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〃I don't know； little Kathy；〃 he said； still holding her。 〃I don't know。 And I don't know why I made it and why they didn't。〃
〃Oh I'm ever so glad you did！〃 She gave him a little hug and gathered herself。 Somehow she put away her sadness for all of them。 Then she dried her tears； took out a small mirror and looked at herself。 〃God； I look a mess！ Sorry。〃 His private bathroom was concealed behind a bookcase and she went there and repaired her makeup。
When she came back he was still staring out of the window。 〃Andrew's out of the office at the moment but the moment he es back I'll tell him；〃 he said。
〃Oh no dear； that's my job。 I must do that。 I must。 That's only fair。〃 She smiled up at him and touched him。 〃I love you； Ian。〃
〃I love you； Kathy。〃
22
4：55 P。M。：
The cardboard box that the Werewolves had sent to Phillip Chen was on Roger Crosse's desk。 Beside the box was the ransom note； key ring； driver's license； pen； even the crumpled pieces of torn newspaper that had been used for packing。 The little plastic bag was there； and the mottled rag。 Only its contents were missing。
Everything had been tagged。
Roger Crosse was alone in the room and he stared at the objects； fascinated。 He picked up a piece of the newspaper。 Each had been carefully smoothed out； most were tagged with a date and the name of the Chinese newspaper it had e from。 He turned it over； seeking hidden information； a hidden clue； something that might have been missed。 Finding nothing； he put it back neatly and leaned on his hands； lost in thought。
Alan Medford Grant's report was also on his desk； near the inter。 It was very quiet in the room。 Small windows overlooked Wanchai and part of the harbor toward Glessing's Point。
His phone jangled。 〃Yes？〃
〃Mr。 Rosemont； CIA； and Mr。 Langan； FBI； sir。〃
〃Good。〃 Roger Crosse replaced his phone。 He unlocked his top desk drawer and carefully put the AMG file on top of the decoded telex and relocked it。 The middle drawer contained a high…quality tape recorder。 He checked it and touched a hidden switch。 Silently the reels began to turn。 The inter on his desk contained a powerful microphone。 Satisfied； he relocked this drawer。 Another hidden desk switch slid a bolt open on the door soundlessly。 He got up and opened the door。
〃Hello； you two； please e in；〃 he said affably。 He closed the door behind the two Americans and shook hands with them。 Unnoticed； he slid the bolt home again。 〃Take a seat。 Tea？〃
〃No thanks；〃 the CIA man said。
〃What can I do for you？〃
Both men were carrying manila envelopes。 Rosemont opened his and took out a sheaf of good…quality eight…by…ten photos； clipped into two sections。 〃Here；〃 he said； passing over the top section。
They were various shots of Voranski running across the wharf； on the streets of Kowloon； getting into and out of taxis； phoning； and many more of his Chinese assassins。 One photograph showed the two Chinese leaving the phone booth with a clear glimpse of the crumpled body in the background。
Only Crosse's superb discipline kept him from showing astonishment； then blinding rage。 〃Good； very good；〃 he said gently； putting them on the desk； very conscious of the ones Rosemont had retained in his hand。 〃So？〃
Rosemont and Ed Langan frowned。 〃You were tailing him too？〃
〃Of course；〃 Crosse said； lying with his marvelous sincerity。 〃My dear fellow； this is Hong Kong。 But I do wish you'd let us do our job and not interfere。〃
〃Rog； we； er； we don't want to interfere； just want to backstop you。〃
〃Perhaps we don't need backstopping。〃 There was a sharpness to his voice now。
〃Sure。〃 Rosemont took out a cigarette and lit it。 He was tall and thin with gray crew…cut hair and good features。 His hands were strong； like all of him。 〃We know where the two killers're holed up。 We think we know；〃 he said。 〃One of our guys thinks he's pegged them。〃
〃How many men have you got watching the ship？〃
〃Ten。 Our guys didn't notice any of yours tailing this one。 The diversion almost spooked us too。〃
〃Very dicey；〃 Crosse said agreeably； wondering what diversion。
〃Our guys never got to go through his pockets … we know he made two calls from the booth。 。。。〃 Rosemont noted Crosse's eyes narrow slightly。 That's curious； he thought。 Crosse didn't know that。 If he doesn't know that； maybe his operators weren't tailing the target either。 Maybe he's lying and the mie was loose in Hong Kong until he was knifed。 〃We radioed a mug shot back home … we'll get a call back fast。 Who was he？〃
〃His papers said； Igor Voranski； seaman first class。 Soviet merchant marine。〃
〃You have a file on him； Rog？〃
〃It's rather unusual for you two to call together； isn't it？ I mean； in the movies； we're always led to believe the FBI and CIA are always at odds。〃
Ed Langan smiled。 〃Sure we are … like you and MI…5 … like the KGB； GRU and fifty other Soviet operations。 But sometimes our cases cross … we're internal U。S。； Stan's external； but we're both out for the same thing： security。 We thought 。。。 we're asking if we could all cooperate。 This could be a big one； and we're 。。。 Stan and I're out of our depth。〃
〃That's right；〃 Rosemont said； not believing it。
〃All right；〃 Crosse said； needing their information。 〃But you first。〃
Rosemont sighed。 〃Okay； Rog。 We've had a buzz for some time there's something hotting up in Hong Kong … we don't know what … but it sure as hell's got tie…ins to the States。 I figure the AMG file's the link。 Lookit： take Banastasio … he's Mafia。 Big…time。 Narcotics； the lot。 Now take Bartlett and the guns。 Guns … 〃
〃Is Bartlett tied into Banastasio？〃
〃We're not sure。 We're checking。 We are sure the guns were put aboard in L。A。 … Los Angeles … where the airplane's based。 Guns！ Guns； narcotics and our growing interest in Vietnam。 Where do narcotics e from？ The Golden Triangle。 Vietnam； Laos and the Yunnan Province of China。 Now we're into Vietnam and … 〃
〃Yes； and you're ill…advised to be there； old chum … I've pointed that out fifty times。〃
〃We don't make policy； Rog； any more than you do。 Next： Our nuclear carrier's here and the goddamn Sovetsky Ivanov arrives last night。 That's too convenient； maybe the leak came from here。 Then Ed tips you off and we get AMG's wild…assed letters from London and now there's Sevrin！ Turns out the KGB've plants all over Asia and you've a high…placed hostile somewheres。〃
〃That's not yet proved。〃
〃Right。 But I know about AMG。 He's nobody's fool。 If he says Sevrin's in place and you've a mole； you've a mole。 Sure we've got hostiles in the CIA too； so've the KGB。 I'm sure Ed has in the FBI … 〃
〃That's doubtful；〃 Ed Langan interrupted sharply。 〃Our guys are handpicked and trained。 You get your firemen from all over。〃
〃Sure；〃 Rosemont said； then added to Crosse； 〃Back to narcotics。 Red China's our big enemy and … 〃
〃Again； you're wrong； Stanley。 The PRC's not the big enemy anywhere； Russia is。〃
〃China's mie。 mies're the enemy。 Now； it'd be real smart to flood the States with cheap narcotics and Red China 。。。 okay the People's Republic of China can open the dam gates。〃
〃But they haven't。 Our Narcotics Branch's the best in Asia … they've never e up with anything to support your misguided official theory that they're behind the trade。 Nothing。 The PRC are as anti…drug traffic as the rest of us。〃
〃Have it your way；〃 Rosemont said。 〃Rog； you got a file on this agent？ He's KGB； isn't he？〃
Crosse lit a cigarette。 〃Voranski was here last year。 That time he went under the cover name of Sergei Kudryov； again seaman first class； again off the same ship … they're not very inventive； are they？〃 Neither of the two men smiled。 〃His real name's Major Yuri Bakyan； First Directorate； KGB； Department 6。〃
Rosemont sighed heavily。
The FBI man glanced at him。 〃Then you're right。 It all ties in。〃
〃Maybe。〃 The tall man thought a moment。 〃Rog； what about his contacts from last year？〃
〃He acted like a tourist； staying at the Nine Dragons in Kowloon。 。。。〃
〃That's in AMG's report； that hotel's mentioned；〃 Langan said。
〃Yes。 We've been covering it for a year or so。 We've found nothing。 Bakyan … Voranski … did ordinary tourist activities。 We had him on twenty…four…hour surveillance。 He stayed a couple of weeks； then； just before the ship sailed； sneaked back aboard。〃
〃Girl friend？〃
〃No。 Not a regular one。 He used to hang out at the Good Luck Dance Hall in Wanchai。 Quite a cocksman； apparently； but he asked no questions and met no one out of the ordinary。〃
〃He ever visit Sinclair Towers？〃
〃No。〃
〃Pity；〃 Langan said； 〃that'd've been dandy。 Tsu…yan's got a place there。 Tsu…yan knows Banastasio； John Chen knows Banastasio； and we're back to guns； narcotics； AMG and Sevrin。〃
〃Yeah；〃 Rosemont said； then added； 〃Have you caught up with Tsu…yan yet？〃
〃No。 He got to Taipei safely； then vanished。〃
〃You think he's holed up there？〃
〃I would imagine so；〃 Crosse said。 But inside he believed him dead； already eliminated by Nationalist； munist； Mafia or triad。 I wonder if he could have been a double agent … or the supreme devil of all intelligence services； a triple agent？
〃You'll find him … or we will … or the Taiwan boys will。〃
〃Roger； did Voranski lead you anywhe