The sum of all fears - Tom Clancy [177]
"I know about the submarine business, and the defection of the KGB head. What else?" Liz Elliot asked.
"He's rather well-liked in the international intelligence community, like Sir Basil Charleston over in England - well, it's easy to see why they like him - but the same is true in the NATO countries, especially in France. Ryan stumbled across something that enabled the DGSE to bag a bunch of Action Diiecte people," Goodley explained. He was somewhat uncomfortable with his role of designated informer.
The National Security Advisor didn't like to be kept waiting, but there was no sense in pressing the young scholar, was there? Her face took on a wry smile. "Am I to assume that you have started admiring the man?"
"He's done fine work, but he's made his mistakes, too. His estimate on the fall of East Germany and the progress of reunification was way off." He had not managed to learn that everyone else was, as well. Goodley himself had guessed almost exactly right on this issue up at the Kennedy School, and the paper he'd published in an obscure journal was something else that had earned him attention at the White House. The White House fellow stopped again.
"And ?" Elliot prodded.
"And there are some troubling aspects in his personal life."
Finally! "And those are?"
"Ryan was investigated by the SEC for possible insider-stock trading before he entered CIA employ. It seems there was a computer-software company about to get a Navy contract. Ryan found out about it before anyone else and made a real killing. The SEC found out - the reason is that the company executives themselves were also investigated - and examined Ryan's records. He got off on a technicality."
"Explain." Liz ordered.
"In order to cover their own backsides, the company officials arranged to have something published in a defense trade paper, just a little filler item, not even two column inches, but it was enough to show that the information upon which they and Ryan operated was technically in the public domain. That made it legal. What's more interesting is what Ryan did with the money after attention was called to it. He cut it out of his brokerage account - that's in a blind-trust arrangement now with four different money-managers." Goodley stopped. "You know what Ryan's worth now?"
"No, what is it?"
"Over fifteen million dollars. He's by far the richest guy at the Agency. His holdings are somewhat undervalued. I'd say he's worth closer to twenty myself, but he's been using the same accounting method since before he joined CIA, and you can't critique him there. How you figure net worth is kind of metaphysical, isn't it? Accountants have different ways of doing things. Anyway, what he did with that windfall: He split it off to a separate account. Then a short while ago it all moved out into an educational trust fund."
"His kids?"
"No," Goodley answered. "The beneficiaries - no, let me back up. He used part of the money to set up a convenience store - a 7-Eleven - for a widow and her children. The rest of the money is set aside in T-Bills and a few blue-chip stocks to educate her children."
"Who is she?"
"Her name is Carol Zimmer. Laotian by birth, she's the widow of an Air Force sergeant who got killed in a training accident. Ryan has been looking after the family. He even signed out of his office to attend the birth of the newest child - a girl, by the way. Ryan visits the family periodically." Goodley concluded.
"I see." She didn't, but this is what one says. "Any professional connection?"
"Not really. Mrs Zimmer, as I said, was Laotian. Her father was one of those tribal chieftains that CIA supported against the North Vietnamese. The whole group was wiped out. I haven't discovered how she managed to escape. She married an Air Force sergeant and came to America. He died in an accident somewhere, rather recently. There is nothing in Ryan's file to show any previous connection to the family at all. The Laos connection is possible - to CIA, I mean - but Ryan wasn't in government employ