*
The next morning Liam was up early and whispered to Gisele he would slip out to find something for breakfast. Below, on the plaza, he discovered everything that Bocas was not: a beautiful, colourful, newly restored colonial city. A waiter at the pavement bar pointed the way and a couple of moments later he found a small twenty four hour store run by a Chinese family, as were many such stores in Panama, just a cuadra from the plaza, where he bought juice, milk, bread and eggs.
Liam served the breakfast on the colonnaded balcony which offered a magnificent view of the cathedral across the plaza, in the centre of which stood a statue of Simon Bolivar, Latin America’s liberator and hero, benignly watching over the passers-by.
It was just after twelve when Liam spotted the unmistakable figure of Pat Kennedy below, already fitted out with a Panama, stepping out of a taxi on the south corner of the plaza, bringing to mind a vision of Graham Greene’s tailor, James Wormold.
A couple of minutes later they were below waving to Pat as he was about to disappear down one of the calles that formed a cross road on the corner of the plaza next to the Casablanca.
“Pat, how are you, this is Gisele, a friend.”
“Great,” replied Pat beaming with pleasure, clearly approving the young woman, who emanated an image of health and beauty.
“A fine place,” said Pat with a wave of his arm towards the plaza.
“Absolutely, we have a place up there said Liam pointing up to the Colombia, Tom fixed it up for us.”
“Excellent. Have you had a chance to look around,” asked Pat.
“No, we just got here yesterday, like you. We had diner with Tom yesterday and he’ll join us for lunch. I just have to call him when we’ve decided where to go.”
“Excellent, tell me everything,” said Kennedy, delighted Liam had linked-up with Barton.
They headed towards the south corner and soon found themselves on the square where they had dined the previous evening. The square was dominated by a statue of Ferdinand de Lesseps, the ill fated pioneer of the Panama Canal, whose gigantic construction project ended in bitter failure.
An hour later they were back at the Casablanca enjoying cold beers beneath a parasol.
“Zum wohl!” said Pat pleased to practice his German.
“Zum wohl!” replied Gisele politely.
“¡Salud!” added Liam.
They all laughed.
“So what are your plans now Liam?”
“Well I’m enjoying the break.”
“It looks like it,” said Pat glancing towards Gisele.
“After here we’re stopping off in Cartagena in Colombia. Tom Barton is going to be there … it seems he’s developing something new.”
“I see. A lot of things have happened over the last weeks!”
Liam nodded, it was not his position to comment on the high level manoeuvres in the bank.
‘We’ll have to be patient, but everything will be straightened out in London shortly. Michael has plans.”
“It sounds good.”
“Yes. He’s working on a new plan. That’s between us.”
“Of course, and Hong Kong, if you don’t mind me asking.”
“Nothing to worry about there Liam, you’ll be fine.”
Liam felt embarrassed at being so easy to read.
“The future is looking good for us,” he said with a conspirational laugh.
That was certain thought Liam, especially for Pat, it was no secret Kennedy was a very rich man.
“How long will you be staying in Panama?”
“I’m not sure for the moment, but I’ve a couple of meetings here with Jose Laborda, he’s our lawyer here, you’ll meet him tomorrow. Then to be honest I was hoping to get together with Tom. Then I have something to see in Nicaragua.”
“Nicaragua?”
“Yes, ‘ replied Kennedy with a conspirational wink.
The waiter appeared and Liam explained in rapid Spanish they were waiting for a friend.
“I forgot you were fluent in Spanish.”
“Yes, thanks to the Irish Union.”
“Irish Union?”
Liam laughed.
“Yes, in 2008, when I was laid me off, there was nothing doing in Ireland, so I sold my pad in Dublin and headed for Spain.”
“Yes, of course,” replied Kennedy having forgotten Liam’s story.
“Set up a consulting business. It’s still going. Actually business has picked up quite a bit.”
“So I’ve heard,” said Kennedy remembering the details.
“Look here’s Tom now,” said Liam standing up.
Pat greeted Tom like an old friend he hadn’t seen in years. They ordered drinks and exchanged news. Tom explaining his presence in Colombia, uneasily justifying it with a story of investment opportunities. He carefully omitted Lola from his story, unsure of how he could explain she was just twenty years old, and especially in the presence of Liam Clancy’s new girlfriend.
Pat spoke of Hong Kong, Lili, Lily Rose and their visit to London. Liam enthused about Bocas and Gisele listened, surprised at the sudden change in her plans. Barely a week before she was bumming it with her surfer friends on the beach of a tropical island, and now she was sitting in a smart restaurant in Panama City with three British bankers, one of whom she had developed more than a little passing interest in.
Cornucopia Page 67