Hand of God by Philip Kerr Read Free Book Online Page A

life.’
    Kojo shook his head. ‘A certain amount of due diligence will satisfy you that the King Shark Academy is one of the best academies in Africa. The Confederation of African Football has described the KSA as a model for all football academies. We take no fees, and we offer a proper education alongside football, which is why we have almost a million applications a year from all over the continent for, perhaps, just twenty-five places. So we can afford to take only the most promising boys. But since we ask no fees it seems only fair that we should expect some return on our investment. And to be fair I don’t think you will hear complaints from anyone in the game today who is a product of KSA. Or for that matter any of the three or four academies like it. In fact, Manchester United has just bought a controlling stake in Fortune FC, one of our rival establishments in South Africa. Dutch clubs like Ajax and Feyenoord are looking to do the same in West Africa. The question is, can London City afford not to own a half share in King Shark? You know my price, Vik, and you know what the opportunity amounts to. The future of professional football is in Africa. Those boys are hungry for success. Hungrier than anyone in Europe. Almost by definition.’
    Vik nodded. ‘Thank you for your candour, Kojo. And I’ll certainly think about what you’ve said. Listen, I’ve an idea. We have a Champions League match against Olympiacos in Piraeus on 19 August. Why don’t you and your wife come out to Greece as my guest? You can stay on The Lady Ruslana , in the harbour at Piraeus. I’ll give you my decision then.’
    ‘Thanks, I’d love to,’ said Kojo.
    ‘You, too, Cooper.’
    ‘Thanks, Vik,’ said Cooper. ‘I’d like that, too. I’ve never been to a soccer match.’
    Kojo, Phil and I left Vik with Cooper Lybrand to discuss an investment in his hedge fund, which Vik’s company was considering. Like many of the people that Vik knew, Cooper was the sort of man I’d have been happy never to see again, especially since he had used the dread word: ‘soccer’. I love America. I even love Americans. But whenever they call football ‘soccer’ I want to kill them. And Cooper Lybrand was no exception to this rule.

7
    I’d eaten far too much and I was glad to be outside.
    It was a beautiful warm afternoon and Phil and I strolled up to the Champs-Élysées where he went into Louis Vuitton and bought a bag for his wife, or perhaps his girlfriend. With Phil you could never tell: he was as smooth as the Hermès silk handkerchief that was spilling out of his pocket.
    ‘Kojo’s a complete crook, of course,’ said Phil. ‘But he’s quite right. We can’t afford not to take a controlling interest in his academy.’
    ‘I thought he was only willing to sell enough to make Vik his equal partner.’
    ‘Maybe, but that’s not the way Vik likes to do business. He likes to own things.’
    ‘So I’d noticed.’
    ‘He likes to be in control.’
    I let that one go. I was beginning to see just how much control Vik wanted to have, over everything.
    ‘Kojo’s also right about Christoph,’ said Phil. ‘I’m afraid we shall have to sell him before the end of August, Scott. It’s the quickest way to patch up this stupid disagreement between Bekim and Prometheus.’
    ‘Sell him? You’re joking, aren’t you, Phil? The boy is a future star.’
    ‘We both know that the only reason Bekim is so persistent about this matter is because he knows that Christoph is gay. Which is perfectly understandable. It’s the comradely thing to do – stick up for a younger player, like that. Admirable, even. Just not practical. We have to make sure that those two get on at all costs.’
    ‘Why not sell Prometheus? He’s the one who’s caused all this trouble. He’s the one with the attitude problem. Mark my words, if it’s not this it’ll be something else. You said yourself that he’s a pain in the arse. All that business with the car. It’s