Read Online Black Horn by A. J. Quinnell - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: A. J. Quinnell
Tags: thriller, Literature & Fiction, Thrillers, Action & Adventure, Crime, Mystery; Thriller & Suspense, Murder, Thrillers & Suspense, Thriller & Suspense
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Manners, I don't know. Jim Grainger's a friend of
mine."
Maxie
had finished his telephone conversation. Creasy turned to him and asked,
"So?"
"Ian
has all the weapons we need and they're fully licensed, but there's one small
problem. He can only lend them to us with written police permission. By law,
they have to be in his possession. Obviously, he can't afford to break the
law."
"I
anticipated that problem," Creasy said. He glanced at his watch.
"Quite soon, Jim Grainger will be waking up in Denver. I'll phone him and
ask him to use his influence through the State Department to ask the American
Ambassador to apply a little pressure on the Zimbabwe authorities again."
"OK,"
Maxie answered. "But now there's something else. Ian confirms that the
Commander John Ndlovu is the one and the same ZAPU officer we fought against
back in the seventies. He also says that he's well-respected, both by blacks
and whites and, as far as is known, he's not corrupt."
"What's
all this about?" Gloria asked.
Creasy
explained. "ZAPU was one of the two guerilla armies fighting for
independence against the Rhodesian forces. Ndlovu was a good commander,
operating mainly in the eastern Highlands. I almost managed to catch him a
couple of times, but he was clever. He will know all about me and Maxie."
"That's
not good news," Gloria commented.
"It's
not necessarily bad news. There's been a major reconciliation in Zimbabwe
between the different forces."
"So,
you think he'll cooperate?"
Creasy
looked at Maxie for the answer.
Maxie
said, "Well, if he's getting pressure from his Minister, he'll probably
co-operate, although with some reluctance. After all, no policeman anywhere
likes to come up with a dead-end in a case, and then have a rich woman arrive
with a bunch of mercenaries to open the whole thing up. Especially when he gets
pressure to issue those mercenaries with temporary permits for half a dozen
guns. However, there is a plus. My cousin knows Ndlovu personally and gets on
with him OK, and since they're his guns, it might make it more acceptable for
Ndlovu... We just have to wait and find out."
Further
back in the plane, Michael was playing gin rummy with Ruby the nurse, and
losing. She was a woman in her mid-forties, with a severe face but pleasant
eyes.
"You
have a tough job," Michael commented.
"You
mean Mrs Manners?"
"Yes.
She can't be the easiest of patients."
"I've
had worse," Ruby said, with a slight smile. "But not many."
"How
long have you worked for her?"
"I
was about number six. The others all quit within days or weeks. I guess by that
point, she realised she'd have to soften up a bit or she'd never get anyone to
stay."
"You
mean she's softer than she was?"
Again
the nurse smiled. "Marginally, but enough to be bearable. Besides, the pay
and conditions are very good. There's another factor. I have an only
daughter... Her father ran off years ago. She's in college now, and we're very
close. I know how much bitterness I would feel if she was murdered in a far-off
country, like Carole Manners was." She laid down a full gin and said,
"You're not concentrating, Michael."
It was
true. He ruefully counted his cards and made a note on the scoresheet.
She
said, "Anyway, I'm enjoying this trip. It breaks up the routine and I've
never been to Africa before."
"Neither
have I," Michael said. "I'm looking forward to it."
Further
up the plane, Creasy finished his brief telephone conversation with Jim
Grainger and then said to Gloria, "He'll get back to us either before we
land in Harare or at the hotel tonight."
She had
been listening to Creasy's side of the conversation.
"What
did he ask, which made you reply, 'No, she's fine.'?"
Creasy
glanced at Maxie and then said to her, "He asked me whether you were being
a damned nuisance, but then he would, wouldn't he?"
Slowly,
she nodded. "Yes, I guess he would."
Chapter 12
The
other customers did not exactly bow or scrape when Tommy Mo walked into the
restaurant, but they did
mine."
Maxie
had finished his telephone conversation. Creasy turned to him and asked,
"So?"
"Ian
has all the weapons we need and they're fully licensed, but there's one small
problem. He can only lend them to us with written police permission. By law,
they have to be in his possession. Obviously, he can't afford to break the
law."
"I
anticipated that problem," Creasy said. He glanced at his watch.
"Quite soon, Jim Grainger will be waking up in Denver. I'll phone him and
ask him to use his influence through the State Department to ask the American
Ambassador to apply a little pressure on the Zimbabwe authorities again."
"OK,"
Maxie answered. "But now there's something else. Ian confirms that the
Commander John Ndlovu is the one and the same ZAPU officer we fought against
back in the seventies. He also says that he's well-respected, both by blacks
and whites and, as far as is known, he's not corrupt."
"What's
all this about?" Gloria asked.
Creasy
explained. "ZAPU was one of the two guerilla armies fighting for
independence against the Rhodesian forces. Ndlovu was a good commander,
operating mainly in the eastern Highlands. I almost managed to catch him a
couple of times, but he was clever. He will know all about me and Maxie."
"That's
not good news," Gloria commented.
"It's
not necessarily bad news. There's been a major reconciliation in Zimbabwe
between the different forces."
"So,
you think he'll cooperate?"
Creasy
looked at Maxie for the answer.
Maxie
said, "Well, if he's getting pressure from his Minister, he'll probably
co-operate, although with some reluctance. After all, no policeman anywhere
likes to come up with a dead-end in a case, and then have a rich woman arrive
with a bunch of mercenaries to open the whole thing up. Especially when he gets
pressure to issue those mercenaries with temporary permits for half a dozen
guns. However, there is a plus. My cousin knows Ndlovu personally and gets on
with him OK, and since they're his guns, it might make it more acceptable for
Ndlovu... We just have to wait and find out."
Further
back in the plane, Michael was playing gin rummy with Ruby the nurse, and
losing. She was a woman in her mid-forties, with a severe face but pleasant
eyes.
"You
have a tough job," Michael commented.
"You
mean Mrs Manners?"
"Yes.
She can't be the easiest of patients."
"I've
had worse," Ruby said, with a slight smile. "But not many."
"How
long have you worked for her?"
"I
was about number six. The others all quit within days or weeks. I guess by that
point, she realised she'd have to soften up a bit or she'd never get anyone to
stay."
"You
mean she's softer than she was?"
Again
the nurse smiled. "Marginally, but enough to be bearable. Besides, the pay
and conditions are very good. There's another factor. I have an only
daughter... Her father ran off years ago. She's in college now, and we're very
close. I know how much bitterness I would feel if she was murdered in a far-off
country, like Carole Manners was." She laid down a full gin and said,
"You're not concentrating, Michael."
It was
true. He ruefully counted his cards and made a note on the scoresheet.
She
said, "Anyway, I'm enjoying this trip. It breaks up the routine and I've
never been to Africa before."
"Neither
have I," Michael said. "I'm looking forward to it."
Further
up the plane, Creasy finished his brief telephone conversation with Jim
Grainger and then said to Gloria, "He'll get back to us either before we
land in Harare or at the hotel tonight."
She had
been listening to Creasy's side of the conversation.
"What
did he ask, which made you reply, 'No, she's fine.'?"
Creasy
glanced at Maxie and then said to her, "He asked me whether you were being
a damned nuisance, but then he would, wouldn't he?"
Slowly,
she nodded. "Yes, I guess he would."
Chapter 12
The
other customers did not exactly bow or scrape when Tommy Mo walked into the
restaurant, but they did
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