James Benn - The White Ghost

“But he didn’t,” I said.

“Pretty sure not,” Sexton said. “He fired off his torpedoes at the destroyers coming through the strait, but then headed home. He reported all hands lost on the 109. The base even held a memorial service for them. The story went that Kennedy was incensed when he heard about it.”

“Why do you think Cotter came here tonight?” I asked.

“Booze,” Sexton said. “That’s why they all came. I only invited my Coastwatchers, but fish on the grill and liquor on the table draws a lot of uninvited guests.”

Not Jack, I thought, as I made my way out. He never was a big drinker. A few beers here and there, but he never touched the hard stuff. He came seeking a new conquest, and Rui Chang was what he found.

As for Kaz, I was glad he showed any interest in a woman. It had been more than a year since he lost the love of his life. Daphne Seaton was the sister of Diana, my own true love. Daphne had been killed during our first investigation. A bomb had ended her life and scarred Kaz’s face, leaving him with an aching loss, alone and adrift without family or the woman he cherished by his side. The war had taken everything and given nothing but a jagged scar in return.

Death comes in many ways, I thought. Quick and violent, lengthy and lingering. Kaz was dying the long death of loneliness and sorrow, and if an exotic, beautiful woman on this South Pacific island could give him a moment of forgetfulness, then hurrah for the human spirit.

Me, I missed Diana. I worried about her. But stuck on this side of the world, there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it. What I could do was find out who killed Daniel Tamana. But first, I had to answer that nagging unanswered question: Why had someone murdered him? And what, if anything, did Jack have to do with it?

“Kopi, boss?” Kao asked, squatting outside the mosquito netting, holding a steaming mug of joe.

“Sure,” I said, blinking the sleep from my eyes as I parted the netting to escape the bed. “Where’s Kaz?”

“Verandah, boss,” Kao said, heading back to the kitchen. I shuffled out of the bedroom in my skivvies and T-shirt, grasping the java and taking that first blessed sip. I sat next to Kaz on the wide verandah. His khaki pants were clean and pressed, the crease crisp and sharp. His shirt had been starched as well.

“When did you get in?” I asked, noting he had already shaved.

“An hour ago,” he said, sipping his coffee and avoiding my eyes.

“You had a busy night,” I said. “Getting your pants pressed and all.”

“Jai-li has a number of servants,” Kaz said. “When it became apparent I would be spending the night, they took my uniform and cleaned it. To good effect, I might add.” I swore he blushed as he said it. I’d known Kaz for a while and couldn’t remember ever seeing him that shade of red.

“Nothing like getting your uniform cleaned,” I said.

“A gentleman does not discuss such matters,” Kaz said, setting down his cup and saucer with a clatter. Then we both laughed. A short burst of laughter, followed by a smile. But it was enough.

“Did you see Jack?” I asked.

“No, Jai-li and Rui live in separate houses on the same lane. But one of the servants said Lieutenant Kennedy was with Rui for about an hour and then departed.”

“He never was one for long, drawn-out relationships,” I said.

“I did hear something interesting,” Kaz said. “Daniel Tamana had come looking for Sam Chang the day he was killed.”

“Really? Any idea why?”

“No,” he said. “It must have been after he left Dickie Miller at Henderson Field. He came to Chinatown and asked several people if Sam Chang was there.”

“This was after the rescue of the Helena crew from Vella Lavella, right?”

“Yes,” Kaz said. “I assume he heard about that after being withdrawn from Choiseul.”

“He and Miller were in radio contact with the other Coastwatchers,” I said, thinking it through. “He must have known about the rescue in general, but probably not the details, such as the Chinese in the group.”

“That makes sense,” Kaz said, standing and leaning on the railing. “So somewhere between Henderson Field and Tulagi, he hears Sam Chang was in the party rescued from Vella Lavella. He looks for him on Tulagi, and then is found dead the next morning.”

“Discovered by Jack Kennedy,” I said. “Who went home last night with Sam Chang’s sister.”

“If accompanying one of the Chang sisters makes one a suspect, that would include me,” Kaz said. “Kennedy’s presence last night was likely a coincidence, but Daniel’s interest in Chang does bear scrutiny.”

“I need to retrace his steps,” I said. “We may learn something from who told him about Chang, and when.”

“It seems Sam Chang must be considered a suspect,” Kaz said.

“Could be,” I said. “It fits in that Daniel was from the general area in which Chang operated. He may have had a beef with him. I’ll visit Chang in the hospital before he gets out. At least we know where to find him. But you need to get started; you’ve got a long trip ahead of you.”

“Where am I going?” Kaz asked.

“Brisbane. To talk to Dickie Miller.”

“Good. I shall sleep the entire way,” Kaz said, stifling a yawn. And a smile.

I cleaned up enough to be seen in public with Kaz, and after breakfast we drove to base headquarters to ask Captain Ritchie to arrange air transport to Brisbane for Kaz. Yeoman Howe jumped up as if he’d been expecting us.

“Go right on in, sir, Captain Ritchie is expecting you,” he said. I opened the door with an inquisitive glance to Kaz, who simply shrugged.

“Captain Ritchie,” I said, coming to a semblance of attention. Remembering our last encounter, I thought it best to forego the vinegar and try the honey this time. “Thanks for seeing us, sir. I’d like to request immediate air transport for Lieutenant Kazimierz to Brisbane, to follow up on a development.”

“Very well, Lieutenant Boyle,” Ritchie said. “Tell me what you’ve discovered.”

“We know from examining the skull of the deceased that he was struck from behind. Since he was found on the beach in a manner which suggests he was about to take the trail back, I’d say he knew his attacker. And the weapon used was similar to the wooden canes the natives sell.” I thought that was a nice touch, not mentioning that Jack had one of those canes. There was no need to worry Ritchie and have him bulldog our every move.

“What’s the reason for the trip to Brisbane?” asked Ritchie.

“To interview Tamana’s Coastwatcher partner, Dickie Miller, sir. He may have known Tamana better than anyone else around here. I have a lead to follow up here while Lieutenant Kazimierz is away.”

“Sounds like you’ve got a lot of nothing so far,” Ritchie said, tossing down a pencil. “But talking to Miller sounds sensible. Have you looked into the incident at the hospital?”

“No sir,” I said, wondering if something had happened to Jack. “What is it?”

“My God, lieutenant, some detective you are!” Ritchie exclaimed. “That Chinaman Sam Chang was found strangled early this morning in my naval hospital. Half his family has already been in here demanding an explanation. I told them you would look into it, since you’re the closest thing we have to a real investigator. One of the head women, May Lee or something like that, said that was satisfactory. It calmed them down and got them the hell out of my office.”

“Jai-li,” Kaz corrected. “Sir.”

“I don’t care what her name is, I want peace and quiet on this base so we can get on with the war. These Chinese run most of the businesses around here, so we need to keep things on an even keel. They’re our goddamn allies, after all.”