‘Oh, okay, hold on.’
Charles Templin-Wright sounded surprised and a little ill at ease. The buzzer opened and the large electric gates opened gracefully. But this time, with the rain having ceased and wanting to get a different perspective on the place, Rosedale, Maddie and Cooper decided to walk down the long drive to the reception of the water treatment plant.
Two hundred yards or so from the large stone fountain, where a rainbow of colored flowers grew, a large Land Cruiser drove past at speed. And Cooper was able to get a quick glance.
The car was driven by a large, dark skinned black man, who appeared overheated, dressed in a full chauffeur’s uniform that was a size too small. In the back was a leaner looking guy.
White.
Tanned.
Gray haired and well-dressed, in a weather cool expensive crisp white shirt.
Cooper made a mental note and waved a greeting to Charles who was already outside waiting for them. He waved back. Grinned widely. But unlike the first time they’d come, Cooper sensed Charles wasn’t feeling quite as gregarious and quite as sociable as he was trying to make out.
‘Can’t stay away huh guys? Is my tour of the water plant so alluring you’re coming back for more?’
Rosedale answered frostily. ‘Yeah something like that.’
Charles attempted another wide smile but as it didn’t hit his eyes, Cooper thought the result seemed manic.
Failing to get the response he wanted, Charles swivelled to a friendlier looking face than Rosedale’s or Cooper’s.
‘Maddie, good to see you. You’re looking so much better after your ordeal. I would’ve thought you guys would’ve been well on your way by now, get on the road again as it were. Not exactly Route 66, but we do our best.’
Maddie said nothing and Charles’s laughter was a lone sound. Trickled off self-consciously. And Cooper wasn’t interested in chit-chat. Not one bit. Not from this guy.
‘Where’s the best place to talk?’
Clapping his hands, which sounded muted due to his excessively sweating palms, Charles turned back towards reception. ‘Okay, well… er, why don’t we step inside? You can’t beat a bit of air conditioning… and I must say I’m intrigued as to why you’re here.’
Inside, the temperature was as refreshing as Cooper had remembered it. Reminding him of Joey’s Ice Cream Parlour. A place he liked to visit with Cora if he was ever in Denver. It not only sold the best peanut butter ice cream, but when the scorching hot weather rose to one hundred degrees Fahrenheit, stepping inside the small establishment to be hit with a blast of cold relief was like meeting an old friend.
‘Let me get straight to the point, Charles, I’m looking to find out about Papa Bemba.’
‘Yes, you said.’
Cooper nodded. Rolled his tongue on his front teeth. His tone purposely condescending.
‘Yes, yes I did, Charles, and I also remember what you said.’
Charles’s small eyes narrowed even further. He glared at Cooper, taking exception as Cooper assumed he would to the tone he’d used.
‘And I remember what I said too. Maybe you’d like me to repeat it. I told you that being in the area and seeing the billboards around which advertised his church made me aware of him.’
‘That’s right, so at least we’re on agreement on something. What we’re not in agreement on though, Charles, is you saying you don’t know him.’
Charles’s voice was tight. ‘That’s right, I don’t.’
‘Okay,’ said Maddie. ‘You see the thing is, this is where we have a problem or rather you have a problem. Because my friends and I want to know how it comes about that someone who doesn’t know Bemba ends up driving his car?’
Charles’s discomfort turned his face crimson. He dabbed it with the silk handkerchief he pulled out of his pocket. Then began to stutter, reminding Cooper of the cartoon character, Porky Pig.
‘I… I… I don’t… don’t know. Let me think. The car I was driving, when?’
With exaggerated boredom, Cooper said, ‘When we saw you in the village with Maddie.’
Charles became animated. ‘Oh yes, sorry I forgot. That car was a…’
Cooper shook his head and interrupted. ‘Rental? Nope. Don’t say it. We both know you can’t hire a car like that around here, and besides, the plates on the car were exactly the same as the car Bemba was in back in Kinshasa… So what do ya say? Shall we start again Mr. Templin-Wright? How about I ask you the question again, do you know Papa Bemba, and then you start telling us the truth.’
Charles looked at the watch he wasn’t wearing. ‘Look, I’ve spent more time with you then I was supposed to. I’ve got an important meeting, so if you don’t mind.’
Cooper took a step nearer to Charles. ‘Not to be too much of a cliché, I do mind. I mind very much and I have a feeling that Maddie and Rosedale here, they mind too.’
Tipping his hat, Rosedale’s gaze was hard and steely. ‘You can bet your life I mind, Charles.’
‘Hey Charles, and FYI, so do I,’ added Maddie.
Bending to the pressure, Charles blustered. ‘It was a friend’s. Yes, I’ve just remembered, stupid me, maybe, perhaps, he borrowed it from this Bemba guy. I’ve no idea.’
Cooper scoffed. He’d been on edge but this felt like his perfect tonic. He poked Charles hard in the chest with two fingers. And hell, that was good. ‘Now I’d say that was pretty convenient for you to suddenly have a friend who’d borrowed the car from Bemba. I don’t suppose you could give me the name of this friend could you? Or has that slipped your memory?’
‘I couldn’t possibly just go around telling you the name of my friends.’
Cooper sneered. Bent down to his eye level. Winked. ‘One last question, Charles. Who’s Emmanuel Mutombo?’
‘I don’t know.’
Maddie said, ‘You don’t know or you won’t say? What do you think, Tom?’
‘I think that’s all… For now. Thanks for your time.’
He paused, pointing at half a dozen large brown vases sitting upside down on the floor near the desk. ‘Nice vases by the way.’
Charles’s smile was tight. ‘They’re not actually vases. Just ornaments really. We commission local artisans to make things. It’s better to support the community and buy things here rather than buy things in the States and get them shipped over. We’ve just had a bit of an overhaul. New décor, so why not have some new ornaments as well.’
Cooper stared at Charles coldly. ‘Why not indeed.’