the steps.
Train then introduced Karen to Hiroshi’s wife, Kyoko, who was waiting on the front porch. Kyoko took Karen inside and showed her upstairs to one of the guest rooms to freshen up. Train went to his own room on the riverfront side of the house and changed into clean clothes. Then he went looking for Hiroshi. He found him in the back pantry, doctoring Gutter’s leg, and told him about the events of the preceding night. He explained that Commander Lawrence would be staying with them for. a few days. Hiroshi, ever the great conversationalist, nodded once and continued his examination on the dog.
Train left him to it and went back in time to meet Karen as she came downstairs. He gave her a tour of the downstairs of the house. “About half the house dates back to the 1790s,” he told her. “This is one of two reception rooms.
Sort of eclectic in style, after many generations of taste and circumstances. Started out as a smaller copy of Mount Vernon, up the river, and then it was modified several times through the years. It’s not that big, really.”
“How did your family come to have this land?”
“The first von Rensel came to the United States in the retinue of the Baron von Steuben. By the end of the American Revolution, he had risen sufficiently in General Washington’s esteem to be granted a four-hundred-acre parcel of land down river from Mount Vernon. My family alternated between prosperity and near financial ruin over the generations, but a strict observance of the rule of primogeniture ensured that the original land grant survived intact well into the twentieth century, when my grandfather Heinrich finally seized the opportunity-to turn four hundred acres of riverfront property into a secure family fortune. These are the original kitchens.”
“This place has four hundred acres?” she asked.
“Not. anymore. Heinrich struck an adept political deal with the local county government that basically secured the serenity of the family estate. In return for the sale of the remaining acres of riverside lands to the county for a park, the county agreed never to permit development of that land.
By the time I was born, only ten walled acres and the house remained of the original eighteenth-century plantation, along with a structure of family trusts, which pays for all this.”
Later, over a simple’ dinner served by Kyoko on’the screened porch, he told her some more about his own upbringing. She was curious about Hiroshi and his wife. Train told her the story of how the couple had corrie to Aquia.
“Before my mother died in 1959, my parents maintained a pretty full social schedule up in Washington. They kept a town’ house up in Georgetown a weekends. My father had British I think. I was a lot closer to Hi mother died. When both my parents were g(
clear that they were expected to stay on in their retirement years.
“I’ll bet Kyoko wonders when you’re going to get married,” Karen said with a mischievous smile.
“Wonders and occasionally nags, in her own incredibly polite way,” Train said, returning that smile. Then he surprised himself.
“Tell me about Frank,” he said. “I sense a loose end there.
She looked away for a moment, long enough to take a deep breath. “Yes, there is.” She told him the story, faltering when she came to the part about where he had been when his heart killed him, and the possible reasons why.
I’ll in still tom about it,” she said. “I think he loved me.-
He was certainly a loving man. And you’ve seen the house, the nice cars, all of that. And yet ..
He nodded slowly. “Now you wonder if you should pull that scab until you find the truth, or leave it be and get on with your life.”
“Yes, exactly.”
“Advice?”
She looked at him expectantly.
“You had ten years. If he was unfaithful, he cared enough about you to keep it very discreet. You seemed to have been good friends as well as husband and wife. He left you more than well provided for. There are worse men than I that.
She nodded, visibly stifling a few dozen buts.
“And there are better men than that, too, Karen.”
re She was about to reply to that when Kyoko came in to move the plates.
Suddenly, Train was yawning. His yawn immediately triggered hers.
“Tree time in the jungle, I think,” she said.
“Tell Kyoko if you need anything,” Train said, standing.
“Breakfast at eight, okay? Then we can kick around next steps.
“Make it nine,” she replied, yawning again. “I think I’m ps include going to sleep forever. And I assume next Ste going back to see Jack Sherman, right?” she asked.
“Yes, only this time I’m going to get some answers out of him that make sense.”
“How, by beating him up again?”
“I didn’t beat him up. He walked away.”
She gave him an arch look. “Maybe this time let me do the talking,” she said, getting up. “Remember, the objective is to find out what’s going on.” Train was suddenly too tired to argue. They said good night. Kyoko led Karen upstairs, and Train headed for the library. He was exhausted but too wound up for sleep. He decided to get a brandy and review the NIS file before turning in. He was just putting away the decanter of Armagnac when Hiroshi appeared in the doorway.
“Hiroshisan,” Train said as the old man came into the study. They exchanged bows, and Hiroshi sat down on the front three inches of one of the upholstered chairs, his back straight as a board and his hands folded politely in his lap.
“So, I need to tell you what’s going on,” Train said.
“This is a serious matter?” Hiroshi asked.
Train knew that Hiroshi would never have dreamed of coming right out with a direct question unless he was very concerned. “Very serious, Hiroshisan. There have been two murders. A senior naval officer is being made to look like a murderer by a man from his past-. It appears to be a matter of revenge for something that happened in Vietnam many years ago. The lady upstairs, Commander Lawrence, was assigned to find out if the accusations were true. I was assigned to help her. Because she became involved, she became a target, too. She cannot be safe until the man behind all this is captured, or killed.”
“It is a killing matter?”
“It is for one of the government agencies involved. But the matter is complicated by the fact that some government agencies are at war with one another. I think one agency might be trying to gain advantage over the other by exploiting this matter. This man is something like a ninja who is no longer under control.”
“Ali,” Hiroshi said. Ninja, he understood.
“But my military superiors have told me not to pursue this man, and not to interfere in the pursuit efforts of others,” Train continued.
“My’military superiors are apparently willing to sacrifice the senior officer in order to avoid having the Navy involved in yet another scandal.”
“Does this senior officer agree to the sacrifice?”
“No. He feels it is unfair. But in a certain sense, he is not blameless, either. And now there are indications that his son may be involved in this matter. Exactly how, I don’t know. And to cap it off, the senior officer has disappeared, which will probably renew suspicion against him. It is very complicated.”
Hiroshi thought about all this. “What will you I do?” he asked.
“There are some aspects to this case that don’t make sense,” Train replied ‘ “Commander Lawrence feels the senior officer is being unfairly set up, and I’m beginning to agree with her. We plan to talk to the senior officer’s son.”
“Will he talk to you?”
“One way or another, he will. We think he was involved in what happened last night. And if he was, then maybe we can expose at least him to the police, which might then force the Navy to do the right thing by the senior officer.”
Hiroshi thought about that for a moment. Then, as usual, he came back to the real issue. “But what of the
