Part 9 (2/2)
”I own a number of networks, and many other things too. Perhaps I can be of service to you in your
investigations?”
”Such matters take time, as I am sure you will understand Mr. Tao, but I will be sure to call on you, should I find it necessary.”
Tao looked into her soul, his black eyes greedy and inscrutable, ”So, you have not yet found the true reason behind Senator Johnston's most regrettable decision to end his life?”
”He didn't end his life Mr. Tao. Senator Johnston was murdered.”
Tao raised his eyebrows, ”Murdered you say, a fascinating hypothesis, Ms. Kane. But tell me, what interest does the United States Justice Department have, in these most unfortunate events? I would have thought such maters fell under the jurisdiction of the Honolulu Police Department?”
”As I am sure you know Mr. Tao, Senator Johnston, was chairman of the Congressional House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform; a key figure in the pa.s.sing of the new energy bill. ”You are in the energy business aren't you Mr. Tao?”
Tao tilted his head at an angle that might indicate surprise, his black eyes showing no emotion, ”The machinations of the political cla.s.s have no interest to me Ms. Kane. Senator Johnston however was a man of princ.i.p.al, a Humanistian who believed in the possibility of a new future for mankind. He will be greatly missed.” ”And governor Geryon?”
”I met him socially of course. I meet many political figures in the course of my business. But that is not what you want to know is it Ms. Kane?”
The governor is currently the subject of a Federal investigation Mr. Tao, a far-reaching investigation that will no doubt uncover the full nature of his business dealings.
Tao smiled now, ”A Federal Investigation, you say, how wonderful. I am sure that many years from now, this far reaching investigation of which you speak will establish a full, fair and equitable finding on the dealings of this dead man and his a.s.sociates. I wish you luck in your investigations, Ms. Kane.” Deng Tao turned away, then almost as an afterthought he turned back and said, ”I am having a party on my yacht tomorrow evening Ms. Kane. You will attend of course, I wish to introduce you to my wife, she is a life-long devotee of murder mystery stories, I am sure she will find your company most stimulating.”
Karyn sat on the edge of the desk and watched him go. Watched as the flunkies and the monkey-suit goon squad filtered out after him. Congo shot Karyn a final sneer and disappeared too. Last to leave was Calista Johnston. As she pa.s.sed, she let her bony, manicured fingers trail down Karyn's arm. ”You will like Deena Tao. She is a woman much like yourself.”
”I doubt that,” replied Karyn. Calista Johnston, said, ”We will pick you up from your hotel tomorrow at eight.”
Karyn nodded and said, ”I didn't tell you where I was staying.”
Calista Johnston smiled. ”Tomorrow at eight.”
22.
The Pacific Cresting upwards in the early morning swell, the rusting North Korean trawler Wonsungi looked like a ghost s.h.i.+p, so battered by the elements it seemed as though it would, at any moment, sink beneath the waves, heading down forever to a deep-water grave, like so many other unseaworthy wreckers before it.
”Keep us clear of that piece of junk Mooney, or my wrath will be swift,” snapped Captain Pedro alvares, ”I don't know what the h.e.l.l is wrong with them Captain,” blurted Mooney they got power, but they got no idea how to use it, it's almost like they want to crash into us.”
”There will be no cras.h.i.+ng into anything Mooney. If that floating funfair ride so much as sc.r.a.pes against my paint work, you will be spending the rest of our little pleasure cruise hanging over the starboard beam making good the damage. Am I clear?”
”Aye, Aye Captain.” alvares, surveyed the scene, his tanned features furrowing deeper with each pa.s.sing second. The bad feeling he had been nursing throughout the night hadn't gotten any better, and as the fragile dawn broke in from the east, his sea senses told him that there was something badly awry with this communist ghost s.h.i.+p. If he had to make a call, he would head south, move forward with the mission and leave this rusting Albatross to her fate. Trouble was, they were bound by international maritime law to answer with all haste, an SOS distress call.
The whole sorry episode stank to h.e.l.l and back, thought alvares grimly. The Korean tub hadn't responded to a single overture they had made thus far. Perhaps their radio was down, or their electrics were shorting out? Perhaps, they had suffered a catastrophic failure of systems power- but that hardly seemed likely on a vessel as old as this. This wrecker was so old, it pre-dated the digital age and that meant old school a.n.a.logue systems that were virtually bomb proof. ”We still got a transmission on the distress frequency Kellerman?”
”Affirmative Captain. I am cycling through the channels, but I still cannot reach them on the radio.”
”Maybe they took damage to their rudder?” wondered Mooney.
”Unlikely,” said alvares. He scanned the decks of the Wonsungi with his binoculars, and said quietly, ”She's riding awful high in the water for a trawler so far from home, like she's holding nothing below decks. Wait a second. I see something. It's not a ghost s.h.i.+p after all-they've got men on the bridge-get Engineering Officer Heung up here, and make quick about it would you?”
alvares let the binoculars fall to his chest. ”Get on the flasher Mooney, see if we can encourage our new friends to pick up their G.o.dd.a.m.n radio.”
Mooney shot the captain a worried look, ”I don't parlez the lingo Captain, you want me to lamp him in English, or maybe Spanish?”
”Didn't they teach you anything at that college Mooney? Numerical content only, channel twelve, Morse code-I trust they taught you that?” ”Yes, Captain, of course, I...”
”Where the h.e.l.l is Heung? ”snapped alvares. ”Someone tell him to get up here and now.” On the Wonsungi, the distant figures in the bridge had come to the outside now; standing out front of the bridge to greet their saviors. The men waving high in the air, as though they were trying to flag down a ride from a pa.s.sing taxicab. Mooney, flashed out a message on the Aldis lamp. Pausing briefly, then repeating the signal over and over again. The men aboard the Wonsungi seemed oblivious to the message. Instead of responding in kind, they simply leaned out over the bridge-rail and waved ever harder. ”I got no response Captain. You ask me, these men aren't sailors at all, more like a bunch of warf-rats lost at
sea.”
”I don't believe I did ask you Mooney, did I?” said alvares mildly. ”Now, you keep up with the lamp, and just maybe, when Heung finally drags his ugly looking carca.s.s up here, we will be able to have a conversation with these warf-rats as you call
them.”
As the Nautilus drew alongside the Wonsungi, the Korean sailors pressed against the rail. And quite a crew they were, a dozen or more, all of them thin and bedraggled, in dirty oversized coveralls, looking like they hadn't eaten in weeks. ” My G.o.d, they look half-starved muttered
alvares.”
”They could be asylum seekers-escapees from the communist regime,” said Heung arriving at last at the Captain's side.
alvares raised an eyebrow, ”You think so
sailor?
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