Michael Ridpath - See No Evil

‘Did you see who fired the shots?’ Calder asked.

‘No,’ said Benton. ‘I ran down the path and then ducked into a maintenance shed. I hid behind some metal roofing material. I heard someone run past, and then a few seconds later I heard him run back. He checked the shed, but didn’t look behind the metal. I waited for about ten minutes and then crept back to the main camp.

‘I never saw her again. I mean her body. The police came and arrested me. They beat me up, tried to get me to confess. Then some big shot showed up and let me go. He said he’d have me killed if I told anyone I had been there.’ He glanced at Cornelius. ‘He meant it.’

Cornelius grunted.

‘Martha’s mother came to see me as soon as I got back to New York,’ Benton continued. ‘I wanted to tell her everything, but, well, I was scared. Scared of the South African police, and scared of you.’

‘I can understand that,’ muttered Cornelius.

‘Surely when you were back in New York you were safe from the South Africans?’ Calder said.

Benton shook his head. ‘The policeman’s name was Colonel Moolman. I will always remember him. He was very convincing. He said that they would get me wherever I was in the world, and I believed him. Especially when Todd was nearly killed after he started asking questions. So when Alex wanted to know about Martha’s letter to her mother and the diary, I wasn’t about to say anything.’

‘Can you tell us about the Laagerbond?’ Calder asked. ‘About Operation Drommedaris?’

‘A bit, but I guess I don’t know much more than you, Cornelius. Martha told me how she had read some papers about the group in a briefcase left in a car by two members who came to see you at Hondehoek. She copied down some details. She thought the Laagerbond were going to fund your bid for the Herald. That fitted with what you had told us at Bloomfield Weiss: that you were considering a new source of funds.’

Cornelius nodded.

‘Martha was very angry. She said she had wanted to do something about it, but she was too scared. I’m not sure why. I assumed it was you she was afraid of.’ Benton glanced at Cornelius, who was listening impassively. ‘I think she wanted to talk to me some more that weekend, but she never got the chance.’

‘Did the Laagerbond fund Zyl News?’ Calder asked. He wanted to make sure.

‘No,’ said Benton. ‘Bloomfield Weiss arranged all the funding from the banks and the high-yield bond market. It was tough, but we did it. As far as I’m aware, the Laagerbond never did finance Zyl News. Although it did cross my mind that that might be why you called me down here.’

‘When I turned them down, they went to Evelyn Gill,’ Cornelius muttered.

‘No!’ Benton’s eyes widened. ‘So that’s where he gets his funding?’

‘We don’t know for sure,’ said Calder. ‘But it fits.’

‘I guess it does,’ said Benton.

‘What about the diary?’ said Calder.

‘It was very important to her. She said it was like her confidante, her friend.’ Benton smiled. ‘In fact, as I was shaving, she said it was the first time she had written in it in the presence of someone else. She said it felt good to be able to trust someone enough not to be secretive about it.’ The smile disappeared as Benton glanced at Cornelius. ‘Sorry.’

‘I knew nothing about any diary until Martha’s mother mentioned it,’ Cornelius said. ‘But I guess that was the point.’

‘Did you read it?’ Calder asked Benton.

‘No, no I never did. I know there was some important stuff in it about the Laagerbond and Operation, what was it, Dromedary?’

‘Drommedaris,’ said Calder.

‘Whatever. And I guess there was a lot about me and about you, Cornelius, and the rest of your family. Besides, I was never going to read it while she was alive.’

‘But after she died?’ Calder asked.

‘I couldn’t.’

‘Why not?’

‘Because I didn’t have it.’

‘I’m sorry. I thought you said you picked it up off the floor and took it with you?’

‘Yes, I did. It was an instinct, I guess. I knew it was important and something told me that the shooting had just made it more important. But I didn’t want to take it with me back to the main camp, and so I hid it. And then, after Moolman’s warnings, I decided to leave it.’

‘Why didn’t you just stuff it in your pocket?’

‘I wasn’t wearing pants. In fact, I wasn’t wearing anything. I think I gave the camp owner quite a fright.’

‘Ah.’ Calder could feel the tension around the table. Benton’s nakedness was a reminder of why he and Martha were at Kupugani in the first place.

‘Where did you hide it?’ growled Cornelius.

‘In the maintenance shed. On a beam under a brick.’

‘Could it still be there?’ Calder asked.

‘I have no idea.’ Benton thought it over. ‘It might be. The shed was full of junk. I had to stand on something to reach the beams, and you can see how tall I am. It’s not the kind of place that got an annual spring clean, and even if it did I doubt anyone would go up into the beams. My guess is, as long as the shed hasn’t been torn down or converted into something else, the diary could still be there.’

Calder and Cornelius exchanged glances.

‘In that case, Benton,’ Cornelius said. ‘You’re coming with us to Kupugani to show us where it is.’

Benton was opening his mouth in protest when a mobile phone rang. Calder knew he had his switched off. It was Cornelius’s.

‘Yes, Edwin... Yes... Yes, I’ve got Benton here with me now... how much?... Nine twenty?... We’ll get back to you.’

He put his phone down, a scowl on his face.

‘Bad news?’ Benton said.

‘Evelyn Gill has just come up with a new offer. Nine hundred and twenty million. Laxton are going to make the announcement at seven tomorrow morning.’

‘Shit,’ said Benton.

Cornelius and Benton shared looks of resignation. ‘There’s no way we can match that, is there?’ Cornelius said.

Benton shook his head. Gloom descended on the table.

Calder broke the silence. ‘Gill’s getting his money from the Laagerbond. If we expose that, his bid crumbles. You win The Times .’

‘He’s right,’ said Benton.

Cornelius glared at Benton. ‘We definitely go to Kupugani this afternoon.’

Cornelius and Benton went up to Cornelius’s suite to make arrangements. Calder returned to his own more modest hotel near by. In his room he switched on his mobile phone. There was a message from Zan asking him to call her, but first he called Anne’s house in Highgate.

Kim answered. Anne was now definitely out of danger, and recovering well. Todd was doing well too, although they still wanted to keep him in hospital under observation. Dr Calder had just taken the kids out to the park.

‘Have you heard any more from Edwin?’ Calder asked.

‘No. But I decided to call his bluff. I phoned Inspector Banks and told her about Donna Snyder visiting Todd. I also told her that Edwin had tried to use the information to blackmail me.’

‘Is she suspicious of you?’

‘I don’t think so. I asked her if she was going to interview Edwin again, and she said probably not, but she sounded frustrated. I told her a little bit about what you had discovered and she told me to wish you luck.’

‘Really?’

‘My guess is that she’s been warned off the van Zyl family and I think she’s pissed off about it.’

Calder told Kim all about Benton and Cornelius and the diary hidden in the game reserve. She sounded pleased, although she wasn’t entirely convinced of Cornelius’s innocence. Calder promised to keep her informed.

Then Calder returned Zan’s call. ‘Zan, it’s Alex.’