Another long pause stretched uncomfortably. “See to it that you stay that way. Otherwise, my research will be for nothing.”
Sam slid into the seat and pulled the door closed as Remi got the last of the glass off her side and joined him. He glanced at the white starburst where the rock had hit the windshield and closed his eyes.
“Will do, Selma.”
CHAPTER 34
They returned to find that the hotel now had the air of a fortified camp. The security guards brandished their clubs nervously, as the attendant raised the gate, watching the road, which was empty except for emergency vehicles. To their surprise, a new tablet had already been delivered to their room and was lying on the bed. Sam and Remi spent a half hour cleaning up. Remi changed from her glass-dusted clothes while Sam busied himself online.
“So now what? Do we have lunch or risk our lives going out to the boat to see what Leonid’s up to?” Remi asked.
“I’d say lunch is a safer bet. Pretty sure that Leonid can supervise the dive without us, don’t you think?”
“No question,” she said, joining him in front of the tablet screen. “What are you looking at?”
“I was browsing the web to see if there were any reports of rebel activity before the aid workers’ kidnapping. But, no, it’s a new development.”
“What can we conclude from that?”
“That it just started since we arrived. Timing’s everything.”
“Right. But wouldn’t you think if this was a popular uprising, someone would have said something? Sounds fishy to me.” Sam sat back and stared out at the water. “There’s a lot of money involved in the mineral rights. The gold is a big deal, sure. But the petroleum dwarfs that. We’re talking many billions, potentially.” Sam rose and turned to her. “Fortunately, it’s not our fight. We’ve got other fish to fry. Sunken cities. Hidden treasure.”
“Grilled mahi mahi with mango chutney,” she said, then tiptoed and kissed him. “Why are you always spoiling me?”
“All part of my evil plan to bend you to my will.”
Service was slow, and by the time they’d finished lunch it was two o’clock. After a brief chat with the manager, who cautioned them that although the morning’s unrest appeared to be over they should still be careful, they returned to the Toyota and made their way to Island Dreams.
The car rental agent was understanding about the damage to the vehicle, once a wad of hundreds materialized in Sam’s hand. The agent apologized for the unrest as though he’d personally been responsible for it and then escorted them to a dark blue Nissan Pathfinder that looked like it had circumnavigated the globe. They climbed aboard and strapped in.
“It sounds like the muffler’s shot,” Remi observed as Sam accelerated.
“An authentic island vehicle in every way,” Sam agreed with a grin.
The sat phone rang as they were parking and Sam answered it while they strolled to the lobby.
“Hello?”
Selma wasted no time with small talk. “We got a hit on Kumasaka. His daughter lives in Tokyo. Well, in Sawara, in Chiba prefecture. She’s in her seventies, retired, no children.”
“Have you made contact?”
“No. I thought you might want to do that.”
Sam considered the question. “How’s your Japanese?”
“About as good as my Bulgarian.”
“Do you have any friends that could help you with the daughter?”
“Of course. What do you want me to say?”
“That you’re working with historians documenting the stories of Japanese POWs imprisoned in Australia and New Zealand. That her father, being a high-ranking officer, is of interest and we want to speak to her.” Sam paused. “Remi and I can be in Japan at the drop of a hat if you can get us a meeting.”
“Okay, boss. But she must have been a child during the war. She might not know anything worth traveling for.”
“I know, but she’s our only lead so far and we’re running low on options. Just see if she’ll agree to meet us.”