'Good. When you get the information, phone me. I'm sure that we can find the real thief. she said.
The next day I went early to the Eastern Trading Company to speak to Abu Malek. i waited outside the building. About ten minutes later I saw him, walking down the street. He was angry about what people were saying, he told me. lie liked my father.
'People say that he's a thief. They're wrong. Your father's a good man. When my wife was sick, he helped me. He gave me money to buy her what she needed. lie's a kind man.'
'Thank you.' I said. 'My father needs help now. lie travelled to Dubai last Friday. I need lo know what happened the day before he went. Who went to my father's office? Can you
remember?' i asked.
'Let me think l'or u while,' he said. 'Last Thursday .. .' he thought for a moment. ' Yes, now I remember . . . I went into your father's office four or five times to take him a cup of coffee. I do that. every day. his colleague Mr Nasser came in while I was there. He doesn't drink coffee in the mornings. He prefers tea.'
'What time was this?' I asked.
'I think it was about ten o'clock. He was in the office for about an hour think. He left. and about five minutes later, Mr Moussa went in. I took them both coffee. He was in there for about half an hour. Your father left for lunch around two o'clock as usual. All the other employees left then too. Your father came back about four o'clock. Oh yes, he had two visitors in the afternoon. They arrived just after your father. i took them coffee. i don't know who they were, but they were from Jordan. They stayed for about an hour.'