Elephant Dropping (9781301895199) by Bruce Trzebinski

career.’
    ‘Listen Evans,
just stay focused on what you have to do for this coming week.’ She
turned away from Patel to avoid laughing at his expression. ‘I’m
going to submit more loan applications tomorrow, do you
understand?’
    ‘What?’ Evans
said in alarm, landing abruptly.
    ‘Don’t worry,
everything will be fine. Just act normally, do your job, and
remember you can always call me if you get worried. You have done
excellent work so far,’ she praised him.
    ‘Ok, thanks,’
said Evans and rang off.
    ‘A promotion,
Evans wants a promotion?’ Patel giggled.
    Azizza smirked
and switched her phone off speaker mode. ‘What are you going to do
with his passport?’
    ‘We may need it
later,’ he replied, not elaborating.
    ‘Do you think
it’s wise to leave all the money here in Malindi?’ she asked,
sounding him out.
    ‘Oh, my dear,
thinking about your cut are we?’ he teased.
    ‘Yes, of
course,’ she murmured, watching him closely.
    Patel nodded.
‘I have been thinking it is time we set up a non-governmental
organisation to support Golden Palm.’
    ‘An NGO?’
Azizza was incredulous.
    ‘Yes. This NGO
will be an international aid organisation, one that funds the small
farmer,’ Patel waved his hand at the map on the wall, ‘namely the
Sabaki Farmers Co-operative, helping them to service their member’s
loans, and it will appoint Golden Palm its agent in Kenya. It will
mean we can legitimately move hard currency in and out of the
country!’
    Azizza stared
at him absorbing this audacious plan, wondering briefly if he had
lost his mind. He studied the expression on her face, waiting for
the penny to drop.
    Her mind raced
through this new puzzle, a peel of laughter burst forth. ‘It’s
brilliant,’ she gasped. Patel laughed tears with her, a relief from
the tension of the last few hours.
    Azizza
recovered first. ‘This NGO will come from which country.
America?’
    Patel shook his
head. ‘Too nosy.’
    ‘Pakistan?’ She
offered.
    ‘Too cheap’, he
laughed. ‘I like the idea of Brazil,’
    ‘Oh you speak
Spanish?’ snorted Azizza. ‘Amigo!’ Raising her hands above her head
and clicking her fingers.
    Patel suddenly
looked at his watch. ‘I’m hungry,’ he announced. ‘Curry?’ He
suggested with a big grin.
    ‘I feel like nyama choma ,’ she said smacking her lips lustily.
    He agreed.
‘Shall we take the Mercedes, my dear?’
    ‘Absolutely,’
Azizza gushed.
     
     

 
     
    FIVE
     
     
    Brian woke with
the dawn, the swelling on his ankle almost gone. He sat with a cup
of coffee on the balcony looking out over the ocean. It would have
been nice to have a swim before work, but he decided to keep his
ankle rested before going back to the police station.
    Away from the
heat of the moment it seemed ridiculous that Mugo needed to see his
passport. It was Brian’s first brush with the Kenyan authorities -
he had heard stories of police corruption - if it was a bribe Mugo
was after, he wasn’t going to get one from him. He ordered a large
breakfast and later dressed for work in long trousers, shirt and
tie, incongruous in Nike trainers; he would find a shoe shop later.
Looking at his watch he went to meet Evans.
    The manager was
only a little late. ‘Morning Sir, I got it,’ he waved a document.
‘I called you yesterday but there was no reply.’
    They drove to
the police station. Copy in hand, Brian went to the reception.
‘Good morning,’ he announced to the cop behind the counter, ‘I have
come to see Detective Mugo.’
    ‘Who?’ He
stared at Brian, ‘ok, you wait,’ the cop announced, busy with the
ledger in front of him.
    The policeman
made no move to call the detective. A period of time passed before
Brian said sarcastically. ‘Excuse me sir. I hope I’m not disturbing
you, would you tell Detective Mugo I’m here.’
    ‘No problem
colleague. He no here, you wait.’
    Evans was
listening to the car radio as Brian walked back and said. ‘That
damn detective