Windfall

'Why not? We're staying at the Norfolk.'

'I'm busy today, but maybe I'll give you a ring tomorrow. Okay?'

'That's fine. Stafford's an interesting guy; he was in British army intelligence – a colonel.'

'Was he? I look forward to meeting him.'

Hardin took his leave and Pasternak seated himself before the typewriter again and composed another request for information. This time the subject was Max Stafford and the telex was to be sent, after coding, to the American Embassy in London. After a moment's thought he wrote another request for information on Hardin and addressed it to Langley.

Kenya was becoming livelier, thought Pasternak.

Gu

The marine pointed. 'Ask at the desk, sir.'

Gu

Hendriks turned and looked at Gu

'I'm John Gu

'You were where?'

'With your cousin when he was kidnapped." Gu

Dirk looked at him interestedly. 'You mean you were kidnapped, too?"

'Yeah. That's why I'm not too sharp on my feet. They made us walk out and I was stuck full of thorns.'

'I've got my car here,' said Hendriks. 'No need to walk. Where shall we go?'

'I'm staying at the New Stanley,' said Gu

The Thorn Tree was a Nairobi institution, being an open air cafe serving light refreshments. In the centre grew a large acacia, tall and spreading wide to give pleasant shade and which gave the Thorn Tree its name. The peculiarity which made the Thorn Tree different was the notice board which surrounded the trunk of the tree. Here it was the custom to leave messages for friends and it was a commonplace to say, 'If you want to find out where I am I'll leave a message on the thorn tree.' A local beer company even provided message pads, and it certainly did no harm to the profits of the cafe.

They sat down at one of the few available tables and Hendriks caught a waiter on the fly and ordered drinks. He resumed the conversation they had been having in the car. 'And that was the last you saw of my cousin?'

'Yeah. Then we heard shots and the guys around us laughed.'

'But you didn't see his body.'

Gu

'What were they excited about?'

'I wouldn't know. Maybe because they couldn't find Hendrix. Two of them stayed with us and the third, the guy with the sergeant's stripes, went away. After a while he came back and they had a conference, a lot of talk.' Gu

Hendrix frowned. 'The two men who took my cousin away; were they around at that time?'

'I didn't see them.'

The waiter brought their drinks. Hendriks picked up his glass and pondered. 'Could Henry have got away?' he asked. 'But if he did why hasn't he come back?'

'I've thought about that,' said Gu

'Then why hasn't he come back?'

'Have you been out there?' asked Gu

'Who followed you in?' asked Hendriks alertly.

'Another tourist crowd found our abandoned truck and tried to find us. They didn't; they got lost and spent a night in the bush.'

Hendriks was pensive. 'I didn't read about that in the newspapers.'

'I talked to one of them when we got back,' said Gu

'Max Stafford!' said Hendriks unbelievingly.

'He didn't tell me his other name.' Gu

Hendriks was also thoughtful. Stafford had said he was taking a holiday in Kenya. But was it coincidental that he had been involved in the search for Henry Hendrix? He said, 'Do you know where Stafford is now?'

'No; he left Keekorok and I haven't seen him since. You know the guy?'

Hendriks nodded abstractedly. 'Yes, I think-so.'

'Now isn't that a coincidence,' said Gu

'Isn't it?' Hendriks badly needed a telephone. He said, 'Glad to have talked with you, Mr Gu

'Yeah.'

'Then perhaps you'll have di

'Sure.' Gu

Stafford dined with Curtis at the Norfolk that evening and they were halfway through the meal when Hardin joined them. He said, 'I've just seen Chip. He says that Gu

Stafford put down his knife and fork. 'Did they, by God?'

Curtis grunted. 'That's not good for the Colonel.'

'No.' Stafford looked at Hardin. 'Ben, do you remember when you followed Gu

Hardin looked up at the ceiling and gazed into the past. He said slowly, 'Gu

'Any sign of recognition?'

'Not a thing.'

'Then how did they get together here?' asked Stafford.

'I talked to Chip about that and maybe it can be explained,' said Hardin. 'Gu

'It's unlucky for us,' said Stafford. 'If Gu

'Suspicious about what?' demanded Hardin. 'I don't know what you have against Dirk Hendriks – he's just a guy who's inherited a fortune. It's Gu