Legacy. Jeff Edwards

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      Over the next weeks, Mrs Green became the owner of a limited liability company as the one and only shareholder of the Glimgrow Corporation.

      Glimgrow opened an account with the local bank and funds were transferred to the account from an overseas bank located in Jersey.

      Glimgrow was then issued with a corporate credit card. The company refused the offer of a cheque account but they did accept a PIN to be able to withdraw cash from the bank’s teller machines.

      With a suitable corporate structure created, Mrs Green went to work.

      Using the credit card, she gave Glimgrow an address. She obtained a post office box at the central post office in London and lodged a redirection notice diverting all mail from the first post office, to a second post office box located in Walton Village. The second post office box was in Toby’s name. He just didn’t know anything about it. Everyone in the village knew Mrs Green worked for Toby so there had been no need for her to produce any identification on Toby’s behalf when she ordered the box.

      Next, the company paid several months rent in advance to rent a lock-up garage in a self-storage complex in London, much to the delight of the owners of the complex.

      Mrs Green then scanned the papers, seeking just the right sort of vehicle to store in the company’s new garage.

      It took a week, but finally she found what she was looking for.

      When she rang the car yard, however, she was disappointed to find the car had already been sold. She asked if they had something else that might fit the bill, but there was nothing in that limited field. The salesman, determined not to lose a potential client, especially one who appeared prepared to spend the sum of money involved, kept Mrs Green on the line while he made a quick internet search.

      Several minutes later he had a list of similar vehicles. Reading through them, and describing them to Mrs Green, he knew he had her when she gave an involuntary gasp.

      She asked him to describe the vehicle again, in greater detail. It was nothing like the vehicle she had envisioned, but it fitted perfectly the role she wanted the vehicle to perform, and the quirkiness of it all appealed to her sense of humor.

      The purchase was arranged and Glimgrow now had a vehicle to store in its garage.

      Once the paperwork was completed, Mrs Green contacted a friend who collected the keys to the lock-up and arranged for the vehicle to be stored and maintained.

      She was well pleased with her progress.

      ‘Now for the next phase,’ she thought, as her mind toyed with the possibilities.

      Chapter Twelve

      It came as quite a surprise to El Kalil. Ali Akuba had just bought himself a Rolls-Royce. Where had the money come from for this?

      He and his men had followed Akuba and the man had not done anything to earn the money legitimately. He worked in his taxi each day and friends drove it on the opposite shift. There was no way he was earning enough money to buy a Rolls-Royce, even if the car in question was at least twenty years old.

      They had followed him to a car yard specialising in second hand luxury cars, where he had taken possession of the vehicle and driven it to a lock-up garage. After parking it, Akuba had locked up the garage and been collected by his own taxi.

      ‘When did he buy it? Did any one of you see him visit the car yard before today?’ El Kalil asked the members of his cell. None had.

      Once again, there were vital questions that had to be answered.

      El Kalil pondered whether to confront the man directly. To do so would make Akuba aware there were people interested in his movements. That would drive him to either retaliate or go into hiding. Neither option would be of advantage to the cell.

      It would be best to keep Akuba unaware of their interest for the time being.

      That evening, El Kalil dined at a small restaurant in a predominately Muslim quarter of the city.

      Finishing his meal, he paid but, instead of departing, moved towards the toilets at the back of the restaurant.

      Scanning the faces in the crowd, he couldn’t see anyone who appeared to pay him any particular attention, so he moved into the shadow of an alcove. He waited there for a time to make sure he was not followed before slipping through the kitchen to the rear laneway.

      Once outside he climbed a rickety stairway fixed to the rear wall and opened a door at the top of the staircase on the first floor. The small room he entered was empty except for a large male standing guard on a second door.

      El Kalil nodded to him as the guard opened the door and motioned him inside.

      Seated inside were two elderly men, dressed in traditional Middle Eastern garb. On any day the pair could usually be found in the vicinity of the mosque, sipping coffee at one of the cafes or playing chess in the park, dressed like anyone one else on the street. To all appearances the old men were enjoying their retirement, living out the remainder of their lives as quiet, law abiding, senior citizens. In reality, they were the leaders of the freedom movement in the city. All cells were kept apart, but their leaders all reported independently to these two men.

      El Kalil bowed and seated himself before them.

      He reported his suspicions about Akuba and requested instructions on how to proceed.

      ‘We will discuss the matter and let you know tomorrow.’

      The old men discussed El Kalil’s news as they sipped coffee in thimble sized cups. There was enough evidence to raise suspicions about Akuba’s actions. It would be best to find out exactly what he was up to.

      Questioning Akuba would possibly reveal the cell to public scrutiny, but they had numerous cells in the city. The loss of one, would ultimately secure the safety of the rest. It would be worth the risk.

      After prayers at the mosque the following morning, the message was passed to El Kalil to question Akuba personally.

      Ali СКАЧАТЬ