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six months and that she always tied up in the Port of St. Petersburg at the wharf of the ‘Ourobouros Worm and Bait Shippers Inc.’, an apparently innocent concern whose main business was to sell live bait to fishing clubs throughout Florida, the Gulf of Mexico and further afield. The company also had a profitable sideline in sea-shells and coral for interior decoration, and a further sideline in tropical aquarium fish—particularly rare poisonous species for the research departments of medical and chemical foundations.
According to the proprietor, a Greek sponge-fisher from the neighbouring Tarpon Springs, the Secatur did big business with his company, bringing in cargoes of queen conchs and other shells from Jamaica and also highly prized varieties of tropical fish. These were purchased by Ourobouros Inc., stored in their warehouse and sold in bulk to wholesalers and retailers up and down the coast. The name of the Greek was Papagos. No criminal record.
The FBI, with the help of Naval Intelligence, had tried listening in to the Secatur’s wireless. But she kept off the air except for short messages before she sailed from
Cuba
or
Jamaica
and then transmitted en clair in a language which was unknown and completely indecipherable. The last notation on the file was to the effect that the operator was talking in ‘Language’, the secret Voodoo speech only used by initiates, and that every effort would be made to hire an expert from
Haiti
before the next sailing.
‘More gold been turning up lately,’ announced Lieutenant Binswanger as they walked back to his office from the Identification Bureau across the street. ‘
‘Bout a hundred coins a week in
Harlem
and
New York
alone. Want us to do anything about it? If you’re right and these are Commie funds, they must be pulling it in pretty fast while we sit on our asses doin’ nothing.’
‘Chief says to lay off,’ said Dexter. ‘Hope we’ll see some action before long.’
‘Well, the case is all yours,’ said Binswanger grudgingly. ‘But the Commissioner sure don’t like having this bastard crappin’ away on his own front doorstep while Mr. Hoover sits down in Washington well to leeward of the stink. Why don’t we pull him in on tax evasion or misuse of the mails or parkin’ in front of a hydrant or sumpn? Take him down to the Tombs and give’em the works? If the Feds won’t do it, we’d be glad to oblige.’
‘D’you want a race riot?’ objected Dexter sourly. ‘There’s nothing against him and you know it, and we know it. If he wasn’t sprung in half an hour by that black mouthpiece of his, those Voodoo drums would start beating from here to the
Deep South
. When they’re full of that stuff we all know what happens. Remember ‘35 and ‘43? You’d have to call out the Militia. We didn’t ask for the case. The President gave it us and we’ve got to stick with it.’
They were back in Binswanger’s drab office. They picked up their coats and hats.
‘Anyway, thanks for the help, Lootenant,’ said Dexter with forced cordiality, as they made their farewells. ‘Been most valuable.’
‘You’re welcome,’ said Binswanger stonily. ‘Elevator’s to your right.’ He closed the door firmly behind them.
Leiter winked at Bond behind Dexter’s back. They rode down to the main entrance on
Centre Street
in silence.
On the sidewalk, Dexter turned to them.
‘Had some instructions from
Washington
this morning,’ he said unemotionally. ‘Seems I’m to look after the
Harlem
end, and you two are to go down to
St. Petersburg
tomorrow. Leiter’s to find out what he can there and then move right on to
Jamaica
with you, Mr. Bond. That is,’ he added, ‘if you’d care to have him along. It’s your territory.’
‘Of course,’ said Bond. ‘I was going to ask if he could come anyway.’
‘Fine,’ said Dexter. Then I’ll tell
Washington
everything’s fixed. Anything else I can do for you? All communications with FBI, Washington, of course.