“You say that the focus of this report of yours is on one company in particular.” she said.
“That's right.” I replied.
“And that company is?”
“The company involved in the export of the ivory is Imperial Dragon Trading,” I said, “owned by the millionaire Chinese businessman Charles Tang.”
She nodded to herself and then turned to stare out of the left passenger window in silence. The tension was palpable and I could have cut the atmosphere with a knife.
“Gabby I.”
She held her right hand up and stopped me speaking.
“Just a minute Jason,” she said. “I need to just take this all in for a minute.”
“Sure.” I replied.
I felt a wave of relief wash over me at the fact that I had finally told her my true story. I knew everything was now out in the open and the dirty washing had been cleaned and hung out to dry. It's done Green. Everything has been told. Now you can move on with a clear conscience. Gabby remained silent and starred out of the window as we drove through the industrial area of Ceramica. It was some minutes before she spoke.
“I don't fucking believe it,” she said shaking her head.
“It's true Gabby,” I said.
“Oh, I know it's true Jason,” she said raising her voice, “I know it's fucking true. What I can't believe is you! All along you've had an agenda here. A very serious agenda at that. I've been diligently working on this logging story for months now and you waltz in and lie to me saying you were involved in an accident in Zimbabwe and you had come to Beira to chill out...”
“Gabby,” I said. “What I said wasn't untrue...I have been wanting to tell you about this for ages, the real reason I am here, I just hadn't found the right opportunity until now.”
Gradually I saw the fiery Italian temper build in her. As she spoke, she began to gesticulate with her hands in exasperation.
“We have been talking for over a week Jason! Jesus Christ! We've just been on holiday for four nights together and only now do you decide to actually be honest with me! I can't fucking believe it!” she yelled.
“Gabby.” I said. “Your reason for being here is as important as mine. I had no idea who you were or what you were doing here when I met you. It just happened to turn out that our reasons for being here are actually linked. It's crazy I know but I had no control over that. I had absolutely no idea. I'm sorry.”
There was no doubt she was incandescent with anger and I decided to shut my mouth for a while. By then we were approaching the slums on the outskirts of the city of Beira.
“Jason,” she said quietly “I would appreciate it if you would drop me at home.”
“Gabby I,” I said before she interrupted me.
“Please Jason,” she said with finality holding up her right hand, “I'm tired, I have work to do and quite frankly I need to be alone to get my head around all of this.”
“Okay,” I said, “of course I'll drop you at home.”
From there on we drove in an uncomfortable silence until I took the right turn and entered the filth and chaos of the suburb of Manga. So late in the afternoon, the pedestrian traffic was heavy and I found it infuriatingly slow after the speed of the motorway. The atmosphere in the cab did nothing to improve the situation either. Eventually we passed the fish shop and I took the right turn into the road that led to Gabby's house. I pulled up to the gate, turned the engine off and got out to help her with her bags. At that moment the guard opened the gate and walked up to assist as well. Gabby handed him the cooler and told him to take it into the house. I reached into the back seat and grabbed her bag which she immediately took from me. It was clear she wanted to be left at the gate and needed no help.
“Thanks.” she said quietly as she walked towards the gate.
“Gabby...” I called after her in desperation “The world brought us together. Can you see that?”
She stopped in her tracks and turned to face me.
“Ya,” she said nodding “I can see that.”
It was obvious she was upset but for a split second I saw some kind of understanding in her eyes. It was as if she knew I was right. She turned and walked down the driveway and into the lush tropical garden. Leave her for a while Green. The news must have come as a big shock. Give her a bit of time and she will come around. You did the right thing. The drive out of Manga and through the city to Macuti was painfully slow and I lost my temper on more than a few occasions with the traffic.
Eventually I arrived at the coastal road and drove up to my hotel. I parked the vehicle, grabbed my bags and took the walk to my villa. The humidity, of the late afternoon was oppressive and I was sweating by the time I opened the back door. I tossed my bag on to a chair, turned the television on and slumped on to the couch. I spent the next hour flicking through channels and watching repeats on the news. Bored and frustrated I walked on to the verandah to smoke a cigarette. My melancholy was aggravated by the low clouds that hung over the sea and blocked the evening view. Feeling hungry I began to weigh up my options for dinner. Either way I would be eating alone and the only two places I knew of were the yacht club and Charlie's. I crushed out the cigarette and headed inside for a shower. It was 7.15 and dark outside when I had dressed and was ready to leave. I picked up my keys and walked to the back door of the villa. It was then I noticed the glossy flyer on the tiled floor. Someone had obviously just done a mail drop as I had not noticed it when I arrived. I picked it up and had a look.
The flyer was in Portuguese on one side and English on the other and was advertising a pizza delivery service in Beira. Fuck it Green. Order in. You're in no mood for company and probably tired as well. Get a pizza delivered and relax. With my mind made up I walked back into the lounge, sat down and called the number on the flyer. It was answered immediately and the person on the phone spoke fluent English as well. I made the order, gave them the address and hung up. It was then I noticed Gabby's number on my phone. I stared at it for a while, wondering whether to send her a message or not. I toyed with the idea for a minute before I decided it would be wise to rather leave her alone for the night. With my mind made up I opened my laptop, checked my emails and browsed the news sites.
The pizza arrived forty minutes later and I tipped the driver who was accompanied to my door by the security guard from the hotel. I spent the next three hours channel hopping on the television and browsing the drone footage and photographs from the island. There was one photograph in particular that I found to be exceptional. I had taken it on arrival at the island and it featured Gabby standing ankle deep in the water next to the dhow 'Celeste'. The contrast in colours with the bright yellow painted boat, the pure white sand, the turquoise water and the extremely photogenic Gabby was a firm favourite of mine and I set it as the screen saver on my computer. It was 11.30 pm. when I fell asleep briefly on the couch. I awoke feeling annoyed and decided to have a last cigarette before turning in for the night. Great clouds of warm damp mist rolled in from the sea and I could barely see the street from where I stood on the veranda. Ten minutes later I lay down in the bed and closed my eyes. That night I dreamed of our time on the island and the happiness we had shared. Flashing images of the laughter and the music and the swimming in our secluded lagoon. But like the trip to the island, my dream came to end only to be replaced by a re-run of the bizarre, unsettling dream I had before. Gabriella Bonjiovanni was running in terror through the streets of some gloomy dystopian city. Chasing her from behind was a giant, grotesque, fire breathing dragon. I tried to move, to call after her to warn her, but I was unable to and as much as I tried, my voice made no sound at all. Despite the dream I awoke at 6.45 pm. the next day feeling refreshed and upbeat. After a long shower I walked downstairs to make a cup of coffee and have a cigarette. Gone was the oppressive heat and misty humidity of the previous night and the horizon on the sea was clearly visible in the early morning sun. After watching the news headlines and checking my emails I took a leisurely walk up to
the restaurant for breakfast. The morning was cool and the staff were cheerful at the buffet. After eating I ordered a coffee, sat down and lit a cigarette. My thoughts went to Gabby and I began to browse my phone for florists in Beira. I smiled to myself as I imagined her reaction to finding me at her gate clutching a bunch of roses. You'd probably get a slap Green but hey, why not? It was then I noticed the two men arrive. One of them was tall, thin and very scruffy with wild unkempt hair and a beard to match. He had the dark complexion and hooked aquiline nose of a continental European. The other man was much shorter and smartly dressed, with short cropped blonde hair and rimless spectacles. Both men appeared flustered and impatient as they spoke to one of the members of staff behind the bain-marie.
I put them out of my mind and went back to browsing my phone. It was then, out of the corner of my eye, that I saw the staff member point me out and the two men approached me.
“Sorry to disturb you” said the shorter man in a German accent “are you Mr Jason Green?”
“I am,” I replied, “what can I do for you?”
“Oh, thank God,” said the visibly relieved man. “We are looking for Gabby. She is our colleague, we work with her. Where is she?”
“What are you talking about?” I said feeling annoyed “I dropped her at her house in Manga just after 5.00 pm. yesterday.”
“Yes.” said the man as a frown formed on his forehead “She came to see us next door at about 6.30 and told us what a wonderful time she had. She was very happy.”
“And...?” I said
“Well, the guard said she went out again at around 7.00 pm,” he said, “and she hasn't returned.”
Chapter 20: Dark Horizons
“I THINK WE BETTER GO and discuss this in my villa,” I said.
The two men followed me down the path through the garden to the back of the villa. I opened the door and showed them into the lounge before formally introducing myself and learning their names. The tall scruffy man's same was Alec while the shorter German man was Klaus. Both of them showed me their press cards before taking a seat.
“You say she went out at around 7.00 pm.?”
“Yes,” said Klaus “The guard wasn't a hundred percent certain, but he said right around 7.00.”
“And she used which vehicle?” I asked.
“Her Land Rover,” said Alec in a Spanish accent.
“Well,” I said, “that vehicle is a piece of shit. It's broken down a few times hasn't it?”
“Yes, it has,” said Klaus. “But she is pretty good at getting it running again.”
“Another thing,” said Alec. “She was last online at 11.00 pm last night.”
I picked up my phone and looked at her details. He was right.
“Last seen at 11.04 pm.” I said. “There is obviously a perfectly innocent explanation for this. I'm assuming the vehicle broke down and she took a hotel. She more than likely forgot her ‘phone charger and this would explain why she is offline.”
“Yes,” said Klaus. “But this is most unlike Gabriella. We've worked together as a team for three years now. It's most unusual.”
“Well,” I said, “I suggest we go to Charlie's right away as I'm assuming that's where she went. You follow me in your vehicle, okay?”
“Sure,” said Klaus.
“Right,” I said as I grabbed my keys and bag. “Let's go.”
I locked the door and the two men followed me up to the car park. I reversed, engaged first gear and nodded at them in their vehicle as I approached the gate. The road was quiet as I took the right turn for the short drive down the beach road to Charlie's. I wouldn't worry about it Green. There's obviously a perfectly good reason. More than likely that fucking Land Rover. She'll be in a hotel. I pulled into the deserted car park in a cloud of dust and waited for the two to arrive. They arrived soon after and parked near the Bougainvillea bush.
“The place looks empty,” I said as they followed me up the path towards the restaurant.
“Maybe too early?” said Alec behind me.
We rounded the corner to find a guard sitting at one of the outside tables drinking tea. Clearly surprised to see us he stood up immediately and began answering questions in Portuguese from Alec. I stood waiting impatiently as they spoke.
“Charlie and the rest of the staff arrive at 10.00 am,” said Alec eventually.
“Do you have his phone number?” I asked.
Alec got the number from the guard and I typed it into my phone and saved it.
“Well,” I said to the two men, “it's only an hour till they arrive. I suggest we meet back here then.”
“Yes,” said Klaus. “We can do that.”
We exchanged and saved each other’s phone numbers.
“Right,” I said as I turned and made my way back down the path, “see you then.”
I lit a cigarette as I started and reversed the vehicle. Now then. Which route would Gabby use to get here? I decided she would more than likely use the most direct route through the city. I headed off driving slowly and looking down alley ways and side roads as I drove. At each stop I checked my phone to see if she had come back online. The early morning traffic was easier than usual and before long I was through the city and on the motorway heading for the Manga turn off. There was no sign at all of the old Land Rover. By the time I reached the fish shop in Manga I decided there was no point in continuing and I pulled up on the side of the road to try to call her number. The call went straight to voice mail and I heard her voice.
“Hi this is Gabriella, I'm not able to take your call right now but leave a message and I'll get back to you.”
“Fuck,” I said under my breath as I reversed and headed back towards the motorway.
I glanced at my watch to see it was 9.35 pm. Head back to Charlie's, Green. Go talk to him. I kept my eyes peeled on the way back as I had done before. There was no sign of the Land Rover. I kept glanced at my phone, willing it to ring, but to no avail. The city traffic had become congested and it was 10.05 pm. by the time I pulled in to the car park. The waiters had arrived for the day and were preparing the outside tables as I walked in. Charlie sat in his usual spot near the bar drinking coffee and watching tennis on the television. He turned and smiled pleasantly as I walked in.
“Oh, hello Jason,” he said casually.
“Morning Charlie,” I said. “Have you seen Gabby?”
“Gabby?” he said with a frown “She was here last night. Was telling me about your trip and how good it was. Why do you ask?”
“She's missing,” I said. “Her crew came to my hotel this morning looking for her. I dropped her off at her house just after 5.00 yesterday.”
Charlie frowned and looked down at his coffee.
“Must be her vehicle,” he said. “It's always breaking down.”
“Yes,” I said, “That's what I thought. What time did she leave?”
“I can tell you exactly what time she left,” he said.
Charlie spoke to the barman in Portuguese who promptly handed him a stack of till slips from the previous night.
“Now then,” he said as he browsed through them, “yes. This is it. She paid her bill at exactly 10.54 pm. using cash and then she left. I remember it clearly because we spent the whole night chatting and I wanted to pay for her pizza. She refused.”
“So, you were with her the whole evening?” I asked.
“Yes,” he said, “we had a great laugh.”
“And nothing unusual happened?” I said.
“Not at all,” he replied thoughtfully. “Well, apart from a bit of a run in with those two Chinese blokes.”
Suddenly, despite the growing heat and humidity, I felt a cold chill run through my bones. Keeping it to myself I nodded in understanding as Alec and Klaus walked in.
“Any news?” I asked them.
“No,” said Alec “Still nothing. Her phone goes straight to voice mail.”
The four of us sat for five minutes discussing the situation. I explained the fact that Ch
arlie had the exact time she had left recorded on the till slip and that he was the last person to see her. Charlie told us that he had locked up and left at around 11.20 pm. and had turned left down the beach road towards his house.
“And you saw nothing at all on your way home?” I asked.
“No,” he replied “Not a thing. But it was very misty last night.”
“I think maybe we should report this to the police now,” said Klaus in his German accent.
“No,” I said. “It's too early for that. I think we all go looking for now and we wait for her to call one of us. When she does, we all let each other know immediately. If we don't have a result by say 2.00 pm. we all meet and take it from there.”
“Ya,” said Charlie. “That sounds good. We don't want to involve the police and to be perfectly honest they're pretty useless anyway.”
It was decided that we would all go out searching individually and if she was not found, or not turned up by 2.00 pm we would meet again at the Yacht Club.
For the next three hours I drove the streets of the city incessantly. From the filthy back alleys of the rotten skyscrapers to the sprawling port and the nearby industrial sites. Every fifteen minutes I stopped to call Gabby's number but every time it went back to the infuriating voice mail.
Twice I received phone calls from Alec and every time the phone rang my heart jumped in my chest anticipating some good news. It turned out he was simply checking if I had heard anything to which I reminded him that I would call immediately if I did. The feeling of dread I had sensed when Charlie had told me of her confrontation with the men from Imperial Dragon would not leave me either. Time and time again I tried to put it out of my mind as a normal occurrence. After all I had witnessed the same the very first night, I had met her. She's a tough one Green. She can certainly look after herself. You know that. It was exactly 2.00 pm. when I pulled into the car park of the Yacht Club and parked. I walked in to find Charlie, Alec, Klaus and another older man I didn't recognize huddled around a table talking quietly amongst themselves. My chair scraped on the tiled floor as I pulled it out and sat down. The man was quickly introduced as Rodrigo, a local fixer. Fluent in Portuguese and well connected in Mozambique, he had worked with visiting television crews and journalists for over twenty years. All of the men spoke in English in hushed tones with worried expressions. We dismissed the waiter and discussed the situation for ten minutes.
The Jason Green series Box Set Page 63
