“Boredom, maybe? A challenge?” Jelbart said. “God knows he’s got all the power, money, and influence he needs.”

“Is his power base very solid?” Coffey asked.

“Lord, yes,” Jelbart replied. “For many ordinary folks, Jervis Darling embodies the spirit of Australia. He has proven that anyone can build an empire. Politicians fight for his endorsement and photo opportunities.”

“What about his personal life?”

“The business press doesn’t like him, but the society pages love him,” Jelbart said. “He and his young daughter go everywhere. Usually with some established actress or political matron on his arm. No supermodels or fluff.”

“What happened to Mrs. Darling?”

“Dorothy Darling died in a hang-gliding accident four years ago,” Jelbart said. “You may also be interested to learn, Mr. Coffey, that Jervis Darling has never been the subject of personal litigation. And it has nothing to do with the army of legal firms on his payroll.”

“Tell me something, Warrant Officer. Are you under his spell, too?” Coffey asked.

“No,” Jelbart replied. “But I admire the quality that my countrymen see in him.”

“And that is?”

“Noblesse oblige,” Jelbart said.

Coffey frowned slightly.

“I know that sounds strange to you Americans. But Mr. Darling presents class and benevolence in balance,” Jelbart went on. “It makes him nonthreatening. And that makes him beloved. Sort of like Walt Disney or Thomas Edison. A man who started by creating small, special-interest magazines about archaeology, geology, prehistory. Merging them synergistically to create rich harbors for upscale advertisers. Using his profits to buy real estate, start a bank, develop the Internet. He’s a local hero. People don’t want to know about his flaws.”

“Is all of this a way of saying we can’t investigate him?” Coffey asked. “Or that you won’t?”

“I don’t know.” Jelbart exhaled. “Your evidence is not overwhelming.”

“I’m aware of that,” Coffey told the officer. “But we do know that nuclear material is missing. We don’t know where it is. Should we hold off until someone explodes a dirty bomb?”

“I’m not suggesting that,” Jelbart said.

“You just don’t want to involve Jervis Darling,” Coffey said.

“Yeah. That’s what I don’t want.”

“And we won’t,” Coffey said. “Certainly not at this stage. Hopefully not ever, if it turns out that our information is incorrect.”

“What worries me is how do we verify that information? And then what happens if it is correct,” Jelbart said.

“I’m confused. If Mr. Darling is proven to be a reasonable suspect, then I would think the law takes over,” Coffey replied.

“In which case even solid evidence may not be enough to bring him down,” Jelbart said. “Attorneys can battle the validity and admissibility of proof, you know that.”

“Of course.”

“Even if it does implicate Darling, his fall will do more than shake his empire,” Jelbart said. “His investments, his reach, are everywhere.”

Coffey said nothing. Jelbart shook his head.