Conspiracy

117

“The connections are entirely circumstantial,” Rubens told the President. “Captain McSweeney was in charge of assign-ing the men who escorted the courier. He assigned Tolong and Malinowski. The courier disappears with the money.

Malinowski dies. The CIA begins to investigate. Tolong volunteers to go on a patrol. He’s allowed to go, apparently because McSweeney OK’d it. During the patrol, he and a man named Gordon are separated from the rest of the men. He is killed, according to Gordon. Gordon buries him, and comes back with one of his dog tags. McSweeney sends out a mission to recover the body. The body is not recovered. Twenty-some years later, the body is recovered.” Rubens glanced across his office, looking at Ambassador Jackson. The former diplomat nodded grimly, a folder of his notes on his lap.

“Then there is Chris Ball,” continued Rubens. “He’s a Marine from Georgia who is about to go home. He doesn’t have much family; both of his parents are dead. His only close relation is a half sister who lives just outside Athens, Georgia. We tracked her down, and she tells us that, aside from a few postcards, he never bothered to talk to her after the war. Ball completely disappeared, in fact, until 1978, when he became a part-time patrolman in upstate New York.”

“And you think Ball is Tolong,” said the President. He was using his speakerphone, pacing around as they talked.

“We’ve done a computer rendering that shows how both men would have aged,” said Rubens. “Chief Ball and Tolong match precisely. The young Ball and the chief do not come close.”

“A computer program hardly seems definitive.”

“If we could exhume the remains of Tolong’s body, we might have definitive proof,” said Rubens. “We’re working on tracking down some of Tolong’s relatives.”

“We should have a call back in a few hours,” said Jackson.

Rubens repeated the information for the President.

“There’s no smoking gun in the records,” Rubens added. “But if we were to prove Ball was Tolong, perhaps he would tell us what happened.”

“If you can find him,” said the President.

“We are working on that, along with the FBI.”

“Why would he try to kill McSweeney?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure why Ball would want to kill McSweeney,” said Rubens. “If it’s related to the money, though, perhaps there was a double cross somewhere. He was in Washington when Gordon killed himself. And the investigator there thinks it’s possible it wasn’t suicide.” Rubens saw Jackson wince.

“I may be overstating the case on that,” Rubens added.

“He has agreed to revisit it, however.”

“As much as I don’t like Senator McSweeney, I have a hard time seeing him as a thief,” said the President. “Go ahead and exhume the body. Let me know what comes of the DNA tests. By the way, Billy.”

“Sir?”

“I’m going to be out in California myself the day after tomorrow. Senator McSweeney and I will be sharing a podium.

I’d like to have something specific to tell him when he asks who’s trying to kill him.”

“Understood.”