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Only Crosse's superb discipline kept him from showing astonishment； then blinding rage。 〃Good； very good；〃 he said gently； putting them on the desk； very conscious of the ones Rosemont had retained in his hand。 〃So？〃
Rosemont and Ed Langan frowned。 〃You were tailing him too？〃
〃Of course；〃 Crosse said； lying with his marvelous sincerity。 〃My dear fellow； this is Hong Kong。 But I do wish you'd let us do our job and not interfere。〃
〃Rog； we； er； we don't want to interfere； just want to backstop you。〃
〃Perhaps we don't need backstopping。〃 There was a sharpness to his voice now。
〃Sure。〃 Rosemont took out a cigarette and lit it。 He was tall and thin with gray crew…cut hair and good features。 His hands were strong； like all of him。 〃We know where the two killers're holed up。 We think we know；〃 he said。 〃One of our guys thinks he's pegged them。〃
〃How many men have you got watching the ship？〃
〃Ten。 Our guys didn't notice any of yours tailing this one。 The diversion almost spooked us too。〃
〃Very dicey；〃 Crosse said agreeably； wondering what diversion。
〃Our guys never got to go through his pockets … we know he made two calls from the booth。 。。。〃 Rosemont noted Crosse's eyes narrow slightly。 That's curious； he thought。 Crosse didn't know that。 If he doesn't know that； maybe his operators weren't tailing the target either。 Maybe he's lying and the mie was loose in Hong Kong until he was knifed。 〃We radioed a mug shot back home … we'll get a call back fast。 Who was he？〃
〃His papers said； Igor Voranski； seaman first class。 Soviet merchant marine。〃
〃You have a file on him； Rog？〃
〃It's rather unusual for you two to call together； isn't it？ I mean； in the movies； we're always led to believe the FBI and CIA are always at odds。〃
Ed Langan smiled。 〃Sure we are … like you and MI…5 … like the KGB； GRU and fifty other Soviet operations。 But sometimes our cases cross … we're internal U。S。； Stan's external； but we're both out for the same thing： security。 We thought 。。。 we're asking if we could all cooperate。 This could be a big one； and we're 。。。 Stan and I're out of our depth。〃
〃That's right；〃 Rosemont said； not believing it。
〃All right；〃 Crosse said； needing their information。 〃But you first。〃
Rosemont sighed。 〃Okay； Rog。 We've had a buzz for some time there's something hotting up in Hong Kong … we don't know what … but it sure as hell's got tie…ins to the States。 I figure the AMG file's the link。 Lookit： take Banastasio … he's Mafia。 Big…time。 Narcotics； the lot。 Now take Bartlett and the guns。 Guns … 〃
〃Is Bartlett tied into Banastasio？〃
〃We're not sure。 We're checking。 We are sure the guns were put aboard in L。A。 … Los Angeles … where the airplane's based。 Guns！ Guns； narcotics and our growing interest in Vietnam。 Where do narcotics e from？ The Golden Triangle。 Vietnam； Laos and the Yunnan Province of China。 Now we're into Vietnam and … 〃
〃Yes； and you're ill…advised to be there； old chum … I've pointed that out fifty times。〃
〃We don't make policy； Rog； any more than you do。 Next： Our nuclear carrier's here and the goddamn Sovetsky Ivanov arrives last night。 That's too convenient； maybe the leak came from here。 Then Ed tips you off and we get AMG's wild…assed letters from London and now there's Sevrin！ Turns out the KGB've plants all over Asia and you've a high…placed hostile somewheres。〃
〃That's not yet proved。〃
〃Right。 But I know about AMG。 He's nobody's fool。 If he says Sevrin's in place and you've a mole； you've a mole。 Sure we've got hostiles in the CIA too； so've the KGB。 I'm sure Ed has in the FBI … 〃
〃That's doubtful；〃 Ed Langan interrupted sharply。 〃Our guys are handpicked and trained。 You get your firemen from all over。〃
〃Sure；〃 Rosemont said； then added to Crosse； 〃Back to narcotics。 Red China's our big enemy and … 〃
〃Again； you're wrong； Stanley。 The PRC's not the big enemy anywhere； Russia is。〃
〃China's mie。 mies're the enemy。 Now； it'd be real smart to flood the States with cheap narcotics and Red China 。。。 okay the People's Republic of China can open the dam gates。〃
〃But they haven't。 Our Narcotics Branch's the best in Asia … they've never e up with anything to support your misguided official theory that they're behind the trade。 Nothing。 The PRC are as anti…drug traffic as the rest of us。〃
〃Have it your way；〃 Rosemont said。 〃Rog； you got a file on this agent？ He's KGB； isn't he？〃
Crosse lit a cigarette。 〃Voranski was here last year。 That time he went under the cover name of Sergei Kudryov； again seaman first class； again off the same ship … they're not very inventive； are they？〃 Neither of the two men smiled。 〃His real name's Major Yuri Bakyan； First Directorate； KGB； Department 6。〃
Rosemont sighed heavily。
The FBI man glanced at him。 〃Then you're right。 It all ties in。〃
〃Maybe。〃 The tall man thought a moment。 〃Rog； what about his contacts from last year？〃
〃He acted like a tourist； staying at the Nine Dragons in Kowloon。 。。。〃
〃That's in AMG's report； that hotel's mentioned；〃 Langan said。
〃Yes。 We've been covering it for a year or so。 We've found nothing。 Bakyan … Voranski … did ordinary tourist activities。 We had him on twenty…four…hour surveillance。 He stayed a couple of weeks； then； just before the ship sailed； sneaked back aboard。〃
〃Girl friend？〃
〃No。 Not a regular one。 He used to hang out at the Good Luck Dance Hall in Wanchai。 Quite a cocksman； apparently； but he asked no questions and met no one out of the ordinary。〃
〃He ever visit Sinclair Towers？〃
〃No。〃
〃Pity；〃 Langan said； 〃that'd've been dandy。 Tsu…yan's got a place there。 Tsu…yan knows Banastasio； John Chen knows Banastasio； and we're back to guns； narcotics； AMG and Sevrin。〃
〃Yeah；〃 Rosemont said； then added； 〃Have you caught up with Tsu…yan yet？〃
〃No。 He got to Taipei safely； then vanished。〃
〃You think he's holed up there？〃
〃I would imagine so；〃 Crosse said。 But inside he believed him dead； already eliminated by Nationalist； munist； Mafia or triad。 I wonder if he could have been a double agent … or the supreme devil of all intelligence services； a triple agent？
〃You'll find him … or we will … or the Taiwan boys will。〃
〃Roger； did Voranski lead you anywhere？〃 Langan asked。
〃No。 Nowhere； even though we've had tabs on him for years。 He's been attached to the Soviet Trade mission in Bangkok； he spent time in Hanoi； and Seoul； but no covert activities we know of。 Once the cheeky bugger even applied for a British passport and almost got one。 Luckily our fellows vet all applications and spotted flaws in his cover。 I'm sorry he's dead … you know how hard it is to identify nasties。 Waste of a lot of time and effort。〃 Crosse paused and lit a cigarette。 〃His major's rank is quite senior which suggests something very smelly。 Perhaps he was just another of their specials who was ordered to cruise Asia and get into deep cover for twenty or thirty years。〃
〃Those bastards have had their game plan set for so long it stinks！〃 Rosemont sighed。 〃What're you going to do with the corpse？〃
Crosse smiled。 〃I got one of my Russian…speaking fellows to call the captain of the ship … Gregor Suslev。 He's a Party member； of course； but fairly harmless。 Has a sporadic girl friend with a flat in Mong Kok … a bar girl who gets a modest allowance from him and entertains him when he's here。 He goes to the races； theater； Macao gambling a couple of times； speaks good English。 Suslev's under surveillance。 I don't want any of your hotshots ponging on one of our known hostiles。〃
〃So Suslev's regular here then？〃
〃Yes； he's been plying these waters for years； based out of Vladivostok … he's an ex…submarine mander by the way。 He wanders around the fringe here； mostly under the weather。〃
〃What do you mean？〃
〃Drunk； but not badly so。 Cavorts with a few of our British pinkos like Sam and Molly Finn。〃
〃The ones who're always writing letters to the papers？〃
〃Yes。 They're more of a nuisance than a security risk。 Anyway； under instructions； my Russian…speaking fellow told Captain Suslev we were frightfully sorry but it seemed that one of his seamen had had a heart attack in a phone booth at Golden Ferry Terminal。 Suslev was suitably shocked and quite reasonable。 In Voranski's pocket there 'happened' to be an accurate； verbatim report of the assassin's phone conversation。 We put it in Russian as a further sign of our displeasure。 They're all professionals aboard that ship； and sophisticated enough to know we don't remove their agents without very great cause and provocation。 They know we just watch the ones we know about and； if we're really very irritated； we deport them。〃 Crosse looked across at Rosemont； his eyes hard though his voice stayed matter…of…fact。 〃We find our methods more effective than the knife； garrotte； poison or bullet。〃
The CIA man nodded。 〃But who would want to kill him？〃
Crosse glanced at the photos again。 He did not recognize the two Chinese； but their faces were clear and the body in the background unbelievable evidence。 〃We'll find them。 Whoever they are。 The one who phoned our police station claimed they were 14K。 But he only spoke Shanghainese with a Ningpo dialect； so that's unlikely。 Probably he was a triad of some sort。 He could be Green Pang。 He was certainly a trained professional … the knife was used perfectly； with great precision … one moment alive； the next dead and no sound。 Could be one of your CIA's trainees in Chiang Kai…shek's intelligence agency。 Or perhaps the Korean CIA； more of your trainees … they're anti…Soviet too； aren't they？ Possibly PRC agents； but that's improbable。 Their agents don't usually go in for quai loh murder； and certainly not in Hong Kong。〃
Rosemont nodded and let the censure pass。 He gave Crosse the remaining photos； wanting the Englishman's cooperation and needing it。 〃These're shots of the house they went into。 And the street sign。 Our guy couldn't read characters but it translates； 'Street of the First Season； Number 14。' It's a rotten little alley in back of the bus depot in North Point。〃
Crosse began to examine them with equal care。 Rosemont glanced at his watch； then got up and went to the single window that faced part of the harbor。 〃Look！〃 he said proudly。
The other two went over to him。 The great nuclear carrier was just rounding North Point heading for the navy yard。 Hong Kong side。 She was dressed overall； all her obligatory flags stiff in the breeze； crowds of white…clothed sailors on her vast deck； with neat lines of her vicious fighter jet airplanes。 Almost 84；000 tons。 No smokestack； just a vast； ominous bridge plex； with an eleven…hundred…foot angled runway that could retrieve and launch jets simultaneously。 The first of a generation。
〃That's some ship；〃 Crosse said enviously。 This was the first time the colossus had entered Hong Kong since her missioning in 1960。 〃Pretty；〃 he said； hating the fact she was American and not British。 〃What's her top speed？〃
〃I don't know … that's classified along with most everything else。〃 Rosemont turned to watch him。 〃Can't you send that goddamn Soviet spy ship to hell out of port？〃
〃Yes； and we could blow it up； but that would be equally foolish。 Stanley； relax； you have to be a little civilized about these things。 Repairing their ships … and some of them really do need it … is a good source of revenue； and intelligence； and they pay their bills promptly。 Our ways have been tried and tested over the years。〃
Yes； Rosemont was thinking without rancor； but your ways don't work anymore。 The British Empire's no more； the British raj no more and we've a different enemy now； smarter rougher dedicated totalitarian fanatic； with no Queensberry rules and a worldwide plan that's lavishly funded by whatever it takes。 You British've no dough now； no clout； no navy； no army； no air force； and your goddamn government's filled with socialist and enemy pus； and we think they sold you out。 You've been screwed from within； your security's the pits from Klaus Fuchs and Philby on down。 Jesus； we won both goddamn wars for you； paid for most of it and both times you've screwed up the peace。 And if it wasn't for our Strategic Air mand； our missiles； our nuclear strike force； our navy； our army； our air force our taxpayers our dough； you'd all be dead or in go