Four : No loose ends

Richard Nyangu was the newspaperman who was giving Mr. Pyramus his current spate of nightmares. He was the man that was asking too many awkward questions.

On this bright and hot, summer afternoon, he was dining at the Paramount Hotel in Kuomboka.

The Kuomboka restaurant, situated on the fourteenth floor of the hotel, offers a panoramic view of the city of Lusaka. This is one of its biggest attractions.

The scenery and view were, however, lost on the couple occupying the corner table. Richard Nyangu and Beatrice had been the early arrivals for lunch, and still showed no sign of leaving. 

In the meantime Richie was saying; "...but still, wouldn't you agree Beatrice that there is some truth in the rumor going around that there is a lot of emeralds, cannabis, and mandrax smuggling going on in town?"

"Well, I have heard the rumor, just like anyone else," she replied indifferently. 

"Don't YOU think that there is an element of truth in it?" He persisted. 

"It's a rumor; could be false or true," she replied flippantly. She was hard put to it not to yawn to his face. 

"How about the other allegations that it is the hotel workers here who are used by the syndicate as contacts with the ' tourists' and other dealers and smugglers for the selling and buying of emeralds, cannabis mandrax, and other drugs. What do you say to that?"

"Could be true," she said feigning exasperation and total boredom. " Now Ritchie dear, why all the questions? I am not a suspect, am I?"

"Suspect? Certainly not!" he said horrified.

"And you are not from the police, are you?"

" Of course not. You know me well Beatrice. I am just a freelance newspaperman."

"Freelance, eh? Since when? I thought you were a features editor of some kind, at DAILY TIMES," she said.

"I was, until a few weeks ago."

"Until a few weeks ago?" she asked raising her eyebrows.

"Yes - but never mind that part of it. Look, suppose I gave you ten thousand kwacha, would that help you remember a few things?"

"Well; make it fifteen and I just may remember a few things, you know," she said looking him straight in the eye, and then winked at him conspiratorily. 

"Deal. Now, to start with, you are one of the workers here that the paramount hotel and..." he begun, to say.

" I am just a waitress in the casino part of the hotel," she interjected. 

" Good enough. Waitresses hear and see a lot of things - especially in a casino. If we start with the smuggling of..." 

" Of course I trust you Richie but hand over that money first. The sight of that money can do wonders to my memory, you know," she said playfully.

"As you wish," he said reaching for the canvas leather satchel bag he had placed at his feet.  

As Richie unzipped the bag, he casually looked around at the other diners as they came and went into the dimly lit restaurant.

" If the information is good, I will give you a bonus," he said pushing a thick envelope towards her, across the table. 

" Now, what is it that you want to know about the syndicate, Ritchie?" she asked as she tucked away from the money in her crocodile-skin handbag. 

"We will start with the role played by the hotel workers, as far as you know, in the contacting of potential buyers and selling of emeralds, or cannabis, or mandrax or whatever it is - as the case may be," Richie said.

_____

_____

Unknown to Richard Nyangu and Beatrice, two pairs of cold, hard eyes were watching them from behind dark - sunglasses. Ibrahim Patel and Abdul Sandanam were seated at a far-end corner table nursing their drinks. 

As the money exchanged hands between Ritchie and Beatrice, the two watchers exchanged a swift glance. 

"Okay Abdul,  keep watching them. Let me buzz the boss and hear what he has to say."

He stood up and went to the telephone booth that was in the corner. He dialed a number and listened to the phone ring on the other side. Very few people knew the existence of this number. 

" Hello, who is calling?" asked a crisp, husky voice, that sounded like a loud whisper. Mr. Pyramus's voice always sounded like that on the phone. 

"Ibrahim here. We have followed our charge to the Paramount hotel. He is now in deep conversation with one of the waitresses here."

"Which one is that?"

"Beatrice."

"Beatrice? Have we used her before? Do I know of her?"

"You wouldn't know her per se. She is one of the waitresses in the casino. We have never used her before."

" If we have never used her before, why are you worrying? Why did you call?"

"It's just that he has given her some money. It looked like a lot of money from where we were, and we reasoned he might be trying to buy information. And since he gave her the money, she looks like she is singing her cheap arse out. We may not have used her but her being a worker here - she may have accidentally have seen or heard something that could, you know..." Ibrahim let the sentence trail.

There was a long silence from the other side until the crisp husky voice came back and said:

"Okay Ibrahim, keep watching and keep me informed. I want to think this one out," Mr. Pyramus said and hung up.

_____

_____

Ibrahim returned to his table to join Abdul.

In the meantime, at the corner table, Richard thanked Beatrice for her help and gave her an extra two thousand as a bonus. 

"In the meantime, give that friend of yours, the one you said would sell me, if the price is tempting enough, the solid evidence that I am looking for."

"I will do that," she replied.

"What's her name again?" 

"Patricia Brown."

"Ah, yes, Patricia. Give her a ring and introduce me, so that when I call on her later, we don't speak at cross purposes."

" I will do that."

" Good. I am driving downtown; would you like me to drop you anywhere?"

"No thanks. I think we should part company right here."

"As you wish. Thank you and goodbye."

" Bye and good luck," Beatrice said.

Richard nodded, stood up, and left the restaurant.

____

____

As Richard Nyangu reached the door of the restaurant, Ibrahim turned to Abdul.

" Follow him, and don't lose him. I want to talk to the boss first."

As Abdul stood up and followed Richard outside, Ibrahim went back to the telephone booth and dialed the same number as before.

"Hello."

"Boss, it's me. He has left the restaurant. There is no doubt that he was buying information front the Beatrice woman."

" In that case, meeting with a small accident will not do our Beatrice a lot of harm. Do you think you can arrange it?" Mr. Pyramus asked calmly. He could have been discussing the weather for all the emotions that he showed. 

"It will be done, sir."

"Good. And Ibrahim..."

"Yes sir?"

"No loose ends, eh?"

"There will be none, sir."

"Good," Mr. Pyramus said and hang up.