by Terry Morgan
CHAPTER 40
Whim, instinct, hunch. Call it what you like but I was sure that Kenya and Egypt held a few more keys to what was going on here. This business is not like others. In some businesses you can jump in your car and drive off down the road to check a few things out. In my business, I jump on a plane and the distance is not relevant.. Neither is the destination. I once flew from Saudi Arabia to Helsinki. It was January. In Jeddah it was plus 38C, in Helsinki minus 19C. I not only bought myself a new phone at the airport but a thick overcoat and scarf as well.
"I might need to go to Kenya, Anna," I said, trying to break some possibly bad news.
"OK, I'll wait," she replied. "Don't be long."
I wondered if Anna knew where Kenya was. Probably not.
"On the other hand, I might be able to get someone else to help," I said.
"That would be better," she replied. "You work too hard, travel too much - you need to slow down - make others do work."
So, decision made for me, I phoned Colin again. I eventually went to Kenya anyway but we'll come to that.
"Twice in a day, Dan Dare. And what a shock? After all these years as a single man? What's got into you all of a sudden? What sort of woman is prepared to put up with you? And all the secrecy you liked to adopt - where has it gone? Can I start calling you Daniel regularly?"
"Shut up, Colin. Her name is Anna and she's sat right next to me."
"So does she want to say hello to your best friend - no, let's be blunt - your only friend?"
Daniel handed his phone to Anna. "Say hello to Colin."
"Hello, Colin," said Anna, "I hope to meet you sometime in England. We went to get my visa today." Then she handed the phone back.
"There, Colin. That's the social part. Now the business part........"
Colin interrupted, "I'm on the case. We're looking at that Malthus site as I speak."
"No, there's something else," I said. "Our mutual friend, Jimmy Banda, Nairobi. Is he busy right now?"
"Funny you should ask. He's just been on an assignment for me in Mombasa. He got back today. As usual, he performed brilliantly. Jimmy is my little ferret."