"I'd like to speak to Mr. Casio, please."
"Who shall I say is calling?"
"My name is Pitt."
"He's with a client. Can you call back?"
"No!" Pitt growled menacingly. "I'm calling from Washington and it's urgent."
Suitably intiminated, the receptionist replied, "One moment."
Casio came on the line almost immediately. "Mr. Pitt. Good to hear from you."
"Sorry to interrupt your meeting," said Pitt, "but I need a few answers."
"I'll do my best."
"What do you know about the crew of the San Marino?"
"Not much. I ran a make on the officers, but nothing unusual turned up. They were all professional merchant mariners. The captain, as I recall, had a very respectable record."
"No ties to any kind of organized crime?"
"Nothing that came to light in the computers of the National Crime Information Center."
"How about the rest of the crew?"
"Not much there. Only a few had maritime union records."
"Nationality?" Pitt asked.
"Nationality?" Casio repeated, thought a moment, then said, "A mixture. A few Greek, a few Americans, several Koreans."
"Koreans?" Pitt came back, suddenly alert. "There were Koreans onboard?"
"Yeah, that's right. Now that you mention it, as I remember, a group of about ten signed on just before the San Marino sailed."
"Would it be possible to trace the ships and companies they served prior to the San Marino?"
"You're going back a long time, but the files should be available."
"Could you throw in the history of the Pilottown's crew as well?"
"Don't see why not."
"I'd appreciate it."
"What are you after exactly?" Casio asked.
"Should be obvious to you."
"A link between the crew and our unknown parent company, is that it?"
"Close enough."
"You're going back before the ship disappeared," said Casio thoughtfully.
"The most practical way to take over a ship is by the crew."