"Major, what ever happened to the boat our friends came in?"
Lacson's eyebrows went up. "Boat? What boat?"
"You mean you didn't know they came by boat?" Zircon bellowed incredulously.
The major shook his head. "This is the first I have heard of a boat. I assumed they came by air. The instructions I got from Manila were simply to find two missing Americans, with their names and descriptions. Since most Americans stay at this hotel I inquired and found they had checked out. That established their presence in Davao. It didn't occur to me to be interested in where they had come from, although I knew from my instructions that it was Zamboanga. Later, I checked the airline to see if they had left by air, but there was no record."
It was incredible, but there it was. Rick knew it was the kind of slip that often happens when the background given with instructions is not complete.
"I will get on this right away," Lacson said. "You have a description of the boat?"
"I'm afraid not. It was chartered in Zamboanga. Can you get a description from there?"
"Of course. It's strange the detail of the boat never came to light. Why, I even had a full description of their Moro guide."
"Guide?" The three said it simultaneously. It was their turn to be astonished. No one had mentioned a third person in the party.
"You didn't know?" Lacson clapped a hand to his forehead in a gesture of chagrin. "The lack of communications is ridiculous! Yes, they had a guide. Apparently they picked him up in Zamboanga. A young Moro, no outstanding features, who gave his name as Azid Hajullah. We have not been able to find out any more about him."