The Solomon Curse

CHAPTER 43

By the time Des picked them up in a bedraggled Mitsubishi SUV and drove them into Honiara, it was after ten p.m. The town was all but closed down as they negotiated the empty streets. Sam instructed Des to drop them off at the hospital so that Leonid could be attended to and Des decided to stay with them.

“No point in trying to make it all the way back to the Darwin tonight on the skiff. Better to do it first thing in the morning when there’s light,” he explained as he pulled into the hospital parking lot. “I also have to deal with returning the car and the office doesn’t open until eight tomorrow.”

“We’ll gladly put you up at our hotel, Des,” Remi said. “There won’t be a problem. Since the assassinations, it’s been empty.”

“Good deal.” Des peered through the windshield at the darkened hospital, the only light visible filtering from the emergency entrance. “Sure the place is open?”

“Yes. It’s the only game in town,” Sam said.

They helped Leonid into the hospital, where after a short registration process he was taken into the back in a wheelchair by an orderly. Sam and Remi followed him, leaving Lazlo and Des to wait in the reception area.

Dr. Berry greeted them with a tired handshake.

“What seems to be the problem?” he said as the orderly helped Leonid onto the exam table.

“Hiking accident,” Leonid said.

“I see. Let’s have a look, shall we?” he said. He reached for a pair of scissors and trimmed away the bandage and then examined the wounds. “Ouch. Probably hurts,” he observed.

“I was able to walk on it, so I didn’t break anything,” Leonid said.

“That’s good to know. But we’ll want to get an X-ray, just to rule out any fractures.” He inspected the butterfly sutures and looked at Sam and Remi. “Nice job.”

“Thank you,” Remi said. “Dr. Vanya isn’t working tonight?”

“No. Do you know her?” Dr. Berry asked.

“Yes. She’s a friend.”

“She’s a good physician,” he said, removing Leonid’s blood-soaked shoe and sock. “We’ll probably want to use some proper stitches on this upper gash. Looks like, oh, ten should do the trick. The lower looks like only two or three.” He glanced up at Leonid. “I’m going to have to clean this out. It’s going to sting a little.”

“Why am I afraid that’s the understatement of the year?” Leonid asked.

Ten minutes later, Leonid was sewn up and on his way to the primitive radiography department. Sam and Remi rejoined Lazlo in the waiting area, where he was regaling Des with a story from his dubious past. Remi heard enough to blush and Lazlo immediately cut his account short.

“How’s our Russian bear?” Des asked.

“I don’t think he’ll be doing any ballroom dancing in the near future, but it looks like it’s all repaired,” Sam reported.

“That’s good news, then,” Des said. “So the blighters flattened all your tires?”

“Yes. And I suspect it’s going to be tough getting a tow truck up that track,” Sam complained.

“Probably kids. That’s the kind of crap they pull,” Des said. “Same the world over. Bored, too much time on their hands.”

“Maybe,” Sam said.

“Certainly shut your exploration down, didn’t it?” Des said to Lazlo.

“Maybe that was the whole point,” Remi muttered with a veiled glance at Sam.

“Des, I think we’ll want to borrow one of our divers to keep watch over our vehicle while we’re exploring,” Sam said.

“No worries. We’ve got a good rhythm going now. We can spare one.”

“Good,” Sam said, and then remembered about the new boat. “Oh, and some news: we have a large vessel en route to take over from you. So your stint in the Solomons will be over shortly.”

Des nodded. “I know. Selma already notified my headquarters. We’re out of here on Saturday.” Des smiled. “I don’t think Leonid will be sad to see us go.”

“Underneath that grumpy exterior is a morose and unhappy inner core,” Sam assured him. They all laughed, and then Sam grew serious. “If you don’t think it will pose a problem, we’ll take your rental off your hands, Des. Seems like a hearty vehicle, and we’ll need one if we’re going to finish up our little adventure in the hills.”

“No problem. We can coordinate it tomorrow at the office.” He named a rental agency — fortunately, one that Sam and Remi hadn’t used yet.

“I hope our reputation hasn’t preceded us,” Remi commented. “We don’t have a great track record with rental cars here.”

Leonid appeared in the doorway twenty minutes later, Dr. Berry behind his wheelchair. “Your friend’s all patched up. No breaks, so just the stitches and some blood loss to contend with. I told him to stay hydrated and drink plenty of fruit juice and to stay off that leg for a few days. Come by to get the stitches out in a week.”

“So no diving,” Leonid said, smiling for the first time.

At the hotel, the night manager recovered from his surprise at having another guest check in and quickly processed the paperwork while they waited. The restaurant was still open, only two patrons lingering over after-dinner drinks in a quiet corner, and the group ordered a seafood platter and plentiful beer. “For medicinal purposes,” Des said.

Lazlo shook his head sadly. “Alas, that medicine has bitten me for the last time.”

Remi smiled as she leaned toward Lazlo and whispered, “We’re all proud of you, Lazlo.”

“Yes, well, I will say that most people I meet are singularly uninteresting, now that I’m sober. An unavoidable by-product of all this newly acquired virtue, I suppose.” He glanced around the table and toasted with his soda. “Present company excepted of course.”

The next morning, they met in the lobby at seven for coffee. Leonid agreed that he would stay on land until the stitches were pulled, obviously relieved to be excused from the Darwin for the duration. Sam and Des left Lazlo and Leonid with Remi on the veranda while they went to swap licenses at the rental agency, after which Sam dropped him at the docks.

“We’ll see you before you go,” Sam said.

“Going to have another go at the caves, are you?” he asked.

“You better believe it.” They hadn’t shared their discovery of the mass grave with Des.

“Well, good luck. Call me when you want to pick up one of the lads. I’ll ferry him to shore for you. Any preference on who goes?”

“Greg seems like he can handle himself, doesn’t he?”

“I wouldn’t want to go up against him,” Des confirmed with a nod. “You thinking about heading into the hills again today?”

“No, probably tomorrow. We need to coordinate a tow truck, and at the pace this island operates, that could be half the day. I’ll give you a buzz when we’re on our way.”

“Good enough,” Des said.

Upon Sam’s return to the hotel, he was surprised by the heated discussion under way between Leonid and Remi. She turned as he neared, a frustrated expression on her face — a look Sam knew to be cautious around.

“Would you tell your Russian friend he is under no circumstances going to try to go with us to the caves again?” she demanded.

“What? Of course he isn’t,” Sam said.

“You think I’m going to let you shut me out of finding the treasure? Not a chance, as you American capitalists say.”

“You heard the doctor. You’re to stay off your leg.”

“I have. For twelve full hours. Why, are you planning to go right now?”

“No, not until tomorrow…” Sam conceded.

“Then what’s the problem? I heal quickly. I’m Russian, remember? You can’t hurt me.”

Sam exchanged a glance with Remi. “It’s nothing personal, my friend, but we don’t want you injuring yourself further.”

He waved the concern away with a sneer. “A few scrapes and cuts. Nothing broken. I’ll be ready tomorrow. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Remi said.

“He is an adult male,” Sam said.

“Who almost got himself killed.”

Leonid snorted. “I wasn’t watching where I was going. Believe me, that won’t happen again.”

Remi shook her head, exasperated. “Fine. I’m not going to fight you on this. But if you slow us down, we’ll leave you to the crocodiles.”

“I hear they can smell blood a mile away,” Lazlo chipped in.

“Then it’s decided. What time do we leave?” Leonid asked.

“To be determined. Probably early,” Sam said.

“I’ll be ready.”

Remi stood and looked to Sam. “We going to deal with the tow truck?”

Sam sighed. “I suppose we have to, don’t we?” He glanced at Lazlo. “Can you keep our Russian friend here entertained for a few hours?”

“I think that’s within my considerable abilities,” Lazlo replied with a mischievous grin.

The trip to the rental car agency was as painful as they had expected. The owner of the lot was considerably agitated by the report that one of his prize vehicles was stuck in the middle of the rain forest with four flat tires.

After dealing with that chore, they headed over to the hospital, hoping to find Vanya. When they entered the now-familiar building, she was behind the reception counter, talking to the attendant, the waiting area empty.

“Well, hello! What brings you here?” she asked, smiling as she rounded the counter to greet them.

“We were just in the neighborhood.”

“I was looking over yesterday’s entries and I saw that you brought in your colleague. Dr. Berry left comprehensive notes.”

“Yes. He had a hiking mishap,” Remi said.

“Those happen all the time around here. I’m glad it was relatively benign. You should stick to the trails — the island can be dangerous. Where was he hiking?”

“Over on the other side of the island,” Remi replied vaguely.

“That can be especially challenging.”

“So we learned,” Sam agreed. “Listen, Dr. Vanya, we wanted to talk to you about something. Do you have a minute?”

“Of course. Fortunately, it’s a slow day. Although that can change at any time.” She motioned to the seats. “What can I help you with?”

They all sat, and Sam lowered his voice. “I remember you discussing that woman’s missing child the other day.”

“Ah, yes. The runaway. Always sad for the parents.”

“It sounded as though there have been others.”

“Constantly. All part of growing up and wanting to escape, I suppose.”

“Do you have any idea how many?”

She shook her head. “Not really. I’m a physician, not a social worker.” Her tone softened. “That sounds harsh, and I don’t mean it to be. What I meant is that I confine my activities to health care because otherwise there aren’t enough hours in the day. It’s a matter of priorities.”

Remi nodded. “I understand. We’re just trying to get an idea how many children have gone missing.”

Vanya’s eyes narrowed. “Put that way, it sounds sinister. What are you getting at? Do you suspect foul play?”

Sam leaned back. “Oh, no, nothing like that. We were just talking to some of the locals and it came up. Since we’re going to be funding the clinics, we’re trying to learn as much about the islands as possible while we’re here and we want to understand if there’s a dynamic we’re missing. That’s all.”

“I’m afraid I can’t help you. As I said, whenever a child runs off, the parent is sure it’s not what it obviously is. You can always check with the police. I’m sure they would know more than I do.”

“Of course. We just don’t have a contact there and it seems like they have their hands full with the social unrest of late… and the rebels…” Remi said.

Vanya rose. “The chief is named Fleming. If you like, I can make a call and let him know you’ll be stopping by. Although I have to warn you that he can be quite territorial.”

Sam and Remi stood as well and they all shook hands. “Any help you can offer, we’d appreciate.”

“I’ll make the call. No promises he can help, but, for my new patrons, nothing is out of the question,” Vanya said with a bright smile.

Heat waves distorted the surface of the parking lot as Sam and Remi trudged back to the Mitsubishi. Remi took Sam’s hand and sighed. “That didn’t tell us much, did it?”

“Not really. Think we’ll have any success with the cops?”

“Based on the lightning results we’ve seen to date on the theft investigation, much less being run off the road and shot at? Mmm… no.”

“I was afraid you’d say that. What’s our alternative?”

“Lunch.”

They had fresh fish at a simple waterfront restaurant that was packed with locals. The tables were plastic, the napkins paper, and the fresh yellowfin tuna seared to perfection and heaped on their plates. When they were done, Remi pushed back from the table. “Why don’t we see if Manchester knows anything more? He always seems willing to talk.”

“Assuming he’s not busy running the government. Or drinking lunch.”

Fortunately for them, the politician was free and welcomed them into his office like they were long-lost relatives.

“Isn’t this a lovely surprise. How’s the marine archaeology going?” he boomed at them.

“Slow, but we’re making progress,” Remi said. “We were hoping you could elaborate on something you said the other day — about the missing children?”

“Did I say something about that? I don’t recall,” Manchester said, his eyes darting to the side.

“Yes, I think so. What’s your take on it?” Sam pressed.

“I’m not sure I have one. I think in any society you’re going to have a few kids running off. I don’t necessarily see it as a Solomon Islands problem,” he said, choosing his words carefully.

“What have you heard, exactly?”

“Why the interest, if you don’t mind my asking?” Manchester parried.

“Just a few things we picked up here and there,” Remi said, keeping it vague. “We’re going to be funding Dr. Vanya’s clinics, so we want to understand any issues affecting the island. Disappearing children seems like an issue.”

“I’ll grant you, it sounds like one, but I don’t get the impression it’s nearly as large or as pressing as the rebel problem, or the crushing poverty endemic to the Solomons, or the lack of coherent responses to public health or social problems, or unemployment, or fiscal irresponsibility, or civil unrest…”

“No disagreement. We were just hoping to find someone who could give us an idea of how long it’s been going on and how large a problem it really is.”

“I don’t know that it’s even a real problem. Again, I hear a myriad of complaints about a multitude of issues every week and that was just one of many. If I made it seem like it was a substantial issue, I apologize. It must have been the beer talking.” He studied them, his smile as genuine as a mannequin’s. “As to who to direct you to, I have nothing to offer. Perhaps the police?”

“That’s already on our schedule. Do you have anyone specific we should speak with?” Remi asked, not telling him about Vanya’s offer.

Manchester suddenly seemed anxious to move on to other tasks. “I’ll look into it. I’m afraid I don’t know who would handle missing persons, off the top of my head.” He smoothed his hair with a bear-sized hand and changed the subject. “I’m delighted you’ve decided to play a large role in Dr. Vanya’s clinics. That should improve life for many on the island. It’s a sad state of affairs, at present.”

“Yes, so we gathered. It’s a worthwhile cause,” Sam agreed. “Anything more about the rebels? Any sense of how public opinion is running?”

“Most condemn their actions, if not their sentiment. At least so my colleagues would have me believe. Still, there are a few who are seriously considering the merits of nationalizing all exploration and prospecting efforts. Madness — but to some, attractive madness, it would seem.”

“Did you have any chance to discuss our archaeological project with your colleagues?”

“Unfortunately, not yet. As you might imagine, with the rebel crisis, that’s all anyone has time for. But I haven’t forgotten about it,” Manchester assured them.

When Sam and Remi left the politician’s office, Manchester watched them walk to their vehicle from his window, his expression troubled. His receptionist eyed him as she worked on a sheaf of documents. “Don’t forget you have a five o’clock meeting with Gordon Rollins,” she said.

“Oh. Right. That’s today, is it? Thanks for the reminder.” While Manchester had kept his clandestine meetings with Rollins secret, he couldn’t avoid all public contact with him or that, too, would seem suspicious. They’d agreed to continue to have periodic meetings, as before, so if scrutinized, their behavior would seem normal. So far, the plan was working perfectly.

Manchester checked his watch and, with a final glance at the Fargos pulling out of the parking lot, returned to his office, his footsteps heavy on the polished wooden floor.