clarified, "Olives and cheese."
Josephine was in no mood to take requests but she went to the phone that was on the wall by the door and lifted the receiver to her ear. Pushing two buttons she addressed Roger. "A cheeseburger?"
He nodded.
Josephine spoke into the phone. "I would like a cheeseburger sent to debriefing one." Back to Roger. "Anything else?"
"Coffee," he answered.
"And a cup of coffee," Josephine repeated.
"And pickles."
Josephine smiled. "And pickles. Thank you." She returned the receiver to the base and returned herself to her seat.
"Thank you," Roger said in a rare display of gratitude.
"You're welcome," Josephine replied. "Now suppose while we're waiting for the food you humor me with an explanation."
Roger's legs came off the table as he sat straight. "I guess I owe you that. What do you want to know first?"
Josephine folded her hands. "Let's start with why you needed to be sent to Israel."
"I have a contact there," Roger began. "The only way he will meet me, though, is if he thinks my placement is of an official nature. That's just the way it is."
Roger looked to Frank and then back to Josephine. "I knew he would have something we wanted." He paused. "The agent you sent to find Vince Terranova... is my brother."
Josephine and Frank exchanged a look before she spoke. "Richard Laycock is your brother."
Roger's eyes flashed. "When it was decided that we were to be in the same line of work we determined it would be safer if our relationship was unknown. We didn't want to be used against each other."
"So are you Lococcos or Laycocks?" Frank couldn't help asking from the sidelines.
"Richie came up with Laycock. He thought it sounded similar."
The corners of Josephine's mouth went up slightly. "Richie? I take it he's younger than you."
Roger nodded.
Josephine folded her arms. "Time to cut to the chase. You wouldn't have come back here if you didn't learn something."
Roger rubbed the knuckles of his left hand. "This is true. Ever hear of a place called Le Jardin?"
Frank shook his head but was surprised to hear Josephine respond.
"It's an exclusive "hospital" in France." She used her fingers to indicate quote marks around the word hospital. "It rests on ten acres. It's a rather questionable facility. Wealthy families have been known to hide relatives who were considered embarrassments there."
"They're there." Roger spoke over her.
His statement caused Frank to lean forward and his eyes to go wide.
"They're there," Roger repeated. "Apparently, Vince was being kept there in a drug induced coma. Richie went there, was found out and now he is too."
Frank rose. "Are you sure?"
Roger shrugged. "My contact is. He even gave me the names that they're registered under." He looked pleadingly to Josephine. "You've got to help me get my brother out of there..." He glanced to Frank. "And Vince too."
***************************************************************
Frank and Josephine watched Roger as he ate his cheeseburger.
"And I thought you weren't doing anything," Frank found himself saying.
"The point is what do we do now." Josephine was thinking out loud. "If we do go after them it would have to be unofficial since neither one of our organizations allows for rescues."
Roger took a swallow of coffee. "I know some people who would help. They're a crack team of commandos. And we couldn't tell anyone." Roger paused. "Okay, that was a stupid thing to say."
Josephine pinned Roger with a hard gaze. "Get them."