Elephant Dropping (9781301895199) (42 page)

‘Yes, but sir,
Dug said you would double my fee.’

‘Your fee!
You’ve been robbing your own fucking bank.’

‘No sir, that
is not true, I have explained everything.’

Brian barked.
‘Enough! Give me the access code.’

Evans read out
the number as Brian tapped it in. A moment later the window opened
on the accounts. He scrolled through until he got to the loans
section, and then whistled softly as he read the figures on Golden
Palm. ‘Jesus, they have been busy.’ He went to the accrued
interest. ‘I don’t see any transfers here. Where have Golden Palm
been sending their money?’

‘Oh it’s all
been on a cash basis,’ Evans said casually.

‘Cash?’

‘Yes sir. We
calculate the interest due, and deduct it from the new loans and
the rest is paid out in cash.’

‘They have been
walking out of the bank with cash?’

‘Yes sir, well
Azizza has. Patel does not do any banking.’

‘Oh what? They
can’t be sitting around with that much in cash.’

‘The landowners
don’t have bank accounts,’ Evans explained helpfully.

Brian rolled
his eyes up. ‘God give me strength. They must be banking it
somewhere. What other banks are there in Malindi?’

‘There is the
CNB bank sir.’

‘What dealings
do you have with them?’

‘Not much sir,
we have taken lots of clients from them.’

Brian ignored
this statement. ‘Do you have an empty disk?’

Evans reached
into a drawer, pulled out a few disks and handed them to Brian. He
started to make copies. ‘So how have you been getting your
cut?’

‘They pay me in
cash sir.’

‘And do you
bank that cash?’

‘No. Patel
still owes me a lot of money; he says that it is better with him as
it’s earning interest.’

‘So they must
have banked it. You think he will pay you?’

‘He gives me
money when I need it.’ Brian looked at Evans and shook his head in
wonder at his childlike faith.

‘What is it
sir?’ Evans asked.

‘Nothing, I had
not thought they would take all the money in cash, this poses a
problem for us.’ Brian finished making his copies. ‘Write down the
access code - and don’t think about changing it in the morning,’ he
warned him.

Brian pocketed
the disks. ‘Ok, let’s get out of here.’ They walked back to the
car. ‘Will Azizza come to the bank tomorrow?’

‘Yes she comes
in everyday at around ten.’

‘You must on no
account reveal that you have met me. As far as you and everybody
else is concerned I no longer exist.’

‘No problem
sir. When do I get my money?’

Brian stopped,
and then walked on. ‘When I find it,’ he replied.

At the car,
Lucy reached out and pulled Brian to the door. ‘You have money?’
Looking for a bag and disappointed, she let go and pointed a finger
at Doug. ‘He hiti me because I no fuck him.’

Doug said.
‘Miss Malindi here wanted to follow you.’

‘She said you
hit her is that true?’ Brian demanded.

‘I admit we had
some problems,’ he held up his scratched hand by way of
explanation. ‘Did you two get what we need?’

Brian nodded
coldly. ‘I didn’t expect this of you.’ He joined Lucy and put his
arm around her protectively.

‘You not real
man,’ she told him,’ if you real man, you kills this gowan shit,’
she nestled against him.

Evans stood
outside unsure what to do. ‘Get in,’ Doug told him.

He got in,
looking at Lucy. ‘This woman is a very bad liar.’

‘You stupids,’
she said.

‘Where too
now?’ Doug asked, not looking at Brian.

‘Let’s drop
Evans off, and then go back to the flat.’

‘You are
staying here in Malindi?’ Evans asked.

Nobody answered
as they drove to the night club.

‘What about my
car? The damage you did.’

Doug said. ‘I
will come and see you about it in the morning ok? And remember
don’t tell anyone you have seen us, or I swear I will hunt you
down.’

‘Ok, no
problem,’ he said happily. ‘Goodnight, Mr. Nicholls.’

‘What an
arsehole. What did you find out?’ Doug asked.

‘There’s no
track to follow from Evan’s bank, all transactions have been in
cash. I’ve never seen anything like it,’ Brian replied.

‘So what does
that mean? This whole thing is a waste of time?’

‘No, I have
Evans’s banking code. On the computer back at the flat, I can
search for Golden Palm’s accounts in the other banks in Malindi.
The money is earning interest somewhere.’

‘Can you trust
Evans not to talk?’

‘I don’t know.
He seems oblivious to his part in this fraud and more concerned
about the money you promised him.’

‘Ok that’s
good,’ said Doug reassured, ‘at least he has understood that much.’
He dropped Brian and Lucy off and went to find a hotel for the
night.

TWENTY-TWO

In Nairobi,
Firdus dressed for his meeting later that day with the minister. As
he went down to breakfast, he collected the message from Doug and
read it over a bowl of steaming porridge. He glanced at his watch.
Katana should be at the hotel in about twenty minutes, everything
was panning out well so far. After breakfast, he bought a newspaper
and waited in the hotel lobby.

The detective
arrived on time dressed in a leather jacket two sizes too big.
‘It’s damn cold here,’ he said to Firdus by way of greeting.

‘You came on
the bus?’

‘Yes, I haven’t
been here for two years, hardly know the place.’

Firdus smiled.
‘When I was a young man we would hunt impala for the pot where the
hotel car park is now.’

‘It’s hard to
imagine. Did you talk to the minister sir?’ The detective
asked.

Firdus folded
his newspaper. ‘We meet at ten thirty, let’s go up to my room, we
can talk in private. Would you like breakfast?’

‘Just a cup of
tea, I ate before I got here.’

Firdus ordered
the tea and they walked to the room. ‘Did you get someone to call
Rubia about the body in the river?’ He shut the door and motioned
Katana to a chair.

‘Yes we called
and left a message with his secretary.’

‘Good, that
will give Rubia something to chew on this morning. ‘There was a
discreet knock on the door, Katana took the tea tray and helped
himself.

Firdus glanced
at his watch. ‘I have to make a phone call,’ leafing through his
address book. He picked up the phone and read out numbers to the
hotel telephonist and waited for her to connect him. ‘Hello is that
the British Embassy? I would like to talk to the liaison officer if
I may. Is he in? Oh, she? Alright, my name is Firdus
Fernandez.’

He gave the
watching detective the thumbs up. ‘Hello good morning, Madam. My
name is Firdus Fernandez. I’m a retired officer with the Kenyan
Special Force - you can confirm that with the Kenyan minister of
national security. Yes, Fe-rn-and-ez.’ He spelt it out to her.

‘Yes, I’m
concerned about a friend of mine, a British national working with
the NNB bank, called Brian Nicholls. I don’t know if you are aware
that he is missing. His car was found abandoned in Tsavo East Park
on Sunday - there was a report in a Kenyan daily on Monday. His
sister in England is very concerned and called me asking if I can
help trace him in any way. I will be seeing Rupert Omollo, the
minister for national security later this morning on this matter.
If you have any information as to this man’s whereabouts, would you
kindly let me or the minister know?’

‘I’m staying at
the Good View Hotel, room twenty five. No I don’t have a mobile,
please leave a message with the reception and I will call you back
just as soon as I can. Thank you Madam, I will look forward to your
call.’ He hung up. ‘Claire Wood, is her name,’ he said to Katana,
‘she’s going to look into it and get back to us. Firdus rubbed his
hands in satisfaction. ‘Now where were we? Ah yes, Rubia. Call his
office and let him know you’re in town, use your mobile and ask if
he got your message about Titus. Does he have any idea how one of
his men could have ended up in the river. Be vague about when you
can see him.’

Katana made the
call to an answer machine. He held the mobile up and silently asked
what to do. Firdus motioned for him to carry on so the detective
relayed his message.

Firdus smiled.
‘Good that’s even better, his secretary is bound to get that first.
Now when we get to Omollo’s office, let me do all the talking,
you’re really only there to present the evidence and back up my
story.’

‘Yes Sir. I
have the ID cards of the two dead policemen, Nicholls’s passport
and an eyewitness report signed by the WS boss in Voi.’

‘Excellent,’
Firdus beamed approvingly.

They caught a
dilapidated taxi up the hill to the government ministries. The
ancient Ford Anglia’s gearbox grinding noisily as it strained to
make it. ‘I had one of these thirty years ago,’ smiled Firdus,
‘amazing how they keep going.’

In the foyer of
the building Firdus studied the wall legend. Letters that were once
pinned on the board were now missing like lost teeth. Civil
servants milled about going to their offices. Katana asked a
security guard leaning against the wall, and came back to Firdus.
‘It’s office 101, sixth floor.’

He peered over
his bifocals and looked back at the board. ‘There is no sixth
floor,’ he said still puzzling over the list, ‘how do you know
that?’

Katana nodded
in the direction of the guard. ‘He told me.’

At the lifts,
only one of the four was working and a large crowd waited. The lift
made slow progress to the ground floor, frustratingly going back up
several times. The doors opened and a body of people surged
forward, preventing the occupants from getting out and a silent
determined crush emanated in both directions, briefcases and files
adding to the mix. Secretaries rearranged their dresses and
hairdo’s as they emerged from the melee tut-tutting in annoyance.
The lift now full - designed to carry no more than twelve adults -
refused to budge with more than twenty squeezed into it. People at
the back started to protest and insisted others get out, a few were
ejected complaining. Waiting passengers pushed back in, filling the
gaps. The lift remained grounded. The security guard waded in with
his truncheon poking people aside and yanking out passengers at
random, some were laughing, others protesting and jeering at his
efforts.

Firdus and
Katana watched this circus for a while then the older man said.
‘Let’s find the stairs.’

‘All the way to
the sixth floor?’ Katana frowned.

Firdus grinned.
‘You’re getting soft. ‘

They paused on
each landing to catch their breaths. ‘How does the minister get to
his office?’ asked Katana.

‘I would say
his bodyguards toss everyone out of the lift.’

‘Yup,’ the
detective puffed, going up another flight, ‘that makes sense.’ They
got to the sixth landing and found the appropriate door. Two
security men lounged on chairs in the corridor.

‘Is this
Minister’s office?’Firdus moved towards the door.

‘Wait! We have
to frisk you.’ The guard said sharply.

He stood arms
wide as he was patted down. When it came to the detective’s turn,
he pre-empted them and undid his holster. ‘I’m a detective’ he
explained, at the same time holding out his ID. The guard quickly
took the gun off him.

They were
ushered into a waiting room. Chairs lined the walls with at least
half a dozen people. A heavily made up secretary sported a large
curly wig at a table, typing with one finger. Firdus introduced
himself and she checked her diary. ‘It’s okay,’ she said pointing
at the chairs. They sat down with the others to wait.

From behind a
door to the left they could hear people talking. On the wall behind
the secretary’s desk was a photograph of the President of Kenya and
another photo beside it of the minister - a studio portrait - in a
shiny blue suit.

Firdus reached
into his pocket and took out a magnetic chess set. ‘You still
play?’

Katana smiled
in delight. ‘Not for years.’

‘I think we
could be here for a while.’ He set up the pieces and they got
engrossed in their game.

Suddenly the
minister’s door flew open and a large man in shirtsleeves and tie
appeared. ‘Rose, my air conditioner is not working; can you get
hold of the engineers?’

‘Yes sir.’

The minister
looked round the room with a professional smile, his eyes paused on
Firdus and then he was gone.

‘You’re about
to lose your queen,’ said Firdus quietly. Katana frowned, his hand
hovering uncertainly over the board.

The minister’s
door opened and he emerged with his guests and with much
backslapping and handshakes they said their goodbyes.

The secretary
followed the minister back into his office, and few moments later
she pointed at Firdus with a pencil. ‘You,’ she said. The two of
them stood up. ‘No only him,’ her wand pointing firmly at
Firdus.

‘We are
together,’ Firdus explained.

‘No, only you,’
and sat down, discussion closed, at her table.

‘I shouldn’t be
long.’ He gave the chess game to Katana.

The minister
was at his desk. ‘Have a seat Mr. Fernandez,’ he waved without
looking up, making notes on a legal pad.

He finished his
task, leaned back in his swivel chair and pointed a large index
finger at Firdus. ‘I know you from somewhere?’ A steady gaze, the
statement part question.

Firdus kept it
simple. ‘I was at your inauguration ceremony, Sir,’

‘Ahh yes, now I
remember. You see I never forget a face, names yes, but never a
face, good, eh?’

He smiled. ‘Yes
that is good sir,’ he agreed.

‘Now let’s get
down to business, you mentioned a matter of national security?’
Omollo offered pleasantly.