“What is the name of the guy who owns the ship that was supposed to have made the drop at 130-5?” Herbert asked.

“Mahathir bin Dahman, a Malaysian billionaire,” Hood said.

“Another billionaire,” Herbert said.

“He’s involved with everything from waste disposal to real estate,” Hood said.

“This is smelling like what they call executive action over at the CIA,” Herbert said.

“Which is what?” Hood asked.

“It started with the idea that businessmen from the military-industrial complex were involved in the JFK assassination,” Herbert said. “They wanted to speed up U.S. involvement in Vietnam, along with the increased military buying that would entail. When Kennedy held the course, they got together and had him offed. Or so the theory goes.”

“So there’s an apparent executive action involving nuclear smuggling,” Hood said.

“It could be,” Herbert said. “The executive action profile says that men like Dahman and Darling can’t be bothered with the inconvenience of the democratic process. Over time they begin to feel they’re entitled to power. So they take it by any means necessary. That includes forming strategic alliances. If we have a union here, the question is who approached whom?”

“That’s a big if,” Coffey said. “You’re making a lot of assumptions about some pretty powerful and reputable men.”

“You bit,” Herbert said.

“Pardon?”

“They count on that reaction to avoid suspicion, Lowell,” Herbert said. “Paul, have Liz Gordon profile these guys. I’ll bet she comes up with the same scenario I did.”

“Even if she did, it would still be supposition,” Coffey pointed out.

“Maybe, but we aren’t in court,” the intelligence officer reminded the attorney. “If we’re going to find the missing nuclear waste, we have to make a few educated guesses.”

“Bob, I agree that we have to pursue this,” Hood said. “I also think we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Lowell, let’s assume Bob pegged this right. You’re on the scene. What do you suggest?”

“To begin with, I can’t imagine that the Australian government is going to move against Jervis Darling without overwhelming evidence,” Coffey said. “And I mean airtight, overwhelming evidence.”

“Certainly Darling would be counting on that, too,” Herbert remarked.

“If he’s involved,” Coffey reminded them.

“You know, gentlemen, I’m thinking,” Herbert said. “Why don’t we step right up and ask him?”

“Just like that?” Coffey asked.

“It worked with Colonel Hwan,” Herbert said.

“He’s not Jervis Darling,” Coffey said. “My dad deals with movers and shakers in Hollywood. They’ve got layers of people between themselves and the events they cause.”

“Layers only work if you go through them,” Herbert said. “I’ll go around them.”

“Before you do, maybe we should have some real ammunition,” Coffey said.

“Such as?” Herbert asked.

“I’m wondering if there might be a paper trail from Darling to Dahman,” Coffey said.