cc.themediterraneancaper2-第32部分

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tom's　inspection。〃
　〃No　one；　that　is；　except　Bruno　von　Till。〃　The　voice　was　a　low　murmur；　and　Pitt　suddenly　felt　cold。
　〃It's　not　his　real　name　of　course。　That　was　lost　somewhere　in　his　past；　long　before　he　became　an　elusive　smuggler；　the　most　diabolic　and　crafty　purveyor　of　human　misery　of　all　time。〃　Zac　swung　around　and　gazed　unseeing　out　the　window。　〃Captain　Kidd；　the　blockade　runners　of　the　Confederacy　and　all　the　slave　traders　rolled　into　one　couldn't　hold　a　candle　to　von　Till's　setup。〃
　〃You　make　him　sound　like　the　arch　villain　of　the　century。〃　Pitt　ventured。　'What　did　he　do　to　deserve　the　honor？〃
　Zac　flickered　a　glance　at　him；　then　looked　again　through　the　window。
　〃The　numerous　revolutionary　bloodbaths　suffered　by　Central　and　South　America　in　the　last　twenty　years　would　never　have　occurred　without　secret　arms　shipments　from　Europe。　Do　you　recall　the　great　Spanish　gold　theft　of　nineteen　fifty…four？　Spain's　already　shaky　economy　nearly　toppled　after　a　large　government　gold　reserve　vanished　from　the　secret　vaults　of　the　Ministry　of　Treasury。　Shortly　after；　India's　black　market　was　glutted　with　gold　bars　bearing　the　crest　of　Spain。　How　was　a　cargo　that　size　smuggled　seven　thousand　miles？　It's　still　a　mystery。　But　we　do　know　a　Minerva　Lines　freighter　left　Barcelona　the　night　of　the　theft　and　arrived　in　Bombay　a　day　before　the　gold　appeared。〃
　The　swivel　chair　squeaked；　and　Zac　refaced　Pitt。　The　inspector's　melancholy　eyes　looked　vague　and　lost　in　contemplation。
　〃Immediately　prior　to　Germany's　surrender　in　World　War　II；〃　he　continued；　〃eighty…five　high　ranking　Nazis　suddenly　materialized　in　Buenos　Aires　on　the　same　day。　How　did　they　get　there？　Again；　the　only　ship　arrival　that　morning　was　a　Minerva　Lines　freighter。　Again　in　the　summer　of　nineteen　fifty…four　an　entire　bus　load　of　teenage　school　girls　disappeared　on　an　outing　in　Naples。　Four　years　later　an　Italian　embassy　aid　discovered　one　of　the　missing　girls　wandering　aimlessly　through　one　of　the　back　alleys　of　Casablanca。〃　Zac　paused　for　nearly　a　minute；　then　went　on　very　quietly。　'She　was　pletely　insane。　I　saw　photographs　of　her　body。　It　was　enough　to　make　a　grown　man　cry。〃
　〃And　her　story？〃　Pitt　prompted　gently。
　〃She　remembered　being　carried　aboard　a　ship　with　a　large　'M'　painted　on　the　funnel。　That　was　the　only　thing　she　said　that　made　any　sense。　The　rest　was　insane　babble。〃
　Pitt　waited　for　more；　but　Zac　had　fallen　silent；　relighting　his　pipe　and　filling　the　room　with　a　sweet　aromatic　odor。
　〃White　slavery　is　a　rotten　business；〃　Pitt　said！　tersely。
　Zac　nodded。　〃Those　are　only　four　cases　of　hundred；　that　are　indirectly　connected　to　von　Till。　If　I　could　quote　word　for　word　from　the　INTERPOL　files　we　would　be　sitting　here　for　a　month；　and　then　some。〃　〃Do　you　think　von　Till　masterminds　the　crimes？〃　〃No；　the　old　devil　is　much　too　smart　to　bee　involved　in　the　actual　deed。　He　merely　supplies　the　transportation。　Smuggling　is　his　game；　and　on　a　grand　scale　at　that。〃
　〃Why　In　hell　hasn't　the　filthy　bastard　been　stopped？〃　Pitt　asked　half　angry；　half　confused。
　〃I　wish　I　could　answer　that　without　a　feeling　of　shame；〃　Zac　shook　his　head　sadly。　〃But　I　can't。　Nearly
　every　law　enforcement　agency　in　the　works　has　tried　to　catch　von　Till　with　the　goods；　so　to　speak；　but　he　has　eluded　every　trap；　murdered　every　agent　sent　to　infiltrate　Minerva　Lines。　His　ships　have　been　searched　and　researched　a　thousand　times；　yet　nothing　illegal　is　ever　found。〃
　Pitt　idly　watched　the　smoke　curl　from　Zac's　pipe。　〃No　one　is　that　clever。　If　he's　human；　he　can　be　caught。〃
　〃God　knows　we've　tried。　our　bined　law　enforcement　agencies　have　studied　every　inch　of　the　Minerva　ships；　shadowed　them　day　and　night　at　sea；　guarded　them　like　hawks　at　the　docks；　and　searched　every　bulkhead　with　electronic　detection　gear。
　〃I　can　rattle　off　the　names　of　at　least　twenty　investigators…damn　good　ones　too…who　have　made　von　Till's　arrest　their　life's　work。〃

　Pitt　lit　a　second　cigarette　and　stared　at　Zac　steadily。　〃Why　are　you　telling　me　all　this？〃
　〃Because　I　think　you　might　help　us。〃
　Pitt　sat　silent；　scratching　the　irritating　chest　bandage。　Might　as　well　nibble　at　the　bait　he　thought。
　〃How？〃
　For　the　first　time　a　flicker　of　devilishness　showed　in　Zac's　eyes；　then　disappeared　as　quickly　as　it　had　e。
　〃I　understand　you're　quite　friendly　with　von　Till's　niece。〃
　〃I've　laid　her　if　that's　what　you　mean。〃
　〃How　long　have　you　known　her？〃
　〃We　met　for　the　first　time　on　the　beach　yesterday。〃
　The　surprise　on　Zac's　face　slowly　turned　to　a　sly　grin。　〃You're　either　a　very　fast　'worker　or　a　very　adept　liar。〃
　〃Suit　yourself　；〃　Pitt　said　offhandedly。　He　stood　up；　stretching　to　loosen　his　sore　muscles。　〃I　know　what　you're　thinking；　and　you　can　forget　it。〃
　〃It　would　be　interesting　to　learn　just　what　you　see　in　my　thoughts。〃
　〃The　oldest　tactic　in　the　world；〃　Pitt　smiled　knowingly。　〃Your　intention　would　have　me　continue　my　intimate　friendship　with　Teri　in　the　hope　that　von　Till　would　accept　me　as　one　of　the　family。　This　arrangement　would　in　turn　give　me　the　run　of　the　villa　and　a　chance　to　observe　the　old　kraut's　actions　at　first　hand。〃
　Zac　met　his　eyes　evenly。　〃You　have　excellent　perception；　my　dear　Pitt。　What　do　you　say；　are　you　game？〃
　〃No　chancel〃
　〃May　I　ask　why？〃
　〃I　met　von　Till　over　dinner　last　night；　and　we　didn't　part　the　best　of　friends。　In　fact；　he　even　sicced　his　dog　on　me。〃
　Pitt　knew　Zac　would　not　appreciate　the　humor。
　But　what　the　hell；　he　thought；　why　go　through　the　whole　maddening　story　again。　He　began　to　wish　longingly　for　a　drink。
　〃From　sex　with　the　niece　to　dinner　with　the　uncle；　and　all　in　the　same　day。〃　Zac　shook　his　head　incredulously。　〃You　are　indeed　a　fast　worker。〃
　Pitt　merely　shrugged。
　〃It's　a　pity；〃　Zac　continued。　〃You　could　have　been　a　great　help　to　us　on　the　inside。〃　Ho　puffed　on　his　pipe　until　the　embers　in　the　bowl　glowed　a　vivid　orange…red。
　〃We've　had　the　villa　under　constant　surveillance　from　a　distance；　but　could　detect　nothing　out　of　the　ordinary。
　Two　hundred　yards；　that　was　as　near　as　we　could　get　without　arousing　von　Till's　suspicions。　We　thought　our　little　masquerade　as　tourist　guides　had　finally　paid　off　when　you　and　his　niece　were　apprehended　by　Colonel　Zeno。〃
　〃Colonel　Zeno？〃
　Zac　nodded；　then　paused　deliberately　for　effect。
　〃Yes。　He　and　Captain　Darius　are　members　of　the　Greek　Gendarmerie。　Technically；　Zeno　outranks　me　a　few　steps；　you　might　say。〃
　〃A　rank　of　Colonel　in　the　police？　Pitt　asked。
　〃Isn't　that　a　bit　unusual〃
　〃Not　if　you　understood　their　law　enforcement　system。　You　see；　with　the　exception　of　Athens　and　a　few　other　larger　cities　which　have　their　own　metropolitan　bureaus；　the　Greek　rural　and　suburban　areas　are　policed　by　the　Gendarmerie；　a　branch　of　the　national　army；　and　a　very　elite　and　efficient　outfit。〃
　In　spite　of　his　hatred　for　Zeno　and　Darius；　Pitt　was　impressed。
　〃That　explains　their　presence；　but　what　about　you；　Inspector？　A　narcotics　agent　after　illegal　drugs　in　Greece　is　the　same　as　an　FBI　agent　after　a　spy　in　Spain；　it's　just　not　done。〃
　〃In　an　ordinary　case；　you're　quite　correct〃　Zac's　face　turned　grim　and　his　voice　hard。　〃But　von　Till　is　not　an　ordinary　case。　When　we　get　him　behind　bars　and　put　an　end　to　his　filthy　smuggling　operation　we　will　automatically　cut　international　crime　by　twenty　percent　And　that；　I　assure　you；　is　no　small　margin。〃　An　inner　anger　had　taken　control　of　Zac　and　he　stopped　for　a　moment；　taking　several　deep　breaths　until　it　subsided。　〃In　the　past；　each　country　worked　separately；　using　INTERPOL　channels　to　relay　vital　information　across　national　borders。　For　instance；　if　I　learned　through　the　Narcotics　Bureau's　undercover　sources　that　an　illegal　shipment　of　drugs　was　bound　for　England；　I　would　simply　send　my　information　to　INTERPOL　London；　who　in　turn　would　alert　Scotland　Yard。　Time　willing；　they'd　set　a　trap　and　apprehend　the　smugglers。〃
　〃Sounds　like　a　neat　and　workable　arrangement。〃
　〃Unfortunately　it　has　yet　to　work　with　von　Till；〃　Zac　said　quietly。　〃No　matter　how　many　warnings；　how　many　traps；　he　always　manages　to　evade　the　nets　and　e　up　like　the　proverbial　sweet　smelling　rose；　fresh　out　of　the　excretion　barrel。　But　this　time　it's　goin