BAMAKO - Aribert Raphael (red queen ebook TXT) 📗

end of a report, saying Samir was bringing back injured people and he would land sometime this afternoon.”
“Yes. That was almost all there was. I’ve heard also that the authorities were called on the scene to assess the situation. They’ve discovered an opened container filled with packs of nitro-glycerine. They evacuated the mining village and contacted Hjamal in Dakar.”
“I suppose we’ll know the rest when they come back. Did they mention anything about Rasheed?” For some reason Talya was anxious to know what had become of him.
“No, nothing. Apart for Samir’s no one else’s name was mentioned.”
“Okay, so, what’s on the agenda? Oh, did you tell Mohammed about his appointment at the embassy?”
“Yes, don’t worry. He’s going to take care of it.”
“And what do we do now?” Talya was impatient to get out of the hotel.
“We? We, my dear Talya, we will go to the airport this afternoon to be there when Samir lands. That’ll give us a chance to hear everything there is to know first hand, if we manage to talk to him before the police takes him away for questioning.”
“What do you mean questioning? Samir is only our pilot. He couldn’t be involved in—”
“He’s a witness,” Hassan interrupted. “We sent him on an errand and he comes back with injured parties aboard his aircraft. Of course, he’ll be questioned. And, I expect, so will we.”
“But can’t the police do all that in the morning?”
“Maybe, we’ll see. Now, I think you better get dressed. Although, I’d say you look good in that bathrobe.” He smiled. “And maybe we could go to Les Almadies and have lunch with Mohammed, if you like?” Talya grinned at imagining herself in a bathrobe at the restaurant.
“What’s funny?” Hassan raised an eyebrow.
“Nothing, nothing, I’ll get dressed and you stay right there. Don’t go away now, okay?”
Talya heard him laugh as she trotted to the bedroom to get dressed. She chose a black skirt and beige and black pattern top that she bought the day before on their way to town. It looks very smart. Yet, when she came out of the bedroom, Hassan had other ideas.
“Black now? Who’s dead? Or are you my widow already?”
“Hassan! I thought you liked it. You said you did when we bought it yesterday?”
“I did, and I do ... but don’t you think black is a bit too dark ... I don’t know?”
“Dark?” Talya looked down at her dress. “But, Hassan…” She retraced her steps to the bathroom to find the mirror that never lied. Silently she asked what it thought. It replied, “You look just fine—don’t start listening to him.” Talya went back to the living room, and stood in front of her smiling lawyer. “You just have to grin and bear it. I like it and I’m not changing.”
“All right, I know when I’m losing a case.” He grinned.
While Talya was dressing, Hassan had phoned Mohammed (he was on his way to meet Sir Gillian). They had agreed they would go to the restaurant in separate cars that they had rented the day before. Hassan said that they would meet him there at noon or so.
When she heard of the arrangements, Talya had to ask, “And, what are we going to do between now and noon, may I ask?”
“You can ask all you want, but you’re not getting an answer until we get there.”
“And where is there?” she insisted.
“You’ll find out soon enough. And don’t you say ‘but’ now….” Hassan smiled while leading Talya by the arm out of the apartment.

Talya was glad she had worn sandals because the ‘where’ was on Yoff’s beach.
“This is where I came last night.” They were walking down to the sea. “I thought you’d like to see where Richard died before you tell me who killed him.”
“I see….” Talya watched her steps. Why didn’t he tell me, this is where he went? “How can I tell you that, when I don’t know myself?”
Hassan stopped and turned to her. “Talya, you know the answer as well as I do, just tell me I’m right. Rasheed killed Richard, didn’t he?”
“I don’t know. It seems that way, but—”
Hassan lifted his head to the sky. “Please, Allah, tell this woman for me that I don’t want to hear any ‘buts’ right now.”
“You’ve got to hear me out. There are so many things, which tell me you’re right, but they’re too many pieces that won’t fit in if I were to agree with you.”
“Let’s go to where Richard was found, and then you can tell me what all those things that don’t fit in are.”
He took her by the hand, and they walked on until they arrived at a spot, about mid way between where they had left the car and a fishing cove, from where they could see pirogues lying upside down on the sand.
“Now look, there are only two ways to access this beach.” Hassan pointed to both opening in turn. “One is from where we came in and the other is from the fishing cove.”
Dunes and rocks surrounded the beach, which would have been extremely difficult to climb, especially at night.
“Is anyone staying in the cove at night?” Talya asked.
“No, not usually, and not until four or five in the morning, when the fishermen arrive.”
“So, who ever came to meet Richard could have come from either direction?”
“Yes, that’s right. He could’ve come from the road to the beach and left his car where we did or he could’ve gone down to the fishing market behind the cove and park his car there. Either way he could’ve hidden among the rocks waiting for Richard to arrive or he could’ve arrived after Richard was already on the beach.”
“I think Richard was here ahead of his assailant somehow. I don’t know why I think that, but that’s seems to be the way he would do things. In his letter he always appeared to take action and suffer the consequences afterwards.”
“Yes, I guess, that’s a good way to read him. So what do you think now?”
“I think we have to find out why he came here and why he came back to Senegal in the first place, before we could find out for sure if Rasheed killed him.”
“Why are you so hesitant to point the finger at Rasheed, that’s what I’d like to know?”
“Well, there is the fact that Richard never spoke of the nitro to anyone—not even in his letter, and…”
“Yes, that’s right. I never thought about that,” Hassan said with a frown coming across his brow.
“And the other thing is what Hjamal told me—”
“Are you going to drag him and your meeting with him into this again?”
“Yes I am. Just listen to me. Hjamal said that Richard used drugs—”
“And you believed him?”
“Yes I did. It made a lot of sense. Not only do I think he was a drug user, but I think he may have been involved in trafficking. When you look at the connection between the players, you have to conclude that there was more to it than a mining venture linking these people. You know, when I first read Richard’s letter I had the impression of taking a virtual tour of a story. It felt unreal. Not only had that, but his description of the escape attempts seemed unjustified somehow. Here is a young ex-pat. He is on assignment. His company, according to him, turns a blind eye to his renewed calls for assistance—what does that tell you? It says that there was more to Richard’s story than he was willing to reveal. What’s more, as I said, he didn’t mention anything about the nitro-glycerine—no one would ignore such an item if one wanted to point the finger to his tormentor.”
“I guess I’ll have to read the letter again.”
Hassan sat in the sand—Talya beside him—and they watched the waves dying before them. The wind was gusty but the air was warm and caressing. She thought about Richard. Talya didn’t even know him when he was alive and now, she felt she knew him better than anyone did in death. They stayed lost in thought for a long time—when suddenly Talya remembered the time.
“Don’t you think we should go now…? The answer isn’t here you know,” she said in Hassan’s hear.
“Yes, I think we should.” Hassan got to his feet first and helped Talya up to and off hers. He held her tight in his arms and swirled her around, laughing, as if she were as light as a puppet. Let this moment last a lifetime… she wished.
90
They arrived at the restaurant ten minutes late. Mohammed was already sitting at the same table he and Talya had occupied the day before, which seemed eons ago.
Talya strode toward the table. “Hi, Mohammed, how are you?”
“Hello, my friend. What are you doing here so early?” Hassan asked.
Mohammed ignored him and turned to Talya. “Good afternoon, Talya. Please come and join me ... and let this ingrate eat at another table!” He waved a dismissive hand in Hassan’s direction.
Hassan grinned and sat beside his friend.
Talya took the seat across from them. “So, you’ve heard the news. They’re all coming back, aren’t they?”
“Yes, they are. I went to the mosque this morning when I first heard the report. I gave thanks to Allah for all of us. And then, I went to see the ambassador—”
“And what did he have to add, anything interesting?” Talya asked.
“Well, not much. He was pleased that everyone was okay but he still needs answers. You’ve got to go and see him tomorrow if you can.”
Hassan unfolded his napkin and draped it over his lap. “Don’t you think it’s a bit too soon to ask for a report from Talya now when people are only coming back this afternoon?”
“Yes, I think so too. But he’s like a general ordering an officer. You’ve heard him? When he wants answers he wants them yesterday.”
“Well, he’s going to have to wait won’t he?” Talya said. “And that until I have the answers myself.”
“That’s what I said, and so we’ve agreed that I’d call him to arrange an appointment as soon as you’re in a position to make your report.”
“That’s good. Now people, I’m hungry so let’s order some fish shall we?” Hassan seemed impatient.
He ordered some grilled fish, potatoes and salad for the three of them. No rice this time, Talya was surprised to see.
The lady, who brought the meal, was a stout, cheerful woman. “I’m the cook, and the fish is very fresh,” she declared, lowering a huge tin plate onto a side table. “They’re ‘captains’ today. My husband caught them this morning and I’ve grilled them myself.” She wiped her hands on a towel, which hung from her waistband. “Enjoy your lunch,” she added, departing with a dancing step toward the kitchen.
“Thank you,” Mohammed said over his shoulder.
Talya looked at the two fish and wondered how she was going to tackle the beasts without making a mess of everything. Being the only woman at the table, she was supposed to serve the men. At seeing her embarrassment, Mohammed offered to