The Serpent of Mumbai, Part 6

Posted by Verity Starchaser

"You knew the professor, Verity?" asked Juanita.
"Oh, not that well. We'd met."
"I know. I read your piece on the Tycho City University scandal."
"That was a long time ago," I said.
"It doesn't seem that long ago. The university hasn't recovered from it yet. Perhaps it never will."
I looked at Juanita. She could hardly have been a day over 21. She had gorgeous hair, doe eyes and was irritatingly skinny. Her smile seemed completely innocent.
"How is the Professor? Did you see him this morning?" I asked.
Juanita's perfect eyebrows knitted for a fraction of a second. "No one has seen him since last night. His wife was close to tears, and the world renowned Verity Starchaser has been asking questions all morning. Either he's been killed, or he's involved in a torrid sex scandal. I'm not an idiot."
I smiled. "Someone was killed last night. Someone who looks exactly like Thomas Rhegin, but that was on the other side of the world. Then again, someone else who looks exactly like Thomas Rhegin was drinking champagne with you last night as well. Do you have any explanation for that?"
"Why would I?"
I held her gaze. All I could see was innocent confusion. Eventually, I gave a short chuckle to break the tension. "I don't know. It is a real puzzle. But I hear you have a puzzle of your own. A certain secret society. PhD thesis?"
"No. I was helping Professor Rhegin out with his research. He was convinced he could find the Serpent of Mumbai."
Al snorted. Juanita turned to him. "What have you found out?"
"It turns out they are a lot more dangerous than you led me to believe, Ms Junipo," said Al. "They've killed at least one person, probably two, in the last twelve hours. And they have tried to kill my little sister and Drake, here, as well."
"Are you pulling out, Starchaser?"
"A chap has to look to his own safety, my dear."
Juanita sighed. "If the Clan got Professor Rhegin, then he was on to something. I'll give you an extra thousand if you bring me any intelligence on them that I can use."
"It's a pleasure doing business with you, Juanita."

When she had gone, Al immediately started to pack his bag. "Where do you think you are going, Albert?" growled Sabrina.
"Do you know how much haggling that young lady did to agree the initial price?" he replied. "Fluttering her eyelashes the whole time. Shameful. Now she throws in another thousand without a fight? Something is up."
"Something is up, Al," I said. "But it might not be what you think."
"You are being mysterious, Verity," said Sabrina. "Cut it out. Exactly how much of this mystery have you figured out?"
I sat down on the bed again. "Not much. The only thing I really want to know is what they have done with Lee. On that, I'm afraid I have no clue."
"Okay then. Start with what you do know. How can a man be in two places at once?"
"He can't. The Professor Rhegin we saw in the photo, the one drinking with everyone last night, was obviously an imposter. As for the text message, imagine this. The Clan come upon Rhegin, and he gets knocked out. They put him in their ship's hold. They take him to a deserted island to kill him, so that no one will find the body for months, if ever. But they messed up. They forgot to search him, and when he wakes up, he has a few seconds before they come for him, and he has his phone. So his GPS tells him where he is, and he sends the text. But there is no network coverage. So he hides the phone before his captors enter. They shoot him, dump his body on the beach, and head off. As he is dying, Rhegin pulls off his shoe, trying to give us a clue. He wants us to see his secret snake tattoo. But he dies before he can get the sock off. As soon as the ship is within range of a mobile mast, the text message gets sent. Of course, they found the phone later, and realised what they had allowed to happen. That is why they got Lee, I suspect. They knew he was coming."
"And what is our next move?"
There are three of us, and there are three leads. All of them know more than they are letting on. Sabrina, you tail Juanita. Al, you come with me back to the conference. I want you to have a talk with Rhegin's widow."
"Why me?"
"Because you are a cold hearted bastard, you carry a sawn-off shotgun in your jacket, and she has never met you."
"And what about you?"
"Oh, I have a date with someone tall, dark and muscular."