Part 12 (1/2)

aWe leave tomorrow night,a he said. The following morning we will be in Hong Kong.a Nhan hesitated before saying, aCould we wait for two days, Steve? It would be better. I consulted the Oracle this morning and the next two days are very bad for me. Please wait. In two daysa time it will be all right.a She looked anxiously at him expecting him to be angry and impatient with her, but instead he grinned at her.

aNow look, Nhan, if youare going to become an American citizen youave got to stop being superst.i.tious, and thatas all this nonsense is: superst.i.tion Oracles are all very well for a little Vietnamese taxi-dancer, but not for an American citizen.

aI understand,a Nhan said helplessly. She wanted so much to gain Steveas approval and to make the right impression. She was suddenly sure that she would never see Hong Kong. Hadnat the fortuneteller told her the next two days were the most critical days of her life? aIt isnat possible to wait?a aNo. Everything is arranged,a Jaffe said. aNow donat worry about it. Itas going to be all right.a He lay back across the bed, pulling her with him and he began to kiss her.

Nhan closed her eyes and tried to relax under his caresses, but her mind was darting with fear the way a trapped mouse will dart to escape the paw of a cat.

aLook, why not stay here with me?a Jaffe said. aWhy go back to Saigon? Weall leave here tomorrow night. Will you stay?a He lifted himself up on his arm and leaned over her, tracing his finger gently down the side of her nose, touching her lips and moving up along her jawbone as he looked at her.

aI canat stay,a she said, shaking her head. aI must prepare my mother for my going away. There are many things yet for me to do. I must pack. I couldnat go without saying goodbye to my brothers.a Families! Jaffe thought irritably. They were a ball and chain on the leg of a man who is trying to run. They were a blanket that stifled impulse.

He was glad he had no family: no mother to prepare for his going away: no brothers to say goodbye to.

His irritation showed on his face as he shrugged his shoulder.

aWell, all right. Itas your family. Blackie will come to your apartment at ten tomorrow night. He will bring you to me. Itas all arranged.a aI will be ready,a Nhan said.

aWe will meet at the ruined temple at eleven then he is driving us somewhere where the helicopter can land. Once we get to Kratie, weall be safe.a Because of the growing presentiment of danger that persisted in haunting her mind, she took Jaffeas face gently in her hands, smiling at him and she said, aCould we make a little love together, Steve? Now . . . It will be for the last time.a She paused, then went on, abefore we reach Hong Kong.a He looked down at her, puzzled.

aYouare still scared, arenat you?a he said as he began to undo her tunic. aYou mustnat be scared. Itas going to work out all right. I know it is. You must trust me.a She gave herself to him as she had never given herself to him before. It was as if she were trying desperately to express the love she felt for him so that it would make an indelible mark on his mind; something he would always remember her by in the years ahead when he would be living without her.

II.

While Nhan was in the bus going to Thudaumot and Lieutenant Hambley was talking to Inspector NgocLinh on the telephone, Blackie was driving his brother to the Saigon airport.

Charlie had been fortunate to get a scat on the Dakota going to Phnom-Penh at ten oaclock. He had already sent a telegram to Lee Watkins, the pilot on the Opium run, asking him to meet him at Phnom Penh airport.

As the big American car drove along the main road, both brothers were silent, their minds active.

Blackie said suddenly, aWatkins should know a safe place to make his landing. It must he close to Thudaumot. I donat want a long drive with Jaffe: itas too risky.a Charlie nodded.

aIall arrange that.a He paused as Blackie slowed down to edge past two buffalo being led along the road, then as Blackie accelerated, he went on, aItas time we decided how we are to get the diamonds from the American when he leaves here.a aIave been thinking about that,a Blackie said. aI donat think it would be safe to let him get to Hong Kong with the diamonds. The time to take them from him is when he arrives in Kratie.a Charlie thought about this. He realized Blackie was right. It would be almost impossible to get the diamonds from Jaffe in Hong Kong, but in Kratie, it would be fairly simple aYes. Once the diamonds are out of Vietnam, it doesnat matter. I could hire some men to take care of him after I have talked to Watkins.a Blackie had been brooding over this problem during the early hours of the morning. He had come to a certain conclusion. He hesitated to tell his brother, but after a long pause, he forced himself to say, aWe canat trust any outsider in this, Charlie. They might steal the diamonds. I suggest you go with Jaffe to Kratie.a Again he paused, then, aYou will have to get the diamonds from him.a Charlie flinched.

aYou are younger and stronger, Blackie,a he said. aI think you should do it.a aI have thought about that too,a Blackie said, abut there are too many complications. How would I get back? We couldnat expect Watkins to make a return trip. I have no Cambodian visa whereas you have. I would have to go on to Hong Kong with the diamonds. No, Iam sorry, Charlie, but you will have to do it.a aThis American is dangerous,a Charlie said, s.h.i.+fting uneasily. aI might not be able to get the diamonds from him.a aI have also thought of that,a Blackie said. aYou mustnat take any chances with him. The way I see it is this: you will tell the American he is to be landed just outside Kratie. There will be a car waiting to take him to the airfield for his flight to Hong Kong. You will arrange with Watkins to land at some lonely place. You will also arrange for a car to be there to meet you. You will need a gun with a silencer. When Watkins has gone, you will go with Jaffe to where the car is waiting. It should be on the road, some little distance from your landing place. You will arrange it so Jaffe walks ahead of you. On the way you will shoot him. We canat take any chances, Charlie. Thereare two million dollars involved. If you held him up and tried to get the diamonds from him, he might outsmart you. I donat like this plan very much, but we have no alternative. When he is dead, you will take the diamonds and go to the car. You will tell the driver your pa.s.senger was unable to come.a Charlie considered what his brother had just said. Murder was no stranger to him. Fifteen years ago he had murdered a woman who had been blackmailing him. He had had no compunction about killing her. He had gone to her apartment late one night on the pretext of paying her her monthly blackmail. He had hit her on the back of the head, stripped her and drowned her in the bath. It was thought she had slipped, hit her head on the bath taps and had drowned herself.

The idea of murdering Jaffe didnat disturb Charlie. There was nothing he wouldnat do to lay his hands on two million dollars, but he wasnat the same man as he had been fifteen years ago. His nerves werenat as steady. He flinched at the idea of walking through a dark jungle with a man as dangerous as Jaffe. If Jaffe suspected what was going to happen and got in the first shot, the chances were he wouldnat miss. Charlie had no wish to die. He would have liked a safer plan.

aWe are forgetting the girl,a he said. aSheall be there too.a aI hadnat forgotten her,a Blackie said. He deliberately hadnat mentioned Nhan. He wanted his brother to get used to the idea of one murder first. aSheall have to go too. Iam sorry, Charlie, but I donat think the American will leave if the girl doesnat go with him. I did think I would fix it so she didnat join him, but on second thoughts, itas too risky. He might refuse to go if she wasnat with him. Sheall have to be wiped out too.a Two murders! Charlie thought, and he felt sweat start out on his body.

He visualized the scene. Jaffe and the girl walking ahead; he following them. He would draw the gun and he would shoot Jaffe in the back. Jaffe would fall. He might not be killed, but at least he would be harmless. What would the girl do? She might run away. It would be dark. If she started to run before he could swing the gun in her direction, she could get away. Then he would be in trouble.

As if he were reading his thoughts, Blackie said gently, aShe is in love with the American. When he falls, she will go to him. Itall be an easy second shot, Charlie.a aYou seem to have thought of everything,a Charlie said, a note of bitterness coming into his voice. aThere was a time when I did the thinking for the family.a Blackie didnat say anything. Everything depended now on whether Charlie would do this thing. He himself flinched from murder. He knew Charlie had one murder on his hands already. He knew he could never bring himself to shoot Jaffe and Nhan. That was another difference between Charlie and himself: there was a ruthless streak in Charlie that Blackie envied.

They were within sight of the airport now.

aThe arrangement,a Charlie said, ais too one-sided. You take no risks, Blackie. I have to do all the work and take all the risks. When the bodies are found, Watkins will guess I killed them. He might try to blackmail me.a aYou in your turn can blackmail him,a Blackie said. aHe could get ten years for running opium into Bangkok. You donat have to worry about Watkins.a aThereas the driver of the car.a aArrange with Watkins to use one of his men. You wonat have to worry about him.a Charlie shrugged. Ile was ready to accept the plan, but he was putting up a show of opposition to open the way to strike a better bargain.

aIf I am to do all this,a he said, awe must have a new financial settlement. You canat expect to have half the money when you take no risks. I think I should have three-quarters and you a quarter.a Blackie had been expecting his brother to ask for more money, but three-quarters was, of course, absurd.

aWe are going to be partners, Charlie,a he said. aWe want to use the money to start a dance club in Hong Kong, profitable to both of us. I agree you should have more money, but three-quarters is unreasonable. I suggest you should have fifty thousand dollars from the capital, then the rest to be split evenly.a aLet us say a hundred thousand,a Charlie said, aand a 60 a” 40 share in the profits of the club.a Blackie hesitated, then shrugged his shoulders. He would have demanded even better terms than these if he had to do what Charlie was going to do.

aAll right,a he said. aI agree to that.a Charlie nodded. He was satisfied.

As Blackie pulled up at the Departure entrance of the airport, Charlie said, aI will be back tomorrow morning. Donat forget the gun.a Blackie didnat wait to see him off. He drove back to Saigon, unaware that he had been followed to the airport and was now being followed on his return by the two Security Police detectives. They saw Blackie enter the club, then one of them went off to telephone to the Inspector while the other waited in the car which he had parked a few yards from the entrance of the club.

The detective didnat notice Yo-Yo who squatted under a tree, flicking his toy up and down on its string while he watched the detective.

Yo-Yo had seen the two men drive off after Blackie and his brother. He had seen Blackie return alone, still followed by the two detectives. The situation interested him, and after considering it for some minutes, he straightened up and walked over to the club. He went in, climbed the stairs and entered the dance hall.

He crossed the dance floor and went into Blackieas office without knocking. He shut the door and leaned against it.

Blackie was sipping from a gla.s.s of tea. He looked up. His face became expressionless when he saw Yo-Yo.

aWhat is it?a aI have some information to sell,a Yo-Yo said. aItall cost you five thousand piastres, but itas cheap at the price.a aWhat information?a aIall have the money first.a aYou can get out,a Blackie said, putting down his gla.s.s of tea, abefore I throw you out.a Yo-Yo giggled. aItas to do with the police and you, Mr. Blackie. Itas important.a Blackie felt a sudden chill around his heart. He didnat hesitate for long. He took out his wallet and counted out five thousand piastres and threw them across the desk at Yo-Yo.

aWhat is it?a Yo-Yo picked up the notes. aTwo Security Police detectives are following you,a he said. aThey followed you when you left this morning with Mr. Charlie. They were following you when you returned. They are sitting outside now in their car: the black Citroen.a Blackie sat for some moments staring at Yo-Yo, then with a visible effort, he said, aThe next time you come in here knock on the door. Now get out.a Yo-Yo looked at the money in his dirty hand and then he winked at Blackie.

aSome have good luck, some bad. Iam sorry for you, Mr. Blackie,a and he went out.

As soon as the door had shut, Blackie got quickly to his feet and went to the window. Cautiously, he peered through the closet shutters. He could see the Citroen down in the street. He couldnat see who was sitting in it, but whoever it was was smoking. He could see a spiral of tobacco smoke drifting out of the open window of the car.

What did it mean? he asked himself. Why were they watching him? Did they suspect he was in touch with Jaffe? Or were they watching him in the hope he would lead them to Nhan? Or was it something that had nothing to do with Jaffe?

He moved away from the window, taking out his handkerchief to wipe his sweating face. Cold panic crawled up his spine. If it hadnat been for that little rat, Yo-Yo, he would have gone out in another ten minutes to collect the gun and the silencer. If they had caught him with that, he would have gone away for two years.

He went slowly over to his desk and sat down. He had better remain in his office, he told himself. Yu-lan could collect the gun. He thought with envy of Charlie, safe in the Dakota taking him to Phnom-Penh. Should he warn Charlie the police were on the watch? He hesitated, then decided to wait a little while. Maybe this had nothing to do with Jaffe. Maybe someone had talked about the little currency deal he had engineered a couple of weeks ago. Perhaps that was why the police were watching him.

He got up and went to a cupboard and poured himself out a stiff drink of whisky, then he returned to his desk and wrote a hurried note. He took from his wallet several notes which he put in the envelope together with the letter he had written, sealed the envelope and addressed it.

Then he went out into the dance hall where Yu-lan was arranging flowers.

aTake this letter to Fat Wo,a Blackie said to her. aTake shopping basket with you. Buy some fruit and vegetables. Fat Wo will give you a parcel. Put the parcel under the fruit and vegetables and then come back here.a aWhat is in the parcel?a Yu-lan asked, her eyes anxious.

aIt is no affair of yours,a Blackie said. aGo at once. The matter is very urgent.a Yu-lan hesitated, then seeing he was in no mood to tolerate disobedience, she went away to fetch the shopping basket.

Blackie returned to his office. He finished the whisky and felt less nervous. He stood at the window watching Yu-lan as she walked briskly down the street to Fat Woas restaurant. No one followed her. The man in the Citroen continued to smoke. Blackie waited by the window. Twenty minutes later, he saw Yu-lan returning, the shopping basket loaded with vegetables. He met her at the door of the club as she came in.

aDid you get it?a he asked.

She set down the basket, lifted out some of the vegetables and hauled out a parcel securely wrapped in brown paper and tied with string.