Written by Kavya and Concept by Sidhant First go to previous blogs if you have not already....
It was finally time for Cloe to meet Mr. Put, and she was eager to gain some much-needed clarity on the unfolding events. Her mind was filled with questions about Absko, the strange men in black, and the mysterious tin box she had discovered in Mombasa. As she settled into the room where the meeting was to take place, she opened the encrypted message Mr. Put had sent. Using the one-time pad to decode it, she read,
"Young lady, Not Mombasa, meet Salim tomorrow, not coincidence, tin box."Cloe quickly reflected on her recent actions. She had asked Daniel to investigate Absko’s address in Mombasa and had requested information on a woman named Ruksana. She had also briefed Mr. Put on her conversation with Mrs. Zawadi and the peculiar tin box. In detective work, every detail mattered. The more information that could be transmitted, the better—after all, tomorrow wasn’t guaranteed.
The phrase "Not Mombasa" struck her immediately. It was clear now that Mr. Put didn’t want her to stay in Mombasa any longer—just as Absko had seemed to suggest. A few moments later, her phone buzzed with confirmation of a flight to Nairobi, scheduled for an hour later. It was already 5 pm, and Cloe had hoped for a quiet evening, perhaps a bit of rest. But such was the life of a detective.
As she packed her things, she found herself thinking about "Salim." Could he be someone connected to Ruksana? It was starting to dawn on her that Mr. Put’s operations were always more layered and intricate than they initially appeared. This wasn’t just about protection; there was a deeper game at play.
Three hours later, Cloe found herself back in Nairobi, stepping off the plane with a sense of urgency. At the airport, a man stood holding a placard that read "Ruksana." He wore a Kandura, a traditional garment she had learned about during her research on the Abhaya. A Kandura, she recalled, was a long robe worn by men, similar to the Abaya worn by women, and its length denoted a person’s social status. This man’s Kandura reached his ankles, suggesting that he held a position of importance.
Curious, Cloe approached him. To her surprise, it was Daniel, disguised as Salim. Mr. Put had sent him to assist her in this particular investigation. Cloe was relieved to see him; she had a feeling that things were going to get far more complicated.
Daniel led her to a nearby hotel where they could discuss matters privately, free from the confines of the bulky robes that might hinder their communication. Before they could make any significant progress, however, Cloe’s phone beeped with an unexpected interruption. Audio signals were coming from the silver disc she had given Absko, signaling that something was happening in his room.
