"Let me in on your discoveries next time. Just so some innocent rookie don't decide to arrest you and end up in the funny farm."
"Will do," Remo said.
"And another thing. You better use a different name the next time you rent a car. That bomb was for you. Somebody's got you pegged."
"That's okay. We can take care of ourselves."
"Somehow," Palmer said, rubbing his throat, "that doesn't surprise me."
CHAPTER TEN
The following morning Remo put a call in to Smith from the hotel room and filled him in on the attempts on both his and Chiun's lives.
"Why an attempt on Chiun?" Smith asked.
"I've been thinking about that," Remo said. "I'm pretty sure it was meant to be an attempt on me. They were just unlucky enough to find Chiun instead."
"Any problem with the local police?"
"No. We seem to have stumbled into a fairly good working relationship with the detective who arrested the Martin kid."
"What kind of relationship?" Smith asked suspiciously.
"Umm…" Remo knew how Smith felt about outsiders knowing anything at all about CURE. "He thinks we're mediums," he said.
"The Detroit police use mediums to solve their cases?"
"Why not?" Remo said lightly. "Anyway, what did you get for me?"
"Some enlightening information. For one thing, Lorenzo Moorcock is the man's real name."
"You're kidding."
"I don't kid, Remo."
"Oh, yeah, I forgot for a second. Continue, please."
"He's a failed politician."
"Well, he's got good training for what he's doing now, that's for sure."
"He ran for city commissioner in Detroit a few years ago and lost, but the interesting part is where he got large transfusions of money for his campaign."
"All right, Smitty, I'll bite. Where?"
"He received large donations from Iranian groups, both legal and illegal."
"That explains why he was singing the praises of the Ayatollah in his sermon. What other kinds of friends does he have?"
"Well, since then he's started this modern-beliefs religion, and he's made close friends with some Mexican officials who visit Detroit regularly as some sort of Mexican trade delegation to observe how cars are built here. Apparently, they visit his church for services while they are here. The Mexicans come fairly frequently— several times a year."
"Iranians and Mexicans, that's an odd pair."
"Very odd. What do you plan to do now?"
"I'm not sure. I guess I'll have to keep a close eye on Moorcock for a while and also talk to the other man I asked you to check up on for me. What did you get on him?"
"Louis Sterling. He's been working at National Motors as long as Allan Martin had been. His son is fifteen. His name is Walter."
"I'll want to talk to him again too. He was involved in what looked like a drug sale the other night, so he looks like my best bet to get some information on this drug ring."
"Do you know where to find him?"
"I'm hoping that he went back home last night, but if he saw me at Moorcock's church, he might be hiding out. If that's the case, I'll just have to hunt him up."
"Well, do what you have to do, and keep me informed."
"Always, Smitty," Remo said. He was about to hang up when something occurred to him. "Smitty, when is the next Mexican trade delegation due?"
"Wait, I'll check with the computer." A few moments went by, and then Smith said, "Just by coincidence, they're due in town tomorrow."
"Bingo. Thanks, Smitty. I'll keep in touch."
When he hung up, Chiun looked at him expectantly, and he went over the conversation with Smith.
"This minister has some very strange friends," Chiun remarked.
"One of us ought to keep an eye on him," Remo said, "while the other one looks for Walter Sterling."
"I will watch the minister," Chiun said. "He interests me."
"Then I'll get out there and try to find the Sterling kid. He's the only lead we have on this drug ring, and maybe he can lead us to whoever's in charge."
"And that will be the person responsible for the killing of the children."
Remo closed his eyes and said, "Yes, Chiun."
As they got ready to leave, Remo said, "No matter what happens, we'll meet back here this evening. If I can't find the Sterling kid, I want to follow the good minister tomorrow when he meets his friends from the Mexican trade commission."
"If you find the boy—" Chiun began.
"I know," Remo said, "I'll be nice to him. I'll buy him a lollipop and ask him real nice to tell me who his source is."
Remo decided against saddling himself with another rental car and took a cab to the Sterling house. He didn't bother wondering how Chiun was going to get around, or how the Oriental would follow the minister without being spotted. He knew that if Chiun didn't want to be seen, he could be damned near invisible.
When he reached the Sterling house, there was no car in front or in the driveway, but then he hadn't expected Louis Sterling to be home. It was Walter he was after.