The Sins of a Son

By Lars G. Larsson

When industrialist Ed Langdon is assassinated, Bill Nelson suspects that his old nemesis Achmed Sinfani, a.k.a. Son of Jackal, is the killer. Before dying, Ed Langdon wants Bill to investigate The Diamond Exchange, one of Ed's companies. He suspects that the manager for this subsidiary is importing conflict diamonds. Many of these diamonds come from Luganza. This country is also where Son of Jackal hides out between assignments.
On their way home, Bill and Marlene narrowly escaped two assassination attempts. Their best friend, Max Altman, suggests that he and Bill go to Luganza to try to catch Achmed. In Luganza, they team up with a rebel group trying to overthrow the dictator, Mombunda. When Achmed tries to kill Bill, the two Canadians take refuge with Tommy Ikada, the rebel leader. They assist the rebels as they overthrow the dictator, Mombunda. Unfortunately, The Son of Jackal again escapes.
In Canada, a lady tells Bill that her sister, a girl that Bill knew in high school, has been kidnapped. She asks Bill to go to Arizona to negotiate this lady's release. The woman, an ornithologist, has disappeared, and Bill suspects that Achmed is behind the abduction. This is confirmed when the kidnappers demand that Max accompany Bill to Arizona.
The two friends know that Achmed has no intention of releasing the lady and instead wants to kill them. Max uses his contacts within the Israeli Mossad to request help. The Israeli agency wants to capture The Son of Jackal and sends two agents to assist the Canadians. The agents agree to stake out the place where the exchange is to take place. As Max and Bill drive up to the rendezvous, the kidnappers start to fire at their vehicle. Max takes a bullet in his leg, and Bill has a shot go through his shoulder. When the kidnappers begin to shoot, the Mossad agents kill them, but unfortunately, not until Bill and Max are wounded. To make matters worse, there is no sign of Achmed.
At the hospital, they receive worse news. Max's injury is such that the doctors must amputate the left leg above the knee. Bill immediately call Marlene and Sylvia. Both wives decide to come to Tucson to support their husbands.
With the assistance of the Israelis, they rescue the kidnap victim. Back at the hospital, Bill sees Achmed and realizes the terrorist is here to kill Max. Again the Israelis come to his assistance, and The Son of Jackal is finally captured.
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• Language: English
• Publisher: Lars G. Larsson
• Release date: Jan 31, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005093761

Lars G. Larsson

About the AuthorLars G. LarssonLars Larsson was born and raised in Sweden. There he obtained his degree in Civil Engineering. He immigrated to Canada in 1967 and worked as a Civil Engineer until he was hired by the British Columbia Institute of Technology to develop and teach a new program in Occupational Health and Safety. He worked there until he retired in 2002. He was recognized by the Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals for his significant role in the pioneering of post-secondary OHS programs in CanadaAs a young boy growing up in Sweden, there was no television until 1955 thus he became an avid reader at a very young age. He loved all types of books but mostly mystery thrillers. After retirement, he continued his interest in reading and started to write books. He now lives in Chilliwack, British Columbia with his wife Lynne and Miniature Schnauzer Lily.

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Prologue

Revenge is a dish best served cold, Achmed Sinfani mumbled these words to himself as the plane neared Egypt, the place of his birth. He would kill that meddling Canadian detective and his Jewish friend Max Altman, but he would plan it properly this time. The Son of Jackal would take his time to set it up, and then Bill Nelson would be no more. He also would wreak havoc on Jordan, the country that had sentenced him to death for a terrorist bombing. Yes, his revenge would make them tremble, but first, he had to go to Luganza and regroup. Luganza was the country of his mother. She had perished in the struggle to get her brother Mombunda to power, but this African country was his refuge even with his mother gone.

Now, as the country of Jordan disappeared behind him, he thought of Egypt. Even though his father was born here, this nation didn't hold any special memories for him. Still, it was the first stop on his way back to his safe haven. He again could feel the weight of the chains around his legs and hands. These restraints had been placed on him when the Jordanian court sentenced him to death for a terrorist bombing. He shuddered when he thought about his imprisonment in that country. To the Son of Jackal, a death sentence in a country like The Hashemite Kingdom was unthinkable, and he was thankful for the people who helped him escape. He turned to Hassan Ibrahim, the man who got him out of the hospital and into this plane. My friend, we will soon land, and then we need to avoid the Egyptian security services. Are you sure the car will be here?

Yes, Sir, there is transportation to a safe house, then we take another plane from here to Luganza in the morning. We will be in your country by this time tomorrow evening.

Yes, Luganza is my country now, but I was born here in Egypt. And now these traitors will send me back to Jordan to be executed if they catch me. One day they will regret turning against the real revolution.

What about that Canadian detective?

His time will come. My revenge will be terrifying, but all in due time.

Max sounded upset when he called. Bill, have you heard the latest news?

No, what do you have?

Achmed escaped from the Jordanians. They believe he is on his way to Luganza.

Oh no, I thought we were rid of him for good. I wonder if he is coming after us again.

Max hesitated for a few seconds, then said. Not right now. I’m sure he has other things to worry about for the time being. Even if he is the brother-in-law of Mombunda, he still needs to establish himself there. So, for the moment, I think we can relax. Eventually, the Son of Jackal might come after us, but we will worry about that when the time comes.

I agree with you, Max, but thanks for the update. And who knows, someone might catch him before he becomes our concern.

Chapter 1

The Invitation

I had just finished a report when Marlene came over and kissed me.

What was that for, dear?

Just to soften you up. With that, she handed me a card.

It was a fancy embossed card with an invitation. I took one look at the sender and groaned.

Marlene kissed me again. Please, dear, I'd really like to go. It is a family reunion, and even though I am on the fringes of the family, I still want to be there.

I looked at my wife and knew I could never say no to her. Marlene was everything I ever wanted in a woman, and my love for her was boundless. OK, but only if it doesn't interfere with any active cases. I tried to look severe, but it was a complete failure. She could see right through me and gave me a big hug as I continued. You know I can never say no to you.

I know you are a big softie, and that's one of the reasons I love you. And thanks for agreeing to come. I know that Edward Langdon is not one of your favorite people, but there will be lots of nice people too. Besides, we both need a short vacation. This detective work is tiring, and we can use a few days off.

It was not that I disliked our host. My problem was some of his business methods. Then I stopped myself. Most of my information came from the media, and I knew I should not put too much faith in these reports. Our mostly left-wing mass media tended to disapprove of billionaires, so I told myself to be more positive and give Ed the benefit of the doubt. Who am I to criticize his business dealings? Yes, I would go, and I would behave in every way. It would make Marlene happy, and that was important to me. Her mother and Ed Langdon's wife are cousins, thus the invitation to the Langdon family reunion.

Edward Langdon is a self-made man. Well, not all the way. He inherited a chain of jewelry stores that started him on his rise in the business world. So he definitely started with something. Still, our host built up a sizeable fortune from that auspicious beginning. Along the way, his detractors accused him of using less than straightforward methods. I use the word straightforward loosely since many of his critics called him a crook. Still, he is very successful, and power comes with money. Even so, he always treated us like family, so I guess I shouldn't complain.

Of course, he has several homes, but his favorite is the ranch south of Calgary, Alberta. It is called Langdon Heights, and that's where the family reunion will take place. Going to the estate is a saving grace since it is a lovely place. I stopped my musings since an idea popped into my mind. Yes, I liked to visit Langdon Heights, so we were going, but I had an idea and called Marlene. Dear, why don't we take the truck and the camper? Then we can spend a few days camping in the Rockies after the reunion. We can call Ed and reserve one of the RV sites at the ranch.

Bill, what a great idea. I'll send a note to Jeanette right away to make sure we get one of the spots with full hook-ups. She stopped and added. Do you think we need to reserve RV sites in the National Parks as well?

Probably, but we still have time to worry about that. We don't know where we will go yet. As you know, Banff and Jasper both have large over-flow lots, so we should be OK even if the regular spots are taken.

According to the invitation, the festivities will take place in three weeks, so we have ample time to finish our remaining cases.

I took out my calendar to pencil in the dates when Anita, our receptionist, looked into my office to let me know a potential client was in the outer office. Walking out into our reception area, I met a tired-looking woman I assumed to be a few years older than myself.

I am Bill Nelson. What can I do to assist you? I asked in the way of introduction.

The lady shook my hand and said. I guess you don't recognize me. It has been a few years, and I am, of course, younger than you.

When I indicated that I, unfortunately, did not recognize her, she said. But you remember my older sister, don't you? She was in the same class as you in the middle grades. Doris McLean.

A picture of a twelve-year-old blonde girl entered my mind immediately. The bird watcher?

The lady nodded. And I am Amanda. I was two years behind you, but I still remember that you had a crush on my big sister.

I felt myself blush. And yes, the lady was correct. At the ripe age of twelve, I was madly in love with a gangly blonde half a head taller than me. She had the most amazing straw-colored hair, an upturned nose, and braces. To me, she was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. She was also an intrepid bird watcher whose ambition was to become an ornithologist. At that time, I didn't even know what an ornithologist was but was too embarrassed to ask. I remember a school outing to Burnaby Lake, where she excitedly pulled my sleeve and pointed to a small wading bird. Do you know what that is? She asked me.

A bird?

Of course, it is a bird, silly, but what kind of bird?

Don't know, never seen one like that before.

And not very likely to see one again. She declared triumphantly. "That is a Red-necked Phalarope. Its scientific name is  Phalaropus lobatus. You will not normally find them in this area. They spend the summer in the Arctic and the winter at sea in tropical areas. This one must have gone off course during the migration."

I still remember the awe I felt for this walking ornithology encyclopedia and told my visitor so.

Yes, ornithology was her great passion.

So, what's she doing now?

She has disappeared. That's why I am here.

Disappeared? Can you give me any details, and have you gone to the police?

She was down in Arizona the last time we heard from her, and yes, we did report it to the local authorities. So far, they have no leads. That's one of the reasons I am here. You have a reputation for finding lost people. Also, since you know her, I figure you would have a leg up on the cops.

I don't know about that. I haven't seen or heard from Doris since high school, but why don't you start from the beginning so I can get a feel for the case? I don't want to give you false hope, but let's hear what you have and then make a decision. I stopped. Just a second. Let's go into my office, and I will get my wife in here as well, I called Marlene, and when she entered, I made the introductions. When we were all seated again, I asked our visitor to give us her information and what she expected from Nelson Investigations.

According to Amanda, her sister Doris had indeed become an Ornithologist. She worked for a foundation with a mandate to provide better and safer migration routes for birds. Poaching was a big problem since trafficking in rare birds was very lucrative. Through her sources, Doris had a lead on a group operating in North America. They were very sophisticated and caught lots of migrating birds.

Amanda had contacted her sister's employer, but they had no suggestion. They were as confused about Doris's disappearance as she was. It was now almost a month since Amanda had last heard from her sister.

"Why wait so long before doing anything? Marlene asked.

Doris is a very private person, and it is not unusual for her to go long periods without contacting anyone. She often camps in remote areas where she can observe the birds and ensure that they are not disturbed or, worse, caught by poachers. In many of those places, there won't be any cell reception.

Before we go on, there is one problem. Marlene and I are going on a two-week vacation. Well, not for almost three weeks, but a case like this usually takes a lot of time. If, and I want to stress the word if, we decide to move on this case, there may not be time to do any work before our vacation. I can recommend another agency if you would rather have someone who can assist you right now. They are very reputable and will give you good service.

I had set my heart on you since you knew Doris. I guess Ed Langdon wins again. Doris said.

I looked up as if stung. What did you say?

"Sorry, I was thinking out loud. As I mentioned, Doris is working for an environmental agency. She is in charge of the ornithology department, which they playfully call Birds are us. She has identified a firm down in Arizona as a significant cause of bird fatalities in addition to the poachers. It is a company owned by Edward Langdon. That's why I mentioned him earlier."

Crazy coincident. As I mentioned, we will be away for two weeks. There is no possibility that we will be able to go to Arizona before that. If you are willing to be patient, we can nose around here before we go. Then, during our vacation, we can check on our friend Ed Langdon since we will be staying with him.

The last statement took our visitor by surprise. Why would you be staying with him?

Marlene is related to his wife, and this is a family reunion.

The lady seemed visibly taken aback, so I had to get her back on track. Let’s go over the facts again. Then we will see what we can do if anything. I won’t make any promises, and I still suggest that you contact another agency. Someone that will be able to give you their full attention right now. I looked at her to see which way she would go.

If you can give this some time right now, I would like to go with you. Her gaze went back and forth between the two of us. Is that OK? She added before we could answer.

Marlene answered for me. That will be fine. We should also have a fair amount of time between events while we are at the ranch. Also, the reunion will only last for four days. The remaining time we had scheduled for a few days of R&R in the Rockies. I am sure we can give this case a little of our time while there. It looked like Amanda would say something, so Marlene continued before our new client could speak up. In a case like this, we normally have to take it slow. We have to send out inquiries to various sources and wait until they get back to us. When Amanda still didn’t look convinced, Marlene added. That’s what I meant by taking it slow. We can’t move ahead until we have the pertinent facts. And that may take some time.

It seemed to mollify Amanda, and she nodded. How do you want to get paid?

As we talked, I was thinking of Max and his vast resources. Max Altman is my best friend, and he runs an information service with contacts around the world. I knew he would do whatever he could to help me. I again asked Amanda if she wanted us to proceed with the case. She said that she wanted us to start as soon as we could. I gave her our standard rate, and she seemed OK with that. Marlene then had her sign our service form and asked for a small retainer. Once Amanda paid us, she left our office, and Marlene looked at me. What do you think?

Let’s see what Max can dig up. That said, I think I will have to go to Arizona once the family reunion is over.

So, no camping in the Rockies?

Maybe we can spare a few days for ourselves. But again, let’s see what develops in the meantime. Why don’t I make a few calls to get this thing started?

It turned out that Doris worked for an environmental foundation with offices in Vancouver and Calgary. Before we left for Calgary, I dropped into their Vancouver office. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any helpful information for me. The manager told me their Calgary office might know some more and offered to set up a meeting for me.

I thanked him but told him that we were unsure about our itinerary. We would have to wait to set a specific date until we knew what Amanda wanted to do. She had signed a contract, but we also knew some people changed their minds when they got home.

Since we couldn’t commit ourselves until we were sure the case was ours, I thanked the local manager for his help and left. On the way back to my truck, I thought about the strange coincidence with EDLA Pharmaceuticals. We were going to visit Ed Langdon, and our firm was investigating one of his properties in Arizona. When I looked up information about the EDLA lab, I noticed that the location was not in an industrial area, as I had assumed. Instead, it was far from any built-up area but still relatively close to Tucson, Arizona. Another site told me this valley was a major migration route for birds from Mexico to the arctic breeding areas. According to Amanda, Doris had zeroed in on this company because of suspected air pollution. Before leaving, I asked the manager if they often did this type of work. He said they did not usually do it, but since there were reports of bird kills in the area, the foundation had decided to look into this location.

Chapter 2

Amanda McLean

Coming back to the office, I looked up a list of properties belonging to Langdon Industries. I wanted to find out if Ed had any other similar businesses. My research only found this particular company, but I confirmed that EDLA Pharmaceuticals had an address outside a small town west of Tucson, Arizona. A larger-scale map also established that my earlier findings were correct. The location was in the middle of a valley.

Further reading showed that my previous assertions were correct. This valley was one of the major migration routes for North American birds. The question was now if there was any pollution from this facility that would affect migratory birds.

There was no way we would go to Arizona before the meeting at Langdon Heights. Instead, I looked up EDLA Pharmaceuticals to see what they manufactured there. According to their website, they mainly conducted research at this plant. If so, there shouldn’t be any air pollution, so why did Amanda mention this?

What would have drawn Doris down to Arizona if it was not for this facility? I remembered Amanda had mentioned poachers. That would be a possibility, but would they be crazy enough to kidnap or kill Doris? I again looked at the map and thought this would also be a good route for smuggling. Despite walls, guards, and other surveillance along the Mexican border, I was sure both people and drugs passed over the boundary with relative ease. That got me thinking of drug smugglers and cartels. These people were very vicious, and killing was often second nature. Closing down the laptop, I gave Max a call. I could sit here all day and speculate about the fate of Doris. I needed more facts about that region. Not only was Max my best friend, but he also willingly helped whenever I asked.

"So you got yourself another case? Max said when I had told him my problem.

Fraid so, I answered and told him how I knew Doris.

You haven’t seen her since school, then?

No, but I do remember her very well. Even back then, she knew everything about birds. I like to help, but this is a difficult case. If she disappeared in Arizona, it is an area I am not familiar with, so I hope that you can bring me up to speed. Do you have any information on drug smuggling in that part of the country? Or do you know anything about the poaching of migratory birds? Also, do you have anything on EDLA Pharmaceuticals?

Wow, slow down. Give me a couple of days, and I’ll see what I can come up with.

Thanks, buddy. I’ll wait for your call. Since I have several other cases we need to look after, I can use the time in between for my other clients. Give my best to Sylvia.

Max called back the following day. I have some information for you. First of all, it doesn’t seem like there are any pollution concerns with EDLA Pharmaceuticals. They mainly do research there and only manufacture certain drugs in small quantities, none of which should pose a problem to the environment. And here is another curveball. Langdon Enterprises don’t own this plant any longer. About a year ago, a Mexican corporation bought the company. So far, I have not been able to get any information about this organization, but I have a bad feeling about it. It smacks of drug money. I did ask some of my contacts, and they agreed that this could be a way for the cartel to launder money. So don’t say anything yet. We will continue to investigate. Now to the poachers. These people are another problem since a highly organized ring operates in that valley. The leader is a very shady character. I heard that he would not shy away from kidnapping or murder. Even worse, smugglers who transport drugs and people across the border are completely ruthless. If your client has run afoul of them, I am worried about her wellbeing. So what are your plans? Are you going to Arizona?

I may take a quick trip down. I will discuss it with Amanda since it will add to the cost. But she is apprehensive and may want me down there, even if only for a few days. Still, I need to be back here in time to go to Alberta.

Are you comfortable with going there?

I am now. At first, I was somewhat uneasy. Since then, I realized that the media had swayed me, so now I’m going there with an open mind.

Good for you, buddy. Ed is a great guy, and I know you will have fun there.

After talking with Max, I turned my thoughts back to Amanda and her missing sister. It turned out that Amanda didn’t want to send me down to Arizona on a short trip. She had received a message from the firm that Doris worked for and felt her sister was safe for the time being. She thanked us for the work we had done and asked me to send her the bill. I told her we hadn’t spent enough time on it to warrant an invoice. This was a freebie for her. She gave me a nice compliment and said it was a pity I didn’t become her brother-in-law.

Since we didn’t have to make a trip to Arizona, Marlene and I finished up several outstanding cases and then wrote the reports. Two of the instances were simple surveillance cases. In both cases, the wife suspected the husband of infidelity. The first one was straightforward; I handed over several photos showing her husband in the embrace of a younger woman. She was not happy about the outcome, but there was nothing I could do. I guess she had hoped she was wrong, but here was proof of unfaithfulness. Unfortunately, we couldn’t do anything to lessen the impact of the discovery. The lady left us in tears.

Our second case turned out completely different. Again the wife suspected foul play, but we discovered that her husband worked part-time at a second job. He wanted to make some extra money so he could take his wife on a long-overdue vacation. I suggested that the wife forget the report and pretend she didn’t know anything. When the husband surprises her with a dream vacation, she should act happy and surprised. Afterward, Marlene and I discussed the two cases. One was sad, and one had a happy ending, but such was life. I put my arm around her shoulders and whispered that I was so lucky to have met her. She leaned her head on my shoulder and told me she was the lucky one. I guess we were both blessed.

The third case was different, even though it entailed surveillance as well. Our client was a warehouse operation that was losing a lot of inventory. None of their cameras found any unusual activity. At first, I, too, was stymied, and it was a pure fluke that put me on the right track. I happened to listen to an old Johnny Cash song on the radio. Cash sang how he brought out the parts one piece at a time. It got me thinking that it must be an inside job if the company could not find any evidence of wrongdoing from the outside. If so, it was most likely one of the delivery people. Sure enough, one of the transport drivers had modified his van and added a false floor under the vehicle. As well he had several hidden compartments inside the truck. Over the year since his employment here, the company had lost inventory worth over $500,000. When I handed over my findings, the owner was pleased to pay our modest fee.

Feeling good that we had cleared up all outstanding cases, we got ready to attend the family reunion. I called Marlene over and hugged her.

Thanks, dear, but what is that for? She asked while hugging me back.

Because you are the best in the world, and I am so happy to have you by my side. We will have lots of fun at the ranch.

She gave me a wicked smile. You are darn tooting we are. Day and night.

My heart swelled, and I hugged her even tighter. Yes, we will, my love.

Chapter 3

Edward Langdon

Since we were camping in the Rockies after the reunion, we decided to take the truck and camper to the family meeting. It would