The Legacy (7 page)

Chapter 16

Highworth stood up and looked out of his window. The view of the city was spectacular. As well as the iconic buildings that now dominated the city's skyline, he could see up the River Thames as far as the Houses of Parliament. He was admiring the view when there was a firm knock on his door. ‘Come in,' he called, knowing who it would be. The man that entered the room was older than Highworth but looked equally as distinguished. One of the country's richest men, Sir Richard Knowles had a reputation as a shrewd and extremely capable businessman. He'd made the bulk of his money buying companies that were in difficulty, closing them down and then selling off their assets. His enemies - and there were many - said his approach was similar to that of Gordon Gecko, the asset stripper played by Michael Douglas in the film
Wall Street
.

‘Thank you for meeting me at such short notice Charles,' said Knowles.

‘It's always a pleasure Richard,' replied Highworth. He wasn't sure why Knowles wanted to see him but he was on his guard. They'd known each other for over twenty years. They had clashed a few times over the years but, whilst they weren't friends, they had a healthy respect for each other's talents.

‘What is so serious Richard that we needed to meet on a Sunday morning?' asked Highworth, sitting in one of two leather armchairs that were arranged around a coffee table.

Knowles sat down in the other chair and looked Highworth squarely in the eye. ‘Last year,' he began, ‘I started taking an interest in Tokifora. I had my people dig into the company and, after several months' of research, it was clear to me that the company was going to fail, not immediately but certainly within the next twelve months or so. It was carrying far too much debt and its bankers were getting twitchy about whether they would be able to get their money back. Its product line was lacklustre. The computer processors it manufactured were being outperformed by its competitors and its research and development programme was in disorder and in no shape to deliver anything that would revolutionise the market and restore the company's fortunes. Or so I thought.' Knowles paused to take a sip of water.

‘Do keep going Richard,' said Highworth. Highworth thought he knew where this was going but he was confident that he could handle whatever Knowles threw at him.

Knowles continued. ‘When I thought the company was going to fail, I developed a plan to buy a significant proportion of the company's shares in order that I could mount a takeover bid.'

‘Which would no doubt have been hostile given your reputation,' interjected Highworth.

‘Quite,' replied Knowles. ‘I made certain promises to people to raise the money I thought I would need. As you would expect, these included selling off some of Tokifora's assets at very competitive rates to some of my investors. The problem is that, against all expectation, the company's fortunes started to improve. In an incredibly short period of time it developed a revolutionary chip that, quite literally, has blown away the competition. The share price has soared beyond anything anyone could have predicted. Anyone, that is, except you Charles.'

Highworth fixed Knowles with a hard stare. ‘Richard, you know as well as I do that my job is to spot the under-developed potential that others have missed and then invest the resources necessary to unlock it. You've said yourself that what Tokifora lacked was a credible R&D organisation. Well that's not quite true. One of their development teams had the germ of a brilliant idea but it required other experts to join the team to bring it to life. So that's what I did. I provided the money and the organisational structures necessary to bring the team together and the rest, as they say, is history.'

‘I know what you did Charles,' said Knowles. ‘I'd looked at this possibility when I did my initial research but, at the time, there was no way that the required experts could be persuaded to relocate to Japan and work with Tokifora to unlock the design's potential. They were all making huge amounts of money in their existing jobs and wouldn't move.'

The two men stared at each other. ‘So what are you saying Richard?' asked Highworth.

Knowles continued. ‘When the share price started to head North, I had my people try and work out what we had missed. How had we got it so completely wrong in terms of the company's prospects? We were about to invest millions of pounds based on an analysis that was clearly deeply flawed and, as you can imagine, this concerned me. They came back with a single word: coercion. It seems the brilliant engineers who joined the team, leaving their well paid jobs and, in some cases their families, did so because they were threatened. I understand that the two who didn't agree met with unfortunate and very fatal accidents within a week of each other. This surprised and interested me. I went back through some of your other ‘amazing' investment successes over the last few years and, guess what, the pattern was the same. People were very reluctant to talk about it but, from what little they did say, we were able to piece together enough to realise that some of your most spectacular successes were the product of malignant actions taken, I very much suspect, by you or those working for you. Key people have behaved in certain ways because they were told that their families would be killed if they didn't. On at least four occasions, innocent people appear to have been killed to enable particular outcomes to be achieved, all of which benefited you hugely. I can't prove any of this yet, but I will.'

Knowles stopped and took another drink of his water. Though his voice was even and his hand steady, he looked slightly unnerved, almost as if it had only just dawned on him that he was confronting a killer about his sins, possibly leaving the killer no way out but to dispose of him as well.

Highworth smiled, ‘that's a great conspiracy theory Richard. I particularly like the bit about my “malignant actions”. It makes me sound very sinister. Now if you've finished telling me stories, I need to get back to the family for Sunday lunch.' Highworth stood up.

‘Is that all you have to say?' asked Knowles, also standing up.

‘Yes,' replied Highworth. ‘I have no idea what you are talking about. You're losing it Richard. The fact that you got Tokifora so badly wrong is nothing to do with my comic book evil genius but the fact that you are getting old and losing your touch. Time to retire. You live near Wentworth, why not start playing golf and let those who still understand how the market works get on with the serious business of making money.' Highworth opened the office door. Knowles stared hard at him for a minute before storming out through the door and into the waiting elevator.

‘I'm not going to let this go Highworth,' Knowles shouted as the elevator door closed.

Highworth went back to the window that he was standing at when Knowles had first entered his office. He closed his eyes and took several deep breathes. He'd long ago learned not to let his emotions get the better of him but this was potentially rather serious. He thought that Knowles would struggle to find any hard evidence linking him to the actions that he'd described but he was still concerned. If Knowles could make the connection, so could others. He closed his eyes again, thinking through what he needed to do to strengthen his position. ‘Every problem has a solution,' he said to himself, ‘the trick is to make sure you find it quickly enough.' He took out his mobile and dialled Richards' number.

The phone was answered almost immediately with a terse ‘yes?' Highworth recognised the voice. ‘We need to meet tonight. Usual place, usual time.'

‘Got it,' replied Richards, severing the connection.

Chapter 17

H
arry decided to finish his tour of Kathmandu with a late lunch in the Sheraton hotel. It wasn't the most ethnic of destinations but the bar on the top floor had a marvellous panoramic view of the city and Harry was keen to point out some of the sites that they hadn't managed to visit. Though the bar was busy, they found a window table from where they could see the airport and watch the planes landing and taking off. They ordered club sandwiches and soft drinks and continued chatting.

‘Thank you for a really interesting tour,' said Lucy, ‘it was fascinating.'

Harry smiled at her. He had enjoyed their company. They were funny, intelligent and deeply interested in everything he had shown them, asking lots of questions. He would be sad to see them go, particularly Lucy. ‘What day did you say you were going to Pokhara?' he asked, trying to sound upbeat and positive.

‘Probably tomorrow or maybe Monday,' answered Isobel. ‘The trekking company that's supporting us is going to confirm tonight. The forecast's good for the next two weeks but after that it starts to get a bit dodgy. We need to get a bit of a move on if we're to crack both peaks before the weather breaks.'

‘What will you do then?' asked Harry.

‘Probably spend a few days in Pokhara recovering and then head back here for Dashain,' answered Lucy. Lucy was keen to experience the Hindu festival at first hand. It celebrated the victory of the god Durga over the evil goddess Kali and was the most significant festival of the Hindu religious year. ‘What about you?' she asked.

‘Not sure,' replied Harry, ‘I was going to travel out to Everest Base Camp for a week or so. There's an expedition having a crack at the summit in a week's time and a couple of old friends are the lead climbers. I thought I'd go and give them a bit of moral support. But I've also got to try and find another job so I'll probably spend the next few days surfing the internet and e-mailing contacts to see what's coming up.'

‘Everest sounds great,' said Isobel.

The two girls had discussed Harry the previous evening. They both liked him but, because there were two of them and only one of him, they decided that, at least for the moment, they would not encourage him to travel with them. Lucy was a bit disappointed about this but she understood that the last thing they needed right now was to fall out over a man. It had happened once before when they were in their teens and at school. They had both fallen for the captain of the rugby team, Tom Allbright. In the end, he didn't go out with either of them but they'd argued fiercely for months over who should have first crack at him. Looking back it seemed a stupid thing to have fallen out over but, at the time, it was intensely serious. Ever since, they had worked hard not to put themselves in a similar position again.

Conscious that she would soon be leaving Kathmandu and emboldened by her discussion with Isobel the previous night, Lucy turned to Harry and asked him why he wasn't spending time with his partner. Isobel gave her a hard stare; Lucy was clearly fishing. ‘I was engaged for a year or so but we broke up about six months ago,' said Harry.

‘I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked,' replied Lucy.

‘No, it's fine,' said Harry. ‘It was amicable. We just wanted different things. I wanted to get more involved in development, particularly in Africa, and she wanted to stay in London and make a name for herself. It was never really going to work.'

‘Does anybody want coffee?' asked Isobel, trying to lighten the mood. Harry and Lucy both nodded.

‘When you get back to Kathmandu after Annapurna, let's meet up and I'll show you the bits of Kathmandu that we didn't get to see,' suggested Harry.

‘That would be great,' said Isobel, moving aside to let the waiter put their coffees on the table.

Lucy slowly stirred sugar into her coffee. She was deep in thought. She'd seen something in Harry that made her want to get to know him better. This rather surprised her as she'd had very little success with men over the last few years. Most of them irritated her after the first few dates and, as a result, their relationships never really took off. But Harry seemed different and, for the first time in her life, she wished that Isobel wasn't with her.

Harry was also looking wistful. Although he was keen to trek out to Everest and see his friends, he would have changed his plans at the drop of a hat had the girls invited him to keep them company on the journey to Annapurna.

They drank their coffees and caught the elevator down to the hotel foyer. ‘Thanks so much Harry,' said Isobel, ‘we'll come and find you when we're back in town.' Isobel kissed him quickly on both cheeks and then announced that she needed the loo. She turned away from Harry, winked at Lucy and set off to find the hotel's toilets.

‘Thanks Harry,' said Lucy, looking him squarely in the eye. ‘As soon as we're back, we'll take you out for dinner and bore you with our war stories. You'll wish you'd never met us,' she said as she leaned forward to kiss his cheek.

Harry seized his opportunity. Instead of her cheek, he kissed her full on the lips. Although surprised, she found herself returning his kiss until, seeing Isobel returning from the toilets, she reluctantly stepped back from Harry. ‘Bye Harry,' she said looking deep into his eyes, ‘it's been fun.'

Isobel re-joined them. ‘Come on,' she said, ‘we need to get on if we're going to be ready to travel tomorrow.' She grabbed Lucy's hand and led her outside to one of the waiting taxis.

As she climbed into the car, Lucy turned to look at Harry. ‘Can we pick up where we left off when I'm back?' she asked, smiling sheepishly.

‘Yes, please,' said an enthusiastic Harry.

As the taxi pulled away from the kerb, Lucy waved goodbye. Harry watched the taxi join the traffic. It was all happening far too quickly but he felt immensely happy. Whatever he'd said in the restaurant, he'd found breaking up with his previous girlfriend really tough. Over the last few months he'd started to wonder whether it had been a mistake but, even though he'd only known her for twenty-four hours, Lucy had made him realise that ending the previous relationship had been the right decision. Her good humoured energy and enthusiasm were exactly what he needed to put his ex behind him. All he had to do now was to make sure that he met up with her after her trip to Annapurna. ‘Who knows,' he thought, ‘perhaps I can persuade her to stay for a few more weeks without Isobel.' Smiling, he started walking back towards his flat. For the first time in months he had a spring in his step.

‘Well lover girl,' said Isobel as soon as the taxi was a few hundred metres away from the hotel, ‘did he kiss you?'

‘What do you mean?' asked Lucy.

‘You know exactly what I mean,' answered Isobel. ‘You've been like a couple of love struck teenagers all day,' said Isobel. ‘I was going to suggest you got a room after lunch. I didn't because I thought you might agree and I'd lose you for the next twenty-four hours.' Lucy laughed. Isobel was pleased for her friend but couldn't resist the temptation to tease her, albeit gently. Isobel had watched Lucy struggle with her last few relationships. Although she'd tried to cheer her friend up, she couldn't help feeling that Lucy was her own worst enemy. Tall, athletic, articulate and highly intelligent, she could also be stubborn and impatient. Whilst Isobel loved all these things about her friend, she felt that many men felt threatened by such a capable and robust female.

‘I really like him Isobel,' said Lucy. ‘He's obviously a tough man but there's a softer, more thoughtful side to him. There's also a bit of vulnerability. He tries to hide it but it's there.'

‘When we get back, why don't I stay for a few days and then fly home early so you can have a bit of time with him on your own,' suggested Isobel.

‘Thank you Isobel, that's really kind. I might just do that,' said Lucy, hugging her friend.

Later that afternoon, the trekking company phoned to confirm that their transport would collect them early the next morning for the journey to Pokhara. They were excited but they had a great deal to do before they could leave Kathmandu. All thoughts of Harry vanished as they rushed around Kathmandu's secondhand climbing shops buying the last minute essentials which, because of weight restrictions, they had been unable to bring with them. Eventually, they bought the last few items - a high altitude stove and two four season sleeping bags - and then headed back to the hotel for an early night.

The next morning, they got up early, finished their packing and went down to breakfast.

‘Full breakfast please,' said Lucy to the waiter.

‘Me too please,' added Isobel. Both girls were determined to fuel up for the journey west. Lucy knew that although the road from Kathmandu to Pokhara, known as the Prithvi Highway, was one of the best in Nepal, it would still be a long journey. The early start meant that they would be out of Kathmandu before the morning rush hour but, even if the roads were reasonably clear, it would take six or seven hours to reach Pokhara.

Pokhara was Lucy's favourite Nepalese town. Four hundred metres lower than Kathmandu, the climate was warm, even in winter, and the lakeside was a mecca for travellers. Over the years, she'd met all sorts of interesting people in the cafes and bars that lined the town side bank of the Phewa Tal, Pokhara's famous lake. What made it all the more impressive was that you could clearly see the Himalayas on the northern horizon. They dominated the skyline with the Annapurna Massif clearly visible from almost anywhere in the town.

The girls ate their breakfast, collected their bags and paid their bills before going outside to meet Rajev, the guide from the trekking agency. ‘Namaste,' he said as they introduced themselves. He helped them with the bags and led the way to a Toyota Landcruiser parked just along from the hotel's main entrance.

As Rajev opened the rear door and started to load their kit, the driver jumped out and came round to the girls. ‘Namaste,' he said, ‘my name is Sanjay, let me help you.' He smiled at them and opened the passenger doors. Lucy was reassured by the car; it certainly looked the part. It had solid looking bull bars and a winch on the front bumper. A huge expedition roof rack ran the length of the passenger compartment and jutted out over the bonnet. Lucy noticed the four jerrycans and three spare tyres fastened to the roof rack. They looked to be in good condition, as did the fourth spare tyre on the back of the rear door. Inside, air conditioning kept the car cool. Bottles of cold water had been placed in the rear drinks holders.

The last time she had made this journey, Lucy had been travelling with her then boyfriend who had wanted to travel ‘authentically'. To him, this meant catching one of the multicoloured buses used by the locals. She'd sat on the roof for part of the journey but, after one particularly hair raising encounter with a herd of water buffalos, she'd decided to find a seat inside the bus. This had been a mistake. She sat next to a young man who, whilst perfectly friendly, was clearly ill. Every time the bus stopped, he rushed out of the door and into the bushes. She'd felt sorry for him at the time but, within twenty four hours, she'd had a chronic stomach bug that meant she had been unable to leave her hotel room or, more precisely, the toilet in her hotel bathroom for three days. Compared to the bus, the Landcruiser was a definite luxury.

Isobel, who had only been to Nepal once and that was when they last climbed in the Annapurna range, was apprehensive about the journey. Lying on her hotel bed last night she'd opened her
Lonely Plane Guide
and read aloud that ‘you are thirty times more likely to die in a road accident in Nepal than in any developed country.' But Sanjay drove particularly well and both Lucy and Isobel soon began to relax into the journey. Rajev pointed out places of interest as they drove. He was articulate and knew the route well. He explained that he had been at school in Kathmandu but that his family came from a village north of Pokhara. He had therefore done this journey at the start and end of every term for nearly ten years.

Lucy was interested in why he had been sent to boarding school. Rajev looked pensive and then answered her. ‘You've got to remember that we had a civil war in Nepal for almost ten years and life in the villages got increasingly hard as the war progressed. The Maoists used to take food and money from people to survive. This wasn't so bad but, as I got older, there was an expectation that I would join the local Maoist group. I suppose this would have been quite exciting but my parents wanted me to finish my education and not risk getting killed fighting government troops.'

‘It must have been expensive to board?' asked Isobel.

‘Yes,' replied Rajev, ‘but I'm part of a big family and we all look after each other. One of my uncles works in Hong Kong as a construction engineer and he sent back enough money every month to cover my schooling.'

Lucy nodded in understanding. From her various trips she'd noted that strong extended families were a feature of Nepalese life. Everybody helps everybody else. Those lucky enough to be earning decent wages have a moral responsibility to share their wealth with less fortunate family members. Lucy had studied this phenomenon in other cultures. It seemed that the greater the levels of poverty and deprivation, the closer families tended to be. It was a survival mechanism.

The journey to Pokhara was interesting but uneventful. They stopped occasionally to stretch their legs, use the toilet or admire a particular view but on the first of these ‘view stops', Lucy was irritated to find that her phone camera wouldn't work. In all the excitement of the previous evening, she'd forgotten to charge the battery. Isobel, who took the opportunity to accuse Lucy of being disorganised, therefore took the photographs.

As night fell, they drove into the suburbs of Pokhara and towards their hotel. The Lakeside was full of early evening life. The many stalls and bars along the banks of the Phewa Tal were doing a brisk trade. Teenagers on their gap years rubbed shoulders with trekkers, climbers and ageing hippies. It was a fun atmosphere and Lucy couldn't wait to get out and be a part of it. Rajev dropped them at their hotel and said that he would meet them the following morning to go through the detail of the planned ascents.