Legacy. Jeff Edwards
Чтение книги онлайн.
Читать онлайн книгу Legacy - Jeff Edwards страница 23
He opened his front door and was shocked to come face to face with a man seated in a chair facing the door. Ali recognised El Kalil from the local mosque. Smiling, El Kalil rose and beckoned him to follow.
El Kalil moved into the kitchen and Ali, dreading what lay ahead, followed. He found his family seated at the kitchen table and several young men lounging around the room.
Akuba’s eyes were drawn to his young daughter. One of the young men stood behind her chair, holding a knife to her throat.
El Kalil turned to Ali: ‘As you can see, your family is quite comfortable for the present. Let us both now sit down in the lounge-room, and have a discussion.’
‘What do you want with me?’ whispered Ali. He had known terror in his native Nigeria, before escaping to a better life abroad. Now it was with him again. Rage and anger gripped him. He feared for himself and his family, but especially he feared for his daughter. He knew terrorists cared little for other people and cared little for life itself.
El Kalil made himself comfortable while Ali perched on the edge of a chair.
‘My friend,’ El Kalil began, ‘you have proved to be an enigma to us. We would like you to answer some questions so that we may unravel these mysteries.’
‘What do you mean? What could I know?’
‘Let me start at the beginning,’ began El Kalil. ‘You arrive from Nigeria with little or nothing. You work hard to provide for your family.’
Akuba nodded, not knowing where this was going.
El Kalil continued: ‘You work for years to get just a little way ahead. Long hours, low pay. Yet suddenly you purchase a taxi licence and a taxi. How can that be? You do nothing different with your life. There’s no one to die and leave you money. So how can you suddenly become a taxi owner? Truly a mystery. Solve this mystery for me Akuba.’
Ali licked his dry lips and tried to decide what to tell the men, remembering that one had a knife to his daughter’s throat.
El Kalil smiled at his discomfort: ‘Don’t even consider telling a lie. We have checked you out. We know you don’t have a bank loan. We know none of your friends have lent you any money. The moment you try to lie, my friend will slit your daughter’s throat and then we’ll move on to your son.’
Ali nodded: ‘I’ve been saving up for years. I nearly had enough. Then, one day, I took a fare that paid me enough to buy the licence.’
‘A fare! A single fare! And where did you take this fare, to the moon?’
‘No. She just wanted me to drive her around the city and to help her with some lifting.’
‘Truly Akuba, you must be a marvellous driver and have the strength of Hercules to warrant such a large reward.’
‘She was a very generous person. She had me make a delivery later on and paid me in advance for that as well.’
‘I should like to meet this wonderfully generous soul. Where does she live?’
‘I don’t know. She selected my taxi at the railway station and I dropped her off there again at the end of the day. She rang me on my mobile phone to let me know when to make the delivery.’
‘And what sort of drugs were you delivering?’
‘No. Not drugs. DVDs.’
‘Where did you deliver these DVDs.’
‘To a company in the city.’
‘Which company?’
‘The Briscoe Corporation.’
‘What was the woman’s name?’
‘I only know her as Mrs Green.’
‘How did she pay you?’
‘Cash.’
‘This Mrs Green carried cash with her. Enough cash to enable you to buy a taxi licence?’
‘Yes.’
‘Why didn’t you just take the money off her. She couldn’t have stopped you, could she?’
‘She promised more in the future. She said she might have more tasks for me and that she would pay cash for that work as well.’
‘And has she contacted you again?’
Ali licked his lips, thinking. El Kalil watched him closely and wondered if he was about to tell a lie. He was taking far too long to respond.
Ali decided: ‘Yes. She has rung me since.’
‘And what did she want you to do this time. More deliveries?’
‘No. She wanted me to pick up a car and take it to an address.’
‘What else?’
‘I’m to look after it till she needs it. Make sure it runs properly.’ ‘What sort of car?’ asked El Kalil, already knowing the answer.
‘It’s an old Rolls-Royce.’
El Kalil smiled. It seemed Akuba had been telling the truth.
‘How did she pay you?’
‘In cash. Like before. She posted it.’
‘Where is it?’
Ali stood and walked into his bedroom. Reaching inside a wardrobe, he extracted a shoe box. Opening the lid, he showed the contents to El Kalil.
El Kalil reached into the box and extracted the banknotes within. Counting it, he was surprised at the amount.
‘You have certainly found yourself a wealthy benefactor,’ he said as he pocketed the money. ‘Our cause is much indebted to her. I shall be back for more later. Be sure to keep your Mrs Green happy,’ he smiled.
El Kalil moved back into the kitchen.
Taking the knife from his assistant, he pressed it to the girl’s neck.
‘Please remember everyone,’ he said as he looked around the table, ‘we have not been here. We were never here. You have never seen us before in your lives. If any one of you forget that, I will return and I will be less gentle next time.’
His men moved out of the house until only he remained.
‘Just remember my words. I have been here once, and I can return any time I wish. The distance between life and death is small.’
His arm holding the knife moved quickly, expertly. The small girl screamed as blood flowed down her neck. El Kalil smiled as he surveyed his work and walked from the room.
СКАЧАТЬ