Money Tree by Gordon Ferris

Author:Gordon Ferris [Ferris, Gordon]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Thriller
ISBN: 9780992928117
Google: 5vWtoQEACAAJ
Amazon: B00KU2U38W
Goodreads: 22439025
Publisher: Merula Books Limited
Published: 2014-06-05T12:00:00+00:00

THIRTY THREE

The hotel lobby was empty at five in the morning, except for CJ Kapoor and a vexed young woman who was haranguing him with hands on hips.

‘Why is my father so keen to weigh me down with this reporter? Americans are for shopping malls. Out here they are whales in the desert. I will have to nanny him everywhere, like a baby! Most of them don’t even have a passport, though they can afford to go anywhere in the world. They have no idea of real life. Shanty towns. Starving kids. AIDS epidemics. Bribes for everything.’

‘I know, I know, Meera,’ he pleaded. ‘But your father thinks this will help him. Please understand. Look, they are coming. Smile!’

Ted and Erin were walking towards them, talking. Ted was pushing a trolley with two glaringly new and bulging backpacks on it.

‘You OK?’ Ted was asking her dark-ringed eyes.

‘I will be. Once we’re out of here.’

He squeezed her arm in sympathy. She didn’t pull away, but there was no give either. Maybe he’d over-estimated the intimacy created by their shared trauma of this morning’s news from Oscar. But Ted was aware from her manner that yesterday’s events had shifted the balance in some subtle way. Some of her burden had slipped onto his shoulders. He tested the weight and found it bearable, even welcome.

CJ introduced the young woman as Meera Banerjee. She carried an old leather briefcase and a Nike sports bag. Her hair was cut in a short layer all round her finely shaped skull. Her eyes were large and questioning.

‘No relation to the boss?’ asked Ted automatically, reflecting that it was probably as common a name in India as Jones.

CJ had been desperate to reveal it. ‘As a matter of fact, yes. This is Ramesh’s daughter. She has a degree in business law from Kolkata University and like her father she has also graduated from Harvard with an MBA.’ He was as proud as if she were his daughter.

Meera shrugged away the praise. The resemblance across the eyes was now apparent. ‘It is a pleasure to meet you both. This is a very exciting day for me.’ It was said a little mechanically, but then it was an unearthly hour.

‘We are putting her in charge of the Sagar district which includes the village you are going to visit, Ted.’

‘Both of us, CJ. We’ve been forced into a slight change of plan.’

Ted gave an abbreviated version of the events of the day before, omitting for the moment, GA’s hand in the hijack.

‘. . . and so we think it’s best if Erin comes with me just in case she was the target.’

Meera’s eyes widened and she kept staring from Ted to Erin. She turned to CJ and said something forceful in Hindi. CJ found a suitable translation.

‘Meera is telling me off. I am so sorry. This is my fault. I should have arranged a car. I did not think. And you were almost killed! How can I ever make it up?’

‘CJ, it’s fine.

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