Elephant Dropping (9781301895199) (62 page)

‘Ok, that’s not
conclusive though, they might have not bothered to look,’ Firdus
closed the file, crossed his arms and looked directly at Brian.
‘Can you tell us what happened in Malindi, after you left my
ranch?’

Speaking
clearly, in a carefully thought out speech, he told them what had
happened. Firdus and Katana listened without interrupting. ‘Pity
about Lucy,’ said Firdus, ‘though I quite understand. Do you think
she will have gone back to Malindi?’

‘I don’t know,
I left her with some money,’ Brian said defensively, ‘so she could
have caught a bus back.’

Firdus smiled
encouragement. ‘If she did go back to Malindi, where do you think
we might find her?’

Brian put his
hands in the air. ‘I suppose in any one of the bars, but I don’t
see that she could tell you anymore than I have.’

‘No maybe not,
but she could tell us if you’re telling the truth.’

‘The truth? I
have no reason to lie to you.’

‘It’s ok
Brian,’ Firdus smiled, ‘we are only doing our jobs here, you’re not
being accused of anything; now just a few more details on Lucy. How
old do you think she is? Doug, my nephew, said she seemed quite
young.’

‘What does that
have to do with anything?’

‘You’re right,
it’s not relevant is it? Still, how old would you say she was, just
for the record?’

‘Her ID said
she was eighteen.’

‘Oh, she had an
ID? Can you remember her full name? It might be easier to trace
her, or her mobile number?’ Firdus said helpfully.

Brian frowned.
‘No, it was Amina something but I only knew her as Lucy and she
left her phone in my car.’

‘Yes, pity,
yes,’ said Firdus thinking.

‘Now, you met
Lucy on your first trip to Malindi?’

‘Yes, but I
don’t see that this has anything to do with anything. I have not
been at my job for a week, my boss is anxious for me to return, and
I have my own investigations to carry out.’

Firdus put his
hand on his chin, as though he had just thought of something.
‘Brian perhaps you have not understood something here. Normally I
would be having my morning coffee after having just walked my dogs
on my very peaceful ranch. Instead of which I’m here trying to
unravel this mess you have got yourself into, and if I choose to
ask you questions you deem to be irrelevant, that is for me to
decide. Your full co-operation would be desirable. On the other
hand, when push comes to shove, you will find out that I can shove
very hard indeed.’

Brian blanched.
‘Ok I’m sorry,’ he replied.

‘Now back to
Lucy, you met her again after you left my ranch? Firdus raised his
eyebrows.

‘Yes I had her
telephone number; I didn’t know what else to do. She was very
helpful and found us a safe place to stay.’

They were
interrupted by a knock on the door, Katana went to answer it. He
came back holding a paper bag and handed it wordlessly to Firdus.
He opened the bag, took out a handgun and put it on the table.

Brian eyes
wide, froze in fear.

‘Yes,’ said
Firdus, ‘recovered from your apartment this morning.’ He smiled
grimly. ‘I don’t suppose you know what the fine is for possessing
an illegal firearm in this country?’

Brian ran his
fingers through his hair. ‘Oh God it’s not my gun,’ he muttered.
Firdus idly spun the revolver on the shiny tabletop, like a tombola
arrow. The gun stopped rotating, the barrel pointed at Brian.
Katana stifled a laugh and shook his head in delight.

‘Now Doug has
also told me you used a computer, but what did you say to Evans to
persuade him to help you?’

‘Doug promised
him some money.’

‘You promised
him money, how interesting, your money?’

Brian, his head
down. ‘No, we needed him to co-operate. Doug thought if we offered
him money it would help, it was his idea.’

‘You asked
Evans to open an account in his wife’s’ name?’

‘Yes it was a
ruse to let him think we would pay him.’

‘An account in
his wife’s name was credited with ten million shillings yesterday
from Golden Palm.’

‘Then it must
have been a payment from Golden Palm.’

‘Why was it so
important for you to find the money? After all, you had all the
evidence you needed from the bank transactions. You only had to sit
tight till you got back here and then inform your boss.’

‘I had no idea
if he was also involved, in which case I would go from the frying
pan into the fire. Finding the money was the only credible leverage
I could have, you know this, and we discussed it at your ranch. All
I could understand was that someone was out there trying to kill
me, and even the police were involved!’

‘Ok, so your
motive for finding the money was to get more evidence and to
protect yourself?’

Brian searched
his face for sarcasm and saw none. ‘Yes exactly.’

‘Doug said you
found an account, but needed a password.’

‘Yes, I
couldn’t hack my way around it.’

‘The Golden
Palm account went from a substantial amount to one hundred
thousand, just before you left Malindi.’

Brian crossed
his arms defiantly. ‘It doesn’t surprise me, huge amounts were
being moved all the time, ask Doug. I only know a large amount went
to a bank in Mombasa.’

‘How much money
was left in the account when you last looked?’

‘About three
hundred and forty million.’

‘And what would
that be in real money, let’s say dollars.’

‘Depends on the
exchange rate,’ Brian stalled.

‘Ok a rough
figure,’ said Firdus helpfully.

‘Oh, just under
four million dollars, I guess.’

‘Hmmm. This is
the gun my nephew gave you.’

Brian
pre-empting the question said. ‘Yes I lied about it I didn’t know
who to trust. The scene at the petrol station was crazy with Lucy.
I was frightened!’

‘Yes,’ said
Firdus, ‘I’m sure.’

‘Now this
Golden Palm account, being such an expert with computer systems,
could you could trace where it went?’

‘I might be
able to, it depends on the system.’

‘You could do
that from your bank here in Nairobi?’’

‘Like I said, I
might be able to,’ Brian agreed.

‘Good, I think
I’m done with my questions. I feel the best thing for us to do here
is to let you go back to work, so you can go and look for this
missing money. What do you think?’

‘Yes,’ said
Brian relieved.

‘Katana do you
have any questions?’

‘Yes, do you
know where we might find the directors of Golden Palm - Patel and
Azizza?’

‘No, I don’t
even know what they look like,’ Brian replied.

‘Ok Brian, you
may go. Let us know as soon as possible if you find the money,
eh?’

‘Yes thank you,
I will.’

*

Firdus was
silent after Brian had gone; he seemed to be digesting the
information. He made notes on a pad.

‘How did you
know he had a gun?’ Katana asked amused.

‘My nephew told
me. So detective, no luck with the airlines? Ask the immigration
people for a printout of all departures over the last forty-eight
hours, something might turn up there. Run your request through the
Ministers’ office and then they will have to give it to us. Send an
e-mail so we have a record.’

Katana busied
himself with the request. Firdus waited for him to finish and then
asked. ‘What did you think of Nicholl’s story?’

He searched
Firdus’s face for clues and then said. ‘I don’t think he is telling
us the full story. Surely as a trained expert he would be able to
spot a scam, don’t you think?’

‘Yes my thought
exactly. However our focus is on Patel who is going to be very
difficult to find. This crook had the chief of terrorism after him
with pretty much unlimited powers and resources, and he wasn’t
caught. The chances of us finding him are remote.’

‘What about
Azizza, surely if we find her.’

‘Yes she could
definitely help, that is if she is still alive. Someone like Patel
would not leave loose ends lying around.’

‘And Evans,
what about him?’

‘I doubt that
Evans knows anything. Patel was just using him like a disposable
tool. I’m meeting the Minister in an hour and I have to give him a
written report before he meets with the British Ambassador this
afternoon at Rubia’s funeral. I’m going up to my room for some
peace and quiet,’ Firdus said picking up a large file. ‘Contact me
only if it’s urgent.’

FORTY

Brian loosened
his tie and walked out of the Good View Hotel to his car. His hands
were shaking, the grilling from Firdus had been unexpected and it
was a shock to see the gun. They must have gained access to his
flat as soon as he left for the clinic. Fortunately, there was
nothing in his apartment to implicate him in Golden Palm, only
legitimate data from the NNB accounts on his home computer.

The passport
was a problem and he wondered if he reported it stolen, the British
Embassy would issue him with a travel document. He couldn’t afford
to hang about, if Firdus found Lucy, the game would be up. He
cursed himself for acting so hastily, if he had not tossed her out
he reasoned, he could have kept her sweet until he had an
opportunity for a clean getaway.

He drove slowly
to the bank reluctant to face yet more questions. Trying to look as
casual as possible, he rolled up his shirtsleeves as he walked into
the building. Waving a familiar greeting to the tellers, he quickly
made his way to Njenga’s office; the secretary greeted him warmly.
‘He is expecting you.’

Njenga looked
up from his paperwork as Brian entered. ‘Ah, Mr. Nicholls how good
to see you, we were very worried after that newspaper report.
Please sit down, can I get you a cup of tea?’

‘No thank you,
it’s good to be back Sir.’

Njenga studied
him, elbows on the papers in front of him - hands up, fingertips in
a steeple. He tried to smile but the puzzle in his eyes betrayed
his mouth and what Brian saw was a lop-sided grimace. ‘I’m glad you
managed to evade those car-jackers and I would like to hear the
details, however we have a most serious and pressing problem at
this bank and I hope you don’t think me rude, but it must be
addressed almost immediately.’

‘Yes sir what
kind of problem?’ Brian asked uneasily.

‘Some strange
things have been happening at the Malindi branch to do with the
Golden Palm account. Did you know that Evans Njugu has been
arrested? That the police flew down to Malindi in a helicopter and
picked him up?’

Brian pretended
to be shocked and surprised. ‘Was that on your instruction
sir?’

‘No, not at
all, it seems that the police knew more about what was going on in
Malindi than we did. It’s all very embarrassing. Who would have
thought that Evans of all people would get involved a criminal act,
he has had an impeccable record you know.’

Brian just
shook his head. ‘Incredible, he had me fooled sir.’

‘Yes, all of
us,’ agreed Njenga, ‘we have since discovered that he had over ten
million shillings in an account in his wife’s name. He is for the
high jump now. However, not only does the bank now have all this
money lent out to Golden Palm, but it looks as though the scheme is
about to come crashing down on our heads.’ Njenga paused choosing
his words. ‘I’m very keen for you to return to work, I don’t want
the directors of this bank to get the wrong idea. We need to do
some damage control. As far as we know the loans to Golden Palm are
secured by genuine land titles, and whilst we are not in the real
estate business, in the long term it’s not as bad as it looks as
land prices are bound to rise.’

Brian smiled.
‘Yes I understand sir, no need for the directors to know about
this.’ he encouraged.

‘Good, however
another thing is much more worrying. On Friday, over four million
dollars went missing from our foreign exchange reserves; someone
hacked into our system and transferred the equivalent amount in
Kenya shillings. We’ve no idea where the dollars went; I have never
seen such a thing done.’

‘There is no
record?’ asked Brian.

‘No it’s very
worrying; our security has been completely compromised. I’m sorry
to throw you in the deep end so soon after your ordeal, but I can’t
tell you how urgent it is that you find out how this happened.’

‘No problem
sir, I had better get on with it,’ Brian got to his feet. ‘Who was
the first to discover it?’

‘Paul, our
senior teller at the end of Friday’s reckoning.’

‘Ok I will ask
him for the printouts, I’m sure I can get to the bottom of this,’
Brian assured him as he left.

Paul handed
Brian the papers. He pulled up the accounts on his computer and
studied them. A quick scan to check all was in order and he busied
himself playing a game of patience, thinking and killing time.
After an hour he picked up the phone and rang Njenga. ‘I’m sorry
sir there’s nothing I can do with this system, whoever did this,
knew where the loopholes were.’

Njenga was not
pleased. ‘Nicholls can you come to my office I don’t want to
discuss this on the phone.’ Brian picked up the printouts and went
to his boss’s office. Njenga stared at him. ‘We can’t just leave
the system in place, it could happen again - cleaned out at anytime
- there must be something you can do?’

‘Yes Sir, we
can stop all online banking procedures however it will slow up all
trading quite significantly.’

He considered
Brian’s proposal carefully. ‘As a temporary measure maybe, but
there must be something else that can be done?’

‘Not without
upgrading the bank’s security software sir.’

‘That means
going through the central bank here and exposing our weakness. The
insurance company would have a field day - I could lose my license
- they could close this bank! No, they must not find out.’ Njenga
was emphatic.