by Moulton, CD
He got a phone call the third day. The police department in David would appreciate it if he would come to make a declaration about several of the things that had happened. They had discovered through a secret operative for a worldwide policing detail that several accidental deaths, including the woman in Chiriqui Grande, were non-accidents done by some agent for the very people accused of various conspiracies. The police weren’t equipped to handle international intrigue and wanted it stopped. Clint was their best hope, as the US Embassy claimed no knowledge of any such thing. “A man called Chico Raul is their agent, but we can contact him only in difficult ways. We can’t find who he actually is, but he has given much information that fits with incidents he could only know if he was there.
“He says there was growing suspicion about a man, a missionary, being involved because more than one accident was at a place and time when he was in the near area, the latest being a woman in San Blas. The agent said it was coincidence, that he was the one who arranged the accidents, that the preacher-man was a good man with a good heart and even the one who did the acts found it wrong to allow the innocent man to be suspected. None of the victims could be called `innocent’ in the broadest definition of the word.
“He claimed that the accidents were among a group involved in drug smuggling and art theft and that he held no sympathy for them.
“We find that the deaths he admitted to did, indeed, involve stolen art. It strengthens his claims. He said you had investigated one or two of the cases – and we have records that you did, indeed, request information about them – and would be able to explain about it.”
“I’ll come to David and make a declaration, but it’s true. It’s a war between two opposing groups that could possibly involve the police here and in Colombia and Costa Rica in a very expensive investigation that would, as is usual where those people are involved, result in a bunch of deaths and huge expense that leads to nothing.
“Raul explained it to me. He thinks it’s best that they handle it themselves. Dead thugs and drug smugglers don’t cost millions to incarcerate and feed for years. This way, even their own group has to pay for the funerals.”
“You’re a very practical man, Clint Faraday. You could have stopped it, but found this is a better way for all concerned.”
“I don’t think I could have stopped it. I could have caused publicity that would lead to the huge expenses and hopeless prosecution of that bunch of hoods.”
“Thank you. I will have this written and you may read it over and use it for your declaration. I will, I assure you, not include certain parts. It will appear you knew nothing, only had suspicions until it was done. Raul has assured us that the project is completed in Panamá. He is now in Colombia and will thence return to Germany where the, as he named it, clean-up started.”
Clint chatted a minute, then made arrangements to return to Chiriqui Grande the following day. He went fishing. The next day he went to David. The next day he went to Bocas Town and home.
Home
“Hi, Clint! Welcome back!” Judi called when she saw Clint laying in the hammock on his deck at six thirty in the morning. He had come in late the night before and had cleaned up his computer messages and such, then crashed. He was still exhausted from so many days in buses and running around the country. No more of that for awhile!
He waved and called that he would come over in a while. She said she’d be right over. She had found a recipe for hojaldres with a bit of coconut and banana that was beyond delicious.
His computer dinged with an e-mail, so he went in to read the message from Emanuel. It seemed that the woman I was to contact died in a car accident the very night before I got here. At least this one wasn’t after I contacted her! I spent two nights in Panamá City before going to San Blas. Veronica had sent, not just ten, but FIFTEEN thousand dollars! I already have a small medical and educational center being built. Things are wonderful. I actually have friends here! These people would work their asses (giggle) off to help.
Wasn’t it sad? The accident in San Diego, California? The church would sorely miss one such as Veronica and ... well, I supposed the project has ended permanently. All the directors were there when it happened.
Be in touch! – best wishes always to my best friend in the world! – Manu (as the people here call me)
Clint went to the world news site to check on what had happened in San Diego. Accident? The entire directorship of the project?
He found it.
UPSI: Sunday, Feb. 5, 2011: San Diego, Calif. USA: At four thirty three this afternoon a natural gas leak under the Suterclift Building in San Diego caused an explosion that destroyed the building, resulting in the deaths of nine people, all those in the building at the time. The building was owned by a group of international businessmen who were meeting for a strategy session to attempt to halt the decline in buying power of the US dollar, according to sources.
The explosion was of such intensity that windows were shattered in buildings for more than a block away. It is most fortunate that the business district involved is virtually deserted on Sundays. There would certainly have been many more deaths and injuries had those businesses been open.
The victims names are being withheld pending notification of the families.
Clint read the report and sighed.
The computer dinged again. It was his private and personal e-mail service. Very few people knew about it, so it would be Manny, Dave – not Judi. She was a hundred feet away.
It was from Raul Mali: Hi, Clint. I’m in London and will return to Panamá in about two weeks to retire. I was not in California. I think I know who was.
Emanuel is going to get a surprise. It seems there was an insurance policy recently taken out for various projects funded by a certain now-extinct group to be split up between their projects – which was The San Blas Mission Emanuel at the time. 5 mil. He can build a major hospital and school for the area. Some good will come from this.
Hope to see you soon. You are the one true friend I found in my business – at least, I hope you consider me as much of a friend as I consider you.
Clint sighed again. Right!
Well, what the hell? He was a great guy in a lot of ways and he hadn’t prevaricated. He had arranged for Emanuel and the Indios to receive a true blessing. He had only eliminated a couple of growing cancers from the world. Maybe he was a friend!
Now. Fishing today?
No. Enough of that.
Judi came in the front door with a big plate of hojaldres. “Hi! I’m off to David today. Want to come along?”
Clint didn’t hesitate for that one. “No.”
C. D. Moulton’s works are available on most major outlets as printed or e-books. CD writes the CD Grimes, PI mysteries, the Det. Lt. Nick Storie mysteries, the Clint Faraday mysteries, the Flight of the Maita science fiction series, books on orchid culture and many others of many types. Mystery, adventure, intrigue, science fiction, fantasy, para-normal, mild erotica, and factual.
