Cat O'Nine Tales and Other Stories - Jeffrey Archer [81]
The Deputy Commissioner nodded his agreement as Patel rose from his place.
“You know, Naresh,” Patel said, turning to face the Commissioner, “I would never have agreed to see the damn man, if you had not spoken so highly of him in your speech to the Rotary Club last month. He even produced the article in the Mumbai Times. I therefore assumed that the fellow had come with your blessing.” Mr. Patel turned to face Khan. “May I wish you luck when you take over as Commissioner,” he added, shaking hands with the deputy. “I don’t envy you having to follow such a fine man.” Kumar smiled for the first time that morning.
“I’ll be back in a moment,” the Commissioner said to his deputy as he left his office to accompany Patel to the front door.
The Deputy Commissioner stared out of the window as he waited for the Chief to return. He munched on a biscuit as he mulled over several possible alternatives. By the time the Commissioner walked back into the room, Khan knew exactly what had to be done. But would he be able to convince his boss this time?
“I’ll have Malik arrested and behind bars within the hour,” said the Commissioner as he picked up the phone on his desk.
“I wonder, sir,” said Deputy Khan quietly, “if that’s the best course of action—given the circumstances?”
“I don’t have much choice,” said the Commissioner as he began dialing.
“You may be right,” said Khan, “but before you make such an irrevocable decision, perhaps we should consider how this is all going to play—” he paused—”with the press.”
“They’ll have a field day,” said Kumar as he replaced the phone and began pacing around the room. “They won’t be able to make up their minds if I should be hanged as a crook who’s willing to accept bribes, or dismissed as the most naive fool ever to hold the office of Commissioner. Neither scenario bears thinking about.”
“But we have to think about it,” insisted Deputy Khan, “because your enemies—and even good men have enemies—will happily settle for someone who’s willing to take kickbacks, while your friends will not be able to deny the lesser charge of naivety.”
“But surely after forty years of service, people will believe . . .”
“People will believe whatever they want to believe,” said Khan, confirming the Commissioner’s worst fears, “and certainly you won’t be able to send Malik back to prison until he’s been given the chance to appear in a witness box and tell the world his side of the story.”
“But who would believe that old—”
“No smoke without fire, they’ll be whispering in the corridors of the law courts, and that will be tame compared with the headlines in the morning papers once Malik has spent a couple of days in the witness box being questioned by a friendly barrister who sees you as nothing more than a stepping stone in his career.”
Kumar continued to pace around the room, but didn’t respond.
“Let me try and second-guess the headlines that would follow such a cross-examination.” Khan paused before saying, “‘Commissioner accepts bribes to destroy friends’ files’ might be the headline in the Times, while the tabloids will surely be a little more colorful—’Bung money left in Commissioner’s office by delivery boy,’ or perhaps ‘Commissioner Kumar employs ex-con to carry out his dirty work?’ “
“I think I’ve got the picture,” said the Commissioner, as he sank back into the chair next to Khan. “So what the hell am I supposed to do about it?”
“What you’ve always done in the past,” Khan replied. “Play it by the book.”
The Commissioner looked across at his deputy quizzically. “What do you have in mind?”
“Malik,” shouted the supervisor at the top of his voice, even before he’d put the phone down. “ Commissioner Kumar wants to see you, immediately.”
“Did he say why?” asked Malik nervously
“No, he’s not in the habit of confiding in me,” replied the supervisor, “but don’t hang about because he’s not a man who likes