Word Count: 36,016
Summary of Events:
Vera and Hammy visited with the Italian Ambassador, who helped them to get into contact with Thai officials, from whom they got information about the families about the pilot and the stewardess, so that they could try to find them. Hammy also received word that the dead man the Bangkok police had was the fifth agent they were looking for, as well as information from the plane's database that filled in the gap of the missing log pages, which he read through . . .
Excerpt of the Day:
"He then dialled Z's private number and put his mobile to his ear.
"Allô?" Z answered.
"I got the information from the black box finally," Hammy replied.
"C'est bon," Z said.
"We need an agent sent to Nicosia," Hammy said. "The impostor was dropped off at Nicosia with plans to go on to Turkey. You can get the transcript from Schneider."
"I will do so," Z said. "I do believe I will assign Lupei to it. I'll let you know for sure whom I'll assign to it so the two of you can keep in contact with him. Or them. I'm not sure."
"That would be good," Hammy said.
"Have you learned anything else?" Z asked.
"From the sounds of things both the pilot and the stewardess were not complicit, based on their families' statements so far," Hammy replied. "We have no idea where either of them are, but we have a very strong reason to believe that they are both either hostages, or — more likely, I'd think — dead."
"All over a little rock," Z said.
"The same as what happens over diamonds in Africa, if not around the world," Hammy said.
"What is so important about this ruby?" Z asked.
"You're asking the wrong person for an answer to that," Hammy replied.
"I'm wondering aloud," Z said.
"According to Zanetti it's the largest ruby ever unearthed," Hammy said.
"Not that he's a gemologist or any other sort of authority on such things," Z said.
"No," Hammy agreed. "I don't even know if he figured that out himself is just claiming that it was because he's so obsessed with it."
"I might look into contacting the gemologists in Lucerne," Z said. "I would like to know what the biggest ruby is, and thus how big and heavy it was, that might be something for you to go off of too."
"That would be nice, yes," Hammy said, then startled. "But, really, how would it help?"
"Well, it would probably give you a good mental picture," Z replied. "I do feel like there's a gemstone that's the largest of its kind, but it's barely about the size of a thumbnail or something."
"Yes, I guess gemstones are rather small," Hammy said. "Then we know whether we're looking for something hardly larger than a grain of sand, or something the size of a fist."
"So I will get back to you," Z said. "And you keep working."
"I will," Hammy replied.
"Au revoir," Z said.
"Au revoir," Hammy replied.
Ending the call, Hammy set his mobile aside and leaned back in his chair. He sighed and looked at the ceiling. They were getting closer, but yet it still seemed like they were very far away too."
Pronunciations:
Z: zed
Allô: ahloh
C'est bon: seh boh
Lupei: luhpaye
Au revoir: oh rehv'wah
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