White Cargo

Epilogue

Cat was in the kitchen making a sandwich when the intercom rang. It was the security guard, down at the gate.

“There’s a Mr. Drummond here, Mr. Catledge. Do you know him?”

“I know him,” Cat said. “Send him up to the house.”

He padded through the house in his bare feet, tossing his sweat socks at the washing machine along the way, and opened the front door.

It was Jim. He looked fresher than the last time Cat had seen him, in the hotel room in Washington. His suit was neatly pressed, and he was closely shaved. “Hi,” he said.

“Come in, come in,” Cat said, pumping the man’s hand. “What a surprise! I’m delighted to see you!”

“I was changing planes at the airport,” Jim said, “and I had a couple of hours layover. I just thought I’d look in on you. I’m sorry I didn’t call first.”

“Don’t worry about it, I’m glad you’re here,” Cat said, clapping him on the back. “Sorry about the guard — we’ve had a lot of press attention since Meg’s piece ran on the Today show. Jinx and Meg are playing tennis. Let’s go into the study and have a drink before we go down to them.” He propelled Jim into the study and gave him a chair. “What’ll you have?”

“I guess I’ve got time for a small scotch.”

Cat made the drinks and flopped down onto the leather sofa. “You know,” he said, “I thought I might never see you again, and I’ve got a lot to tell you.”

“Your letter told me most of it, I guess. I just wanted to know how your girl is doing.”

“Better and better,” Cat said. “It was tough on her at first. I think I wrote you that when we found her, she was like another person — had, for all practical purposes, become another person, according to the shrink. She wouldn’t speak English; she had just blocked out everything that had happened to her before she arrived in Cartagena.”

“She’s gotten past that, though?”

“Yeah, she started to come around when we still were in the jungle. After that, it was mostly a matter of time, I guess. She didn’t want to leave the house, at first, after we got home. The shrink came here every day for nearly a month. She’s a resilient girl, though, and she’s pretty much her old self again. A bit more serious, maybe.”

“I’m glad she’s okay. Did you get your airplane back?”

“Yep, and my million bucks, too. We flew it back to Bogotá, and the air attaché at the embassy flew it home from there and got it through customs. I’m not quite sure what route the money took. It just arrived here one day in a registered package from Washington. I figured it was from you.”

Jim laughed. “I only forwarded it. It was really from Barry Hedger. He said the Colombian chopper pilot who chased you was impressed with your flying.”

Cat grinned. “I got my pilot’s license, too. I’m working on my instrument rating now.”

“Are you back at work yet?”

“I haven’t figured out what I want to do about that. I’ll probably just do some development work for the company as a consultant.”

“Miss Greville is here, too, you say?”

“Yep, she’s been here the whole time. She’s been a big help to Jinx. They get along well.”

“What’s going to happen there?”

“I expect we’ll probably get married before too long; we’re just playing it by ear.”

Jim shifted in his chair. “I had a look at her FBI file. There was a lot of Hoover-style garbage in it, nothing whatever of substance. It doesn’t exist anymore; I shredded it myself. She’s off the customs and immigration shit list, too. She won’t get any more grief in airports.”

“Thanks, Jim, I appreciate that — and everything else you’ve done. I never would have gotten to first base without you.”

“Don’t mention it. Glad to help.”

“I haven’t heard much about what happened in the jungle once we got out. We were in Bogotá only long enough to get a plane for the States.”

“There was some shooting, but no organized resistance, since Prince and Vargas were dead. The Colombians shot the place up pretty good, killed a couple of dozen people. Most of the franchisees were rounded up. They’re in Colombian prisons, now, and they won’t see the light of day for a long time.”

“Did they find the money?”

“In the nick of time. The soldiers were having a look around the place before putting the torch to it, and they heard somebody kicking on a wall in the radio room.”

Cat laughed. “I know who that was. Dell and I put him there.”

“There was more than seventy million dollars in that room,” Drummond said. “That will fund a lot of drug busts in Colombia, and the Narcotics Assistance Unit won’t have quite so many budgeting problems.” He paused. “I’m sorry about your boy, Cat. If we’d known he was there, we’d have at least gotten his body out for you. I’m afraid he went into a mass grave with the others.”

“It’s all right,” Cat said. “Katie’s in the sea, Dell’s in the jungle. Maybe it’s better that Jinx and I don’t have any graves to visit.”

Drummond nodded and stood up. “Well, I’d better catch my plane.”

“Can I drive you to the airport?”

“No, I rented a car.”

Cat stood. “Well, before you go, you have to meet Jinx and Meg. Especially Jinx.” He walked Drummond through the house and out onto the deck. They could see the two women playing on the court below.

Drummond stopped and put his hand on Cat’s arm. “This is okay,” he said.

“Don’t you want to meet her?” Cat asked.

Drummond managed a smile. “If you don’t mind, I just wanted to have a look at her.” He stood and watched Jinx for a moment, then turned and went into the house, rubbing his eyes.

Cat followed him to the door. “I’ll never be able to thank you enough,” he said.

Drummond’s voice trembled. “The sight of her was enough,” he said.

Cat watched from the door as Drummond went to his car and drove away. He went back into the house and walked out onto the deck, standing where Drummond had stood. The man had been right, he thought, watching Jinx serve the ball to Meg. The sight of her was enough.