cussler.blueandgold-第41节

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　Gomez　smirked。　〃Don't　tell　me。　His　car　blew　up。〃
　
　〃He　drove　off　a　cliff。　It　was　supposedly　an　accident。〃
　
　A　man　in　a　dark　blue　suit　came　over　and　tapped　on　the　car　window。　The　agent　nodded　and　turned　back　to　Zavala。　〃They　want　me　inside。　Let's　keep　in　touch。〃　He　switched　to　Spanish。　〃We　Mexican…American　chili　peppers　have　to　stick　together。〃
　
　〃Definitely；〃　Zavala　said；　opening　the　door　to　get　out。　〃I'll　be　heading　back　to　Washington。　Call　me　at　NUMA　headquarters　if　I　can　be　of　help。〃
　
　Zavala　had　been　truthful　with　Gomez　up　to　a　point。　He　purposely　hadn't　mentioned　Hanley's　disclosure　about　the　Mulholland　Group。　He　doubted　the　FBI　would　blast　its　way　through　the　front　door　warrant　in　hand；　but　he　hadn't　wanted　to　plicate　his　investigation。　On　his　return　to　the　hotel　he　called　Los　Angeles　directory　assistance　and　tried　the　number　he　was　given　for　the　Mulholland　Group。　The　pleasant…sounding　receptionist　who　answered　the　phone　gave　him　directions　to　the　office。　He　asked　the　hotel　concierge　to　arrange　a　rental　car；　and　before　long　he　was　driving　north　to　Los　Angeles。
　
　Later　that　morning　he　pulled　off　the　Hollywood　Freeway　into　a　typical　California　maze　of　close…built　residential　blocks　interspersed　with　mercial　plazas。　Zavala　wasn't　sure　what　he　expected；　but　after　the　explosion　in　Baja　and　the　bizarre　deaths　of　Hanley　and　Pedralez；　he　was　surprised　to　find　a　well…marked　office　in　a　professional　building　sandwiched　between　a　Staples　office　supply　store　and　a　Pizza　Hut。
　
　The　lobby　was　open　and　airy。　The　cheery　receptionist　who　greeted　him　was　the　same　one　who　had　given　him　directions　on　the　phone。　He　didn't　have　to　exert　his　Latin　charm。　She　readily　answered　questions　about　the　pany；　showered　Zavala　with　brochures；　and　said　to　call　if　he　ever　needed　hydraulic　engineering　services。　He　went　back　out　to　his　rental　car　and　sat　behind　the　wheel　staring　at　the　unassuming　facade；　wondering　what　to　do　next。　His　cell　phone　buzzed。　Austin　was　calling　from　his　office　at　NUMA　headquarters。
　
　〃Any　luck　at　your　end？〃　Kurt　said。
　
　〃I'm　sitting　outside　the　Mulholland　Group　as　we　speak；〃　Zavala　said。　He　filled　him　in　on　his　findings。　Austin　in　turn　told　Joe　about　his　visit　to　the　Garber　center；　his　conversation　with　Buzz　Martin；　and　the　revelations　from　Max。
　
　〃You've　acplished　a　hell　of　a　lot　more　than　I　have；〃　Zavala　said。
　
　'All　blind　alleys　so　far。　I'm　heading　to　upstate　New　York　this　afternoon　to　see　if　I　can　clear　up　the　mystery　of　the　flying　wing　pilot。　While　you're　in　L。A。　maybe　you　can　poke　around　on　Gogstad。〃
　
　They　agreed　to　pare　notes　back　in　Washington　the　next　day。　Zavala　hung　up　and　called　information　for　the　Los　Angeles　Times。　He　got　through　to　the　newsroom；　where　he　gave　his　name　and　asked　for　Randy　Cohen　in　the　business　section。
　
　Moments　later　a　boyish　voice　came　on　the　phone。
　
　〃Joe　Zavala；　what　a　nice　surprise！　How　are　you？〃
　
　〃I'm　fine；　thanks。　How's　the　best　investigative　reporter　west　of　the　Mississippi？〃
　
　〃Doing　what　I　can　with　the　limited　brain　cells　left　from　our　tequila　sunrise　days。　Are　you　still　keeping　NUMA　afloat？〃
　
　〃As　a　matter　of　fact　I'm　in　town　on　NUMA　business　and　wondered　if　you　could　give　me　a　hand。〃　
　〃Always　ready　to　do　what　I　can　for　an　old　college　pal。〃
　
　〃I　appreciate　that；　Randy。　I　need　some　information　on　a　California…based　pany。　Have　you　ever　heard　of　the　Gogstad　Corporation？〃
　
　The　other　end　of　the　line　went　silent。　Then　Cohen　said；　〃You　did　say　Gogstad？'
　
　〃That's　right。〃　Joe　spelled　the　name　so　there　would　be　no　mistake。　〃Does　it　ring　a　bell？〃
　
　〃Call　me　back　at　this　number；〃　Cohen　said；　and　abruptly　clicked　off。　Zavala　did　as　he　was　told。　Cohen　answered。　〃Sorry　to　cut　you　off。　We're　talking　on　my　cell　phone。　Where　are　you？〃
　
　Zavala　described　his　location。　Cohen　was　familiar　with　the　neighborhood　and　gave　him　directions　to　a　nearby　coffee　bar。　Zavala　was　sipping　on　his　second　espresso　when　Cohen　walked　in。　The　reporter　saw　Zavala　sitting　at　the　counter　and　gave　him　a　big　grin。　He　strode　over　and　pumped　his　hand。
　
　〃God；　you　look　great；　Joe。　Haven't　changed　a　bit。〃
　
　〃Neither　have　you。〃　Zavala　was　telling　the　truth。　The　re　porter　looked　much　the　same　as　when　they　had　worked　together　on　their　college　newspaper。　Cohen　had　put　a　few　pounds　on　his　lean　frame；　and　his　black　beard　was　tinged　with　flecks　of　gray；　but　he　still　walked　like　a　giant　crane；　and　the　blue　eyes　blinking　from　behind　horn…rimmed　glasses　were　as　intense　as　ever。
　
　Cohen　ordered　a　double　latte　and　herded　Joe　to　a　table　re　moved　from　the　others。　He　took　a　sip；　pronounced　the　coffee　a　ten；　then　leaned　forward　and　said　in　a　low　voice；　〃So　tell　me；　old　friend；　what's　NUMA's　interest　in　Gogstad？〃
　
　〃You　probably　heard　about　the　pod　of　gray　whales　that　was　found　dead　off　San　Diego。〃　Cohen　nodded。　〃We've　tracked　the　possible　cause　of　death　to　an　operation　on　the　Baja　peninsula。　There　was　a　link　to　the　Mulholland　Group。　Gogstad　is　the　parent　pany。〃
　
　Cohen's　eyes　narrowed。　〃What　kind　of　operation？〃
　
　〃Don't　laugh。　It's　a　tortilla　plant。〃
　
　〃I　don't　laugh　at　anything　having　to　do　with　this　outfit。〃
　
　〃Then　you　know　it。〃　
　
　〃Intimately。　That's　why　I　was　stunned　when　you　called。　I've　been　on　an　investigative　team　digging　into　Gogstad　for　almost　a　year。　We're　going　to　call　the　story　series　'The　Water　Pirates。'　〃
　
　〃I　thought　piracy　went　out　with　Captain　Kidd。〃
　
　〃This　is　bigger　than　Kidd　could　ever　have　imagined。〃
　
　〃What　turned　you　on　to　the　story？〃
　
　〃Dumb　luck。　We　were　looking　into　corporate　mergers；　the　quiet　ones　that　don't　always　make　the　headlines　but　have　just　as　much　impact　on　the　average　citizen。　We　started　crisscrossing　the　same　faint　trail。　It　was　like　a　hunter　ing　across　snow…blown　tracks　in　the　woods　again　and　again。〃
　
　〃The　tracks　were　Gogstad's。〃
　
　Cohen　nodded。　〃It　took　us　months　to　pin　it　down；　and　we　still　only　have　a　partial　picture。　Gogstad　is　enormous！　With　holdings　in　the　hundreds　of　billions；　it　may　be　the　biggest　world　wide　conglomerate　in　history。〃
　
　〃I'll　admit　I　don't　read　the　Wall　Street　Journal　every　day；　but　I'm　surprised　I　never　heard　of　this　outfit　if　it's　as　big　as　you　say。〃
　
　〃Don't　feel　bad。　They've　spent　millions　to　keep　their　dealings　a　secret。　They　use　back…room　deals；　straw　and　dummy　corporations；　every　trick　in　the　book。　Thank　God　for　puters！　We　fed　the　stuff　through　a　Geographic　Information　System。　The　GIS　connects　the　info　in　the　database　to　points　on　a　map。　The　cops　use　the　same　system　to　keep　tabs　on　gang　connections。　We've　got　some　great　graphs　that　show　Gogstad's　holdings　around　the　world。〃
　
　〃Who's　behind　this　super…corp？〃
　
　〃We're　pretty　sure　the　reins　of　power　are　held　by　one　person。　Her　name　is　Brynhild　Sigurd。〃
　
　Zavala　had　a　deserved　reputation　as　a　ladies'　man；　so　his　ears　perked　up　at　the　mention　of　a　woman。　〃Tell　me　about　Ms。　Sigurd。〃
　
　〃There　isn't　much　I　can　tell。　She's　never　made　the　Fortune　magazine　list　of　most　powerful　women；　although　she　deserves　to　be　at　the　top。　We　do　know　she　was　born　in　the　U。S。　of　Scandinavian　parents；　that　she　went　to　school　in　Europe　and
　later　started　an　engineering　pany　called　the　Mulholland　Group。〃　〃I　was　just　there。　I　should　have　asked　to　see　the　lady。〃
　
　〃It　wouldn't　do　you　any　good。　She's　still　listed　as　pany　president；　but　nobody　sees　her。〃
　
　〃I'm　not　clear　on　the　pany　name。　The　office　isn't　on　Mulholland　Drive。〃
　
　Cohen　smiled　indulgently。　〃Have　you　ever　heard　of　the　Owens　Valley　scandal？〃
　
　〃It　had　to　do　with　the　Los　Angeles　water　system；　I　believe。〃
　
　〃That's　right。　It's　hard　to　believe　today；　but　L。A。　was　just　a　small　desert　town　back　in　the　1920s。　The　city　needed　water　to　grow。　The　nearest　major　source　of　fresh　water　was　sleepy　little　Owens　Valley　two　hundred　miles　to　the　north。　L。A。　quietly　sent　guys　to　the　valley　to　buy　out　the　water　rights　to　the　river。　By　the　time　the　valley　people　figured　out　what　was　going　on　it　was　too　late　to　do　anything。　Their　water　was　on　its　way　to　Los　Angeles。〃
　
　〃What　happened　to　the　Owens　Valley？〃
　
　〃Drained　dry。〃　He　chuckled　evilly。　〃Most　of　the　water　the　taxpayers　paid　for　went　to　the　San　Fernando　Valley；　not　the　city。　A　bunch　of　local　businessmen　bought　land　cheap　there。　Prices　skyrocketed　when　water　came　in　and　made　the　speculators　mil　lions。　The　man　who　engineered　the　coup　was　William　Mulholland。〃
　
　〃Interesting。　How　does　the　Mulholland　Group　fit　in　with　Gogstad？〃
　
　〃Mulholland　was　the　seed　pany　for　Gogstad。　Now　it's　a　subsidiary　that　provides　engineering　services　for　the　parent　corporation。〃
　
　〃What　exactly　does　Gogstad　do？〃
　
　'At　first　they　acquired　interests　in　pipeline；　energy；　and　construction　panies。　Since　then　they　have　branched　out　into　financial　institutions；　insurance；　media。　For　the　last　several　years　they've　concentrated　on　one　product：　blue　gold。〃
　
　〃I'm　only　familiar　with　the　fourteen…karat　stuff。〃
　
　Cohen　lifted　the　tumbler　in　front　of　him。　
　〃Blue　gold　is　water？〃
　
　〃Yep。〃　Cohen　held　the　glass　to　the　light　like　a　fine　wine；　then　took　a　hearty　gulp。　〃Water　is　no　longer　a　natural　right；　it's　a　modity　that　can　fetch　a　hi