Kay sat beside Jasmine across from her uncle in his plush office. He had insisted on tagging along claiming that her uncle would respond if he set eyes on him.

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That was a lie. Kay’s reason for visiting The Don’s office was so that he could plant a bug. Just as he had done when he had visited Jasmine’s office, a fortnight ago.

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Listening to their daily conversations would accelerate his investigation. Although he had heard nothing that counted as concrete evidence in the two weeks he had been listening to Jasmine’s, he believed that bugging her uncle’s office would provide the break he needed.

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He listened with rapt attention as Jasmine began to speak.

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“Dear uncle like I told you over the phone, Ben is a friend of mine. Unfortunately for him, he recently got laid off from his job. I assured him that you would help.”

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The Don glanced over at Kay. “I am sorry you lost your job.” To Jasmine, he said: “How do you expect me to help him?”

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“You can at least find him a position at one of the companies you manage.” She said icily, squinting her eyes at him.

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Kay watched this tense exchange between Jasmine and her uncle. His gut instincts kicked in. There’s more to this than meets the eye. He thought. This hunch only made his resolve to plant the bug stronger. Placing his hand just beneath the mahogany desk, he chose a good spot and stuck the RF transmitter bug there. It was barely discernible, and Kay knew that it would take a while before it was discovered – if it ever was. Mission accomplished, Kay cleared his throat and spoke up:

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“Sir, I really appreciate you for having me. I totally understand if you have nothing for me.”

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Jasmine looked at him and then at her uncle. Without taking her eyes off The Don she said again, in that cold voice:

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“Don’t be silly, Ben. My uncle will be happy to help. Won’t you, uncle?”

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For a brief moment, The Don’s eyes mirrored that of a scared rabbit. However, the fear soon disappeared and was replaced by anger. Finally, eyes still on his niece, he spoke through clenched teeth:

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“As of now, we are not looking to fill any positions, but I promise to get back to you once there’s a vacancy.”

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Kay concluded without a doubt that there was something of grave import going on between the both of them. He looked from one to the other, and he likened them to a wild animal baiting its prey.

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“Thank you, I would appreciate that sir.”

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“If you have no job for him, don’t you think it would be bad if he left here empty-handed? Write him a cheque. He can start a small business with the money.” Jasmine was clearly not satisfied with her uncle’s response.

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The Don was still for a few seconds before he broke eye contact with her and snatched his chequebook. He scribbled on it, tore off the page, and handed it to Kay.

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“Satisfied?” The Don asked his niece.

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“Ecstatic” Jasmine replied with feigned sweetness.

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“I am really grateful for this sir. I will put it to good use.” Kay said.

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It was a huge sum: Five hundred thousand.

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The Don only acknowledged his thanks with a nod. “You may leave now, I have work to do.”

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Kay and Jasmine both got up and left the office. He had the feeling that this whole investigation was about to get dirty.

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© Hafsah bint Nurein.

And the plot thickens…