The Faberge Egg by Robert Upton

stopped.
    “Yes?”
    “A girlfriend. But she died broke a couple of years later.”
    “ Scheisse , ” he said, punching his palm again. He walked past McGuffin and began to pace behind him. “You knew him better than anyone. He had the egg ven he died, therefore you must know vhere it is.”
    “If I did, I’d give it to you. In exchange for my wife and daughter,” McGuffin added.
    “No, no,” he spoke from behind McGuffin. “You know vhere it is, but you don’t realize that you do. Think. Vhere vuld Dwindling hide something valuable?”
    McGuffin thought about it for a moment, then replied slowly, “I don’t know.”
    “You must!” Kruger insisted. “You are the only one who could know! Think, for God’s sake, think!”
    “It’s been eighteen years,” McGuffin protested. When he stirred in his chair, Schatze began to growl, but McGuffin went on, undeterred. “Somebody probably found it a long time ago and sold it off piece by piece.”
    “No,” Kruger said. “That is not possible. The egg is somewhere - Dwindling had it - and now I must haf it. If I haf the egg, everything is possible - everything! Do you understand, Mr. McGuffin?”
    “I can’t say that I do,” McGuffin replied. “But I know what you want and you know what I want. So what do you say to a deal?”
    “What sort of deal?”
    “You return my ex-wife and daughter and I’ll help you find the Fabergé egg.”
    Kruger appeared from behind McGuffin, smiling. “But you haf already made such a deal vit Klaus.”
    “I’m abrogating it.”
    The old man laughed softly. “I think you are not a loyal employee, Mr. McGuffin. Nevertheless,” he said, hoisting himself up on the corner of the desk, “it is possible that ve might do business. But first you must bring me the egg, then I vill release your vife and daughter.”
    “Uh-uh. First you release them, then I bring you the egg.”
    Kruger laughed again. “Mr. McGuffin, you haf already betrayed Klaus. Surely you don’t think me such a fool that I vuld put myself in the same position.”
    “It’s got to be my way or not at all,” McGuffin insisted.
    Kruger shrugged. “Then I vill kill them.”
    “You’re bluffing.”
    “I believe Mr. Dwindling said something very much like that, just a few seconds before I killed him.”
    “I don’t get it, Kruger. Your beef is with me, not them. Why don’t you take me and let them go?”
    “My plans haf changed, thanks to you, Mr. McGuffin. Suddenly I am filled vit love instead of hate. I see a vay to make up for everything I haf lost. But I need your help. Please help me, Mr. McGuffin, so that I won’t haf to kill again,” Kruger pleaded.
    McGuffin stared into his round eyes and nodded slowly. “Okay.”
    “How much time vill you require?”
    “It could take a long time, maybe a month,” McGuffin answered.
    “You haf a veek.”
    “A week?”
    “One veek from today, your vife and child vill be no more. Do you understand that?”
    “Yeah, I understand.”
    “Then I suggest you get started immediately.”
    McGuffin climbed to his feet, stared uncertainly at the little man for a moment, then turned and started out of the room. Kruger stopped him before he got to the door.
    “I’m sure I don’t haf to tell you not to involve the police in our business, Mr. McGuffin,” he called.
    McGuffin stopped at the doorway and turned to the three men and their dog. “And I’m sure I don’t haf to tell you that if anything happens to Marilyn or Hillary, I’m going to kill all of you.” When Schatze growled, McGuffin added, “And that goes for your dog, too.”
    Then he walked out of the house and down the hill to his car. He was halfway to San Francisco before he remembered that he had left his gun in the bottom of the grape wagon in the barn.

 
    McGuffin awoke early the next morning to a damp, cold fog, put on his robe and slippers, and padded down to the engine cum storeroom of the Oakland Queen. Once more, he went carefully through