A Lotus For Miss Quon Part 14

aThere will be no hitch,a Charlie concluded. aHe is trustworthy. Did you get the gun?a Blackie nodded.

aWhen you have had a rest,a he said, aI think you should see Nhan and talk to her. Donat tell her too many details, but warn her to be ready by ten. Make sure she doesnat take too many things with her. These Vietnamese girls cling to their possessions.a aIt is a pity we have to bother with her,a Charlie said.

aWe canat avoid it. The American wonat leave without her. I am sure of that.a The car pulled up outside the Club. As the two men got out, Blackie noticed the Citroen had already parked further down the road. He didnat notice Yo-Yo watching them from the shade of the tree opposite the club.

When the two men had gone up the stairs and out of sight, Yo-Yo stood up and walking casually, his hands in his pockets, crossed the road and entered the club.

He had seen Yu-lan go out a few minutes before Blackie and his brother had arrived. It occurred to him the club might be empty, and he might just possibly get a chance to overhear a conversation between the two brothers that would give him a clue to what was going on.

Moving silently, he walked into the club. There was no one in the big hall. He tiptoed across the dance floor until he reached the door leading into Blackieas office. He could hear voices. Pressing his ear against the panel of the door, he listened.

Blackie was telling his brother about the Security Police and being followed. Charlie listened with growing alarm.

aI donat understand it,a Blackie said. aIf they had any proof, they would arrest me. It may be nothing to do with Jaffe. There was that currency deal last month.a aI donat like it,a Charlie said. aI think you should come with me tonight. It may be nothing, but you mustnat take risks. There will be room in the helicopter for the four of us.a aIave thought of that, but what will happen to Yu-lan? If I leave now, theyall never let her get out. Besides, I canat just walk out of this place. When I do go, I intend to sell it. I must take a chance, Charlie.a aYou could be sorry. I donat like it.a aI donat like it either. Iall think about it. Thereas time. I have until ten tonight to make up my mind.a There was a pause, then he went on, aI have a million piastres in the safe, Charlie. I think you had better take the money with you. If anything goes wrong, it will be something for Yu-lan if she can get to Hong Kong. Will you do that for me?a aOf course,a Charlie said. aI still think you should come with me. If theyave found out you know about the diamonds and where Jaffe is hiding, they will wipe you out.a aIf they knew that,a Blackie said bleakly, aI wouldnat be here talking to you now. Iall let you know definitely by tonight what I am going to do. In the meantime, will you see the girl? She has got to be ready by ten. There must be no delay.a Charlie got to his feet. aIall go now,a he said, athen Iall come back and have a nap. I wonat get much sleep tonight.a Yo-Yo moved silently away from the door: his thin vicious face alight with excitement. He concealed himself behind a curtain that covered the entrance to the kitchens.

He heard Blackie and Charlie come out of the office. Blackie accompanied his brother as far as the entrance to the club.

aI donat think theyare interested in you,a Blackie said, abut be careful you are not followed.a When his brother had gone down the stairs, Blackie returned to his office. He looked through the shutters into the street. The two detectives still sat in the Citroen. He saw his brother walk briskly away. No one seemed to pay him any attention.

A slight sound behind him made him look sharply over his shoulder.

Yo-Yo stood in the doorway, smiling at him.

ah.e.l.lo, Mr. Blackie,a he said and came into the office, closing the door behind him.

Blackie had a sudden premonition of danger. How long had this little rat been in the club? Had he heard anything?

aWhat do you want?a aIave been listening, Mr. Blackie,a Yo-Yo said. aI want that million piastres you have in your safe. If you donat give it to me, Iall tell those two detectives out there you know where. Jaffe is. You know what theyall do to you if I tell them that.a Blackie eyed Yo-Yo thoughtfully. Yo-Yo was slim and wiry, but Blackie knew that once he got his hands on the boy, he could easily master him. He would have to kill him. He had no other alternative. Already he had made up his mind that sooner or later he would have to murder the boy.

aWhat million piastres?a he asked, moving casually forward. aWhat are you talking about?a Yo-Yo with the swiftness of a striking snake whipped a knife from his hip pocket. Its long, glittering blade threatened Blackie.

aDonat come any nearer,a Yo-Yo said. aJust give me the money.a Sweat broke out on Blackieas face. The sight of the knife filled him with sick fear. Then he remembered the gun in his safe. It was fitted with a silencer. He would open the safe, pretending to get the money, then he would grab the gun, turn and shoot.

He pretended to hesitate. He remained motionless, staring at Yo-Yo.

aHurry!a Yo-Yo said. aGive me the money!a Blackie lifted his shoulders in resigned surrender. He took from his pocket the safe key, crossed the room and unlocked the safe. He had to kneel to reach in the safe. His broad back covered his movements. His hand closed around the b.u.t.t of the gun as Yo-Yo silently crept up behind him.

As Blackie lifted the gun and tensed his muscles to bring his body upright, an agonizing pain hit him between his shoulder blades. His hand slipped off the gun and he fell forward. The agony was repeated as Yo-Yo stabbed him again.

II.

A little after five oaclock, the telephone bell rang in Lam-Thanas office. With an impatient exclamation, Lam-Than put down his pen and picked up the receiver. He listened to the excited voice on the line. What he heard made him stiffen in his chair.

He said, aYou arc certain of this? There can be no mistake?a He listened while the voice beat against his eardrum, then he said, aVery well,a and hung up.

He sat for a long moment staring down at his desk, then he got to his feet and went swiftly along the pa.s.sage to Colonel On-dinh-Khucas office. He knocked and entered. The office was empty. He paused in the doorway, frowning and looking around. He saw the Colonelas tunic lying on a chair and he immediately guessed where he was.

He hurried to the questioning room. The two executioners, guarding the door, looked at him inquiringly.

aIs the Colonel in there?a Lam-Than asked.

One of them nodded.

Lam-Than turned the handle of the door and pushed the door open. He stepped into the room and immediately closed the door on the curious staring gaze of the two executioners.

With a growl like that of a wild animal, the Colonel turned quickly and glared at him. Lam-Than looked past the Colonel at the table and his mouth tightened.

aGet out!a the Colonel snarled.

aYou must leave immediately, sir,a Lam-Than said, speaking distinctly and quickly. aA warrant for your arrest was signed half an hour ago. You are being charged with the murder of the woman, My-Lang-To. The driver of the jeep who killed her has confessed he did so on your instructions.a The Colonel leaned forward and peered at Lam-Than. The muscles in his heavy face suddenly went slack.

aThey canat arrest me,a he snarled. aNo one can arrest me!a aThe warrant has been signed by the President,a Lam-Than said. Did she tell you where the American is hiding?a The Colonel leaned against the wall. He seemed crushed and defeated.

aI cannot understand it,a he said, and there was dazed wonder in his voice. aNothing I did to her would make her speak. A woman like that . . . perhaps after all she really didnat know.a Lam-Than shrugged his shoulders.

If you can reach the Bien Hoa airport you have a chance of reaching Phnom-Penh,a he said. aThey may not have thought of alerting the airport. You must go at once.a Even as he spoke there came the sound of tramping feet down the pa.s.sage and the two men looked at each other.

Lam-Than shrugged his shoulders. He moved away from the Colonel as if disa.s.sociating himself from him.

The door opened and Inspector NgocLinh appeared in the doorway. Behind him were four policemen armed with rifles.

The Inspector looked from the Colonel to the body on the table. He felt the wall of his stomach tighten with horror. Then he turned and signalled to the policemen who filed into the room. He pointed to the Colonel.

aArrest this man.a As the police formed a group around the Colonel, the Inspector said to him, aIn the name of the Republic, I arrest you for the murder of MyLang-To. You will also be charged with the murder of this woman, Nhan Lee Quon.a He turned to Lam-Than. aYou too are under arrest as an accessory to both murders.a He nodded to the policemen. Take them away.a Colonel On-dinh-Khuc straightened himself and squared his shoulders. He marched out of the room at the head of his escort. Lam-Than limped after him.

The Inspector beckoned to one of the executioners who was standing in the doorway, staring. aGet a blanket and cover this woman,a he said.

When the executioner had gone, the Inspector moved closer to the table. Because he was a devout Catholic and still had some pity left in him, he made the sign of the cross over Nhanas body, then turning, he went out of the room, closing the door behind him.

III.

Charlie Lee stood in the doorway of his brotheras office and stared unbelievingly at Blackieas dead body lying before the open safe.

It was some minutes before he forced himself to move into the room. He closed the door and locked it, then he went over to his brother and made sure he was dead.

The shock made him feel weak and old. He went to the desk and sat down. He wept for a little while, his face buried in his hands. Blackie had been part of his life. He felt lonely and defenceless now. He could not imagine what his future would be like without his brother. But after a while, he got over the shock. He suddenly realized now that Blackie was dead, there would be no need to share the two million American dollars, and with that sum of money, he should be able to face life without his brother.

Getting to his feet he went to the safe and peered into it. He saw the gun and took it from the safe. A quick glance told him the million piastres were missing. Some sneak-thief must have killed Blackie and taken the money, he thought, but there was no point in wasting regrets on this loss.

Everything was now going wrong. He had spoken to Nhanas uncle who had told him Nhan had been arrested and had been taken to Security Police Headquarters for questioning. This information had alarmed him and he had hurried back to warn his brother that not only Jaffeas hiding place was in danger but Blackie might expect to be arrested at any moment. Charlie had no doubt that when submitted to torture, the girl would betray them all.

There was still a slim chance of getting his hands on the diamonds if he acted quickly. He would take Blackieas car and go immediately to Thudaumot. He would take Jaffe to the agreed landing place. They would wait there until the helicopter arrived. He was sure it would be fatal to tell Jaffe that Nhan had been arrested. He would say that Blackie was bringing her later. When the helicopter arrived, he would try to persuade Jaffe to leave. If he wouldnat leave without the girl, then he would have to kill him.

Charlie put the gun in his briefcase: the long silencer made it impossible for him to carry the gun in his pocket.

He paused to look at his brotheras body. He was distressed to think that Yu-lan would find Blackie, but he didnat dare wait for her return. He would write to her from Hong Kong, he told himself, trying to ease his p.r.i.c.king conscience. He would invite her to come and live with him.

Carrying the briefcase under his arm, he left the club and went over to where Blackieas car was parked. He glanced at the police car up the road. The two detectives looked at him indifferently and then returned to reading their newspapers. He wondered if they would follow him, but as he drove away, he saw the black Citroen hadnat moved.

aHe reached Thudaumot after five oaclock. He parked the car by the lacquer factory and then walked over to the little wooden villa. From his window, Jaffe saw him coming. Charlie was sufficiently like his brother for Jaffe to recognize him. What was he doing here at this hour? Jaffe wondered. Had something gone wrong? Was there to be a new arrangement?

Nhanas grandfather had gone out and Jaffe was alone in the villa. He hurried down the stairs and opened the front door.

Charlie entered, giving Jaffe a little bow.

aI am Charlie Lee,a he said. aBlackie has told you about me?a aYes. Why are you here? Has something gone wrong?a aNot badly wrong,a Charlie said. During the drive to Thudaumot, he had carefully rehea.r.s.ed his lies. aBut it is necessary for you to leave here immediately. Blackie has heard from a friend at Police Headquarters that your hiding place is now known. The police are already on their way to arrest you.a Jaffe stiffened.

aHow did they find out?a aI will explain everything later,a Charlie said. aYou must leave immediately. There is not a minute to lose.a aWhereas Nhan?a Jaffe asked.

aShe is quite safe. Blackie is looking after her. She will join us in a few hours. If you have anything you want to take with you, please get it. I have the car here. We must leave at once.a aYou are sure she is safe?a aOf course. Please hurry.a Jaffe hesitated, then he mounted the stairs two at a time, went into his bedroom and threw his few possessions into his canvas holdall. He put the police gun inside his s.h.i.+rt. He made sure he had the tin containing the diamonds in his hip pocket, then he picked up his holdall and moved to the door. He paused for a final look round.

On the bedside table stood Nhanas little ivory Buddha. Jaffe grinned as he went over to it and picked it up.

She said as long as I have it, no harm will come to me, he thought. Iad better take it along with me. Funny superst.i.tious kid, but she means well.

He dropped the Buddha into his s.h.i.+rt pocket, then joined Charlie in the hall.

aWait here,a Charlie said. aIall bring the car to the door. Get in the back and lie on the floor. You mustnat be seen.a While he waited for Charlie to bring the car, Jaffe tried to steady his alarmed mind and to a.s.sess the consequences of his hiding place now being known.

Nhanas grandfather and her family were certain to suffer.

What have I done to these people? Jaffe thought. I am a crazy, selfish sonofab.i.t.c.h. Is Nhan really safe?

Charlie tapped the horn b.u.t.ton of the car impatiently.

I wonat even be able to say goodbye to the old man, Jaffe thought as he moved into the hot suns.h.i.+ne. If I had any guts I would stay right here and warn him to get out when he comes back.

Charlie had opened the rear door of the car. He was beckoning to Jaffe. aCome quickly,a he called.

With a feeling of shame, Jaffe ran down the path and scrambled into the back of the car. He lay on the floor of the car. Charlie slammed the door, then he trod on the gas and the car shot away.

As the car roared down the dusty road towards Ben Cat, Jaffe kept thinking of Nhan. He still had five and a half hours before the helicopter was due to arrive. Much could happen in that time.

Charlie had to stop once or twice to consult his map. He told Jaffe that the landing-ground couldnat be far, but it was nearly seven oaclock and growing dusk by the time Charlie finally located the exact place.

He saw at once that it was a good place for concealment. There was a thick fringe of bamboo in a half circle before a disused rice field which was burned into a hard ma.s.s of dark mud by the sun, and it was very suitable for a helicopter landing.

The rice field was concealed from the road by trees and shrubs. As the car b.u.mped over the rough ground, black and lemon b.u.t.terflies as big as bats rose out of the bamboos while egrets flew in panic across the darkening sky.

Charlie brought the car to a halt and got out. Jaffe, his legs stiff and his body aching from the cramped ride, also got out.

aWe must prepare two large bonfires,a Charlie said. aThe pilot will have trouble locating this place. When we hear him coming, we will set fire to the bonfires.a aHe wonat be here for four hours,a Jaffe said. aThere is plenty of time. How did the police find out I was at the old manas place?a aYou were seen at the window,a Charlie said, remembering what Yo-Yo had told Blackie. aThere is a reward offered for information about you. This peasant who saw you claimed the reward.a Jaffe cursed himself for being so careless.

aBut how did you find this out?a he persisted.

aBlackie has a good friend at Police Headquarters,a Charlie lied.

aWhat will they do with the old man?a aYou neednat worry about him. They will do nothing. The newspaper carrying the offer for the reward doesnat circulate in Thudaumot. How was he to know you were wanted by the police?a Jaffe relaxed slightly. It was the kind of news he wanted to hear so he readily accepted it.

aAnd Nhan? Where is she?a aShe is safe,a Charlie said. aShe is with Blackie. When it is dark Blackie will bring her here.a He began to move away. aWe should begin to build the bonfires.a The two men parted and began to collect sticks and dried gra.s.s.

While he worked, Charlie wondered if he could persuade the American to leave without Nhan. It was a risk. He might refuse. Charlie realized that it would be safer to kill him before the helicopter arrived. He couldnat kill him if Watkins was there. Watkins would blackmail him for the rest of his life.

He looked across the rice field to where Jaffe was working. The Americanas ma.s.sive figure was outlined against the darkening sky.

Charlie decided he must wait until it was darker, then he would get the gun, conceal it by his side and when he was close to Jaffe, he would shoot him at pointblank range. He would tell Watkins his pa.s.senger had changed his mind and wasnat coming. He would go with Watkins to Kratie. By this time tomorrow he would be safe in Hong Kong with two million dollarsa worth of diamonds.

He was glad to have the bonfire to build. It took his mind off Jaffe. It was just after eight when the two men completed their tasks. By then it was so dark, Charlie had difficulty in finding the car.

He could see Jaffe coming across the field by the red spar of his cigarette. He opened the car door and felt around on the floor for his briefcase, but he couldnat find it. In a sudden sweating panic, he got into the car, turned on the dashlight and looked frantically on the floor, but his briefcase wasnat there. He could have sworn he had put it on the floor just before he had got out of the car. Maybe it had fallen out of the car as he had got out. It must have fallen out As he got out of the car, Jaffe loomed out of the darkness.

What were you showing a light for?a Jaffe demanded. aIt could have been seen from the road.a Charlie felt a trickle of cold sweat run down his face. aYes,a he said, trying to steady his voice. aI should have thought of that.a He was cautiously moving his foot over the ground, trying to locate the briefcase, but he felt nothing. He moved back a few steps and again started searching the ground with his foot.

aWhat time will Nhan arrive?a Jaffe asked, coming round the car to join Charlie.

Suppose the American stumbled on the briefcase? Charlie thought, his heart beating so hard he felt stifled. If he picked it up, he would feel the gun through the thin leather of the case. He moved forward, meeting Jaffe before Jaffe reached the door of the car.

aShe wonat be late,a Charlie said. aSheall be here just before eleven.a Jaffe peered at his wrist.w.a.tch.

aNearly three hours to wait. I guess Iall sit in the car.a aThe other side,a Charlie said, backing away to cover the driveras door. aYouall be more comfortable.a aI wish I had a drink,a Jaffe said as he started around the car towards the pa.s.sengeras seat. aThis is going to be a h.e.l.l of a long wait.a Charlie bent down and hurriedly searched the gra.s.s with his hands. It was so dark he could see nothing. Sweat ran into his eyes. He groped as far under the car as he could reach, but his questing hands failed to find the briefcase. Then suddenly he heard Jaffe say, ah.e.l.lo . . . whatas this?a With a feeling of sick dismay, Charlie realized somehow he must have kicked the briefcase across the car and it had fallen out on the pa.s.sengeras side. Jaffe had found it! He ran round the car. aItas my briefcase,a he said, his voice quivering with panic. aLet me have it please.a aWait a minute.a The hard note in Jaffeas voice brought Charlie to a standstill. aYouave got a gun in here. What do you want a gun for?a aIt belongs to the pilot,a Charlie said desperately. aHe lent it to Blackie. I a" I promised to return it. May I have it please?a Jaffe was stiff with suspicion. He opened the briefcase and took out the gun. His fingers felt along the long barrel of the silencer.

aMay I have it please?a Charlie repeated but without hope.

aNo. Iall give it to the pilot,a Jaffe said. aI donat like guns lying around. Get in the car!a Moving like an old man, Charlie opened the car door and got in. Jaffe went to the rear of the car and got in the back.

aYou sit still,a Jaffe said. aIam watching you.a Charlie could have wept with despair. For the past fifteen years everything he had touched had gone wrong. Either he had handled his deals badly or else he never had any luck. This was crus.h.i.+ng bad aIrk. If he hadnat dropped the briefcase . . .

aThis is a pretty convenient gun for a murder,a Jaffe said. aYou werenat thinking of murdering me, were you?a aSuch an idea never crossed my mind,a Charlie said, trying to speak with dignity. aWhy should I murder you?a aJust sit still and keep quiet,a Jaffe said. aIf you make any sudden move, Iall shoot you through the back of your head.a Charlie slumped down in his seat, crushed. He had lost his brother, and through the worst of bad luck he had lost the gun. He was defenceless against the strength of the American. Now he would never lay his hands on the diamonds.

Watching him, Jaffe fingered the gun. He was trying to control a sick fear that was growing in his mind. Was Nhan really safe? he kept asking himself. Was this story that the gun belonged to the pilot a lie? If it was a lie, and this little Chinese had planned to kill him, something almost certainly had happened to Nhan.

But there was nothing he could do but wait to see if she arrived. Suppose she didnat arrive? What was he going to do? What could he do? If he went to Saigon to look for her, he would walk into a hornetas nest, and yet he couldnat bear the idea of going without her.