“And perhaps some friends?”
“What’s that got to do with it?”
“We’d have to have the names of the friends. That’s the only way we can keep our import permit from the Federal government.”
She studied me curiously. “That sounds just a little fishy to me.”
I laughed and said, “You should try doing business now — even an ordinary business is bad enough. But try doing something where you have to import merchandise from a foreign country and see what happens.”
“How did you get hold of these stockings down in Mexico?”
I laughed. “That’s a secret.”
“I think I’d like to find out more about it just the same.”
I said, “A Japanese ship was carrying a load of hosiery. The Japs raided Pearl Harbor. The ship, like nearly all Japanese ships, was intended for commerce in time of peace, but in time of war it had a certain military mission to perform. The captain put ashore in Mexico on the coast of Lower California, picked a sandy place, dug a long trench, and buried the bulk of the silk goods from his hold. My partner happened to own the tract of land where the stuff was buried. He also happened to have some pull in Mexico City. As a result — well, you can gather—”
She said, “You mean this stuff is highjacked?”