For the last three days Kathy had driven around Old and New Delhi learning the traffic flow and driving time between several different points. She found Old Delhi to be a fascinating area, full of history and street markets where anything could be bought for the right price. Kathy’s major at the University of North Carolina was in South Asian and Middle Eastern history. She had written several papers during a year of post-graduate study on the clash between Hinduism and Islam. The history of the Red Fort in Old Delhi and its role in the Seapoy Mutiny of 1857, or the first large attempt at rebellion against the British Raj, aroused the scholar in her. She wanted to get this import/export business over with so she could devote some time to exploration along the ancient Grand Trunk Road.
She was busy every day checking out real estate prices and locations for bungalow-type buildings to house their import/export business if Jack bought one. On the fourth day she met again with the consulting firm she had hired. Much to her surprise and pleasure, the firm presented a very thorough rundown of the top 20 import/export firms with an emphasis on those established in the last five years. She thanked the firm and said she wanted a chance to study this excellent report and would be back in touch in the next few days.
Back in her hotel room, Kathy flopped on her bed and read the consultant’s report and emails from Jack and Anita saying they were coming. Jack’s email from Amman said Hassan had agreed to leave within two days for India. He was asked to contact Ms. Kathy Grayson at the Oberoi upon arrival. She would have further instructions for him.
Well, she thought, the pace is picking up and so was her appetite. She ordered a room service early dinner featuring tandoori chicken, saffron rice, an Indian bread called ‘naan’, cucumber raita and a dish of cheese and peas curry. Kathy mused, I am really enjoying myself. This is the best Indian food I have ever had. And talk about casual, I don’t think a pair of panty hose exists in this entire hotel. My feet love this place. I may never take off these sandals. Bata shoes, here I come. And you know working for Jack Brandon is not all bad. I wish he was here now. I really miss him.
After dinner Kathy picked up the consultant’s report again and was again pleased with the scope and detail in the report. She found a few firms resembling the profile she had discussed with Jack back in the cabin. The most interesting was a firm in C Block of Defense Colony, not too far from the consulting firm’s office. Established just over three years ago, it had one owner with a secretary and a live-in servant and no other apparent employees. The owner is a foreigner whose country of origin is Jordan. The firm’s tax records show very little actual business is conducted yet the firm has substantial currency holdings in Standard Chartered Bank. The owner, one Abdul Ali Fahad, travels fairly often to Europe and almost monthly to Nepal. Now what kind of a business profile is that? Kathy cocked her head and said to herself, it looks as if Fahad has set himself up in a cover business. This could be our guy, we need to concentrate on him until something better comes along.
If this man is our target, he’s probably very careful about his security and will immediately notice any overt inquiries about him or his business, so all our inquiries have to look as though they’re not directed specifically at him. I’ll direct our consultant firm to probe a number of other firms in this report. When our young Jordanian gets here tomorrow, he should be ready to call on three import/export firms the next day, one of which will be Fahad’s. He’ll say he has a client interested in buying an import/export firm in India. He should be able to tell immediately if Fahad is a Jordanian.
In the course of the meeting, our guy – what’s his name, oh yeah, Hamid Hassan, will use a questioning line that should not worry or alert Fahad. Hassan will have to be sure he notes Fahad’s reaction and willingness or lack of it to discuss the business. He can mention his client is willing to pay well for a small good firm. He should try also to set up another meeting, maybe a dinner in the next two weeks to smoke out Fahad’s availability and travel plans for the next few weeks. Events are going to move very quickly. Jack and Anita should get here too soon rather than too late.
We need to work out a few ideas about our use of Bernadette O’Brien. Bernadette is an expert on Tibetan artifacts and culture. A lot of Tibetan antiques come through Nepal into India on their way to Western dealers and museums. It seems she could make calls on selective import/export firms searching for Tibetan items. Fahad’s firm could be one of her stops. She could also check out the Nepalese end to see who is buying what in the line of Tibetan products as well as artifacts, including illegal ones.
Switching her musing back to the consultant firm, Kathy decided she could pick ten import/export companies from the work-up they gave her and have the consulting firm send each a query regarding their willingness to sell their business. Our friend Fahad would be on the list. The query letter will cause quite a commotion in the import/export world. Surely Fahad will hear about it and not feel he was being singled out for attention. His internal security alarm will not be triggered and, when our Jordanian calls on him, he might feel his firm is just one of many being solicited by a prospective buyer.
Facts and Fictions 