Dead in the Water: Murder and Fraud in the World's Most Secretive Industry

by Matthew Campbell

As the Brillante casualty made its way through the complex machinery of the Lloyd’s market, more and more people—the ship’s owner, of course, but also salvors, insurers, lawyers, and a host of further experts—had an interest in what Mockett was finding out. The progress of the insurance claim had financial implications for all of them. Wallace’s company, Noble Denton, was compiling Mockett’s reports into more official form for further circulation in London, relaying his difficulties proving out the initial accounts of the attack. “There are no hull punctures from rocket propelled grenades, evidence of a grenade explosion was not seen and there were no readily identifiable bullet holes,” Wallace wrote in one memo. “No further reports as [to] the actions of the alleged boarders have been received. There is no detail as to how they were persuaded to leave the vessel.”