The African Diamond Trilogy Box Set

by Christopher Lowery

  ‘Right. Let’s find us a taxi to go get your things and move over to Ed’s. It’s safer than staying in your place. He can meet us there and take us to the airport.’

  Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  Sharif and Ed were with Shen and Daniel Oberhart in Tom Connor’s office. The Chinaman was playing his cards cleverly. He asked for a status report, and the Pakistani was happy to toe the line. In his opinion, there was no reason for any further delay. They had a fully debugged, tested and operating package ready for delivery to Shanghai whenever it was required, tomorrow if necessary.

  Shen was fulsome in his praise, emphasising that ‘Leo’s unfortunate absence hasn’t held us back. Well done, Sharif. Ed, you seemed a little cautious yesterday.’

  Daniel stayed out of the discussion, he was relieved they were back on track with the upload, though he wondered what Shen’s agenda might be and whether Sharif was somehow tied up with him.

  Once again, Ed was more circumspect, asking for some time to clean up his work. ‘I don’t want them to think we’ve done a shabby job, just because Leo’s not here.’ He made no mention of his friend’s release, though he’d had a call from Marius to say they’d wait for him later at his flat. He wanted to see what Shen would say on the subject, but he said nothing.

  It was Tom who announced that Hatim Ackerman was arriving later. ‘He must have some news, or he wouldn’t bother coming. But I doubt it’s anything immediate, or he would have told Shen when he called. I think we have to assume Leo won’t be back for a while and make our decision accordingly.’

  Both Shen and Sharif were nodding in agreement; it was clear what the decision would be. Ed made one last attempt to stall things. ‘Why don’t we compromise on the end of the week? That’ll give me four days to spit and polish everything to impress our Chinese masters.’

  Tom Connor weighed in with authority. ‘Here’s what we do. Unless Hatim has some unexpected news which moves the goalposts, we deliver the package on Wednesday.’

  Daniel Oberhart went to make a call to his father in Zurich. He knew he’d be very happy to get the news.

  Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  ‘Let me see the video please, Marius.’ Leo had showered and shaved and was feeling almost human again.

  Coetzee found it on his phone, pressed play and Angela’s face appeared. It was a short clip, but Leo treasured every second of it. She didn’t mention the conspiracy, only that she’d made a mistake and wanted to rectify it without any further damage to Leo or his reputation.

  ‘She looks really awful. How did she get the black eye? I didn’t do that.’

  ‘She did it herself, to make sure the police would believe her.’

  ‘I don’t believe it! Like you say, “desperate people do desperate things”. Poor kid, she must have been terrified when they took her to the prosecutor’s office. But how come she doesn’t talk about XPC and the frame-up?’

  ‘She does, it’s on another clip. No one else has seen it, and I want to keep it that way for the minute. I didn’t want to confuse the issues, the objective was to get you released, we can go after the culprits later.’

  Leo watched the extra piece, in which Angela told the truth about the reason for her accusation. Tears came to his eyes when she ended, ‘Leo’s a good person and I’m sorry if I’ve hurt him. He doesn’t deserve that.’

  ‘Send me a copy, Marius. I want to keep it, for old time’s sake.’

  Coetzee said, ‘Seems like you keep getting hurt by people who love you. OK, time to pack your stuff and whatever you need to take to Ed’s. We don’t have all that long.’

  ‘First, I have to call my mum. It’s seven-thirty there now, she’ll be up. Can I borrow your phone?’ The chief prison guard had restored his phone to him on his release, much to his surprise, but the battery was flat and he hadn’t yet charged it up.

  He called Emma, trying to get a word in edgeways for a few minutes as she alternated between laughter, tears and annoyance at his stupidity in getting himself ‘arrested like that’. Finally, he managed to squeeze in, ‘I’m with Marius and I’m fine. We’re going down to his place this evening, if that’s OK with you?’

  After a few more minutes, he said, ‘I promise, and I’ll call you again as soon as we get to Delmas. Lots of love, and please give Aunt Jenny a kiss and a big thank you for me when you get into London.’ He rang off, looking sheepishly at Coetzee. ‘She’s a bit wound up, thinks I was fairly stupid.’

  He shrugged. ‘She’s your mother, it’s only normal. I need to make a couple calls now, so get packing.’

  Leo pulled two suitcases from under his bed and started throwing things in, while Coetzee made his calls.

  ‘Marius, where are you? How’s everything going?’ Karen sounded relieved. She’d received only a text from him since he left, just four words: everything ok love you xx.

  ‘I’m fine, and Leo’s here with me. He was released this morning. And before you ask, you and Abby were right, as usual. The rape allegation was all about money, but there’s more behind it than that and we’ve got some work to do with him to sort it out. You’ll be happy to hear we’re coming back down together tonight.’

  He gave his wife the flight details, then rang off and called Jenny Bishop. Her number didn’t answer, and he left a message. A half hour later, Coetzee was in a cab with the luggage and Leo was enjoying his last ride to Ed’s flat on the Harley. He was going to miss the bike and he was going to miss Angela.

  Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  ‘Leo was released from Bur Dubai this morning.’ Hatim dropped the bombshell without any preamble, then glanced around at the group assembled in the CEO’s office. Tom and Sharif looked astonished and delighted, even Daniel Oberhart switched a smile on, whilst Shen seemed to be having difficulty in maintaining his inscrutability. Ed was watching the Chinaman’s expression, trying to figure out what was going on in his mind.

  Tom was the first to speak. ‘That’s terrific news. How did you manage it?’

  ‘I did nothing special. Yesterday morning I received a video and a letter from Angela da Sousa, retracting her accusation. This morning I presented them to the prosecutor and he released Leo. It was that simple.’

  Tom said, ‘Wait up a minute. Angela gave you them just like that? She didn’t ask for anything?’ Shen had lost his inscrutability, and was looking at Ed venomously.

  ‘I didn’t receive them from her. I haven’t seen her.’

  ‘So who gave them to you?’

  ‘Someone I’ve never seen before. I know nothing about him except he’s a friend of Leo’s family, and he said he was merely a messenger boy.’

  ‘This whole thing is becoming ridiculous.’ Connor banged his fist on the table. ‘Where’s the woman now? First she files a complaint, then retracts it a few days later. She should pay for the trouble she’s caused to Leo, and to us.’

  ‘It’s certainly a very complicated matter, which I’m having trouble understanding.’ Hatim looked at Shen, who had now fixed his gaze on the ceiling. ‘As far as the woman’s concerned, I understand she left the country last night. That’s why I was instructed to wait twenty-four hours before going public.’

  ‘What? I don’t believe it. And where’s Leo? Why isn’t he with you?’

  The lawyer looked uncomfortable. ‘I have to inform you he’s not coming back to XPC.’

  ‘What are you talking about, he’s not coming back?’ Tom was on his feet now, shaking his head in bewilderment.

  ‘That’s what he told me.’

  Shen had been waiting for this, and before anyone else could respond, he said angrily, ‘What? Never? What in hell is that supposed to mean? He’s got a job to finish, an urgent job. He can’t just walk away and leave us in the lurch.’ For once, the Chinaman was thinking on his feet. He had to discredit Leo with Tom and Sharif.

  The lawyer weighed his words carefully, ‘I think we have to respect his decision. You didn’t see how he was treated in that prison. After what h
appened to him, it’s not surprising he wants to get away. In any event, he is definitely not coming back here.’

  Daniel Oberhart was watching the Chinaman’s reaction with increasing suspicion. He said calmly, ‘I can understand his point of view, Shen. I’m pretty sure I’d want to get out of this country if it had happened to me. And from what I’ve seen and heard, he finished his job with flying colours before he was imprisoned, otherwise you wouldn’t be planning to send the package to Shanghai on Wednesday. I see nothing reprehensible about him leaving.’

  Ed gave him a grateful glance. ‘Right on, Danny. It’s not our place to question Leo’s decision. He’s just got out of that shithole, for Christ’s sake. And he’s done here. If he wants to go home, it’s entirely up to him.’

  Tom couldn’t agree. His Senior VP had quit, and he didn’t like it. ‘We’re not responsible for him going to prison, Ed. That had nothing to do with XPC. Shen’s right, I’m disappointed with Leo’s behaviour. Where is he now, Hatim?’

  ‘I don’t know. I left him outside Bur Dubai this morning and I have no idea where he was going.’

  Sharif started to speak, but Tom interrupted. ‘All right, I think that wraps it up. Thanks for your report. I’m not very pleased with the situation, but we’ll manage without Leo Stewart. We’ll manage just fine.’

  ‘That’s what I was about to say, Tom. We can manage without Leo. Wednesday’s delivery day, no more discussions.’ Sharif looked across at Shen. He was about to become famous, and the sooner the better as far as he was concerned.

  Ed watched the lawyer leave, feeling a grudging admiration for Shen’s pantomime. It’s going to be impossible to delay things now, he realised. I’d better let Leo know asap.

  THIRTY-NINE

  Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  Monday, 12 July 2017

  ‘Leo Stewart was released this morning.’

  ‘Really? And Angela?’

  ‘She’s gone. Left the country last night.’

  Elodie gave a cynical laugh. ‘I knew it. I told you so. It must have been Ed who convinced her and bought her a ticket. Merde, if only I’d been able to find her at the airport, I’m sure I could have changed her mind.’

  ‘I’m not so sure. The lawyer told us he’d been given a video and letter by someone he’d never met. A stranger, friend of Leo’s family.’

  ‘Hmm. He’s probably lying to protect Ed, I don’t trust lawyers. Where’s Leo Stewart?’

  ‘I don’t know. Ackerman said he’s not coming back to XPC, but that’s all. You’re probably right, he’s obviously been told to say nothing more.’

  ‘You mean Leo’s gone as well? Where?’

  ‘I have no idea, but it doesn’t matter any more.’

  ‘What do you mean by that?’

  ‘We’re sending the package on Wednesday.’

  ‘C’est vrai, it’s true? Chéri, you talked them into it? Well done, darling, I knew you could do it.’ She was becoming tired of feeding Shen’s ego, but she didn’t have much choice. ‘Have you told Shanghai?’

  ‘I called them straight away. They said they can move the schedule forward on their side, just a few days testing, that’s all. They’re very happy with us.’

  ‘Did you have much of a fight?’

  ‘That little prick Ed Muire tried to win more time. But Tom and Sharif supported me, we’ve got the deadline you wanted.’

  ‘I assume he’ll be staying at XPC. Can he cause us any trouble?’

  ‘No. Leo must have told him to try to slow things down, but he’s not smart enough to understand why. Even Sharif doesn’t know what’s going on. Anyway, it’s too late for that now. Everyone’s red hot to get the project finished, so he’ll just have to toe the line if he wants to keep his job. He likes it here and he’s got a girl, he won’t make trouble.’

  ‘And by the time Leo and Angela get to wherever they’re headed, it’ll be too late for them to cause us problems.’ Elodie was breathing a sigh of relief. It had been a close-run thing getting Angela to take Leo Stewart out of the way. If he’d been left to poke his nose into things for just one more day, it would have been curtains for the whole operation, she realised. ‘We know she’s gone home, but where do you think he’s gone?’

  ‘He won’t stay here, unless he’s looking for more trouble. And I doubt he’s gone with her after what she did. I expect he’ll go back to the US or the UK, probably already run home to his mother, arrogant, cowardly little African shit.’

  Her voice dropped to a whisper. ‘Come home early tonight and we’ll open a bottle of champagne. I’ll have something unusual waiting for you.’

  He felt a movement in his loins. ‘I’ll be there at seven. Put on your special outfit.’

  London, England

  Ilona Tymoshenko called through to Dr Middleton’s office. ‘There’s a Mr Marius Coetzee on line one. He wants to speak to you about Leo Stewart. He got our number from General Chillicott.’

  Middleton almost fainted with shock. Marius Coetzee? He’s still alive? It’s not possible. How did he find me? What does he want? He panicked, thinking, I can’t speak to him, he’ll recognise my voice. Although he had used acoustic software to disguise his speech whenever he had called the man, he knew his vocabulary would give him away, no one spoke the way he did any more. ‘What name did you say?’

  ‘Marius Coetzee, I got him to spell it out. He has a South African accent. Do you know him?’

  ‘Not that I recollect. If it has to do with Leo and XPC, then you are equally informed on those subjects. I’m afraid I’m in the middle of researching something rather complex. Do you mind speaking to him to see if you can be of assistance? Please omit our suspicions about Tsunami and Liáng’s family and fortune.’

  She was immediately suspicious. Everything to do with Leo Stewart is shrouded in mystery. What’s Hugh playing at?

  ‘What about the possible Russian connection?’ she asked.

  ‘You could vaguely allude to it, if it crops up in the conversation.’

  ‘Very well, I’ll talk to him.’ She took the line back. ‘Dr Middleton’s busy right now, I’m his partner, Ilona Tymoshenko. Can I assist you?’

  ‘I hope so. I spoke to General Chillicott yesterday, and he said you’d be able to give me the heads-up on Shen Fu Liáng at XPC and his girlfriend, Elodie Delacroix.’

  ‘Can I ask you what your interest is, Mr Coetzee?’

  Coetzee explained only that he was a friend of the Stewart family, he’d been asked to come to Dubai to help, and he’d been able to arrange Leo’s release from prison. ‘It looks like something bad’s going down at XPC, and I’d like to help to sort it out.’

  ‘Congratulations on arranging the release, Dr Middleton will be delighted. He’s very interested in Leo’s well-being, although I don’t know how he knows him.’

  Coetzee didn’t understand this remark, so he ignored it. ‘I haven’t discussed the XPC business with Leo yet, and I don’t know the background. All I know is he was locked up to keep him out of the way for some reason, and we need to find out why. We’re going down to Joburg together to try to work on some technical stuff, but I’m sure we can be more useful and effective if you can share what information you have with me. Do you want to help me, or am I wasting my time?’

  Ilona hesitated. If this man had somehow managed to get Leo released in twenty-four hours, he must be a close friend, and highly efficient. And if he already knew something was happening at XPC, what was the risk of confiding in him? General Chillicott had put him in touch with them for that reason. She took her decision. ‘Very well, Mr Coetzee, I can share some information with you in the strictest confidence.’

  Fifteen minutes later, Coetzee knew everything she knew, except for the pieces Middleton had asked her to omit. He was used to looking for the key to a puzzle, but in this case he hadn’t spotted it in her explanation.

  He asked, ‘What single piece of information could be most helpful to you, to find out who’s behind whatever’s happe
ning?’

  ‘Who provided the funds to buy the technology business from the Lee-Win family.’

  ‘Wait, you said their bank is the BIP, the French bank, right?’

  ‘Yes, we assume the funds were sent there, but we don’t know from which bank and who was behind the payment.’

  ‘I think we may be able to help with that. I’ll get back to you asap. Thanks for your information and your trust.’

  Ilona went into Middleton’s office. He had his nose in a highly complex document on a new super-conducting material called Cronimum. Looking up, he said, ‘Apologies, Ilona. This is the most fascinating of materials and I was lost in admiration at the almost infinite possibilities it presents. How was your conversation with Mr Marius Coetzee from South Africa?’

  ‘You should have spoken to him yourself, he told me he just got Leo Stewart out of prison.’ She waited to see Hugh’s reaction.

  A beaming smile came to his face. ‘Leo Stewart has been released. My word, that is good news. Well done Mr Coetzee.’ He paused, looking a little self-conscious. ‘What else did you find out from him?’

  ‘I think he’s on the level, he’s very concerned about helping Leo and finding out what’s going on at XPC. I told him everything we know, except for Tsunami and our suspicions around Liáng’s parents’ deaths. He thinks he can help us track the money.’

  ‘Splendid news. I suggest that since you have obviously developed a positive relationship with Mr Coetzee, you should continue to deal with him. Best not to confuse the issue with too many cooks in the kitchen.’

  Ilona went back to her office, still wondering. What is going on in his head? He never leaves important matters to me, he loves interfering too much. What’s this unnatural interest in Leo Stewart?

  Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  ‘I don’t believe it, Chillicott and Middleton investigating Shen and Elodie, and possibly Russian connections. This thing’s even bigger than I imagined. It explains what happened to me, and probably to Scotty as well.’