THE BROTHERHOOD (11 page)

‘I have another copy back at the motel.’ Aazim wasn’t sure if he should have kept that to himself, just in case.

‘Good. Do you have a printout of the account names? I’ll take it with me and run a few checks.’

‘No, but you can take the laptop. I have another copy on a flash disk.’ Aazim looked dazed. He felt like he was in some horrible nightmare. It was so surreal and he was still trying to grasp the enormity of what Bill had told him.

‘Listen, mate, it’s going to be all right. You’ve done the right thing getting this information. A lot of lives will be saved if we get these guys, but keep in mind they’re a nasty bunch and will stop at nothing to protect their secret. They’ll kill for it – as you’ve already seen.’ Bill was trying to reassure the clearly shaken young man but Aazim didn’t find his words comforting.

A waiter came to serve them, but neither felt like eating so they just ordered a couple of beers, Aazim putting his religious beliefs about alcohol aside. Both men needed a break and some time to digest what they’d learned from each other. One round of beers went to a second and then a third. Going over the data several times was imperative. There could be no doubt of the evidence confirming illegal activities, but as the alcohol took hold, keeping focused became tougher. Eventually Bill lightened the mood of the conversation.

‘Tell me about yourself, Aazim. Do you have a girlfriend or someone special in your life?’

Aazim welcomed the change of topic and moved the laptop aside. ‘Nope. I’ve been preoccupied with work and I haven’t been in a social mood for some time.’

‘I wish I was at your age, with this mind though,’ Bill said, pointing at his head and smiling wistfully.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Let’s just say I miss being young. Opportunities are far less frequent as you get older and you just become less tolerant.’ Bill’s smile faded and he skolled his beer.

‘A bad relationship?’ Aazim asked tentatively.

‘You could say that,’ Bill replied. His mind wandered to his ex-wife. ‘I’m no angel myself and with my job it was never going to work.’

‘I was seeing a girl for a few years back in my uni days,’ Aazim reflected. ‘We had fun and we were really into each other. She was Australian and a Catholic, so when her friends and parents found out I was a Muslim everything changed. She became distant and eventually our relationship ended.’

‘That’s too bad. Probably for the best anyway.’

‘Why? We never argued, we shared the same interests and in the end it all ended because of religion.’ Aazim was getting tipsy and the memories of his past love came pouring out. Memories he’d suppressed for years.

‘We live in a world of fear, Aazim. People are scared of what they don’t understand, and Christian Australia finds your religion … How can I put this? Confronting.’

‘Her parents had that kind of belligerent attitude. It’s what broke up our relationship. It’s that kind of narrow-minded bullshit that creates problems for us Muslims,’ Aazim flared. Bill had hit a nerve.

‘You can’t change their reasoning overnight,’ Bill said gently. ‘It’s embedded in their mindset no matter how sophisticated they appear. Their family thinks that way, their friends think that way and that’s how it’s always been. European migrants went through this years ago. People fear a way of life that’s different to theirs. You can try to make them understand but some people just don’t want to understand. The unfortunate thing is, politicians and the media are exploiting that fear and the stuff that shocks us is what creates headlines.’

‘We’re under a microscope, Bill. Every time a bomb goes off somewhere in the Middle East it’s “those bloody Muslims again”. And every time some backward mufti claiming to speak on behalf of all Muslims makes a lunatic statement it’s seen as a view we all share. I didn’t care what religion she was, I had respect for her and I didn’t want to change anything about her.’

‘Did you ever talk it over?’

‘I tried but she was great at avoiding confrontation and wouldn’t admit to anything. When you love someone religion shouldn’t be such a problem. You discuss it and you resolve it. It shouldn’t have mattered what her friends or parents thought.’ Frustrated and light-headed, Aazim rapped his fingers on the table.

‘I’d hate to say it but maybe she just wasn’t into you,’ Bill said, grinning. He thought of his ex-wife and wondered if she’d ever really loved him. ‘Let’s change the subject,’ he said.

‘Okay, let’s talk about tomorrow.’

It was well past two in the morning and people were starting to come in from nightclub venues. A young couple in particular stood out, looking like death itself, each with bloodshot eyes squinting at the bright lights. The girl’s makeup was ruined and her skirt was riding up a little high, drawing attention from the restaurant crowd. She was trying to keep her staggering partner steady, tucking in his shirt and telling him to keep quiet.

‘At midday I want you to call Sam and tell him you’re ready to negotiate a deal,’ Bill said. ‘Tell him you’ll hand over the databases and give assurance that you’ll disappear for good once he pays you. Drop in a threat of a media leak for good measure, just so he realises you’re serious. Tell him to meet you tomorrow at midnight at your motel room.’ Bill spoke slowly and precisely, making sure every word was sinking in.

‘What? No way am I meeting him,’ Aazim protested.

‘You have to do it and do it soon or he’ll get suspicious and go underground. All this will be for nothing and both you and your father will still be in danger,’ Bill explained.

Aazim could see no other way out and nodded reluctantly at the mention of his father.

Bill continued. ‘He wants me to make the exchange but you must insist on his presence. Nothing will happen to you, Aazim, I promise. We’ll arrest him as soon as he shows up.’ Mentally Bill staged the plan as he would have if he’d been back in his unit, but in reality it all depended on Janelle. She would be the one organising the bust; he was just preparing the field. ‘We’ll talk again tomorrow. You go by the front and I’ll take the back exit. I’ll fix the bill.’

Bill grabbed the laptop and placed a few notes on the table. They left through separate exits.

Chapter 13

After their meeting Bill returned to his office and spent most of the night meticulously checking up on the Oracle accounts, printing out the company details from the laptop, messaging old work contacts and fishing for any scrap of information he could find on The Brotherhood. In the early morning he finally took a shower and threw himself on the couch.

He tried to sleep but couldn’t. He didn’t feel good. His body began to shake and there was a cold chill in his chest. Suddenly the coughing started, slowly at first and then building up violently till his face turned red and the veins in his neck bulged. During one episode of calm he grabbed a scotch bottle and drank himself to sleep on the couch. As usual.

A knock on the door woke him up and once again he whacked his head on the light fixture. ‘Come in, it’s open,’ he said groggily.

The click-clack of high heels on the hardwood floor drew his attention. ‘Janelle Sheldon, what are you doing here?’ Bill realised he was still holding the bottle. Embarrassed, he placed it in his desk drawer.

‘Is that how you greet your old friends?’

‘Ah … come in, take a seat, I’ll just scrub up.’ He scurried into the bathroom and splashed his face with cold water. Looking into the mirror he saw a tired face staring back. He tried to recall if he’d asked Janelle to come over, which he had planned to do.

‘I’ve never been to your office before,’ Janelle called out. She looked around and smiled at the mess. Same old slob, she thought. Pizza boxes, scraps of paper, dusty books piled up in a corner.

‘It’s not much to look at.’ He came back in the room wiping his face and neck with a stained towel. They both stood for a moment and took a good look at each other.

‘Wow, you look great,’ he said. It was an understatement. Her dark curly hair was tied up in a bun and she wore thin stylish glasses that complemented her sharp hazel eyes.

‘And you look like you need a holiday,’ she replied, giving him a cheeky smile.

‘What I need is breakfast. Want a stiff one?’ He grabbed the scotch bottle and tilted it towards her.

‘No thanks, it’s too early for me.’

Bill had almost forgotten how good she looked in a tailored business suit that stylishly defined her womanly figure. With an air of elegance and professionalism, she walked around his office as if examining a crime scene. While some women piled on clothes to divert attention from the gawking eyes of co-workers, Janelle took the opposite approach. She used her good looks to her advantage; it was her way of getting attention but she made sure they knew who was in charge.

‘So you live here now?’ she asked, eyebrow arched.

‘Practically. You like it? Just needs a womanly touch, don’t you think?’

‘Maybe you should get your mum to clean it up.’ She moved one of the pizza boxes and sat on a chair, crossed her legs and allowed her skirt to ride up her stockinged thighs.

‘I was thinking about someone younger, someone sexy and modern,’ Bill said.

‘Then find yourself a twenty year old, but from what I see I don’t think you’ll have much luck.’ Flirting was in the nature of their friendship but mutual respect never allowed them to cross the line.

‘Playing hard to get, Janelle? Even now that I’m single?’

‘You’re just too easy for me, Bill. I need a challenge, not a toy.’

‘You say the sexiest things.’

‘Down, boy. Take a cold shower and put the flames out. Your pheromones are choking me.’

‘Smartarse,’ Bill laughed. ‘So, what brings you here?’ He realised that his initial phone call must have raised some serious questions for Janelle to come in person.

‘Right. I did a bit of digging on this Saeed character. I wired his profile to a few of our friendly agencies and they sent me some interesting info. It seems he worked for an accounting company in east London by the name of UK Accounting Partners.’

Bill lit his first cigarette of the day and offered her one.

‘No, thanks,’ she said. ‘Three years ago they were shut down and two employees were arrested for links to a terrorist group. The suspects were in contact with the Algiers Freedom Fighters. Evidence shows they provided financial aid for the purchase of explosives, which was later used by the AFF in a failed assassination attempt of a hard-line Algerian general.’

‘So why wasn’t Saeed picked up?’

‘There wasn’t enough evidence to pin on him. He left for Germany just before the bust. The Germans didn’t think he was worth chasing and from that point on no one knows what he’s been up to.’

‘What else?’ Bill took a large gulp of the cheap scotch without wincing.

‘We have nothing on him and now we find out he’s been working in Melbourne. On top of that, you tell me he’s your client.’

‘Yeah, well, you know how this client confidentiality thing works, Janelle.’

‘Don’t give me that shit. Now spill it.’

‘Have you heard of The Brotherhood for Justice?’

‘Yeah, a terrorist fund group. They’re somewhat of an enigma. We didn’t believe they really existed until the arrests in London.’

‘They exist and he’s not just a member. He could be responsible for a major part of the money flow. Another name for you is Rami, a messenger.’

Janelle took out her notepad and scribbled hastily. Bill’s office looked like a condemned site and he was behaving like an active agent. She didn’t know what to make of it but knew better than to doubt him.

‘I have a lot more you’ll find interesting,’ he said. He grabbed the printouts and handed them to Janelle, aware that his laptop was locked away in the office safe. ‘I smelled something foul with this job so I managed to get in touch with Aazim, the guy Sam’s claiming has stolen valuable data from them.’

‘Sam?’

‘That’s what they call Saeed.’

‘A bit unorthodox for a PI, don’t you think?’ She grabbed the pile of printouts and flicked through the pages.

‘I’m still learning the rules. Anyway, Aazim had no intention of blackmailing Aust Global Fund. He wants to blow the whistle on these guys but they’ve got him scared shitless after he found his apartment trashed and a dead neighbour in his bedroom.’

She raised her eyebrows. ‘So what exactly am I looking at here?’

‘It’s a list of financial accounts from Aust Global Fund. Aazim downloaded it and he’s been in hiding ever since. These guys are using the SWIFT system for money laundering and they’re well connected.’ Bill sat next to her and pointed out how the scheme operated in detail.

‘Whoa! This list contains major banks. The Colonial Bank of Australia, UK National Bank and US banks. I never knew Americans were linked with SWIFT.’

‘They have a partnership with the bigger ones and the EU is a major US trading partner.’

‘I’m sure we’ve picked this up. There’s got to be something on it – the US has been probing banks for years.’

‘Not entirely true,’ Bill said. ‘They probe financial records from a vast international database, mostly initiated by legislation brought in after nine-eleven, which gave their agencies power to pursue anyone suspicious of funding terrorists. Most international banks affiliated with US businesses on American soil are subject to this law, except SWIFT.’ Bill stubbed out his cigarette and took out another one while Janelle listened intently. ‘In fact, the treasury reiterated the exemption of SWIFT from American laws, and restricted government agencies from accessing private financial records of their clients.’

‘Yeah, I remember reading something about that but it didn’t make big news at the time.’ Janelle shifted in the lopsided chair to a more comfortable position. ‘What was their reason?’

‘They were considered a messaging system for financial transactions rather than a bank or financial institution. A clever lawyer found a loophole in the legal system.’

‘How do you know all this? You’re not still working for ASIO, are you?’ she joked, but the question sat awkwardly. Her department dealt with this type of information and it bothered her that Bill knew so much.