Polar Quest

32

They were met at the airport by a courier from the U.S. Embassy in Jamaica. Tao signed for the package, then they picked up a Mustang convertible and drove into George Town. The quaint seaside village had evolved from British trading outpost in the Caribbean into major tourist destination.

‘It’s hard to believe this is one of the biggest banking centers in the world,’ Kilkenny mused as they drove around, getting a feel for the town.

‘Two words, Nolan: no taxes. Most of the top world banks are headquartered here, as well as several hundred smaller ones.’ Tao opened the package and examined the IDs.

‘Who are we with today?’

‘The SEC.’

‘Which leads me to my next question — what about jurisdiction? This isn’t the U.S.’

‘True, but the government of the Cayman Islands prides itself on the integrity of its financial sector. Part of that reputation comes from their willingness to work with the U.S. and Britain to police that sector. I expect that the Sterling Private Bank will be very willing to assist us just to avoid problems with their government.’

They located the headquarters of the Sterling Private Bank in the second-floor walk-up atop a pirate-themed souvenir shop in a commercial block. The building was narrow, wedged in between two larger brick buildings, with a pair of tall arched windows on the second floor.

‘Looks like a one-man accounting firm,’ Kilkenny commented as they parked across the street.

‘You were expecting a marble foyer with a dozen tellers behind brass screens?’ Tao asked.

‘No, just something that looked a little more like a bank.’

They climbed up to the second floor and found a panneled wood door with a frosted glass panel that bore the name of the bank in stenciled gold letters. Beside the door was an intercom and a small sign that read RING FOR SERVICE. Kilkenny pressed the button and heard a dull buzzing sound on the other side of the door.

‘May I help you?’ a half-distracted voice answered through the speaker.

‘Yes,’ Kilkenny answered. ‘We are with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and would like to speak to someone about some stock transactions that were placed by this bank.’

‘Do you have an appointment?’

‘No, but if you prefer we could check in with the Finance Secretary’s office first.’

‘No need for that bother. Do come in.’

They entered a room that occupied most of the building’s upper floor. The high ceiling was covered with panels of embossed tin, and a ceiling fan of brass and wood revolved slowly. A U-shaped workstation dominated the center of the room and every inch of the desktop was covered with paper or electronic equipment.

A portly man with a thick white beard that ran over the top of his ears and around the back of his bald head removed a telephone headset and turned to greet them. Kilkenny looked around and saw no one else in the office.

‘I’m Hugh Harley,’ the man said with a crisp British accent. ‘May I see your identification, please?’

‘Certainly,’ Tao replied.

They handed Harley the ID wallets that listed them as investigators with the SEC. Harley inspected the photo IDs carefully, then handed them back.

‘What can I do for you?’ Harley asked.

‘We’re looking into a series of stock trades executed through your bank between the twelfth and fifteenth of February, and again on the twentieth. We believe the timing of these transactions indicate insider trading.’

‘What stock are we talking about?’

‘UGene, a biotech company.’

Harley leaned back in his chair, his hands folded across his stomach. ‘I don’t recall making any trades on that stock, but don’t be alarmed by that. I execute dozens of trades every day. Before I act on your request, I have to check with my lawyer and the Finance Secretary’s office about the legality of such a disclosure. The laws here are fairly rigid and I wouldn’t want to break one out of ignorance.’

‘How long will that take?’ Tao asked.

‘I expect the rest of the day, if I’m lucky. My lawyer is in court all afternoon, and getting through to the Secretary’s staff rarely is as simple a thing as it sounds. Had you checked with the Secretary prior to your arrival here, it would have saved a little time. Are you staying here in town?’

‘No, everything was booked up. We’ve borrowed a condo in West Bay.’ Kilkenny pulled a business card out of the ID wallet Tao had provided him and wrote a phone number on the back. ‘Hopefully we can tie this up quickly. The owner will be returning later this week.’

Harley took the card from Kilkenny, glanced at the number, then slipped it into the breast pocket of his white linen shirt. ‘I’ll see what I can do to get you the answers you’re looking for. Now, if you don’t mind, I have some calls to make, and there are still a few hours left before the American markets close.’

From the arched windows of his office, Harley watched as Kilkenny and Tao walked across the street, got into the Mustang, and drove off. When they were gone, he slipped the headset back on, scrolled through the contact book in his computer, and selected a New Jersey number.

‘Duroc,’ a stern, familiar voice answered.

‘Hugh Harley down in George Town. I have a bit of a problem.’

‘What kind of problem?’

‘Just a moment ago, I received a visit from a pair of investigators from the American SEC. It seems your transactions last month have attracted some interest.’

‘I thought you took precautions against that.’

‘I did, but apparently it wasn’t enough for such a small stock. They suspect insider trading and are seeking information about the individuals behind the transactions. A fishing expedition, really. Of course, I stalled for time. They’re expecting to hear from me tomorrow. The whole thing is rather odd, though.’

‘How so?’

‘Requests like this are normally handled through the Finance Secretary,’ Harley explained. ‘No real need to send someone down here if all they’re looking for is a tid-bit of information.’

‘What are the names of the two investigators?’

‘Roxanne Tao and Nolan Kilkenny.’

Duroc jotted down the names. ‘I’m going to check these investigators out. Until you hear from me, tell them nothing.’