The Intern Affair (75 page)

“The next thing you’re going to tell me is that I have the instinct of a killer?” She was a little put out with Samir’s comparison.

“No, I won’t say that, Talya, but you have instincts nevertheless. Now, let’s get things moving, because if we have to get to the next ferry we better get our bags packed and into the limo.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Samir; I mean we don’t need to do any packing right now.  We just need to get to the ferry and bring
Karim
back for tonight’s
reception
, that’s all.”

Samir, who had got to his feet two sentences ago, sat down again. “I guess I should be the one walking three paces behind you.” 

Shut up, Talya!

A moment later, Khumar came back to the table with a broad smile on his face. “
Your Highness
, I have just talked to the consulate’s surveillance office and I’m pleased to report that our M
r.
Karim
has been spotted leaving the hotel.  And the local agent, who tailed him after leaving the airport road, has just reported that he
did
in fact board the ferry for the Isles of Los.”

“Khumar, when we’re back in
Dakar
, we should douse our Lady Sarah with champagne.  What do you think?” 

“Definitely,
Your Highness
. If you permit me to say, Lady Sarah, I’m very glad to be working at your side,” Khumar commented somewhat demurely. 

At these words, they saw
Christian
bounce down the three steps to the restaurant. He was smiling like a Cheshire cat. “Lady Sarah, I’m very happy to report that we have the consulate’s speed launch at our disposal. I took the liberty of waking
Sir Reginald
, asking him to phone Edward Simmons himself, to request permission to use any marine transport he could think of, to get us on the
Island
either a little later or at the same time as the ferry.”

“
Christian,
you’re a genius,” Talya exclaimed, sending him a flying kiss across the table under the astonished gaze of
His Highness
.

“Lady Sarah!”
Christian
burst out, embarrassed. “Please, remember you’re not supposed to do something like that.”

I think I saw him blush!
“I know,
Christian,
but now that I know our prey is trapped—” 

“You’ll have to excuse my fiancée, gentlemen,” Samir interposed, brushing a meaningful glance in Talya’s direction, “since last night’s
fishing
expedition, she can’t contain herself.” Khumar and
Christian
lowered their eyes, smiling discreetly. “But now I think it is high time we’ll be on our way to catch
the big fish.
” Samir rose from the chair once again. 

“Khumar, would you mind putting a change of clothes in the limo? I have an idea that we may have to go swimming again.” 

That stopped both Samir and
Christian
dead in their tracks—they were already walking toward the terrace doors.

“I’ll tell Jimmy right away. Just leave it to me,” Khumar replied, running to the security room where some of their luggage had been stored. Samir and
Christian
turned to her, visibly confused.

“Lady Sarah, I thought I told you that we have a boat waiting for us. You won’t need to go swimming on this occasion, I don’t think,”
Christian
said before Samir could open his mouth.

“I know,
Christian,
and I’m grateful for your initiative. But one has to be prepared for any eventualities, doesn’t one?” she replied in her purest English accent, looking at Samir with a smirk on her face.

“You are impossible!” Samir took her by the arm and led her out of the hotel.

Their cat shook his head, smiled and followed them into the limousine.

126

They found the speed
launch moored at the Conakry Yacht Club fuelled and ready to go. 
Christian
took no time to get it started, and manoeuvred out of the club’s mooring area. Once on the open ocean, Talya noticed that Khumar wasn’t handling the bouncing of the boat over the waves very well. She went to sit beside him. “Put your head between your knees as low as you can get it.”

“I’m sorry…?”

“Just do as I say, Khumar, and you’ll feel better soon.”  He did. 

A few minutes later, he sat up again. “Thank you. You were right I do feel better.”

“Okay, but now you should keep your head down and only looking at the floor boards, not at the horizon around you,” Talya added as she went back to sit beside Samir.

“Where did you learn to do that?”

“Right here. M
r.
Deschamps took us often on school outings to the islands.  It was part of our training.” 

Talya saw Samir cringe at the mere mention of the man’s name. “Please, don’t ever mention that name again. I can’t stand the thought of you having been touched in the way you’ve described yesterday.”

“I’m sorry, but I have forgiven him last night. He’s part of the past and he can’t continue haunting either of us now.”

Samir then repeated the words of Matthew in her ear,
“For ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,”
and smiled.

A half-an-hour later, the first of the three Isles was in sight.  They had made good time but they hadn’t been fast enough, for they saw the ferry from
Conakry
already moored at the pier.  Talya’s heart sank when she thought that
Karim
might have already ta
ken
the milk run to Bubaque—there was only one ferry moored at the pier.

As they were slowing down, Khumar allowed himself to raise his head and looked round to see if they were approaching the isles. When he noticed, as Talya did, that there was only one ferry in sight
, he said, “Don’t worry, Lady Sarah. Our man should be waiting on the pier.” He looked at his watch. “The milk run, as you call it, is not due in port for another hour.”

“Samir, which would you prefer?”
Christian
yelled from over his shoulder. “Shall I go to the pier or alongside the ferry on
its
starboard?”

“Go to the starboard side,
Christian,
and Talya and I are going for a swim.” She looked up at Samir, as he was already taking his clothes off. Khumar shook his head. He understood immediately what they were planning to do. 
Christian,
on the other hand, didn’t. He peeked over his shoulder only to see them getting down to bare minimum.

“Wait a minute, Samir… You’re not doing this…. Khumar, please get this boat off my hands and get us as close as you can to the bow of the ferry will you?” 

Khumar was on his feet and taking the helm before
Christian
finished his sentence. 

“Samir, please don’t…”
Christian
repeated, pleading while taking his shirt and shoes off.

“You know,
Christian,
you’re a wonderful man, but there is one thing you won’t be able to do and that is to handle Talya for me. She is the fish I had to catch yesterday. So you’re very welcome to join us, but don’t expect me to stay on board while she goes swimming after a killer.” 

Talya didn’t say anything. 

The water was much cooler than she remembered.  Yet she was older and out of practice.  Nevertheless, she swam easily and quietly to the underside of the pier.  Overhead, she knew there were benches for the awaiting passengers.  She stopped and waited by one of the pontoons. She was glad for her choice of underwear.  When Talya travelled, she always wore some Lycra slip and bra, which are not only comfortable but also not so transparent when wet. She unclipped the hilt of
Abdullah
’s knife, still attached to her belt, just in case of trouble.

Within seconds, her two companions were beside her. They didn’t speak since they knew that the sound of voices below the pier would attract attention from the people sitting on the benches above them. Talya just pointed to the ladder going up alongside a pontoon to her left and Samir swam to it.  He climbed it silently and when he was at eye-level with the planks, she saw him look to his right then step down quickly.  As he reached
Christian
and Talya, he pointed toward another ladder farther down the pier and closer to the beach.  This time
Christian
went up to have a look.  He came down almost immediately
, nodding and pointing a finger directly above their heads. 

Samir then climbed the ladder and disappeared from sight for a couple of seconds.  The next thing Talya knew,
Karim
was flying over them to take a plunge into the water and in
Christian
’s reach.  He grabbed him in a headlock as soon as he surfaced.  Samir dove beside Talya under the astonished gazes of the people on the pier. They had just witnessed
the abduction of a killer
.

When Talya saw that
Karim
was struggling out of control and liable to drown both
Christian
and himself, she went under the water surface, unclipped
Karim
’s waist belt, and tied it around his legs with Samir’s help—he was holding the man’s legs together.

They dragged M
r.
A
bdul
Karim
on board of the launch to the awaiting nozzle of Khumar’s gun.  He smiled and said, “Welcome aboard, M
r.
Karim
, we’ve been expecting you.” 

“You . . . you people can’t . . . you can’t . . . they’re going to kill us all . . .”
Karim
blurted when he regained his speech after coughing up the water
Christian
had forced him to drink when he had been fighting to escape his grasp.

Christian
threw a towel over his shoulder and took the helm.  Samir and Talya waited until their swim suits were practically dry to put on clothes, which didn’t take long under the hot African sun. Khumar, whom the bouncing of the boat didn’t seem to bother anymore, kept his gun pointed at their friend.

“M
r.
Karim
, I think I owe you an apology,” Talya began, once she had unclipped the belt from around
Karim
’s legs. She was dressed and sitting at
Samir’s side. “You see, ever since I came to
Mali
you’ve been forced to run away from me. That’s been going on for months now
, and for that I apologize. However, one thing for which I won’t apologize is the pleasure of seeing you squirm at my feet. You are where you belong, M
r.
Karim
—at my feet!”

Karim
started laughing. “You know,
Ms. Gilmore
, your feet are that which gave you away, that and your bandaged hand. You don’t have the feet of an Arab woman, no matter how much suntan cream you put on
them
.”

“I’m glad you’re finding some amusement this morning, M
r.
Karim
, because it’s going to be your last on this earth,” Talya said, sneering. 

Karim
’s facial expression changed.  He knew Talya had meant what she had said.

“
Ms. Gilmore
, you can’t do this. I told you if I go down, the lot of you will go down with me.”

“You have underestimated me once before, M
r.
Karim
, and it only got you at my feet today.”

He laughed again. He was sitting on the floor of the boat resting his back on his
forearms
. Talya looked at him in disgust. 

“You’re unbelievable,
Ms. Gilmore
.  If you think you can play the big boys’ game and get away with it, you’re sadly mista
ken
.  M
r.
Charos
has only crushed your hand this time, but let me assure you that he won’t die until he’s crushed the rest of your lovely body, you miserable bitch.”

That comment had been too much for Samir.  He jumped from his seat and saddled the traitor with his knife at his throat while Khumar swiftly went to squat opposite Samir. He had the nozzle of his gun planted firmly on the top of
Karim
’s head.

“
Your Highness
, please don’t. Not here. Remember the
reception
tonight.”

“I guess you’re right, Khumar.” Samir took a deep breath and stood up. Looking down at
Karim
, he added, “Would you gag him please? I will not stand to hear another word coming out of this snake’s mouth.”