3
Charlie Lee stood in the doorway of his brother’s office and stared unbelievingly at Blackie’s 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 Nhan’s 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 Jaffe’s 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 Blackie’s 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 wouldn’t 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 brother’s body. He was distressed to think that Yu-Ian would find Blackie, but he didn’t dare wait for her return. He would write to her from Hong Kong, he told himself, trying to ease his pricking 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 Blackie’s 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 hadn’t moved. “He reached Thudaumot after five o’clock. 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?
Nhan’s 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.
“I am Charlie Lee,” he said. “Blackie has told you about me?”
“Yes. Why are you here? Has something gone wrong?”
“Not badly wrong,” Charlie said. During the drive to Thudaumot, he had carefully rehearsed his lies. “But 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.”
Jaffe stiffened.
“How did they find out?”
“I will explain everything later,” Charlie said. “You must leave immediately. There is not a minute to lose.”
“Where’s Nhan?” Jaffe asked.
“She 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.”
“You are sure she is safe?”
“Of course. Please hurry.”
Jaffe hesitated, then he mounted the stairs two at a time, went into his bedroom and threw his few possessions into his canvas hold-all. He put the police gun inside his shirt. He made sure he had the tin containing the diamonds in his hip pocket, then he picked up his hold-all and moved to the door. He paused for a final look round.
On the bedside table stood Nhan’s 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. I’d better take it along with me. Funny superstitious kid, but she means well.
He dropped the Buddha into his shirt pocket, then joined Charlie in the hall.
“Wait here,” Charlie said. “I’ll bring the car to the door. Get in the back and lie on the floor. You mustn’t be seen.”
While he waited for Charlie to bring the car, Jaffe tried to steady his alarmed mind and to assess the consequences of his hiding place now being known.
Nhan’s grandfather and her family were certain to suffer.
What have I done to these people? Jaffe thought. I am a crazy, selfish sonofabitch. Is Nhan really safe?
Charlie tapped the horn button of the car impatiently.
I won’t even be able to say good-bye to the old man, Jaffe thought as he moved into the hot sunshine. 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.
“Come quickly,” 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 couldn’t be far, but it was nearly seven o’clock 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 mass 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 bumped over the rough ground, black and lemon butterflies 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.
“We must prepare two large bonfires,” Charlie said. “The pilot will have trouble locating this place. When we hear him coming, we will set fire to the bonfires.”
“He won’t be here for four hours,” Jaffe said. “There is plenty of time. How did the police find out I was at the old man’s place?”
“You were seen at the window,” Charlie said, remembering what YoYo had told Blackie. “There is a reward offered for information about you. This peasant who saw you claimed the reward.”
Jaffe cursed himself for being so careless.
“But how did you find this out?” he persisted.
“Blackie has a good friend at Police Headquarters,” Charlie lied.
