Elephant Dropping (9781301895199) (61 page)

‘What do you
mean complication?’

‘I have just
had a request, e-mailed through from the ministry of security, to
seize this account.’

‘What! How can
that be?’

‘I’m sorry it’s
signed by the minister himself, there is nothing I can do.’ Azizza
hung up in shock. She started to retch in fear and shouted at the
taxi driver to stop. He pulled over quickly; she opened the door
and ran out, throwing up her breakfast in some bushes by the side
of the road.

The driver
watched her and then reached over the back seat his hand in her
purse, he found a wad of notes and fingered out a couple and
quickly stuffed them in his pocket. He got out of the car and
called out to her. ‘Are you ok?’

Azizza held her
hand up, to let her be, as she continued to dry retch. Other
traffic slowed as it passed them, heads rubbernecking from
matatus.
With no tissue she used the hem of her dress to
wipe her mouth. The taxi driver walked over with a bottle of water,
she turned and gratefully took the bottle, sipping rapidly, her
eyes streaming from the coughing fit.

‘Something you
ate, a bad breakfast?’ He asked.

‘Yes,’ she
nodded, ‘a very bad breakfast.’ She took some deep breaths to calm
herself. They got back in the taxi. Azizza searched her handbag for
a tissue, the driver watching.

She glanced up.
‘Drive,’ looking crossly at him. Her mind working feverishly, the
account seized! How could the minister now be involved, was this
just another set up by Patel? Only a hundred thousand left?
Something does not ring true.

She rang her
teller. ‘Riaz, it’s me, Azizza.’

‘Yes,’ a
cautious reply, there was no madam this time.

‘Riaz, the
manager has told me what happened to the Golden Palm account, but
what about my personal account, the one with the two million
shillings?’

She could hear
a keyboard. ‘That account is still current.’

Azizza let her
breath out. ‘Now the Golden Palm account has been seized by
who?’

‘Yes the
account has been seized by the government,’ the teller told her,
anxious to get off the phone.

‘Ok, but can
you find out for me who ordered the seizure?’

‘Omollo, the
minister of security,’ about to put the phone down.

‘Yes, but who
else, who recommended it?’

‘I don’t like
these questions, you should ask the manager.’

‘Wait please,
the order for the seizure there must be another name, I know how
these things work, that’s all I ask of you.’

There was
silence. ‘Please Riaz, I’m not a stranger, help me.’

‘It was Njenga,
the manager at the NNB branch in Nairobi.’

‘You have no
idea where the rest of the money went?’

‘No, I have to
go, I don’t want to lose my job.’

‘Thank you,’
Azizza hung up. That bloody Evans must have done something really
stupid! Unless this was a set up by Patel. He’s done a deal with
the manager and taken my money! She tried Evan’s number, same
result, phone switched off.

Frustrated she
then tried his secretary. ‘Yes hello. Florence? Listen, I’m trying
to get hold of your boss and his mobile is switched off. The
police! When? Oh my God, and you haven’t heard from him?’ Azizza
abruptly hung up her mind reeling from repeated shocks. This was
Patels’ doing. He - bastard had stolen her money, she didn’t know
how, but it couldn’t have been anyone else.

Azizza had a
cold knot of fear in her stomach turning to hatred, as the reality
of his treachery set in. All those questions over what she was
going to do with her half, she now saw his sardonic grin, he had
planned all of this - had set her up from the very start.

With Evans
arrested the cops would now be looking for her. Fimbo was out of
the way, Mugo would be left in charge at the police station, she
could talk to him, they could work out a deal. A light at the end
of the tunnel. Even the two million in her personal account, could
be explained as a legitimate savings. All the banking she had done
was just part of her job. Even if Evans said otherwise and fingered
her, there was no proof.

‘You bastard,’
she said with feeling, thinking of Patel, ‘I’m going to get you.’
The taxi was now approaching Malindi. ‘Take me to the police
station,’ she instructed the taxi driver.

He looked at
her frowning in his mirror. ‘The police?’

‘Don’t worry, I
will show you the way,’ her reflection was not friendly. As they
entered the town the driver pulled over and stopped. ‘I want to go
to the police,’ Azizza said angrily.

‘I’m not going,
you pay me and go,’ he told her rudely.

She glowered at
him defiantly. ‘And if I refuse?’

The driver
cursed, got out and yanked her door open. ‘My money,’ he shouted at
her.

People stopped
to watch, a crowd gathered. She got out, counted out the notes and
threw them at him. He picked up the money slammed the door and
drove off.

A passing
tuk-tuk had stopped, she climbed in. Changing her mind she gave him
the address of the CNB bank. She withdrew the two million shillings
from her personal account. Back in the tuk-tuk she told the driver
to take her to the police station. An hour later Azizza left on
foot, a little less angry now that she had temporarily cleared her
name and implicated Patel. Mugo - for a reasonable amount of cash -
had written down her statement in detail and then let her go.
‘Don’t leave town,’ he warned. Now, it was about her sole survival.
She made a decision, and waved down a tuk-tuk. At home she had a
shower and changed out of her western dress into a traditional
Muslim bui-bui and packed a small suitcase. She went to the bus
station and bought a ticket to Dar-es-Salaam. It would arrive late
at night, but she didn’t care. An hour later, as she was about to
board a dishevelled old man called out to her.

‘Madam Azizza?’
She looked up fearfully, her way on to the bus prevented by other
boarding passengers. The man got to her before she could get to the
steps. ‘Madam Azizza, you remember me?’ She recognized the askari
from the house. ‘Where is Patel? Something terrible has
happened.’

Azizza stepped
away from the bus entrance trying to defer other’s idle curiosity.
‘What do you want,’ she hissed at him.

The askari
said. ‘You don’t know what happened?’

‘No, what are
you talking about?’ she said in a low voice, looking about her
nervously.

‘When you left
that day with Patel, a man came to collect his other car and I was
just shutting the gate when a big lorry drove up full of men. I
tried to stop them, but they came in and took everything out of the
house, they said that Patel had sold the house and that I should
leave immediately. I wanted to call the police but they got very
rough with me and threw me out. Today they started to knock the
house down and I have no money and nowhere to live.I lived there
for forty years. I have no family, I am all alone.’

Azizza reached
into her purse, took out a five hundred shilling note and handed it
to him.

He took it and
looked at her aghast. ‘What can I do with this?’ he demanded.

She took it
back. ‘Ok, you don’t want it, it’s not my problem,’ and walked
towards the bus.

He said. ‘Ok,
I’ll take it,’ he snatched the money back, turned away from her
wordlessly and shuffled off. Azizza took her seat on the bus.

THIRTY-NINE

Firdus found
Doug and Gem having a late breakfast in the dining room, sunlight
streamed in from open doorways leading to an inner garden
courtyard, weavers and sunbirds flitting about, making nests and
feeding on flowers. Doug and Gem were laughing together,
eyes-a-sparkle in love. ‘Hello you two lovebirds,’ greeted Firdus,
as he walked over.

Gem
spontaneously got up and hugged him. ‘Thank you so much for
bringing my man back to me. You should have seen his face!’

Firdus held her
easily around the waist as they both looked at Doug. ‘I hope he
appreciates you. I can’t for the life of me think what an angel
like you sees in him.’

Gem laughed
delightedly. ‘He has me under a spell Uncle.’

Firdus joined
them at the table. Doug looked better, contented and smiling
easily. ‘Can I borrow your man for a while? I have to talk shop to
him for a bit.’

‘Yes, I have
finished my breakfast.’ Getting up she put her hand on Doug’s
shoulder. ‘See you back in the room.’

‘By the way
Gem,’ Firdus said, ‘at some point you will have to come and talk to
Katana, he just needs your version of the story to tie up the loose
ends.’

‘Ok,’ she gave
a little skip as she walked off.

Doug watched
her, a smile on his face as Firdus watched him. ‘She is a good one,
I wouldn’t be looking anywhere else.’

‘I’m not,’ Doug
said with a big grin.

Firdus put his
fingers together, elbows on the table. ‘Now down to business. Can
you tell me what happened after I left you in Malindi? I need to
know all the facts.’ Doug gave a full account as Firdus listened
prompting him now and then.

‘Tell me again
what happened in Mtito Andae?’

He relayed the
story.

‘Do you think
Brian was really sick, or had he set this up to get rid of the
girl?’

Doug was
shocked. ‘No his distress seemed genuine. I think he intended to
keep her with him. What will happen now?’

Firdus sat
looking at birds in the garden. ‘My main concern was your safety,
it’s the only reason I got involved in this mess at all. Now that
we can clear your name, I’m going to wind up my conclusions for the
minister, it’s up to him on how to proceed and hopefully he will
release me so I can get back to my ranch.’

‘Yes,’ agreed
Doug, ‘I need to find out what that lazy mechanic of mine has been
doing in my absence. Thank you for everything.’

‘You’re
welcome. Why don’t you and Gem come down and spend time with me on
the ranch.’

‘Yes we will,
anyhow I have to collect my bike.’

‘Oh I thought
you were leaving that with me as a gift.’

Doug laughed at
the idea. Firdus got up and ruffled Doug’s hair affectionately.
‘You forget I used to race those things in Nakuru.’

‘Yeah, yeah,’
grinned Doug, ‘I know. When do you want me to see the detective
again?’

‘No need, I’ve
got the story. Just tell Gem to come and give her statement and
then you’re free to go.’

Firdus walked
into the conference room. Katana was sitting looking puzzled. ‘I’ve
just got off the phone with Njenga from NNB bank. Omollo called him
this morning and authorised him to seize The Golden Palm account at
CNB Malindi, he also told him that Evans was a prime suspect and
had been arrested.’

Firdus raised
his eyebrows. ‘So why did Njenga call you?’

‘Omollo told
him we were heading up the investigation, Njenga wants to talk very
badly to Evans. But sir, why would the minister go ahead without
consulting us first?’

‘That’s a good
question detective, and maybe there will be an answer later, but
let’s stick to the task in hand. I presume Patel and Azizza have
flown the coup?’

‘No there’s
more,’ said Katana wearily. ‘Azizza handed herself into the Malindi
police station this morning and made a statement.

Mugo e-mailed
it to me,’ he slid the printed copy over.

Firdus read it.
‘Azizza’s been arrested?’

‘No, Mugo let
her go.’

Firdus sucked
in his breath. ‘So according to this, Patel has escaped to
Dar-es-Salaam, posing as N.J Shah?’

‘Yes and no.
Azizza claimed Patel had gone to Dar but Mugo found an alias, a
passport of N.J. Shah in Fimbo’s office.

‘Bloody idiot,
get him to arrest Azizza immediately.’

‘I tried that
sir. Mugo now says he can’t find her.’

‘That’s
convenient,’ muttered Firdus. He wrote quickly on a legal pad and
signed his letter with a flourish. ‘Can you copy this and e-mail it
immediately.’ Katana read it, eyes wide and then scanned the
document.

‘Njenga also
wants Nicholls to come to the bank to help them trace the missing
money.’

‘Probably the
right man for the job.’

Katana
chuckled. ‘What do I do about Patel, sir?’

‘Check with the
airlines, international and local and the border post for any sign
of him, and get hold of your counterpart in Dar to see if they can
find Patel’s Tanzanian landcruiser. Azizza may have been lying
about his escape route. When does Nicholls get here?’

Katana glanced
at his watch. He should be here now.’

‘Good this is
going to be interesting, watch and learn detective,’ Firdus said
grimly. A clean-shaven Brian Nicholls put his head round the door.
‘Come in Brian.’ Firdus called.

He walked into
the room, confident, and dressed in a suit and tie. Firdus waved
him to a chair. ‘How are you this morning, would you like some
coffee?’

Brian smiled at
Katana and met Firdus’s eye. ‘Yes I would.’

‘Did you manage
to see a Doctor?’

‘Yes. There was
a clinic at my local shopping centre, he has put me on
antibiotics,’ Brian said simply.

‘Good, good
that should do the trick.’

They waited for
the coffee to arrive. Katana still on the phone and Firdus, sitting
on the edge of the table went back to reading his file. Katana rang
off and shook his head at Firdus. ‘Ok, try the flights out of
Nairobi last night.’

Firdus went
back to his reading.

Brian cleared
his throat. ‘Firdus you wanted to see me?’

He looked up
and nodded in Katana’s direction. Brian’s foot began tap the floor
quietly. He shifted uneasily in his seat.

‘Negative sir,
there is no record of any Patel flying out of Nairobi,’ Katana
said.