Free Titanoboa by Victor Methos Page B

thing he could do was talk to the person that reported his disappearance and see if he could scrape together enough information to lead him in the right direction.
    Shambala wasn’t crowded yet, just a few people enjoying their pastries with tea, coffee, or juice, and Mark waited a couple more minutes in the car. Riki, or whatever her name was, sat by the windows. He was glad she had chosen somewhere indoors. She’d be less likely to make a scene than on the veranda.
    He got out and walked inside the café. Ali , already there, sipped his drink. He nodded to Mark, who nodded back before sauntering to Riki’s table and sitting down.
    “I’m glad you got in touch with me,” Riki said. “I was really worried you wouldn’t find anything.”
    “That police officer there is here for you .” Mark motioned his head toward Ali. “I don’t want any trouble. Do you understand? Nod if you understand.”
    “I don’t understand. Why would—”
    “This isn’t the States. The police here have almost dictatorial powers. They can place you under arrest without charges and hold you for however long they want. You’ll see a judge when they decide you’ll see a judge. All I need to do to have you arrested is let him know. So no more lies. If I think you’re lying, I’m going to leave, and he’s going to arrest you and take you down to the jail. I promise you, it’s not as nice as your hotel room.”
    The woman, her face stern and strong only a moment ago, now appeared confused , as if she didn’t know whether to be frightened or to laugh at his threat. Her face settled on an expression of curiosity. Though he hadn’t frightened her, he had gotten her attention.
    “What is this about?” she said firmly.
    “You’re not Riki Gilmore. William Gilmore had no sisters. Who are you, and why did you hire me?”
    She folded her arms. “I’d like to leave now. You have nothing to arrest me for.”
    “I bet one of your IDs says Riki Gilmore, doesn’t it? Maybe even a passport. That’s a very serious crime here. I hope you know some good lawyers on the island. Probably not, as there’s only two of them.”
    She swallowed. The strength in her countenance began to fade , and Mark knew he had hit a nerve.
    “What do you want?” she said quietly.
    “The truth. Who are you , and why are you interested in Billy Gilmore?”
    She placed her hands on the table as a server came over. “Let’s order,” she said.
    She ordered an omelet and Mark just asked for coffee. When the server left, Mark gave her a moment to compose herself. She resembled a child caught doing something they weren’t supposed to do.
    “My name is Riki, but Gilmore isn’t my last name. It’s Howard. I’m an investigative reporter with the L.A. Times .” She fumbled around in her purse a moment before pulling out a press badge. Mark knew it well from his time as a detective. The badge was authentic.
    “What’re you doing out here?”
    She leaned forward, closing the distance between them, and lowered her voice. “I’m looking into a string of disappearances on this island.”
    “What disappearances?”
    “None you’d know about. Are you aware of VN Oil’s plan to drill in the middle of the jungle?”
    “I’ve heard some about it.”
    “Well, I have information that they’ve already begun. They began a long time ago, right inside the nature preserve.”
    Mark shook his head. “That’s ridiculous. That nature preserve is the whole reason this island exists. They’ve got insects and plants there that haven’t even been identified yet.”
    “I know, but they started anyway. Some palms were greased in exchange for cooperation. And I’m talking really powerful palms with a lot of money. VN thinks they found the next Kuwait out here. Allegedly, there’s a lot of oil if you can get to it. Their plan is to drill right through the island and into the bottom of the ocean.”
    “Why wouldn’t they just set up a rig?”
    “Too much attention.