The Evening News (70 page)

It was time, he decided, to do some revealing
of his own
.”
Mr. Armando, at CBA we have reason to believe your bank was involved in
some way with the kidnapping two weeks ago of Mrs. Crawford Sloane and two
other members of the Sloane family. I'm certain you've heard about it. So
the question arises: Is this other episode-the deaths of Efferen and
Salaverry-related to the kidnap
?
”

If Armando had been troubled before, Kettering's pronouncement had the
effect of an incremental bolt of lightning. Apparently overwhelmed, he put
his elbows on his desk and his head in his hands. After several seconds he
raised his eyes
.”
Yes, it's possible
,”
he said in a whisper
.”
Now I see it. It's not only
possible, it's likely
.”

He went on wearily, "A selfish notion, I know, but
I'm due to retire in just a few months and my thought right now is: Why
couldn't all this have waited until I had gone
?
”

"I understand your feelings
.”

Kettering tried to curb his impatience
.”
But
the fact is, you and I are here and we are involved. Obviously we each have
different information and, equally obviously, we'll both be ahead if we
exchange it
.”

"I agree
,”
Armando conceded
.”
Where should we begin
?
”

"Let me. A large sum of money, at least ten thousand dollars in cash and
probably a good deal more, is known to have passed through your bank and
aided the kidnappers
.”

The manager nodded gravely
.”
Putting together your knowledge and mine, it
is definitely a great deal more money
.”

He stopped
.”
If I help fill in some
details, is it essential that you quote me directly
?
”

Kettering considered
.”
Probably not. There's an arrangement called
'background, not for attribution.' If you wish, we'll talk on that basis
.”

"I'd prefer it
.”

Armando paused, collecting his thoughts.

"Within this bank we have a number of accounts for several delegations to the United Nations. I won't go into those, except to say our bank has strong ties with certain countries; it's why this office is conveniently close to the UN. Various people in UN delegations have authority over those accounts and one in particular was controlled by Mr. Salaverry
.”

"An account belonging to the Peruvian delegation
?
”

"Connected with the Peruvian delegation-yes. Though I'm not sure how many
people knew about that account, other than Salaverry who had authority to
sign and use it. You should understand that any UN delegation may have a
number of accounts, some for special purposes
.”

"Okay, but let's concentrate on the important one
.”

"Well, for the past several months, substantial sums have been coming into
that account and going out-all legitimately, with nothing irregular being
done by the bank, except for one unusual thing
.”
“
Which- was
?
”

'Miss Efferen, who had considerable responsibilities here as an assistant
manager, went out of her way to handle the account herself, at the same
time shielding me and others from direct knowledge of the account's
existence or what was going on.
"In other words, the source of the money coming in and who it was paid out
to was kept secret
.”

Armando nodded
.”
That's the way it was
.”

"And to whom was it paid out
?
”

"In every instance to Jose
Antonio Salaverry, on his signature. There are
n
o other signatures in the account and every payment was in cash
.”

"Let's go back a bit
,”
Kettering said
.”
You've told us you reject the
police conclusion about the way Efferin and Salaverry died. Why
?
”

"When I began to discover things last week and this, I thought that whoever
was passing money through that account -assuming Salaverry to be an
intermediary, which I think he was-probably did the killings, arranging
them to look like murder-suicide. But now you tell me that the kidnappers
of the
Sloane family were involved, it seems likely they could have been the ones
.”

Though the wizened little manager had been under strain and was near
retirement, his reasoning powers were still good, Kettering thought. He
observed that Mony was fidgeting and advised, "If you have questions
,
Jonathan, ask away
.”

Mony put aside some notes he had been making and sat forward in his chair
.”
Mr. Armando, if what you say is true, can you make a guess why those two
people were killed
?
”

The manager shrugged
.”
In my opinion they probably knew too much
.”

"For instance-the names of the kidnappers
?
”

"Again, from what Mr. Kettering has told me, that would seem a
probability
.”

"And what about the source of the money that the man, Salaverry
,
controlled. Do you know where that money came from
?
”

For the first time the manager hesitated
.”
Since Monday, I've had
discussions with members of the Peruvian delegation at the UN-they are
conducting an investigation of their own. What they've discovered so far
and we've conferred about has been confidential . .
.”

Kettering cut in, "We're not quoting you directly; we already agreed on
that. So come on-let's have it! Who did the money come from
?
”

Armando sighed
.”
Let me ask you a question, Mr. Kettering. Have you ever
heard of an organization called Sendero Luminoso or-
”
Mony completed the sentence
.”
The Shining Path
?
”

Kettering's face tightened as he answered grimly, "Yes, I have
.”

"We're not certain
,”
the manager said
, "but they could be the ones wh
o
shoveled money into that account
.”

After leaving Kettering and Mony on the Manhattan side of the Queensboro
Bridge, Harry Partridge and Minh Van Canh took time out for an early lunch
at Wolf's Delicatessen at West Fifth-seventh and Sixth. Over their mutual
choice of gigantic
hot pastrami sandwiches, Partridge regarded Minh who had seemed thoughtful today, unusually preoccupied, though it had not affected his efficient work at Godoy's Funeral Home. From across the
restaurant
table, Minh's squarish pockmarked face above his stocky figure looked back impassively between mouthfuls of mustard-laden pastrami
.”
Something on your mind, old friend
?
”

Partridge asked
.”
A few things
.”

The answer was typical Van Canh and Partridge knew better
than to press his question. Minh would respond with more detail in his own
way, in his own good time
.
Meanwhile Partridge confided to Minh his intention to fly to Colombia
,
perhaps the following day. He added that he wasn't sure whether anyone else
should travel with him; he would talk with Rita about that. But when there
was need for a camera crew, either tomorrow or later, he wanted Minh
.
Van Canh considered, weighing a decision. Then he nodded
.”
Okay, I do it
for you, Harry, and for Crawf. But it will be the last time, the last
adventure
.”

Partridge was startled
.”
You mean you're quitting
?
”

"I promised my family; we talked last night. My wife wants me at home more
.
Our children need me, my business too. So after we come back, I go
.”

"But this is so damn sudden
!”

Van Canh gave one of his rare faint smiles
.”
Sudden like an order at three
in the morning to go to Sri Lanka or Gdansk
?
”

"I know what you mean, though I'll miss you like hell; things won't be the
same without you
.”

Partridge shook his head sadly, though the decision did
not surprise him. As a Vietnamese working for CBA News, Minh had survived
extraordinary perils in the Vietnam war, near the end managing to get his
wife and two children airlifted from the country before the fall of Saigon
and all the while taking superb pictures of history on the run
.
In the years following, the Van Canh family adapted to their new American
life-the children, like so many Vietnamese immigrants, studying hard and
earning high grades at school and now college. Partridge knew them well and
admired, sometimes
envied
the family's solidarity. As part of it, they
lived
f
rugally while Minh saved and invested most of his
substantial CBA pay, his econom
ies so obvious that among colleagues a rumor now existed that Minh was a millionaire
.
The last was possible, Partridge knew, because over the past five years
Minh had purchased several small camera stores in New York suburbs, linking
them and significantly enlarging their business with the aid of his wife
,
Thanh
.
It was reasonable, too, that at this point in his life Minh should decide
he had had enough of travel and prolonged absences, and had taken
sufficient risks, including joining Harry Partridge on dangerous
assignments
.”
Speaking of your business, how is it going
?
”

Partridge asked
.”
Very well
.”

Again Minh smiled, adding, "But it has become more than Thanh
can manage while I am away
.”

"I'm pleased for you
,”
Partridge said, "because no one deserves it more
.
And I hope we'll still see each other once in a while
.”

"You can count on it, Harry. In our home your name will stay first on our
list of honored guests
.”

On the way back from lunch, after leaving Van Canh, Partridge stopped at
a sporting goods store to buy some heavy socks, a pair of hiking boots and
a sturdy flashlight. He suspected he might need all three quite soon. By
the time he returned to CBA, it was mid
afternoon
.
In the task force conference room, Rita Abrams waved him over
.”
A man's
been trying to reach you. He's called three times since this morning
.
Wouldn't leave his name, but said it's essential he speak to you today. I
told him sooner or later you'd be back
.”

"Thanks. There's something I want to tell you. I've decided I should go to
Bogot6 . .
.”

Partridge stopped as he and Rita looked up at the sound of hurried
footsteps approaching the conference room. A moment later Don Kettering
entered with Jonathan Mony close behind
.”
Harry! Rita
!”

Kettering said, his voice breathless from hurrying, "I think
we have the can of worms-wide open
!”