Bernadette O’Brien showed up at the Oberoi the next day. She checked into her room and left a message with her room number for Kathy Grayson. Kathy called Jack, and thirty minutes later he got in touch with Bernadette, who quickly showered and hurried down to the lobby to meet him.
“Mr. Brandon, what a surprise. I was just talking about you in Dublin. What happened to the young lady I was told to meet?”
“The young lady is here, but since I’m here I wanted to talk to you. Shall we take a little walk or are you starving after your journey?”
“No. And I could do with a little starvation, but I’m very jet lagged. As soon as we finish I’m going to take a short nap. And thank you for the nice room. I must say the Brandon touch shows. You’re a lot like your father. The physical resemblance is remarkable. Some years ago your father and I were very close. I’d have married him in a minute. But he thought his work was too dangerous for him to have a family. But enough of that,” and she took his arm and walked down toward the golf course. As they walked, Jack told her what they had learned about Fahad.
“I am over here ostensibly to buy an import/export firm to go with my father’s collection of small businesses. You and everyone else helping us has been hired on a contract basis by a company called Southeastern Development Inc. This company exists only on paper with no real physical assets. Anyone over here from the Brandon group is working for the same company.
“To get back to the story, we’re searching for a particular importer/exporter we want to put out of business and get him arrested, if we can gather enough evidence. We think we’ve found him. His name is Abdul Ali Fahad, and he owns a small import/export business in Defense Colony here in New Delhi. We think he’s involved in smuggling Tibetan artifacts through Nepal to India and then off to foreign collectors or dealers. We suspect he may also be involved in drug running but have no proof. I believe without a doubt this man is involved with al-Qaeda and supported the people who killed my father. We learned this man travels regularly to Kathmandu and will be there within the next two weeks. We want you to help us figure out the flow of illegal and legal artifacts from Nepal to India. I know you are very familiar with things Nepalese. If you don’t have an email capability with you, I’ll get you a notebook and cell phone with our special communications capability. Your flight to Kathmandu leaves at 9:00 tomorrow morning. The reservations are already made.”
Bernadette stared at Jack. “Aren’t you taking a bloody lot for granted?”
“Only if you don’t agree to go. Otherwise, I have made your life easier. Oh, by the way I have also made hotel accommodations for you and hired a car. In case you are wondering, I have not ordered your first lunch in your Kathmandu hotel. I thought you might like to do that yourself.”
“Mr. Brandon, as you Americans say, you are a piece of work. Do you really expect me to agree to all this?”
“One more thing: find and rent or buy a large bungalow in Kathmandu with a walled compound and as few neighbors as possible. Rent or buy it in your own name for a business you might start. Make the deal within five days from now with immediate occupancy, with no repairs that can’t be completed in two days. You’ll find sufficient funds have been deposited into your account in Barkley’s.
“Lastly, this whole investigation was started by my father. I believe the people this importer sees in Kathmandu had a hand in his death. Otherwise I wouldn’t be asking so much of you. Now, please tell me you’ll help us. I’ll not ask you to do anything illegal, and I’m sure you know the legalities of working in Nepal better than I do.”
“Put that way, yes, of course, I’ll help you. You really know how to impress a poor Irish girl. I’ll do it, partially because you have intrigued me, and I owe a lot to your father. Let’s go back to the hotel. Give me the notebook, a compatible cell phone and a short brief on your email system. Then I’m going to take a nap. That is, if it’s part of your plan for me? I’ll be on the plane tomorrow morning.”
Jack gave her a hug and said, “I’ll see you in Kathmandu. I’ve always wanted to say something exotic like that.”
Two days later Jack received an email from Bernadette reporting she had rented a bungalow on the western edge of Kathmandu. The bungalow had an acre walled compound with as much privacy as is possible in Kathmandu, plus five bedrooms, a fairly modern kitchen and large living and dining area described by Bernadette as “eclectically furnished.” The owner, who owns several rental properties, was especially proud of the deep well that had never failed to produce. Bernadette said the price was exorbitant and she had to sign an annual lease. She also mentioned one of the rumors among the foreigners in Kathmandu is the King may soon cut off cell calls in and out of Kathmandu.
Jack’s return email thanked her and told her the lease was fine. He added that as many as five people could be staying at the bungalow. He also asked her to get in touch with Arjun Singh, a detective from New Delhi who was helping them. He told her to use Kathy’s name and give him a check for the equivalent of 5,000 US dollars. Tell Mr. Singh to report to you until we arrive and get him to provide some real security for the compound. We will be five or six days later than we planned. Jack told her Arjun would be staying in the Soaltee Hotel.
Jack kept the suites at the Oberoi. He told the desk they would be touring for a while, maybe as much as a week or ten days. He was willing to settle the bill for their current stay now, but not to let the suites go because they were coming back. The hotel management immediately gave him a bill for the suites to date and said they would definitely hold them for such a good customer.
Facts and Fictions 