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"There was a Texaco truck going in," McCoy said. "With a load of kerosene. I gave the driver fifty yuan to take me with him. And then bring me back."
"And what did you do, Corporal McCoy, when you were in Nantung?" Ba
The question seemed to surprise McCoy.
"I told you," he said. "I went to a whorehouse. One that the Jap officers go to."
"And there were Japanese officers in this brothel?"
"Yes, sir."
"And what did the Japanese officers think when they found a Marine Corps corporal in their whorehouse?" Ba
"They saw me," McCoy said, "They thought I was an Italian that works for Texaco. One of them had been in Rome and thought he talked Italian."
"Goddamn you, McCoy," Ba
"You said not to go near them," McCoy said. "I thought you meant I wasn't to get near the compound. I didn't. I went
o a whorehouse. And you made it sound like finding out about the trucks was important."
"And you're sure they didn't suspect you were a Marine?" Ba
Dumb fucking question. Ba
"They thought I was Angelo Salini, from Napoli," McCoy said, both matter-of-factly and a little smugly. "I went to high school with a guy with that name."
"And they told you about the trucks?" Ba
"No, sir," McCoy said. "We just had a couple of drinks and messed around with the whores. The whores told me about the trucks."
Do I bring him up on charges for disobeying what was a direct order? Or do I commend him for his initiative?
"And did the ladies tell you what kind of trucks?" Ba
"Just 'army trucks,' " McCoy said. "And since I couldn't go near the compound, I couldn't find out," McCoy said.
"Why should I believe this whorehouse scuttlebutt?" Ba
"I don't know if you should or not, Captain," McCoy said. "But that's what I found out, and since Lieutenant Macklin wasn't going to report it, I figured I should."
Which means, of course, that he first told this to Macklin. Which means that Macklin knew McCoy had done something he wasn't supposed to do, and which Macklin should have reported to me. But if Macklin did report him, his own failure would be even more conspicuous. Sonofabitch!
"And did your lady friends tell you when all this is going to happen?"
McCoy nodded.
"By the time the next convoy goes through Sьchow, one or the other of the regiments will probably be gone," McCoy said. "Maybe on the way back, one of them will already be back, and you could count the trucks."
"If you were on the next convoy, do you suppose you could count the trucks?" Ba
"Yes, sir."
"I'm going to rephrase the question," Ba
"I don't have a camera, Captain."
"I'll get you a camera, McCoy," Ba
"Then, yes, sir," McCoy said.
The cold- blooded decision, Ba
"Take the rest of the day off, McCoy," Ba
"He's liable to be pissed I went over his head," McCoy said.
"Don't worry about that," Ba
"Thank you, sir," McCoy said.
The moment McCoy walked out of his office, Ba
But, he realized, they'd believe they had an officer in a corporal's uniform. Japanese corporals were not dispatched on missions of espionage, and therefore they could not imagine that Americans would do it either.
He realized he had already decided to send McCoy back to Peking on the next convoy.
Very early the next morning, Ba
"Are you aware, Ba
The club was called the "Million-Dollar Club," because it had allegedly cost that much to build fourteen years earlier, before the 4th Marines had come to China. It was on Bubbling Well Road, on the way to Shanghai's elegant race track.
"No, sir," Ba
"What it looks like to the Italians is that we promoted him for stabbing those people," the colonel said. "If they haven't heard about it yet, the Italians soon will. We're going to have to get that kid out of Shanghai again, and quickly."
"I'd pla
"When does it go?"
"On Thursday, sir."
"Is there any way it can leave sooner, say tomorrow?"
"I'll have to check with the S-4, sir, to be absolutely sure, but offhand I can't think of any reason it can't."
"Check with him. If there's any problem, let me know."
"Aye, aye, sir."
"What about the last trip?" the colonel asked. "Anything interesting?"
"I have some fairly reliable information, sir, say seven on a scale of one to ten, that the 22nd Infantry at Sьchow is being motorized."
"That is interesting," the colonel said. "Wonder what the hell that's all about? Do they have that many trucks?"
"I'll be able to make a better guess when I have more information, sir. I'm going to try to get some photographs."
"Make sure whoever you send is a good man," the colonel said.
"Aye, aye, sir," Ba
"And get that damned Killer McCoy out of here as soon as possible. I don't want him waved like a red flag in front of the Italians."
"Aye, aye, sir."
(Three)
Headquarters, 4th Regiment, USMC
Shanghai, China
11 May 1941
When his sergeant opened the office door to tell him that Lieutenant Sessions had arrived, Captain Edward J. Ba
"Ask him to come in, please, Sergeant," Ba
He turned and hoisted himself onto the window ledge. He was high enough off the floor for his feet to dangle.
Lieutenant Edward Sessions, USMC, marched into the office. He was wearing civilian clothing, a seersucker suit and a straw hat with a stiff brim. He looked, Ba