Hostile Takeover

Chapter Ten

Nolan was half-asleep when he heard a knock. At first, he thought it was a dream. He slid off the couch and hurried to the front door.

‘Patra?’

‘Hey Nolan,’ she said, walking past him and went and sat down in the small lounge like it was her apartment.

‘Sleeping at 5pm?’ she asked.

‘Just trying to rest up a bit,’ he said, closing the front door and went and sat opposite her.

‘Everything okay?’ he posed.

‘Things are very far from okay Nol, but once you tell me what I need to know I will feel better.’ She replied.

‘Patra, I told you to talk to Arista, not me. I don’t know anything.’

‘Like hell you don’t. I saw Arista. He said, I should talk to you, so don’t start playing with me like I’m some little naïve kid. What is a red herring?’

Veins were popping out of her neck and forehead.

‘He told you that?’ Nolan asked.

‘Yes, he did.’

He heaved forward and sighed.

‘Need anything? A drink perhaps?’ he asked.

‘Does it come in a cup of truth?’ she teased.

‘Give me a second.’

Nolan stood and strolled to the kitchenette and returned with two glasses of juice. He handed one to her.

‘So …’ she said after taking a sip.

Nolan eyed her, she wasn’t in a kidding mood.

‘So, Arista sent me a text like I explained in court. I went to meet him, and we caught up just like I explained in court,’ he said.

‘Don’t test me, Nolan,’ she said, glaring.

‘Chill out.’ He reassured.

‘He told me about this plan, to rob The Noisiv, whilst shining a beam of light on their unethical schemes; said he wanted to help those in a similar predicament to his, make the company pay … but this plan is not the one that was narrated in court.’ He said.

‘Okay, and then what?’ she asked curiously.

‘I told him we wouldn’t be able to pull it off, and if, by some miracle, we did, we wouldn’t be able to live free again, told him we would be on the run, constantly, or imprisoned for many years.’

‘And he told me that he would be caught instead. He said the only way it would work is if he was caught and actually went to prison; he was counting on it.’

‘What?’

‘I know, that was my reaction exactly, then he explained the plan. Told me the success of the entire plan rested on one constant.’

‘Which was what?’ she asked when Nolan paused.

‘Me,’ he replied.

‘He led me to the bushes; said he went fishing and caught a red herring. But he wasn’t referring to the actual fish, he was referring to the fallacy it represents … his red herring was counterfeit money.’

‘The fake money you took to the bank, and he had to steal back?’ she asked.

‘The fake money never saw the inside of the Bank Patra, I never took it in, and Arista never stole it back.’ Nolan replied.

‘What are you saying?’ she asked shockingly.

‘The opening of the safe deposit box was just an alibi, a cover for court. When I went the previous day, all I took with me were copies of some books.’

‘When Arista went in the following morning, he went into the vault and took out real money, not fakes; real money.’

‘But … he was caught and the money, the money was fake.’ She said, still confused.

‘That’s where the red herring was introduced. When he left the bank, I was waiting at the corner of the block outside, with an identical bag containing the counterfeit A.K.A. red herring. Soon as he left the bank running, I darted towards him pretending not to look where I was going; all for show, and bumped into him. We made it seem accidental.’

‘But it was an exchange … he took the bag with the counterfeit and I took the one with the real money.’

Patra sat bewildered, both her hands on her knees, her mouth hanging open.

‘No one saw this happen?’ she asked.

‘Oh, they did, but no one paid attention to it because everyone was focused on an Islamic man that had just robbed a bank running for his life, and not a young man who was bumped into when the robber was fleeing.’ He explained.

‘Wow, some nerve.’

There was silence for minutes as she thought.

‘So, where’s the money?’ she asked.

‘With me,’ He replied.

‘Here?’

‘Of course not.’

‘How much?’ she asked.

‘Six hundred thousand kwacha,’ Nolan replied.

‘Just?’ she asked.

Nolan didn’t expect the question.

‘Yes, he was more interested in the case, justice for his family and bringing down The Noisiv.’

‘Really?’ she asked.

‘Hold on, Mr. Amol collaborated the story you fed everyone. The story you’re saying is false,’ she pointed out.

‘He had no choice; it was either that or admit that Arista stole counterfeit money from their bank, which would imply that they’re distributing fake notes.’

‘He made a deal with them, and they knew he wasn’t bluffing.’

‘And they just let him win?’ she asked.

‘What can they do? The man is already serving out a three-year sentence in a correctional facility, and they think they’re keeping their reputation,’ he answered.

‘Are they not?’ she asked.

‘There is a storm coming, a coup de main.’

‘And what is that storm?’

‘A class action case led by Mr. Suseyi, twenty-eight witnesses,’ Nolan replied.

‘He planned all this? Prison too?’ she asked.

‘Not the three years, your steps to marry Brighton forced him to go outside the plan. The church incident may have lengthened his sentencing.’

Her face lost a little color. She drew out the necklace that was under her shirt; on it was a silver ring with a ruby stone on it.

‘This is how I knew you two were up to something, it just didn’t add up but I couldn’t place it. This ring he gave me when he crashed the wedding. Arista cannot afford this; how much is it worth seven, perhaps eight thousand kwacha?’

‘Around Fifteen thousand,’ Nolan said.

‘Whoa! Fifteen?’ she exclaimed.

‘So, you got it for him, from the money you guys stole.’

‘No, the money is intact, too hot to be touched, we cannot spend a dime yet,’ he said.

She heaved forward, staring at him.

‘So how then did Arista buy this ring?’ she asked.

Nolan exhaled. ‘He didn’t buy it,’

‘He traded for it,’ Nolan said uncomfortably.

‘With what, traded for it with what?’ she said, looking intently at him.

‘One of the most valuable commodities in a holding cell,’ Nolan said impatiently.

‘Which is?’ she asked.

‘Look, that’s his story to tell Pat, not mine.’ He said and emptied his glass in one gulp.

Patra sat thinking for moments.

‘So, you lied in court?’ she asked.

‘Yes, we did, the system is rigged. It’s no longer about the innocent and the guilty but the rich and the poor; the smart and the dumb. Arista had been losing all his life, he deserved a win. Lost his entire family, almost lost his life, and now he’s losing you,’ Nolan said in frustration and walked back to the kitchenette.

Patra sighed.