“If you’re a crooked official, they’re what you use for money laundering, smuggling drugs...all kindsa crap.”

Alex nodded. “It turns out Seven Winds is a Malaysian subsidiary of what used to be a Chinese shell. But after the crackdown, that paper tiger had to disclose its owner’s name to continue operations here,” he said. “Deng Jing is listed as its co-owner and chief operating officer. Her husband’s components company, Jinggu, is a silent partner, with minority shares of both the former shell and Seven Winds.”

Harris mulled that over a few seconds. “So CloudCable cuts a deal with Jinggu, and its owner recommends the kitchen services company his wife runs for the Stalwart. What’s so suspicious about keeping it in the family?”

“Nothing, on its face,” Morse said. “Until you check out Deng Jing’s brother, Zhou Bohai. And his family connections.”

“They’re originally from Jilin City, right across the border from Primorsky Krai in Russia,” Michaels said. “The clan’s import–export trade goes back to the time of czars and emperors. Fruit, vegetables and textiles flow out of China to the Krai. Russian seafood and building materials come in. And Zhou Bohai controls the flow.”

“He’s what they used to call a merchant prince,” Morse said. “Immeasurable wealth, economic and political clout on both sides of the border. His trucks roll back and forth across it, day and night, with millions in goods.”

Harris looked from her to Michaels. “Either of you gonna explain where all this ties in to the Stalwart?”

Michaels nodded.

“Bohai and Deng Jing aren’t the only siblings,” he said. “There are several brothers. The youngest is named Zhou Kexin. He’s a Chinese naval officer.”

“And?”

“And his current command is Fiery Cross Reef. An artificial, militarized island. He’s also thought to be in charge of a Chinese fishing militia fleet that anchors off the reef. Which our satint tells us sent trawlers into the immediate vicinity of Stalwart’s operations before it fell out of contact.”

“Which now gives us three family members who can be either conclusively or plausibly linked to either CloudCable or the missing ship,” Morse said. “How’s that for making your spidey-sense tingle, Leo?”

He looked across the desk at her. And kept looking at her.

“About the Seven Winds kitchen and scullery people,” he said finally. “There were a dozen of ’em on the Stalwart. Musil told me the ones who sailed out of New Hampshire would’ve rotated out when the ship pulled into port for maintenance.”

“And been replaced by a crew out of Seven Winds Malaysia,” Morse said. “If it made a port call there. We still don’t know.”