Boss Takes All (30 page)

‘But surely there was some other way.'

‘Yeah, right! Stop this madman dead in his tracks.'

‘Alex is right, Simon. And the stuff we found on them could do just that. Paul has been on the phone. He and Daniel are on their way. Simon, check me on the story. We need to get it right for our lawyers. They think it could be our big breakthrough.'

* * *

‘Unbelievable, Caroline. Simon, one thing still puzzles me. Why did you arrange to meet Rubai when you knew he was after you?'

‘Paul, I am a stupid old man. I did not believe that he would turn up at the hospital. Incidentally, he hated the place. Said it should be shut down. But, Maria, you understand these things. Tell me who it was driving that car of mine?'

‘Well, the first thought that comes into my mind is that it was Simon Nyache. There are witnesses. But witnesses rarely notice the higher self when He is at work. Of course, I would not advise you get ideas about entering the Safari Rally!'

‘And where's your wife?'

‘Safe with her sister in Nairobi, thanks to our good friend, the
Eldoret Express
.'

‘Good. Rubai will know something has gone wrong. He probably passed the accident on his way home. I understand that there are some bits of interesting information. Could be very useful. I can give you some news. The “trial” is just weeks away.'

‘Where is it going to be?'

‘A bit complicated. Of course, we have to make sure that Rubai has no idea what's going on. Thanks to some quick thinking this afternoon, our case is stronger than ever. Tom, it could be in Nairobi, but we think it doesn't have to be in the normal court.'

Daniel took over.

‘We've got Barnie on the job. He's checking on that. He says that Rubai's house could be an option. Wouldn't that be great? Bertie, great stuff! Thank John when you see him.

‘Paul and I haven't met you boys from the “Land of Song”. It's all right. I'm no brainbox, just a big fan of your Bryn Terfyl! I know one of you is a doctor. But why didn't you take them to the hospital?'

‘We did!' Ivor was still in shock about how they were received there. ‘They took the corpse, no trouble, but they wanted fifty thousand up front, each, mind before they would take the other two! Rebecca, your hospital can't come quick enough!'

A thoughtful Rafaella aired her growing sense of confidence.

‘Don't you feel that things are beginning to fall into place? Maria, is this what you have been trying to tell us all along?'

‘The light on the path is becoming stronger. We are the sharp blade of a long spear. You are right, Rafaella. Hosea and I talked last night about how everything that has happened in these last weeks is part of an invisible driving force.'

‘Maria, I'd like to plunge that spear straight into the heart of a certain person. Thank God he didn't get you, Simon, but those three young men …'

‘They had a choice, Bertie.'

‘Yes, Tom, but poor boys …'

Caroline returned to the room with Hosea, each of them carrying thick sheaves of paper.

‘We've got copies of everything. We can take these two down to David now. Hosea is going to take my Volvo, again! Maria?'

‘I've pressed his uniform.'

‘And I'll follow, just in case.'

‘Thanks, Angelo. Daniel and I will stay so that the rest of us can examine these papers together. One more thing. We need a volunteer to take this wallet back to the hospital. Sooner or later Rubai is going to catch up with that body.'

he Rubai machine had been in overdrive for several hours. Around the table in his conference room in the Pink Palace had gathered six security men and the chief of police for a night of hard work.

‘Gentlemen, I propose we begin at the scene of the accident and move on from there.'

Abel, as usual, was selective in the information he passed on to supposedly trusted men who were trying to solve what was, essentially, his own personal problem. So there was no mention of failed phone calls to his men out on the road, nor a whisper of what they were doing out there.

Chief Shadrack Karui made his contribution.

‘A report from Inspector Caroline Miggot of Nakuru Division: “An anonymous report from a member of the public alerted us to the news of the accident. Within minutes …”'

‘How many minutes?'

‘That is not stated here, sir. “Unfortunately there was no ambulance available to bring any dead and injured to the hospital. However, when our sergeant and constable arrived on the scene, there was no sign of any of the, we believe, three passengers who had been travelling in the Mercedes that we discovered, on inquiry, was owned by Mister Abel Rubai of Karen.”'

‘Blah, blah, blah. The next thing you are going to say is that inquiries are continuing and in about three weeks … Listen, we know that my three boys were lying on the side of the road. There were witnesses. Next minute, there is just one. Two disappear. How? Where? No witnesses. Did those two get up and walk away?'

‘Sir, everyone who saw the crash said that the turn in front of the truck was suicidal.'

‘Karui, are you telling me that fifty, a hundred Kenyans walked away from the free show of a terrible car crash? Unbelievable!'

Abel, intense with anger, glared at each of the security men in turn.

‘The best in the business!'

The nominal leader of the security men, Colin Sitawi, had had enough. They had been called in to deal with a problem that, at this stage, was purely a police matter. They were being made to look like a bunch of incompetent fools.

‘With respect, this problem is not in our line of business. We could …'

‘Not? So what do we pay you people to do?'

Sitawi closed his lips tight and stared down at the empty first page of his notebook. His pose was self-assured.

Abel would not admit it, but he saw that he had been too hasty in calling the meeting. When the six men had been dismissed and had left the house, he sat quietly stroking his chin. That the meeting had been a failure was down to him. He had his ideas on what could have happened. In some ways the McCall family could have been involved. He shook his head. Paranoia, surely. He could chance his arm and order Karui to send a squad of his toughest cops down there. He shook his head again. It was far too big a risk. The scenario was easy to imagine. Karui's men arrive, rough up a few locals and find nothing. But Karui was no fool. He just might see some connections. Why was the Big Man linking the McCalls with these missing men? And why had Rubai been down at Naivasha on the night that the farmhouse had blown up? Two o'clock in the morning and he just happened to be down there with a top class rifle in his hands? But Karui would not dare to share any suspicions that had dropped into his mind.

Abel saw that, for the moment at least, he was on his own. He could not share his problem. He would have to put everything else on hold and work on this single dangerous mess. Two of his men were out there, dead or alive. Worse still, Nyache was probably hidden away in some godforsaken hole in the bush. The old man was on the loose and out of his control. This was new territory for him.

But there was a consolation. He picked up a couple of cold beers from the fridge and shut himself up in his most private room. He switched on a bank of screens, not to work on the money markets but simply for company. And so the wrestling match began. He turned his thoughts loose and let them fight it out, with the single stipulation that at the end of the struggle he would have a solution that would be workable and offer him the chance to regain control.

Just before ten pm an exhilarated Abel entered the western sitting room. He was delighted to find Sally and Reuben together.

‘Abel, I wasn't sure that you were still at home. You have so many meetings these days.'

‘Wait until we move into State House. The first lady will be a very busy woman with lots of meetings of your own.'

She frowned at the prospect but was more concerned with an immediate problem.

‘Reuben and I have been talking about the accident today. He is upset, but you tell your father, Reuben.'

‘Those three, they were my age. They were full of fun. We were joking just before they set off for home. It's weird. One hour later and they were all dead.'

‘Only one for sure, son. There's mystery about the others. I still have hopes. But I don't have any hopes for that silly old man, Nyache. I think a lot of this is down to him. If he had kept his promise to show you around to the people up there, which was the plan … But I've got an idea. I am also very hungry. Do you think it's too late for some supper, Sally? We could talk about it then.'

* * *

‘Well, what do you think? We'll make our own tour of the region, all of us. You know how the little ones are always asking me to buy one of those stretch limos. And it would be Julius's first time out of Karen.'

‘No tricks about buying flower farms, Abel!'

‘A fun day out, David's preferred way of life.'

‘But when?'

‘What about tomorrow, Reuben? You're the key man here. I'm going to be busy later in the week. And, Sally, you could make a quick call on Maura McCall. Show off Julius and your war wound.'

‘War wound? Oh, yes. Hey, Abel, you are in a good mood tonight!'

‘Well, it's a long time since we all went out as a family.'

‘As long as we don't have to visit that loony bin again!'

As the Rubai family was enjoying a congenial supper and making plans for the next day, less than half a mile away an old Volvo Estate, with Hosea Kabari at the wheel, was passing through the gates of Cartref. Stretched out on blankets in the back were two young men.

ut what else could I say, Alex?'

‘Maura, Sally and the kids are fine and you women will be drooling over the baby, but I don't fancy another meeting with that shameless thug and his demented son. Perhaps they're coming to ask for forgiveness again!'

‘Spare us! And what was it, two hours notice? And, naturally, he gets his wife to do the phoning.'

‘We'll be all right, Tom. I'll be over the fields and you and Rebecca will be at the site. Debbie coming with you?'

‘Yep. Two truckloads of materials are due at eleven. Jim Sawyer has taken all his boys over. They're pouring concrete. That's why Debbie left early.'

‘Tom, I wonder what his real motive for coming is.'

‘I think that's an easy one. He'll be sniffing around, looking for Simon.'

‘And his two “missing” boys. Could be doing it in his trousers on that one. Have we got the old bugger on the run at last?'

‘I doubt it. One slip up, one loose word on our side and the fox will be in with the chickens again.'

* * *

No sign of the father and his sons. Abel Rubai saw this as good news. They were keeping away from him. Probably had something to hide.

‘Sally, Obi's taking me and Reuben over to the Shell garage. They've taken the damaged Mercedes there.'

The men were away for two hours. Abel was surprised with the state of the car. It was not a write-off.

‘Tow it into the agent in Nairobi. Send the bill to my office, unless you want the cash now.'

Next stop was meant to be the site of the accident, but Obi pulled off onto the verge half a mile short of the junction.

‘Boss, take a look to the right. A lot of folks over there are busy, busy, busy.'

‘You two, stay inside.'

Abel stepped out and leaned his elbows on the car roof. He took in the activity with a narrowed gaze. The hard hats made it difficult to identify people moving in and out of the trucks and the machinery.

‘Yeah, of course, the Florence Nightingale of Naivasha, but the other bitch, flashing the site plan around? Never seen her before. Old Sawyer. Mmn. I'll remember this Mister Building Man! And one, two, three white boys. Must be the illegals. I'm impressed. No idling there. Shame they'll soon be tearing it all up. Ah, well, can't say you weren't warned, you bunch of losers!'