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often used to entertain county and state officials on weekend fishing trips。
〃What do you call her？〃 Rooney asked。
〃Call who？〃
〃The boat。〃
〃Oh； the Southern fort。 She's a thirty…five…footer； cruises at fifteen knots。 Built in Australia by an outfit called Stebercraft。〃
〃To get back to the LeBaron case；〃 Rooney said； sipping at his martini； 〃are you going to give in？〃
〃I'm tempted；〃 said Sweat； smiling。 〃Homicide has yet to turn up lead one。 The news media are making a circus out of it。 Everybody from the governor on down is pressuring my ass。 And to top； it off； there's every likelihood the crime wasn't mitted in my jurisdiction。 Hell； yes； I'm tempted to pass the buck to Washington。 Only I'm just stubborn enough to think we might pull a solution out of this mess。〃
〃All right； what do you want from me？〃
The sheriff turned from the helm and looked at him steadily。 〃I want you to tell me what's in your report。〃
〃My findings made the puzzle worse。〃
A small sailboat with four teenagers slipped across their bow and Sweat slowed down and gave way。 〃Tell me about it。〃
〃Let's start at the end and work backwards。 Okay with you？〃
〃Go ahead。〃
〃Threw the hell out of me at first。 Mostly because I wasn't looking for it。 I had a similar case fifteen years ago。 A female body was discovered sitting in a patio chair in her backyard。 Her husband claimed they'd been drinking the night before and he'd gone to bed alone； thinking she would follow。 When he awoke in the morning and looked around； he found her right where he left her； sitting on the patio； only now she was dead。 She had all the appearances of a natural death； no marks of violence； no sign of poison； just a generous amount of alcohol。 The organs seemed healthy enough。 There were no indications of previous disease or disorder。 For a woman of forty she had the body of a twenty…five…year…old。 It bugged the hell out of me。 Then the pieces began to e together。 The postmortem lividity that's the discoloration of the skin caused by the sinking of blood due to gravity is usually purplish。 Her lividity was cherry pink； which pointed to death from either cyanide or carbon monoxide poisoning or hypothermia。 I also discovered hemorrhaging of the pancreas。 Through a process of elimination the first two were discarded。 The final nail in the coffin was the husband's occupation。 The evidence wasn't exactly hard core； but it was enough for the judge to put him away for fifty years。〃
〃What was the husband's line of work？〃 asked Sweat。
〃He drove a truck for a frozen…food pany。 A neat plan。 He pumped booze in her until she passed out。 Set her inside his truck； which he always took home nights and weekends； turned up the refrigeration unit； and waited for her to harden。 After the poor woman expired； he put her back in the patio chair and went to bed。〃
Sweat stared blankly。 〃You're not saying the corpses found in the blimp froze to death。〃
〃I'm saying exactly that。〃
〃No mistake？〃
〃On a certainty scale from one to ten； I can promise an eight。〃
〃Do you realize how that sounds？〃
〃Crazy； I would imagine。〃
〃Three men disappear over the Caribbean in ninety…degree weather and freeze to death？〃 Sweat asked no one in particular。 〃We'll never make this one stick； Doe。 Not without a handy frozen…food truck。〃
〃You've got nothing to stick it to anyway。〃
〃Meaning？〃
〃The FBI report came in。 Jessie LeBaron's ID was on the money。 That isn't her husband in the morgue。 The other two aren't Buck Caesar or Joseph Cavilla either。〃
〃God； what next；〃 Sweat moaned。 〃Who are they？〃
〃There's no record of them in the FBI's fingerprint files。 Best guess is they were foreign nationals。〃
〃Did you find anything at all that might give a clue to their identity？〃
〃I can give you their height and weight。 I can show you X rays of their teeth and previous bone fractures。 Their livers suggested all three favored generous amounts of hard liquor。 The lungs gave away their heavy smoking； teeth and fingertips the fact they smoked unfiltered cigarettes。 They were also big eaters。 Their last meal consisted of dark bread and various fruits and beets。 Two were in their early thirties。 One was forty or over。 They were in above…average physical condition。 Beyond that I can tell you very little that might pin an ID on them。〃
〃It's a start。〃
〃But it still leaves us with LeBaron； Caesar； and Cavilla among the missing。〃
Before Sweat could reply a female voice rasped out his boat's call sign over the radio speaker。 He answered and turned to another channel frequency as instructed。
〃Sorry for the interruption；〃 he said to Rooney。 〃I've got an emergency call over the ship…to…shore phone。〃
Rooney nodded； went into the forward cabin； and poured himself another drink。 A delicious glow coursed through his body。 He took a few moments to go to the head。 When he returned topside to the wheelhouse； Sweat was hanging up the phone； his face red with anger。
〃The rotten bastards！〃 he hissed。
〃What's the problem？〃 Rooney asked。
〃They seized them；〃 Sweat said； pounding the helm with his fist。 〃The damned Feds walked into the morgue and seized the bodies from the blimp。〃
〃But there are legal procedures to follow；〃 Rooney protested。
〃Six men in plainclothes and two federal marshals showed up with the necessary paperwork； stuffed the corpses into three aluminum canisters filled with ice； and took off in a U。S。 Navy helicopter。〃
〃When did this happen？〃
〃Not ten minutes ago。 Harry Victor； the lead investigator on the case； says they also rifled his desk in the homicide office when he was in the john and ripped off his files。〃
〃What about my autopsy report？〃
〃They lifted that too。〃
The gin had put Rooney in a euphoric mood。 〃Oh； well； look at it this way。 They took you and the department off the hook。〃
Sweat's anger slowly subsided。 〃I can't deny they did me a favor； but it's their method that pisses me off。〃
〃There's one small consolation；〃 mumbled Rooney。 He was beginning to have trouble standing。 〃Uncle Sam didn't get everything。〃
〃Like what？〃
〃Something omitted from my report。 One lab result that was too controversial to put on paper； too wild to mention outside a looney house。〃
〃What are you talking about？〃 Sweat demanded。
〃The cause of death。〃
〃You said hypothermia。〃
〃True； but I left out the best part。 You see； I neglected to state the time of death。〃 Rooney's speech was being slurred。
〃Could only be within the last few days。〃
〃Oh； no。 Those poor guys froze their guts a long time ago。〃
〃How long？〃
〃Anywhere from one to two years ago。〃
Sheriff Sweat stared at Rooney； incredulous。 But the coroner stood there grinning like a hyena。 He was still grinning when he sagged over the side of the boat and threw up。
The home of Dirk Pitt was not on a suburban street or in a high…rise condominium overlooking the jungled treetops of Washington。 There was no landscaped yard or next…door neighbors with squealing children and barking dogs。 The house was not a