-Sam, where you have been? -Cathy said. -Toby is furious. It is possible that he has thinned the carpet strolling from one side to the other.

- Didn't you tell him that I went on personal business?

-Yes, but you know how he is.

Sam went to Toby's office. The latter was immobile at the window, a foot behind his desk. When Sam entered, Toby turned, took a file and threw it above his desk; it landed with the report of Arthur Grutt 's death on top.

-Why the hell didn't you tell me? Why should I find out from Ron what happened to you last night? - Toby inquired in a tone hardly controlled.

-Toby, - Sam replied, without looking at the file, - I believe that it is an error to involve more people in this.-

-What is "this," Sam? - Toby made a great sigh, - to Leo's office! - Toby ordered with a voice that sounded as a distant thunder of storm

.Sam went to his office, took a portfolio and united with Toby in the corridor as they headed together to Leo's room. Toby ignored Margaret and opened the door of Leo's office. Sam greeted Margaret, entered and closed the door.

-Sam, what is all this? - Leo was observing him from his desk like the prey of a contained fury. With a red face, Sam turned towards Toby

-- Leo... - Sam felt a pit in his stomach

- Sam, we know that you went to a police station, we know that yesterday someone threatened you. What is the basis of all this?

-That somebody tries to hide the true reason of the catastrophe of the Peninsula of Valdez. And members of the team of the OPA investigation are put in the conspiracy likewise, like Gregory Cambryas

.Leo blinked incredulously

-A conspiracy, Sam? That is absurd, you're speaking of a Senator. What do you have to see you in all this?

- Sam is in this mess because they forced his presence, Leo, - Josh said as he entered the office. - Sam is in this because the circumstances have dragged him into a situation that he could not foresee. Before emitting opinions on what happens or doesn't happen, you should listen to Sam.

- You also involved in this, Josh? This is completely absurd! - Leo said. - Never in my life have I heard similar nonsense. A conspiracy? My God, what have you two been smoking?

- It will be better if we hear Sam, - Josh suggested.

- It better be much more substantial that what he has told me up to now, - grumbled Toby.

They began with Josh's casual encounter with Leopold Von Dacger. Sam and Josh told the part of the story that was more familiarized.Leo 's expression alternated between incredulity and astonishment. Although he didn't interrupt, he never lost interest. Toby 's look strayed toward one or the other as they took turns to speak. When Sam arrived at the end, to the identification of Grutt, Leo was dismayed.

-Although, in the police documents, Arthur Grutt's death appears as an accident without known cause, unofficially it is being investigated as a possible homicide, - Sam added.

-Today I had lunch with one of the investigators of the OPA... until then he didn't know that Arthur Grutt was the person in the accident. But I have just received a call from the one when finding out that Arthur Grutt was the victim. But it seems that the news exploded in the OPA, Truman had a quarrel with Basterre... he had a quarrel of insults.

- Why? - asked Sam, astonished.

- Because of the fact that an investigator disappeared without anyone noticing his absence.- That is the same thing Shane Karlie said today. The police takes that lack of communication as an important factor to begin investigating the case as a possible homicide. Truman is in shock, it's very hard for him. He knows the members of the OPA, they are all experts and of good reputation.

-Otherwise they would not have been assigned, - Leo said looking at Sam - It is hard for me too, I know Gregory Cambryas, he can be a little cretin, quite a cretin in fact. But he is a good politician, - assured Leo

- Leo, all this began to acquire consistency for me after the chat with Von Dacger, the message of Cambryas took an implicit threat,- said Josh

.Leo shook his head.

-And do you think that somebody sabotaged the Rogelia and that the reason of the concealment is...?

-That it is not more than a possibility, - Sam said dryly.

-The conspiracy, if it exists, either lasts or ceases according to the premise that many people were passing, ignoring or alternating tests, - explained Josh, - it would be necessary to put the Rogelia in hands of someone with unconditional trust and to start over.

-This is a problem with our foreign policy, - said Leo, - we are needing the Argentina as a NATO ally for the negotiations of peace. This fact would throw the negotiations back.

-We should get to the bottom of all this, - Sam said. - Leo, if it is true that there is a concealment, it has already cost a man his life.

-If the White House enters in this game we would take too much of a risk, - insisted Toby.

-We are already taking a risk in the relationships with Argentina, Toby. Not to do anything is to take too much of a risk. We should alert the Argentinians, and to inform them we are doing everything possible so that the accident of the ROGELIA is clarified with the biggest possible brevity, and that we won't let that the company avoid the responsibility. This would to destroy the OPA, and their image in the world environment, - Sam said.-

-The integrity of the OPA is not in doubt, as much as that of some people that work for it. Although our worst suspicions are certain, an immediate and complete reaction would contribute to mitigate the damages, - clarified Josh

--What did your friend say, Josh? Is it possible to touch that investigators? - asked Leo.

-Do you mean to bribe them?

-To bribe them, to intimidate, to threaten them, whatever.

-In his heart, Truman wanted to believe it isn't.

- And what does his head tell him?- inquired Leo.

- After the conversation that we had today, now he believes that each one has their price.

-Would it be possible to do it? - Sam intervened, interested.

- I don't know. According to Truman, the OPA has personnel insufficiency and too much work.. The investigators are looking at several accidents at the same time, having to consult their files each time to make sure of not attributing discoveries to the wrong investigation. They are bad payments. The rotation of personnel in the OPA is very high

- That doesn't answer the question of the possible concealment, - reiterated Toby.

- But why all this? - Sam inquired without paying attention to Toby's asseveration

--It could be anything. Money, power or both. Who knows? - Josh responded.

- Why should we enter in this, why don't we leave it now and let the police take charge? - Toby insisted

--Leave it? Why? - Sam was astonished.

Toby explained it all.

-Sam, we have an adviser to the Senate who is furious sending a messenger to a senator to who hates him. We have one or two anonymous phone calls, in which you coiled certain concealment, and a horrible death that, apparently, are related to each other. We have you, Sam, threatened with blows you don't enter in this whole mess. But, what does all this mean? The adviser's statements are not definitive, by any means. It is possible that we saw purposes in the situation that Cambryas didn't have. We don't have anything on him to corroborate for Grutt's statements, save regrettably his death, and that doesn't prove anything, in fact, not even the blows you received. The accident could be a coincidence, and Sam's thing - robbery intent. It's like this.

Deeply frustrated Sam interrupted,

-But the police...Toby raised his hand.

-Allow me to finish, Sam, - he said and recaptured the thread of his argument, - we don't have any solid testimony that justifies the conspiracy. We have a series of interesting events that don't lead anywhere. In summation, we don't have anything. Do you find this is logical, Sam?

- I believe what I believe, Toby, - Sam replied, but he felt that the doubt reappear, devouring his certainty like an old pac-man game.

Josh shook his head, trying to loosen his tense and tired muscles.

-And what do we tell the Argentineans? - asked Leo.

Toby shrugged his shoulders.

-Anything... They don't know about the conspiracy, they only know that the causes of the spill of petroleum are analyzed in their coast, the damages are evaluated, and that once one has cause, we will proceed in consequence.-

-How can you say that, Toby, - Sam said with a tone harder that he intended to use with his superiors.

- What do you plan to do, Sam... take some flowers to the fishmarket and alleviate your guilt for not having been able to avoid a purchase that was an error of your noble ways, and for your former clients a great business?! –

Toby shouted. Josh's head stopped shaking abruptly. Sam was irritated.

-It may not be our place to do something, but Arthur was a man who, in a normal situation, you would be willing to believe, - Sam said. - As we don't know that it throws doubts on his credibility, we have to suppose that he collided with something that deserved attention.

-Would have to agree with that, - Josh said.

-If he was the maker of the mysterious call, - Toby said, - do we or don't we know it?

-No, - Sam said, disappointed

- Sam, people are only lucky in police and spy novels. In real life, it takes time and many walks in dark alleys. –

Toby said .Sam remained in silence for almost one minute, tracing unconscious lines in a notepad, then shook his head. Then he said:

-God, I wish to have something more solid.

- It will come. With somebody in the streets twenty hours a day, seven days week, looking for it, - assured Josh.-

-God, thank you, - Sam replied, sad.

- Welcome to contract slavery.

- Wait, I... - Sam said with an illuminated face, -...somebody can be in the street twenty hours a day, seven days a week looking for data?

- Who?, Sam, the slavery was abolished, and the police doesn't have so much time.

- The press ...- Do you plan to give participation to the press?

- It is not a bad idea, Josh, - Leo said, - we will explore the land carefully with each step, there is a lot at stake in the game. The relationship with Argentina is good, and we want to continue in that way. But I want to point out to you two that the day can arrive and I say that we should leave everything.

- You are right, Sam, the press could consent to C&L personnel and to try to take out some information.- said Josh.

Sam hesitated, picked up his portfolio, looking for documents in it and extended a sheet to Josh.:

C&L. Work Specification: Supplement numbers 31. Reisin N 2 June 1995. It paginates 1776C.

C- in any case should personnel reveals lost or spilled petroleum to any government agency: a report of that class will be of incumbency of C&L Oil

D. - in any way should personnel will discuss, inform or contact the media, either radio, television, or newspapers: any such fact will be considered as a material rupture of the contract. If the media personnel contact the C&L personnel, they derive them without more exchange to C&L without bigger exchange, information or communication.

Josh rested the photocopy on his knees and asked,

- It was a North American that wrote this?

-A North American of foreign origin, - Toby settled down, - obviously trained under orders of Goebbels.

- A directing charmer, - Josh pointed out, - silence it, hide it or you lose your work contract. Abide by the regulations or you will be fired. A splendid democracy example. Well, Sam, the press didn't take out any facts on the C&L employees; where did you get this? Confidential information?

- This will sound strange, but I wrote it.

- You? - Leo said, amazed.

- I defended big oil companies, Leo, that was my work. I never thought that this would happen...accidents happen, but they are just that, accidents... this was among the documentation that Lucy, my ex.-secretary, sent me….

- Is ok,.. Sam...- Leo said.

-Well, Sam.. I should recognize that going to NY has not taken out the best in you...I believe you have a mysterious past, maybe I'll go to see our friend in common, Aaron; he has always known more things about your past than I did.

- I think you did a good job, Josh, in getting him out of that line of work. - assured Leo

Sam and Josh nodded affirmatively.

-Sam, I want you to meet with the Secretary of Environment from the Argentinean embassy to see the consequences of this tragedy and find a way to tell him all this, avoiding that they send us missiles. It must be seen that we show ourselves worried for this reason.

- I am.

- That's why I'm sending you. Sometimes, Sam, when we attack the windmills, it means they really exist. -Leo said

- If it is so, we will find them, - Sam said.

- Sam, I want you to stick to this matter like a flea to a dog. But be careful.

Sam and Josh walked out. Toby approached Leo.

-To risk repeating, I believe we should considering if this it is not too dangerous a game that we are playing.

- I see it this way, too, Toby, but there is too much in this game for us not to participate

- And I see it that Sam's life has too much in it for us not to participate.