by Leo James
'The Towers are immense.' He turned to face Adam.
'Yes, you are a tower.' Adam smiled, and held out his arms.
'It's amazing.' Mark’s eyes bored into his.
Adam smiled, stretched and said, 'Yes, you are amazing. Come here.'
Mark felt the heat of a blush on his cheeks.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Monday 6th April
STEVE EXPECTED THE CALL. 'Hi David, how was the trip back to the UK?'
'Long flight. Nice to be home with Trish though.'
'It's still muggy here, very oppressive today. We need an English man praying for rain!'
'Ha-ha, it’s freezing here, but great.'
Steve laughed. 'Now you're rubbing it in.'
David gave a nervous giggle. He paused and coughed. 'I've been researching Grithos.'
'I thought you'd dropped the investigation?' Steve’s breath audibly stalled in his throat.
'Listen to this. The Malaysian New Straits Business Times said that over one hundred companies are under investigation by Bank Negara Malaysia for money laundering activities. It’s got me wondering.'
Steve’s neck was flexing. ‘Now look… You don’t want to be causing trouble… This situation is dangerous, I’m serious.’ Please don't fuck this up now. We need the revenue. This is Malaysia. Nothing to do with us. For God's sake.
David coughed again. 'I had to do more digging. I looked up Malaysian and Singapore company records. This Grithos is a dodgy company with a pretty website, but nothing else. I know it’s got to be a front for something. It's an offshore company registered in Singapore, so they get a cut for every transaction on the Q7 system as a legitimate company receiving licence payments. That's the bogus bit, but it looks kosher to the accountants and auditors, I'm sure. So, the Finance guy, Anthony Suppiah from Q7 is not aware of any issue. I traced the payment on our system for Grithos to a bank account in Singapore. It stinks.'
Steve responded, ’Anthony drew up the agreement with only Farid and Anil involved at their end. I wondered why the procurement people were not all over this. Odd.' Shit, did I say that out loud? Bollocks! I must keep this quiet.
'I knew it.’ David raised his voice. ‘Next step is to use the ethical hacking tools to find out what the illegal stuff is and then trace the...'
Steve interrupted, 'Don't do that yet. I'll discuss your findings with the police over here in Kuala Lumpur. Leave it with me. Understood? You need to trust me to do the right thing.'
David coughed and then coughed again to clear his throat. 'OK, I've loaded an image of the Q7 system onto a mini drive. We can go much deeper into the forensics. It's an ultra mini drive - straightforward to use, compressed and encrypted. Weighs next to nothing, fits into your MacBook's card slot, and is invisible once it’s plugged in. The image is of the system network across most of the Q7 servers for about eleven weeks of data. I'm sure by using forensics I can trace the transactions. I've made two more mini drive copies of the image.'
'So, that's offline. Good. So, you won't need to access Q7?' I need to stop this now. Stop him meddling.
'Not yet.'
At least it keeps David busy for the time being whilst we get the money rolling in. Hopefully isolates the problem.
'I'll courier the copies of the drive over,‘ David said, ‘Can you and Mark take a look? For security, I'll send part one of the secure vault password by text to you, and part two by text Mark.'
'OK, I'll let Mark know. So, you don't need to spend any more time on this,’ Steve said, ‘You can focus on new projects. I'm sure Farid will sort out any internal problems he may have. Let’s talk again at the next update meeting. Cheers.'
'Thanks Steve.’ David sounded tired.
######
Steve arrived at Q7's offices ahead of the next meeting and an assistant escorted him to Farid's office. Farid beckoned Steve to sit, pointing at a plush swivel chair. Steve could smell whisky. The room had a stale, pungent aroma. Farid’s desk was cluttered. He pushed some files and a bound leather book to one side and then pressed the speakerphone button. 'Mr Roussos is here.'
'Thanks for seeing me before the meeting, Farid.'
'Not at all.' Farid placed his elbows on the desk.
'David has checked further into Grithos.'
Anil entered the room, rustling papers as he closed the door behind him. He walked over, and shook hands with Steve, then sat next to him. They faced Farid across a large desk.
Farid turned to Anil. 'Steve has concerns.'
Steve explained that David had found more information. ‘It’s owned by offshore companies based in Singapore, and it’s on the Q7 system, so Grithos receive licence payments.
Anil bowed his head. A nervous smile broke on his face. 'Thank you for bringing this to our attention. I will talk to Anthony.'
Farid smiled. 'I can take you and David to meet with the Malaysian police to let them know about David's findings. I will call them now. If they are available, we could go today after the meeting.’
'Thanks. David is back in the UK now, but I’m happy to go with you.'
'Leave it with me.'
‘David has a complete trace of the Seguro servers at Q7. We can run the analysis without accessing the Q7 installation as you have requested.'
'Look, Steve, I have told you - We will investigate, not David. Are we clear?' Farid’s expression seemed carefully controlled.
'We are just trying to help.'
'Please control David. It has nothing to do with Seguro. We investigate our own issues.'
Steve nodded. He figured, or at least hoped that Farid was a good guy doing his best to make Q7 a success.
Farid stood up. His hands pushed against the table as he got up, and Steve felt the vibrations of the movement. 'Anil, can you bring the guys into the boardroom? We are ready now. I need to make a call and will follow shortly.'
######
They gathered in the boardroom. The ceiling fan whirred. Steve could just hear it above the chatter.
A few minutes later Farid hurtled in with all the momentum of a tidal wave, slamming the door behind him. The room fell silent. 'OK, let's begin. Kim, can you update us please?'
Kim stood up and bowed. ’We are eleven weeks since the launch. Phase one is going well. Axiatel- customer base top-up is growing, and person-to-person value transfer, mobile commerce, plus customer loyalty and retention. Q7 and Axiatel marketing launch has started.' She bowed again and sat down.
'Thank you, Kim. Anthony?' Farid nodded.
Anthony coughed, opened his box file and took out two sheets of paper. 'I reported over one point six million transactions in the first two months since launch.'
Anil turned to Steve. 'Is everything OK with the Seguro implementation?'
'Yes. David and his team have handed control over to Boon and Rakesh in Q7 Technical Services.'
Farid barked: 'Good. Q7 will run and manage the system.'
Steve’s stomach growled in protest.
The group covered the rest of the agenda and actions.
Farid bellowed, 'If there is nothing else to cover today, let's call the meeting to a close.'
######
Steve arrived with Farid and Prem at Bukit Aman in Kuala Lumpur, home of The Royal Malaysia Police headquarters. They had picked up Prem en route.
Farid made the introductions. 'Superintendent Anwar Tempawan of the Royal Malaysian Police. Superintendent, Mr Steve Roussos.'
The number of badges on the officer's black police shirt struck Steve. His shoulder lapels supported many silver stars and crowns, which Steve figured signified his rank. There were also silver studs on his collar, shirt and pocket buttons. They shook hands and exchanged pleasantries before sitting down.
'Nice to meet you, and thank you for seeing me,' Steve said.
'Mr Jothi and Mr Razak told me you have some concerns.’ The superintendent's neat but bushy, black moustache obscured the view of his lips moving.
'Yes, my colleague, David Morris is a
n industry expert in online payments and internet security. He has found a network which could be selling drugs, laundering money, committing card fraud. You name it.'
'Do you have any evidence, Mr Roussos?' The superintendent asked, whilst glaring from under thick, black eyebrows. 'Of any crimes?’ He pressed home his point with a penetrating gaze that probed Steve’s face.
'No, but anywhere these networks appear there’s usually illegal stuff going on,' Steve glanced away.
'But do you have evidence?'
Steve tracked the superintendent’s gaze. 'No, not of illegal services. It requires deeper forensics and data to investigate any suspicious transactions. Although, I’m sure David will uncover more information – sellers, purchasers and payment trail. David can find the evidence you need.’
Farid put his hand on Steve's arm. 'Steve, my friend. We will assist the police. I don’t want to trouble David. Is that clear?'
'I understand, Farid. Superintendent, David has investigated a company who are receiving licence payments for each transaction on the Q7 payments solution. Offshore companies own Grithos PTE Limited, based in Singapore. They receive payments into a Singapore bank account—'
'I talked to Anil, Steve,' Farid interrupted. 'We have suspended payments to Grithos pending investigations. I will ask the superintendent to investigate the company and their dealings.'
'Given time, David will find the evidence,' Steve said.
Farid smiled. 'Please let the police investigate.'
'He is keen to stop any criminal activities.'
'Mr Roussos,’ the superintendent intoned, ‘thank you for making me aware of your findings. I will take over from here. As you have no actual evidence of wrongdoing, we will investigate whether there are any illegal activities. The Royal Malaysia Police fight online crime in Malaysia. If a crime exists, we will uncover it and bring the criminals to justice. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.'
'Please listen to the superintendent,’ Farid said.
Prem, Farid and Steve shook hands with the superintendent and said their goodbyes.
######
Once they had left the police station, Farid let Steve know that Prem and he had a meeting they needed to go to, otherwise they would have offered him a drink at the local coffee bar.
Prem said, 'Thank you. Are you available to meet tomorrow?'
These were the first words Steve had heard from him. Why is he here?
'There is something I want to discuss with you,' Prem continued.
'Sure, Prem. Where shall we meet?'
'At this address, eleven o'clock.' Prem pencilled on the back of a business card and handed it to him.
’Tomorrow.’ Steve nodded. He hailed a taxi and left.
######
Steve arrived back at the hotel. He really wasn’t sure whether he should feel relieved or frustrated. He just knew that the project must be a success. Steve spotted Mark in the lobby.
'Farid arranged a meeting at the police headquarters this afternoon. Prem Jothi tagged along. We met with Superintendent Anwar Tempawan of The Royal Malaysia Police.'
'Any progress?' Mark hung a lopsided grin on his face.
'I told him everything. He seemed to understand. But with no concrete evidence, other than a group of networks, which might be hiding illegal goings on.’ Steve tailed off, uncertain how to put his frustrations into words.
'Was Adam there?' Mark asked.
'Adam, no, should he have been? He's Prem's brother. I don't think he's involved in Q7.' Steve wondered why he would ask about Adam. There were other, more important things on Steve’s mind.
'Oh, just checking if he was with Prem.'
'You got your gaydar antenna up again? Remember, Malaysia is an Islamic country and all that.' Steve smirked.
'I couldn't resist.' Mark cocked his head.
'Keeping up appearances is important in Malaysia. Please be careful. You know I’m concerned about you.'
'You're not my mother.' Mark smiled. 'In Kuala Lumpur as long as I'm discreet, it's fine. Don't worry. Blue Boy in Bukit Bintang is a gay club. The Pavilion shopping centre is gay-friendly. There's more. I'll be fine.'
'It costs nothing to look. Guess you won't get arrested for looking.'
'It's more than looking, Steve.' He had a mischievous look plastered on his face.
'You're joking. Be careful.'
For God's sake. I need you to focus on making sure we control David.
'Where did you find a willing participant? The Blue Boy?'
'Err…. Adam,' Mark said sheepishly.
'You're joking. Prem's brother. Is he gay? Adam. No!'
Shit. Let me think.
'Yep. Oh, so gay.' Mark’s cheeks flushed.
'But…When did you meet?'
'We’ve hooked up a few times. Again, next week.'
Bollocks!
'Mark! Mark!’ Steve shook his head, 'You don't do things by halves. Does your latest boyfriend, err, John know about this?'
'It's Jamie, and yes he knows. Not everything, but yes, he knows. He's sorry he can't be here.'
'Is this a quick fling? Be careful, don't upset him. We don't want to cross Farid, or this Prem.'
'I can't get enough of him. He's keen. So, no problems.'
'Fucking hell, Mark. This is dangerous.'
'Don't worry, Steve.'
I should ship him back to the UK.
Steve’s heart rate kicked up a notch. He was feeling dizzy, and overwhelmed.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Tuesday 7th April
STEVE ARRIVED TO MEET with Prem Jothi, at the address on the business card Prem had given him. It was a small office on the second floor of an old shophouse near Chinatown. The room housed various types of chairs, randomly positioned across the wooden floorboards. A single large fan circulated the air. Prem sat on a leather Chesterfield chair, flanked by a large man who seemed to collect tattoos. Another man, tiny in stature, stood motionless as he looked out of the shutters. The windows overlooked a red pagoda roof entrance to the bustling and crowded Petaling Street. The room was filled with the sounds of horns blaring, and engines revving. Steve felt uneasy at the sight of tattoo man, who watched his every move.
Prem shook Steve's hand and pointed to another leather chair. 'Take a seat, Steve. Oolong tea?'
'Yes, please. Thank you.'
Prem nodded to tattoo man, who left the room and returned with a tray containing a pot of tea and cups. He laid them out on the table. Steve thought it funny seeing the huge man daintily serve the tea. He smiled to himself; Mark would find tattoo man attractive.
Prem sat back in the chair and crossed his legs. 'Farid has great admiration for you, and I trust his judgement.'
'Thank you.' Steve smiled.
'He likes your team and you have a good family. Elizabeth.' Prem nodded. 'David and Patricia. Glen and Alice. And Mark yet to find his wonderful wife.’ He smiled.
Steve nodded. He thought it odd that Prem would mention Beth and the other wives.
'Farid and I have known each other since we were children. We met at school when we were five years old. We are like brothers.'
'That's great.'
'Farid and I even began our graduate education together at the University of Malaya. It is Malaysia's oldest university. I graduated with a degree in International Business Studies and started my first distribution company at the age of twenty-two. Then I started a Malaysian company in the media industry. Three years later I founded a new group, specialising in commercial services. I have a strong influence at the ministerial federal level and international partnership, in many areas of business.'
Steve figured Prem wanted to impress him, so played along with the monologue.
'Thank you. Very impressive, Prem.'
'Yes, I carry influence with the Malaysian government ministers, major companies here in Kuala Lumpur and banks, including Bank Negara. I can help you, Steve.'
'Wow, great. We can use our success with Q7 as a p
latform to persuade other companies to adopt our secure payment solution in Asia. It would be fantastic to get Bank Negara to adopt our solution.'
'If they declare policy, then every bank in Malaysia has to do the same. My close friends are ministerial officials with direct responsibilities for the banks in Malaysia. Let me make a few calls,’ Prem said.
Promising, if he can open a few doors for us.
'Excellent. I'll send you our information,’ Steve said
'No, I have the basic information. I will arrange the introductions for you. Happy to help you my friend.'
'Do you want to sign an agreement with us?'
'No, we help each other. I am sure we can call on you.'
Steve was happy to have Prem as a prominent figure supporting them; combined with the Q7 success this could open several new opportunities and grow the business. He felt a little uneasy; could not understand why Prem wanted nothing in return and wondered what he was after. He was also troubled by what “call on you” meant.
'OK Prem, let me know if Seguro can help?'
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Saturday 11th April
DAVID SAT AT HIS desk, reading a document on his MacBook. Lola was curled up next to his chair. He heard Trish calling from upstairs.
'Shit. Is that the time already?' He patted his dog on the head and stood up. 'Better get ready, Lola.' He walked into the kitchen, grabbed an apple out of the fruit bowl, tossed it into the air, caught it, and strolled into the lounge.
He watched Trish come down the stairs, carrying her coat. 'Come on, David. What are you doing? I'm ready.'
'Fine. It'll take me ten minutes, that's all.' He took a bite out of the apple and sat down. Trish brushed her coat.
'Listen.' David scrunched his face into its serious look. 'I've found a problem with our customer in Malaysia.' He watched Trish put her coat on the banister and walk back into the room.
