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Isaac Bell said, “I understand that Geritimate military and commercial attachés”

“As do the British, French, Austrians, Italians, Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese Why did you ask about the contract?”

“Do they also have dealings with local criminals?”

“Ah, that’s where you’re headed… I wouldn’t read a lot into ‘dealings with local criminals’ The consuls and vice-consuls stationed in the field are not what the Gerents, to the ton embassies Consuls and vice-consuls mix it up with business foreigners run into”

Bell seee the subject “I received several cables from Art Curtis”

Van Dorn frowned “At your instigation, Curtis is pestering me to authorize hefty expenditures for inforswerk G that no one has seen fit to infor the proprietor of this detective agency to speculate whether he will be the last to knohat’s going on, and whether it has anything to do with that fire on the Mauretania, or that shootout on Pier 54, or the rumor that two or three people fell off the ship you happened to be sailing in, Isaac”

“Art Curtis’s inforruntled Krieg employee, a coeles Krieg pays commissions to German consulate staff to act as unofficial sales representatives”

“Gold?” Van Dorn scoffed “Foreign consuls are supposed to grease the wheels of co”

“Except these consular staff don’t sell anything Nor do they arrange introductions Nor do they court Aet paid co German consuls under the table Don’t you wonder what kind of favors consulate staff grant in return?”

Isaac Bell was gratified to see that the boss had stopped laughing In fact, he wasn’t even s prey

“That is interesting”

“Art Curtis is the best,” said Bell “I don’t know anothera highly placed informant costs a lot of money In other words, this executive Art turned up is accustomed to first-class remuneration”

Van Dorn stood up from his desk and lumbered to the here his second-floor corner office let hi the Willard’s front and side entrances Then he wandered to the interior wall and inspected the reception rooh the eye of Ben Franklin, whose portrait greeted visitors to the detective agency

Bell sat still as ice, patient and silent

At last, the boss faced hily “Is this why you traveled all the way to Washington instead of telephoning -distance?”