The Storm Maker (15 page)

       “Mr.
Lenax, come over here for a moment,” he said.

       Lenax
and Zurryvk walked over to him.

       “How
is your work coming along?” Sayett asked.

       “No
matches so far,” Zurryvk said.

       “We
still have a lot of photos to go through,” Lenax said.

       “Tell
me who this man is: Hantex Rut,” Sayett said pointing to a name on the
registration document. “He is listed as the owner of High Standards Timber
Company.”

       Lenax
was unsettled at the sight of the name. He stumbled for words and then said,
“Hantex Rut is a very rich businessman,” he said. “Politically connected to the
current ruling party as well. How is he involved?”

       “Not
certain right now,” Sayett said. “But is this his signature?” He pointed to the
signature on the registration document.

       “I
can’t say,” Lenax said. “We at the Eye of Ranx stay away from politics and
business. I wouldn’t know.”

       “It
could be forged,” Ulyett said.

       “That’s
the problem,” Sayett said. “We have no way of knowing for certain without
alerting this man and I wouldn’t want to do that without more facts in my
hand.”

       “Sayett,”
Wyker spoke up holding the phone, “I have a Mr. Bydar from the Trade Control
Board on the phone. He heads their department for foreign companies operating
here.”

       “Alright,
you two can get back to your work,” Sayett said to Lenax and Zurryvk who went
back to their side desk and the stacks of photographs. Sayett walked over to
Wyker and took over the phone.

       “Mr.
Bydar, I am chief detective Sayett from SPASI.” he said.

       “What
can I do SPASI detective?” Mr. Bydar asked.

       “I
would like help finding information on some Ranx companies,” Sayett said. He
didn’t give the name out because he wanted to see if he would get the same
company from Mr. Bydar as well.

       “Tell
me what industries and what location?” Mr. Bydar said.

       “Lumber
companies operating in the southwest,” Sayett said.

       “How
do you define southwest, Mr. Sayett?” Bydar asked.

       “Consider
every town south of and west of Parvyk City,” he said.

       “Hold
onto the phone for a few. I will get the files,” he said. Sayett could hear a
faint voice of him giving directions to his junior clerks.

       “Avyk,
Lutvyk,” Sayett said to them covering the phone speaker with his hands. “How many
files did you get and how many were from Ranx?”

       “There
were forty-seven foreign owned lumber companies in that location,” Lutvyk said,
“They weren’t sorted by country so we got all of them. Only one was from Ranx,
that’s the one I…” he then corrected himself after a quick glance at Avyk,
“that’s the one we found and showed you.”

       Sayett
held on the phone for a few more minutes, finally Mr. Bydar voice came.      “Hello,
are you there?” he asked.

       “Yes,
Mr. Bydar. What have you found?”

       “Only
one Ranxian owned lumber company in that region,” Mr. Bydar said. “One High
Standards Timber Company in Coldwoods owned by someone called Hantex Rut.”

       “What
does your trade report say about it?” Sayett asked.

       “Trade
Report?” Bydar said turning over a paper. “All I have is the registration
document. They sure are late, but it is no big deal as they are only going to
be exporting lumber, which is good for us since it increases our trade surplus.
The purpose of the trade report is to see if a foreign company would have a negative
impact on our companies; so we care more about the importers.”

       “Won’t
they need the trade report to begin operations?” Sayett asked.

       “To
begin operations, but not to get set up,” Mr. Bydar said. “Why do you ask?”

       “I
believe they are already operational,” Sayett said.

       “Damn
if they did that,” Bydar said. “I am going to dispatch a couple of trade
inspectors tomorrow to see what they are up to down there.”

       “Mr.
Bydar, please do not do that,” Sayett said in a serious tone. “The reason I
called is because we suspect this company is a front for a smuggling syndicate.
Your workers will be in danger. Please let us handle this. Can you do that?”

       “Go
ahead, saves us the work,” Bydar said, “but on one condition.”

       “Yes?”

       “That
you will send me a copy of your final report for our files,” Bydar said.

       “Will
do that,” Sayett said, “Grateful for your help.” He said and both of them hung
up.

       “Now
the case is moving forward,” Sayett said with a big smile.

       “What
did he say?” Wyker asked.

       “Confirmed
what we knew,” Sayett said. “One more phone call for you Wyker. Call the
Capital Court of Land Disputes and get me an appointment with a judge. I am
going to run there before it closes.”

       “Will
do,” Wyker said.

       He
turned to Slyntya. “Would you mind going for a drive?”

       “Not
at all, am I going to the court?” she got up and picked up her purse.

       “We
have to get a Letter of Search for this company,” Sayett said leading her out
the door. “Having a Constellar with me will add political backing to my
request.”

       Soon
after, they were in Sayett’s car racing along the roads of the Capital. The
‘Circle of Courts,’ where all the Capital courts and the House of Justice were
located, was about twenty minutes away from the SPASI headquarters. Sayett
reached there in about fifteen minutes, driving faster than his regular habit.
A five-foot tall white circular wall enclosed a large area that held many
different buildings. A well maintained green lawn surrounded the outside of the
wall for more than fifty feet. One entrance led into the enclosure serviced by
a two lane road. One police car was parked on each side of the road leading
inside. There were half a dozen policemen standing outside with their rifles
slung across their shoulders and a couple of them were checking identifications.
One of the lanes was for the judges and the officials; the other was for the
litigants and the general public. Sayett pulled his car into the official lane.

       “Have
you been here before, Slyntya?” Sayett asked as they waited for a couple of
cars ahead of them to clear.

       “Sthykar
brought me here on a drive to show me the House of Justice,” she said.

       “Card
please,” a policeman asked leaning over.

       “Official
SPASI business,” Sayett showed his chief detective badge. The police read the
name, number, signature and looked at the photo. Then he returned it. “You
should hurry, detective; courts close in ten minutes.”

       Sayett
nodded. He hit the accelerator as soon as they were inside the gate. Multiple,
independent buildings lined each side of the street in exact intervals from
each other in a well ordered pattern. There was a circle in front of them that
had the tallest building in the center of it. Beyond it were again different
courts as well as to the left and right. Three rows of courts on each of the
four sides. Each building was one particular court. These were Capital courts;
they dealt with complex, specialized matters. There was a court for railroads,
a court for mines, for army, for dams, for aviation, for shipping and such
fields that a town court would not have the expertise or resources to handle.
Most of the litigation here happened on behalf of the companies and the state
institutions. There were more than fifty of these Capital courts here.

       Sayett’s
car came to the circle in the exact center of this complex. A circular green
lawn contained the tallest building of the complex at its center. The five
story building had intricate decorations and bright colors, and was the
location of the House of Justice—the top court of the Starfire Nation. Slyntya studied
the building. Architecturally it was the most beautiful building of the
complex. It was also guarded by the Royal Cavalry armed with automatic rifles.
The other courts were protected by policemen with repeating rifles, but the
head of the House of Justice was the King himself and hence much higher level
of protection.

       Guards
stood outside the doors of the building as well as on the balconies and the
rooftop. Slyntya thought that they were pleasing to look at with their
masculine strong, striking features very similar to her husband’s. Royal
Cavalrymen were ruggedly handsome especially in their dress uniform of King’s
Red shirts and hats with black pants, boots and belts. They were the only army
unit whose dress uniform was always the same as their battle uniform.

       Sayett
navigated the circle and continued out the road, making a right turn after
passing a few court buildings. He drove on to the third building with a ‘Land
Court’ sign outside, where he parked his car along the curb. Regular parking
was behind and underground but he had no time to waste and as a detective he
could park anywhere, just like the police.

       Sayett
and Slyntya rushed up the stairs. A policeman was standing outside and Sayett
quickly showed his badge and they skipped the queue to their side. As they
entered there was a semi-circular desk with multiple secretaries attending to
the people. Sayett walked up to the women who didn’t have anyone at her desk.

       “Madam,”
Sayett said, “I have an appointment with a land judge.”

       “What
is the judge’s name?” she asked and looked through the planner.

       “I
don’t know,” he said. “I am Sayett from SPASI. My office called to schedule
me.”

       “Let
me check,” she looked for his name and then looked up, “Yes, they called us.
Judge Damftar is awaiting you on the third floor—room ten.”

       “Grateful,”
he said and hurried up the stairs with Slyntya to the third floor. The room was
just to their right and he knocked on the door that was half open.

       “Just
me and a couple others remaining,” came a voice from inside. “They said it was
important enough that it could not wait till tomorrow.” The judge was a big,
broad shouldered man in his late fifties with hair that had become fluffy; he
wore large rectangular eye glasses that enlarged his eyes. He was dressed in
King’s Red suit and black pants. He was arranging some files in his cabinet and
turned around to face them.

       “I
am chief detective Sayett and this is Constellar Slyntya from the House of
Banks,” Sayett introduced them.

       “Constellar,
then it must definitely be important. Have a seat please.” He took off his
glasses and put them on the table while picking up a pen and a standard Letter
of Search from a folder.

       “Recent
bank robberies,” Sayett said, “Hear about them?”

       “I
read about a couple of them in the newspapers,” Judge Damftar said relaxing
back. “But this a land court. Are you sure you came to the right place and not
to the Court of Banks?”

       “Actually
it’s a lumber company we want to search,” Slyntya said. “Do you cover that
too?”

       “Indeed,
madam,” Damftar said. “Lumber is considered part of the land and we have
jurisdiction over the lumber companies. But how are they mixed up with the bank
robberies?”
       Sayett patiently explained to Damftar all the details of his
investigation over the next half an hour. Damftar leaned back on his chair,
fiddled with his pen and listened. Finally when Sayett was finished speaking,
he leaned forward.

       “The
evidence that you have, connecting the bank robberies to this lumber company,
is indirect,” Damftar said. “You don’t have evidence of a direct connection.
Now, I have heard about your reputation, Sayett, and the great detective work
you have done in the past. I would not deny you the Letter of Search, but know
this, it would be based on your reputation rather than on what you have brought
before me today.”

       Sayett
smiled. “I have more,” he said, “This company has neither gotten an
investigation report from the SPASI nor the trade report from trade control
board. Every foreign company needs to have both of these reports completed to
start operations. That is a law breaker and justifies a letter.”

       “That
is certainly justifiable reason,” Damftar said. “Not getting the reports only
carries fines, no other punishments, but combined with what you have told me, I
will give the go ahead.” After signing the letter, he stamped it with the court
mark, folded it, put a seal on it and gave it to Sayett.

       “Grateful,”
Sayett said. He and Slyntya left.

       They
were quickly back on the Capital roads driving hastily to the SPASI
headquarters.

       “What
is next?” Slyntya asked excitedly.

       “Now
we raid them,” Sayett asked. “And I am not going to delay it any longer. I will
fly out tomorrow to Southstar, pick up a car from the local SPASI office there
and drive down to Coldwoods.”