Chapter 13 Chapter Thirteen Looking for the Secret Enemy

"You said the 'Daiichi Japan' was not sunk?" Sure enough, as expected, the General Affairs Director of the New Nippon Lines head office stared at the faces of Totsukawa and Kamei Detective and said. "Yes." Totsukawa said in a calm tone, "'Daiichi Japan' did not sink in the Indian Ocean, but disappeared in the Indian Ocean." "But, Mr. Interpol," the Minister of General Affairs looked confused, his fingers trembling on the table, "that's a 500,000-ton giant oil tanker that is taller than the Tokyo Tower. How could such a huge monster disappear? What? And the 16 crew members of the fishing vessel 'Fifth Shirakawa' witnessed the sinking of the tanker."

"What they saw was not the tanker 'Daiichi Japan' itself sinking, but crude oil burning on the surface of the sea, six survivors and life buoys." "No, it won't be like that. Both the captain and the fishing chief of the 'Fifth Shirakawa' testified that they saw the 'Daiichi Japan' sinking in flames." "However, there are no photographs of the sinking in the newspapers." "Probably because I didn't take pictures. I went to Yaizu to listen to what Captain Suzuki said." "It was reported that people saw it as if they were enduring intense radiant heat that could burn the human body, and what they saw might be a phantom."

"I don't think it's a phantom." "Therefore, I want to check the records of the 'First Japan'." "What record?" "I heard that the 'First Japan' reports to the head office once a day, and there is a recording. I want to listen to that recording. From the day the 'First Japan' sailed from the Persian Gulf to December when the accident occurred All recordings on the 5th." "Okay, but there's nothing suspicious about that recording." While shaking his head, the Minister of General Affairs led the two of them to the comprehensive command room and told them to listen to the communication recording of the "Daiichi Japan".

This audio tape is the six-day communication record of the "First Japan" from November 30, when it left Khafji base in Saudi Arabia, to December 5. The entire recording is Captain Miyamoto's report on the position, wind speed, weather conditions, and the health status of the crew of the "Daiichi Japan" every day.The conversation content of the head office also has a fixed pattern.What is slightly different is that after the fixed dialogue on December 3, the head office said the following: ——The family members of Mr. Yuichi Nakahara, who was on the ship, said that his brother had a boy and that he became an uncle.

—Thank you, pass it on to him. Also, there is no special dialogue. Totsukawa listened to the recording twice, and found nothing unnatural in the recording. Totsukawa wanted a photocopied map of the world with the same flight tracks as he heard on the recording. Nothing unnatural was found, except that the track was slightly southerly than the usual oil route. "Please don't be angry with me." Totsukawa looked at the Minister of General Affairs and said, "The 'First Japan' was loaded with crude oil on November 30 and sailed from the Kafuji base to Japan. Is this true?"

"What!" the Minister of General Affairs said in astonishment, "Don't say anything rude. Here is the report of Captain Miyamoto..." "Is there any other proof?" Totsukawa asked calmly. "Of course there is. There are Japanese oil companies' business offices in the Kafuji base. They also reported to us the situation of Japanese tankers entering and leaving the port. On November 30, they also reported to us that the 'First Japan' was loaded with crude oil and left the port. gone." "Really? One more point, don't be angry about this. I want to ask about the wireless connection of the tape recording. Because the wireless connection may cross the line with other ships, did you adjust the frequency when contacting the 'First Japan'? ?”

"Yes, the frequency is adjusted." the radio operator replied. "Then, could it be that the 'Daiichi Nippon' did not actually sail, but was at the same place, making a report that it was approaching Japan little by little every day?" When Totsukawa asked, the telephone operator smiled and said, "You think it's interesting, but that's not the case. To laymen, the voices of the six speeches may be exactly the same, but to us professionals, there are subtle differences." The difference. We can clearly tell that every time we speak, we are getting closer and closer to Japan, and it is definitely not a call from the same place."

"Moreover, Mr. Criminal Police," the Minister of General Affairs interjected, "Captain Miyamoto was rescued by the 'Fifth Shirakawa' along with 5 other people in Kafuji on November 30 and at the place of death on December 5. The reality is moving from Khafji to the southern tip of India." "So this is ah." Totsukawa nodded briskly, but he did not give up his opinion because of this. It was just a process in which he abandoned the possibilities one by one and found the final possibility.He continued: "Then, can it be speculated like this: 'First Japan' was loaded with 580,000 kiloliters of crude oil, and as the tape recording showed, it left the Kafji base on November 30 and arrived on December 5. The location of the accident. However, the oil tanker did not die, but in order to pretend to be an oil tanker, crude oil was put into the sea. Captain Miyamoto and other six people escaped in a lifeboat and caught fire. At this time, the "Daiichi Japan" carried The crude oil disappeared somewhere. What was burned was only a limited amount of crude oil put into the sea. The reason why SOS did not send out a signal was not because the wireless phone was damaged at the time of the accident, but because of the fact that there were US troops on nearby Diego Garcia Island. The base, once the reconnaissance plane is dispatched, it will cause trouble."

"Conjectures can be speculated at will, but they are unacceptable." The Minister of General Affairs showed a disgusted expression. "I'm just exploring possibilities." "That's what you said, but according to Mr. Criminal Police, the remaining 26 crew members on the 'First Japan' steered the ship to a certain place and sold 580,000 kiloliters of crude oil for 10.8 billion yen. , Everyone split the money equally?" "Captain Uchimura of the 'Second Japan' said that the 'First Japan' can be started with 10 people. In that case, even if Captain Miyamoto and six people get off the ship, the remaining crew can easily turn the ship Drive away."

"It is possible to drive away, because it is all automated. However, as I said just now, both the captain and the fisherman of the 'Fifth Shirakawa' witnessed the sinking of the 'First Japan'. If you doubt it, I You can call Yaizu to confirm." "You don't need to call, I'll do it myself. However, if my reasoning is correct, the 'First Japan' will go somewhere from there." "That's absolutely impossible. A giant oil tanker with a capacity of 500,000 tons cannot simply be hidden." "However, it is not a small point for the vastness of the Indian Ocean?"

Totsukawa and Kamei Detective walked out of the New Japan Airlines head office, and immediately took the Shinkansen "Echo" from Tokyo Station to Shizuoka. It may be because January 15 has passed, there are few passengers, and the seats with wrong numbers are also very empty. "The Minister of General Affairs is very upset." Detective Kamei told Totsukawa while opening a lunch box he bought from Tokyo Station.Totsukawa also opened the box and ate lunch about an hour early. "Probably because the crew of the representative oil tanker of the New Nippon Line head office casually sold crude oil to damage the company's reputation." "Do you really think that the 'Daiichi Japan' has gone into hiding from where it happened?" "Is that possible? If it is possible, we must find out. It is said that the captain and fishing chief of the 'Fifth Shirakawa' witnessed the sinking of the 'Daiichi Japan', but that may be a hallucination." Having said that, Totsukawa silently started to eat his boxed lunch.He didn't think it was very tasty. He didn't know if the box lunch itself was not tasty, or because he had a cold or was too tired. After finishing his boxed lunch, Totsukawa took out the traditional Chinese medicine given to him by the Chief of the First Search Section, and swallowed it with tea while coughing.After taking this medicine many times, I still can't get used to the bitter taste. After getting off at Shizuoka, I changed to the Tokaido Main Line and arrived at Yaizu at 1:44 pm. It was sunny but very windy.This brought luck to Totsukawa and the others.Because the waves were too big, the departure of the "Fifth Shirakawa" was postponed, and it is still moored in the port. Totsukawa and Kamei met with Captain Suzuki and the fisherman at the Fisheries Association building near Minato Saijin. As soon as Totsukawa said that he was here for the "Daiichi Japan", Captain Suzuki exchanged glances with the fishing captain, and then said to Totsukawa: "Please don't talk about that matter. We just rescued 6 people who were floating on the sea in a lifeboat. However, after the wonderful murder happened, we were said to be accomplices in the murder. " "No, let's not talk about the murder incident now. What I want to know is the situation at the scene of the death that you saw." "That kind of situation, I have already talked to the journalists with boredom." "Excuse me, please tell me again." "why?" "I can't say the reason now. At that time, it was the black smoke that was first discovered, right?" "Yes." The fishing chief nodded and said, "We are approaching at full speed. The captain's message to the Coast Guard said that the sea seems to be burning. This description is appropriate." "This is very important. Please remember it well before answering my question. Did you two see the sinking of the 'Daiichi Japan' in the flames?" Totsukawa stared straight at Captain Suzuki and the half-aged fishing captain. "Yes, I see." The captain answered, and the fishing captain nodded. "But it's pretty far away, isn't it?" "Yes. At that time, the radiant heat was very strong, and people within 1,000 meters were not allowed to approach. However, I saw with my own eyes that the bow of the ship that turned into a black shadow sank in the flames. The ship was not small, it was a Big ship." "Could it be a hallucination?" "You said it was a hallucination?" Captain Suzuki looked at Totsukawa with a surprised expression and said, "I saw it with my own eyes, so I can't be wrong. Moreover, the fishing captain also saw it." "But, there is no evidence, right? For example, photos or something." "There are photos." "what?" This time Totsukawa was surprised.He said: "But there are no photographs in the newspapers." "Ah, at first I thought that no one took pictures, but at the beginning of this year, I found out that an 18-year-old young man here took pictures. The pictures were not very good. We thought that the newspaper might buy such pictures, so we encouraged him to look for them. The newspaper office, but the newspaper office, the newspaper office coldly refused. Last December they were vying to buy our photos, but now they don’t even pay attention to you.” "Do you still have that photo?" "Yes. The person who took the photo has it, and the negatives are also there. Do you want to buy it, Mr. Criminal Police?" "Buy." Totsukawa said. The fishing captain walked out of the room and returned a few minutes later with an enlarged photo. It is a black and white photo. It is indeed a picture of the bow of a ship that has turned into a black shadow and sank into the sea in flames.It's just that the photo appears very blurry. "Too vague." When Totsukawa said this, the captain immediately smiled and said: "I can't help it. Under the high temperature, the surrounding air expands, just like the rising of strong yang energy. The 'Daiichi Japan' I saw with the naked eye is waddling and floating." Captain Suzuki made a gesture of rising yang with his hands. Totsukawa silently looked at the photo again, and there was no doubt that it was the bow of the ship. Totsukawa and Kamei walked out of the Fisheries Association and headed for Yaizu Station.The two were a little depressed. "Has our assumption collapsed?" Detective Kamei walked, kicking stones like a child. Totsukawa shook his head excitedly as if to motivate himself, and said: "To be precise, one of the hypotheticals collapsed." "However, in this way, it has been confirmed that the 'First Japan' sank there on December 5th?" "Do you really think so?" "Isn't that so?" "All that's been confirmed is that a ship sank there on December 5th, that's all." "Then the ship in the photo isn't the 'Daiichi Japan'?" "There is no evidence to say that the ship in the photo is the 'First Japan'? Isn't it? The captain and fishing chief of the 'Fifth Shirakawa' believed that the 'First Japan' sank from the beginning, so they believed that the photo The ship on board is the 'First Japan'. After returning to Tokyo, you go to the N Shipyard to find Engineer Morioka, show him this photo, and ask him if it is the 'First Japan'. He is The designer of the 'Daiichi Japan' may be able to recognize it just by looking at the shape of the bow." As Totsukawa said, he handed the photo to Detective Kamei. After the two broke up at Tokyo Station, Totsukawa went straight back to his apartment, unfolded the world map on it, and thought about where the 'Daiichi Japan' would have fled if it hadn't sunk. A few cigarettes turned into ashes, and when the conclusion was finally reached, Kamei detective called from N Shipyard and said: "The photo was shown to Engineer Morioka, and he said that he couldn't tell if it was the 'First Japan'. The photo was blurry and only the bow part, no wonder he couldn't tell." "He didn't conclude that it was the 'First Japan', did he?" "Yes. But he said that it can be seen from the bow that it is a large ship of at least 10,000 tons." "This is enough." Totsukawa didn't mean to admit defeat.He had made mental preparations, and if the designer concluded that it was the "First Japan", he would have no choice but to give up.However, the designer was unable to distinguish and judge, leaving the possibility that the sinking ship was not the "Daiichi Japan". As soon as Detective Kamei came back, Totsukawa asked him to sit in front of the world map and explained his thoughts to him. "I imagined it this way: the 'First Japan' was loaded with 580,000 kiloliters of crude oil and left the Khafji base in Saudi Arabia. After entering the Indian Ocean, Captain Miyamoto and six people were transferred to other ships. The ship was disguised as "First Japan" and reported to the New Japan Airlines head office regularly. When sailing to the accident site, the crude oil on board was released and the ship sank into the sea. Of course, it was disguised as "First Japan". The illusion of sinking. During this period, the real "Daiichi Nippon" sailed elsewhere and sold 580,000 kiloliters of crude oil." "Interesting, but the other ship is a problem, and it is a ship with more than 10,000 tons. The sinking of that ship, even if it is not the 'Daiichi Japan', will not cause an uproar. The truth will come out?" "This point needs to be investigated. Find out whether there is a ship with more than 10,000 tons that sank on December 5." Totsukawa immediately called the Ministry of Transport and asked: "Did a ship with more than 10,000 tons sink on December 5 last year? I mean a ship other than the 'Daiichi Nippon'." The other party immediately replied: "No. Only the 'Daiichi Japan' sank." "So, what about around the 5th? Did any ships sink from December 1st to 20th?" "Is it a ship over 10,000 tons?" "yes." "On December 3, a large ferry bound for Hokkaido collided with a British cargo ship on Kashima Beach, but it did not sink. It was a 12,000-ton ship. There were no other accidents." "What about ships of foreign nationality?" "Is it a ship of foreign nationality? It will take some time to investigate." "It doesn't matter, I'll wait." Totsukawa said. About an hour later, officials from the Ministry of Transport called: "From December 1st to 20th, all were checked. During this period, two ships with more than 10,000 tons in the world sank. At 2 pm on December 7th, a Liberian-registered 56,000-ton container The ship sank in the eastern Pacific. Of the 38 crew members, 16 were rescued. Also, on December 13, a British-flagged 30,000-ton cargo ship broke due to a storm in the North Atlantic, and 39 crew members All were saved, but the ship then sank, that's all." "Is there any missing ship?" "No. However, the operations of the ships of the navies of various countries are classified, and we cannot investigate." Totsukawa put down the microphone, showing a depressed expression. The chances of the stand-in ship being a military ship are close to zero, unlike buying an M16 rifle. It is impossible to steal a military ship of more than 10,000 tons.It is also inconceivable that a navy somewhere was involved in this incident. Somewhere a civilian ship must have sunk as a stand-in.However, the two ships that actually sank had crew members on them, and the place where they sank was not the Indian Ocean.There are no missing ships either. "Is my assumption wrong?" Totsukawa fell into deep thought. Without a substitute ship, it would still be the "Daiichi Japan" that sank in the Indian Ocean.However, crude oil and 10.8 billion yen, how to explain it? "Perhaps the oil tank was empty when the 'Daiichi Japan' sank," Totsukawa said. "What's going on?" Kamei asked. "That is to say, it sank after selling 580,000 kiloliters of crude oil. Only about 6,000 kiloliters of crude oil were left on board to ignite." "However, when the 'Daiichi Japan' departed from the Khafji base in Saudi Arabia, it was witnessed that it sailed to the sinking site through the Indian Ocean. How did the loaded crude oil be sold?" "It was sold at sea. In the Indian Ocean, the empty tanker approached the 'Daiichi Japan', connected the pipeline, and introduced crude oil into the empty ship." "You can think of it this way. But the 'Daiichi Nippon' is the world's largest giant oil tanker. Even if it still saves five or six thousand liters of oil, it will output more than 570,000 liters. In this way, the opponent must be 500,000 tons Oil tanker." "There are currently five 500,000-ton oil tankers in the world, and the owner of one of them is a Liberian rich man. Isn't he a perfect target for selling 580,000 kiloliters of crude oil? This kind of person will do anything to make money It is possible to transfer crude oil from one ship to another by two giant oil tankers docking together in the Indian Ocean. After paying the huge amount of money, 26 crew members boarded the other party’s tanker, and the remaining The following Captain Miyamoto and 6 people drove the empty ship of the "First Japan" to the accident site, put 5,000 to 6,000 liters of crude oil on the sea surface and ignited it, and sank the ship in the sea..." "Interesting, your reasoning makes sense." Detective Kamei was in high spirits, with piercing eyes.But Totsukawa said with a heavy expression on the contrary: "But, Kamei-kun, there are two difficulties with this idea." "What's the difficulty?" "First, the fundamental question is whether such an operation can really be carried out in the Indian Ocean? Second, even if it can be carried out, the timing is still an issue. That is, the transfer of crude oil on the 'Daiichi Japan' in the Indian Ocean The time it takes to get to other tankers. If the time required is too long, even if it can be transferred, this reasoning cannot be established. Because according to the records, from November 30th when it departed from the Kavji base to December 5th when it sank,' The Daiichi Japan' has been sailing normally, and no abnormal deceleration has occurred during this period." "Regarding this point, if it is possible to transport oil while sailing at high speed, wouldn't there be no problem even if it takes time to transport oil?" "That's true. The sailing speed of the 'Daiichi Japan' is an average of 12 knots per hour. If it is possible to transport oil while sailing, the operation time will not be a problem." "Anyway, I'd better consult an expert," Kamei detective said. However, it is not easy to find marine oil supply experts, because private tankers do not supply oil at sea. As a result, it was decided to find officials from the Maritime Self-Defense Force.They found a specialist who participated in the Second World War, the captain of the frigate.Totsukawa said on the phone: "I want to ask you about the oil supply situation at sea." "Historically, in World War I, the British Navy implemented oil supply at sea for the first time. In World War II, major naval states such as Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom, especially mobile forces, implemented oil supply at sea. It is still practiced now. .” The tone of the other party is quite military, very polite. "How about bunkering at sea?" "There are generally three methods. One is the horizontal towing method in which the oil supply ship and the oil supply ship are carried out side by side, the other is the longitudinal tow method in which the oil supply ship is in front and the oil supply ship is behind, and the other is the oil supply The reverse towing method of the ship behind and the oil supply ship in front. Now the horizontal towing method is used. This method is fast and can supply oil for a short time." "What speed can actually be used to supply fuel?" "Generally, the speed is 12 knots, and the speed of new oil supply ships can be more than 15 knots." After hearing the explanation, Totsukawa smiled, because it happened that the speed of the "Daiichi Japan" was 12 knots. "When supplying oil at sea, how much oil can be supplied in an hour?" "It depends on the thickness of the oil pipeline and the horsepower of the oil pump. Recently, the U.S. Navy set a record of supplying 1,000 tons in one hour." "1000 tons per hour?" This disappointed Totsukawa, because the "First Japan" is a 500,000-ton giant oil tanker, and it needs 580 hours, or 24 days, to load 580,000 kiloliters of crude oil at a speed of 1,000 tons per hour. Even if the sea oil transportation started on November 30 when the Kafuji base left the port, it would not be finished until December 23, which means that the "First Japan" was still in the process of oil transportation when it sank.However, if the number of oil pipelines increases, the time will be shortened. "Can private tankers also transport oil at sea?" "Are you asking whether it is possible to transport fuel during high-speed navigation?" "yes." "That is impossible." "why?" "First of all, this kind of operation requires sufficient training, but I haven't heard of civilian tankers conducting such training. Moreover, for offshore oil transportation, the oil supply ship must have special equipment, not just oil pipelines and oil pumps. This is because The oil tanker is working on the move, and the reason for the extension and contraction of the oil pipeline. Ordinary oil tankers do not have this kind of defense device, so it is impossible to carry out oil transportation operations at sea." Totsukawa put down the microphone, disappointed. The idea of ​​trading by sea fell through. So, isn't the ship that sank the "First Japan"? "A ship of unknown origin disguised as the 'Daiichi Japan' has sunk." Totsukawa muttered.He himself knew that this was an absurd conclusion. "Does this kind of mysterious ship exist?" Detective Kamei asked puzzledly, "A ship with no nationality and more than 10,000 tons is at the mercy of Captain Miyamoto and others..." "Maybe, let's think about it." Totsukawa lay down casually and looked at the ceiling and said. "Is it a ghost ship?" Kamei detective muttered. "There is such a ship." Totsukawa said.He was lost in thought with an unlit cigarette in his mouth, then suddenly stood up and said loudly: "There are such ships! There are such stateless ships." "What kind of ship is it?" Detective Kamei poked his head out like a turtle and asked Totsukawa. "Not a ship's ship." "What are you talking about? I don't understand." "For example, there is an American passenger ship with a capacity of more than 10,000 tons, which can still run well, but because of the development of aircraft, the ship will lose money when it is put into use. There is no way to sell it to Japan as scrap iron. When it was sold, The ship’s registry has been canceled in the United States. On the other hand, in Japan, because it was not purchased as a ship, it has not declared its registry. Even if such a ship sinks in the sea, the Ministry of Transport will not record it.” "Yes, because it was purchased as scrap iron, of course there is no ship registration. Quickly investigate." Kamei said. The next day, Detective Kamei visited the foreign communication departments of various newspapers and various steel companies to learn about the situation. As a result, a message was received in the foreign communications department of the S newspaper.This little news was not published by the S newspaper, and it was stored in a drawer and became a waste manuscript. AP Suez Telegraph (November 6): The American cargo ship "Saint Cazars" that ran aground in the Suez Canal was salvaged by a ship salvage company and was able to sail after repairs.However, the American Line Shipping Company to which the ship belongs decided to sell it as scrap metal to a Japanese scrap metal company on the grounds that the resumption of regular voyages would result in losses and that the ship was quite old. The cargo ship "Saint Cazars" was built 20 years ago and was once active as a high-speed cargo and passenger ship.The sale price as scrap iron is 100,000 US dollars (30 million yen). Detective Kamei immediately visited the Tokyo branch of American Line Shipping Company located near Shimbashi Station.The branch manager is Japanese, and Detective Kamei, whose English is not very good, explained his purpose smoothly. "The freighter 'Saint Cazars' has been sold." The branch manager, who smelled of perfume, replied in a relatively high-pitched voice. "When was it sold?" Detective Kamei took out a notepad while asking. The branch manager asked the young female secretary to bring the account book, and after reading it, she replied: "November 12 last year." "Who did you sell it to?" "Sold to New Sun Industrial Co., Ltd., No. 517, No. 3 Meguro Apartment, Nakameguro, Meguro-ku, and the representative is Jun Mimura." The phone number was also given to Kamei. "Have you met this man, Mimura?" "Yes. Because the business is done through our branch. Just met him three times here. He's a man of the ship." "Is the payment for the goods also settled here?" "Yes. The other party paid us 30 million yen in cash." "Any pictures of the San Cazares?" "Have." The branch manager showed Kamei a photo album that included all of the company's ships. "Is this a wonderful ship!" Detective Kamei said with emotion.The type is a freighter, which can also carry passengers, and the quality is very good.The branch manager nodded and said: "Yes. When it was built, it was active as a high-speed ship. Now, 15 knots, easy." "However, 100,000 US dollars is too cheap to sell." "Because it was sold as scrap iron. Besides, it will lose money when it is started. Even if it is cheap, it has to be sold. Also, the place where the 'Saint Cazars' hit the rocks is Suez. After being salvaged, it can be repaired." It started. However, if you don’t leave there quickly, you have to pay the canal usage fee every day. Xinyang Xingye also said to go to Suez to pick up the boat, so it sold it for 100,000 US dollars.” "Ah, did New Sun Industrial Co., Ltd. go to Suez to fetch the ship?" "Yes, the crew has been arranged there, and the handover procedures have been completed at the site on November 30." "November 30." This day is the day when the "First Japan" departed from the Khafji base in Saudi Arabia.Moreover, Suez and Khafji bases are quite close. "So, where is the freighter 'Saint Cazars' now?" Kamei asked. "Oh, we don't know about that. Because we've already sold that ship." After the branch manager finished speaking, he shook his head.That indifferent attitude showed a full businessman's breath. Detective Kamei borrowed a photo of the "Saint Cazars" freighter and a copy of the contract, walked out of the Tokyo branch of the American Line Shipping Company, and hung up the call to Shinsai Kogyo Co., Ltd. from a nearby public phone.After the bell rang, a middle-aged woman's voice came. "Is it New Sun Industrial Co., Ltd." The other party said "no".Kamei asked again: "Isn't it New Sun Industrial Co., Ltd?" The other party said in a slow voice: "This is Mr. Mimura's room." "Then, Mr. Mimura, please answer the phone." "Mr. Mimura is not here." "Have you gone on a trip?" "No, he died. Died in the December shipwreck." Detective Kamei was surprised.Mimura is one of the 26 crew members of the Daiichi Japan. "In that case, Mr. Mimura took the giant tanker 'Daiichi Nippon'." "Yes, that's the ship that the news reported." "Isn't there a sign of Xinyang Industrial Co., Ltd. outside his room?" "Oh, there used to be a spleen over the door, but it's gone now." "Who is using this room now? Is it you?" "No, after cleaning, I will rent it out to others." "So, are you...?" "I'm the manager here." The woman's slow voice on the phone really looked like a manager. "Later, I investigated all the big steel companies." Detective Kamei came back and reported to Totsukawa, "They all said they didn't know there was a Shinsai Industrial Co., Ltd., and they didn't plan to buy scrap iron. It seems that Mimura Jun's From the very beginning, the company had no intention of bringing the ship back to Japan and selling it for scrap." "Isn't it just the right number?" Totsukawa said happily.It was very easy to reason and get on track. "It's the right number." Detective Kamei also said with a smile. "Have a cup of coffee." Totsukawa handed the coffee he made to Kamei, and then said: "I thought they made the plan on the way to drive the 'First Japan' to the Persian Gulf, but now it seems that they probably made the plan after they got the 'San Kazakh'. The plan was made when the news of the sale of the freighter "Saint Cazars" was made. That is to say, their plan was successful because of the sale of the freighter "Saint Cazars" as scrap iron." "But, do they have a huge sum of 30 million yuan?" "I can earn 10.8 billion yuan if it's done. 30 million yuan will be shared among 32 people, and each person will be about 1 million yuan. I'll try my best to plan it. Maybe it's the buyer of crude oil who gave the deposit." "Where do you think they sold the crude oil to?" "That's exactly what we're going to study." As Totsukawa said, the two put their heads together to look at the world map on top of the kotatsu. "Let's study the track of the freighter 'Saint Cazars' first. It was probably November 30 when the 'First Japan' departed from the Khafji base in the Persian Gulf, and the 'Saint Cazars' 'The freighter is also leaving the port of Suez for the Indian Ocean." "Where did the two ships meet?" "It must have been, because the lifeboats on the Daiichi Japan had to be transferred to the freighter San Cazars, and the buoys on the Daiichi Japan. Captain Miyamoto was probably also transferred from the 'Daiichi Japan' at that time." The First Japan' was transferred to the steamer 'St. Cazars' because the captain was not on board when the First Japan's departure from the Kafuji base would have aroused suspicion. Later, the 'Santa Cazars' The ship "Mars" was disguised as the "First Japan" and got in touch with the head office regularly every day. It arrived at the accident site on December 5 and put the remaining crude oil on the ship into the sea. The six people on board took the "First Japan" The Japan's lifeboat escaped. Probably a time bomb was installed on the tanker 'Saint Cazars'. As soon as the ship exploded, the crude oil on the sea surface burned." "Is there any special meaning on December 5th?" "Maybe it was just chosen because it was close to the Chagos Islands. Maybe it was the same day that the real 'First Japan' arrived at the crude buyers." "If this is the case, it will be of reference value for understanding the whereabouts of the 'Daiichi Japan'." "Yes. Let's first study where and what kind of person is the person who secretly purchased 580,000 kiloliters of crude oil." After Totsukawa finished speaking, he lit a cigarette. "I see oil being needed everywhere." Detective Kamei also lit his own cigarette. "But there is also a condition, that is, it must be cheap. If the price of oil is high, you don't need to buy it secretly, you can buy it openly. On the other hand, they must also be looking for places where they can sell as much money as possible. And "The First Nippon" is one of the five giant oil tankers in the world, and the purchase of this batch of crude oil must be at a port with facilities that allow giant tankers to dock." "So it's impossible for an individual to buy it?" "I'm afraid it's impossible." "But, will countries and big corporations buy this kind of stolen crude oil?" "There's a place to buy it. Probably they've got their eye on that too." "Where is it?" "Now the largest exporter of oil is the Arab countries. Even the United States, an oil-producing country, has to buy oil from Arabia." "You know a lot." "There is no way to learn. Except for the Communist countries, it can be said that the whole world depends on Arab oil. However, if there are countries that want to buy oil from Arab countries but cannot buy it, such countries are excellent places to dump oil. Object, right?" "yes." "However, countries without money are not allowed. Another point, as I said just now, must have a berth where a 500,000-ton giant oil tanker can dock. In this way, the places where the 'Daiichi Japan' can go are limited. " "But, is there a place that meets these three conditions?" "some." "where?" "The Republic of South Africa at the southern tip of Africa." Totsukawa pointed to the Republic of South Africa on the map and said: "South Africa implements the famous racial discrimination policy, which has been criticized by the whole world. Especially the Arab countries have cut off economic relations with South Africa. Of course, they will not sell a drop of oil to her. However, South Africa is the first industrial country in Africa and needs oil That is to say, the first condition is met. Second, South Africa has a large output of gold and diamonds. Of course, there will be money to buy 580,000 kiloliters of crude oil. Third: from Durban Port on the east coast of South Africa to the interior The 720-kilometer oil pipeline in Johannesburg, the capital of China, was completed in 1965. That is to say, there are facilities for tankers to dock at Durban Port, as well as oil refining equipment.” "However, I heard that South Africa is rich in mineral resources, so it must also produce oil?" "I've done some research. It's very interesting. South Africa produces a lot of gold, diamonds, and coal, but it's strange that the output of oil is zero." "Is it sold to the Republic of South Africa?" "Probably not to the South African government, but to the South African oil company. It's more convenient." "Then, did the 'First Japan' go to the port of Durban?" "I don't think it's wrong. The 'First Japan' went from Khafji to Durban, and the 'Saint Cazars' went from Suez to the wreck site. The distances between the two are about the same, December 5 The 'First Japan' probably arrived in Durban on the 1st." "However, how to prove this? Ask the South African government. Even if the facts are that, I'm afraid they won't give us an affirmative answer..." "I'll go there." Totsukawa said bluntly, "I still have 5 days of vacation, and I still have the passport for going abroad when I went to Southeast Asia last year. I want to confirm whether the 'First Japan' has landed at Durban Port, and more The important thing is to get some clues about the real culprit." “旅费可要不少啊。” “没有办法，把存款全取出来呗。”

---

Notes: