A Lotus For Miss Quon (16 page)

"This still doesn't explain where Haum comes into it or why Jaffe was being blackmailed or why he took a gun with him or why he packed a bag. Are you suggesting he got some girl into trouble and decided to make a bolt for it?"

Hambley stiffened. For Pete's sake! he thought. What's coming next?

"I think it had been decided some time ago that Mr. Jaffe should be kidnapped and held to ransom. I think Haum and Dong Ham were planted in Mr. Jaffe's villa for the express purpose of carrying out this kidnapping at the convenient time. However, I think Haum decided to make himself some money on the side. He demanded money from Mr. Jaffe."

Hambley grimaced.

"You mean Jaffe and the houseboy . . .?"

"I think there is no doubt about that," the Inspector said quietly. "This man was a degenerate. You will remember Mr. Wade said when he met Mr. Jaffe in the bar of the Majestic hotel he seemed ill at ease and worried? Later, he cashed the two cheques. While he was doing this, I think Haum received a telephone call. He was told to bring Mr. Jaffe to the Bien Hoa road police post. The idea was to kill two birds with one stone. To attack a police post very close to Saigon and while the bandits had men in the vicinity, to kidnap Mr. Jaffe."

"How the hell do you know all this?" Hambley demanded. "How could Haum force Jaffe to go to the police post?"

"I don't know all this as you put it, Lieutenant," the Inspector said mildly. "I am advancing what seems to me to be a reasonable explanation based on my years of experience with these bandits. I suggest Haum knew Mr. Jaffe owned a gun. I think he took the gun and forced Mr. Jaffe to drive to the police post. The attack was made, but in the confusion, Mr. Jaffe tried to escape. I think he most certainly killed Haum. There are fingerprints on Haum's face and neck. Mr. Jaffe was a very powerful man. He had only to give the boy one good shake to break his neck. I believe Mr. Jaffe was then murdered. My experience tells me that by his attack on Haum, he automatically forfeited his life.

"What makes you say that?" Hambley snapped. "If your theory is right, he drew the money out to give to the boy. Surely the boy would have taken it before forcing Jaffe to drive to the police post?"

The Inspector inclined his head. He warned himself to be careful. This young man wasn't quite the fool the Inspector thought he was.

"It is immaterial, Lieutenant, whether Mr. Jaffe or the boy had the money. One of them had it during the drive because there is no trace of it in the villa. I think Mr. Jaffe retained it when he was threatened with the gun. He could have said he hadn't been able to raise such a sum. I think when the bandits found he had killed Haum and when they searched him and found the money, they killed him. The bandits would divide up the money between themselves before returning to headquarters. If they took Mr. Jaffe back alive, he would tell their leader about the money and the leader would recover it from his men and keep it for himself. It would be more convenient for the bandits for Mr. Jaffe to die. I feel certain that is what happened."

Hambley rubbed his jaw while he stared at the Inspector.

"You sure have got this buttoned up haven't you?" he said. "How about the suitcase and the shaving kit?"

"It was the intention of the Viet Minh to hold Mr. Jaffe to ransom. He would have been well cared for: naturally he would want his shaving things and a change of clothing. No doubt Haum had these packed ready when Mr. Jaffe returned to the villa."

"And the girl and the cook?"

"They were waverers, Lieutenant. My converted informant told me that both of them would have become converts but for Haum's influence. Once they knew he was dead, there was nothing to stop them leaving the Viet Minh influence. They were killed no doubt by orders from Hanoi as examples to waverers."

Hambley took off his service cap and ran his fingers through his sweat-damp hair. This little monkey could be right, he was thinking. It's a fantastic story but it holds together. If Jaffe was a queer we don't want it spread around. It wouldn't look so hot to have all that dirt in the newspapers.

Watching him, the Inspector saw that he had succeeded in switching the Lieutenant's attention and interest into much less dangerous channels. He would have to see the Colonel immediately and report the interview. He only hoped the Colonel would agree and support the story he had manufactured.

Hambley got to his feet. "I'll have to report this," he said.

"Of course," the Inspector said. "Colonel On-dinh-Khuc will send in a confidential report covering all these points I have raised. Your Embassy can be sure there will be no undesirable publicity given to this unfortunate affair. If it is thought necessary we can produce proof that Mr. Jaffe was a degenerate. The reward in this morning's papers has brought forward a number of people who have had associations with Mr. Jaffe and they would be prepared to testify, but I suggest it would be better to let the matter rest where it is. In the meantime you can rely on me to continue my search for Mr. Jaffe's body."

"Yeah," Hambley said. "Well, okay. Be seeing you, Inspector," and straightenening his cap, he shook hands with the Inspector and left.

The Inspector stood for some moments looking through the window until he heard the jeep drive away, then he walked slowly over to the picture on the wall and regarded it. It was fortunate, he thought, that the Lieutenant hadn't thought of taking the picture down. It would have been very awkward if he had found the hole in the wall.

He stepped up to the picture and lifted it slightly, looking under it. The solid wall that met his gaze came as a shock to him. There was no sign that yesterday there had been a hole in the wall. Whoever had repaired the wall had been a highly skilled craftsman.

With a troubled expression in his small black eyes, he left the villa and drove rapidly back to Security Police Headquarters.

Outside the Saigon airport, Blackie Lee sat in his car and picked his teeth with a splinter of bamboo. He was waiting impatiently for the passengers from the newly-arrived aircraft from Hong Kong to pass through the Customs and Immigration barriers.

He had already caught sight of his brother, Charlie, as he had left the aircraft. It was a great weight off Blackie's mind that Charlie had answered his S 0 S so promptly.

Charlie Lee was five years older than his brother: a more serious and ambitious man, but not nearly so well off as Blackie.

The trouble with Charlie, Blackie had often said to Yu-lan, is he won't get down to a real job of work. He's always looking for quick, big, easy money. He is always messing around with white elephants hoping that one of his crack-brain schemes will land him into the big money. He is always spoiling his chances by chasing the gold at the foot of a rainbow when he should have opened up a dance hall in Hong Kong the way I wanted him to.

But with a job like this one — the job of getting the American to Hong Kong — Blackie could think of no one more likely to find a solution to the problem than Charlie. If Charlie couldn't dream up something, then the American was as good as dead.

He watched Charlie come out of the airport, pause and look around. He thought his brother looked a trifle thinner and a little more shabby than when he had last seen him four months ago.

Charlie spotted the American car and came over; Blackie got out and greeted him. The two men stood in the hot sun and talked for a few minutes. They inquired after each other's health, then Charlie inquired after Yu-lan who he liked. Neither of them mentioned the urgent cable Blackie had sent asking his brother to drop everything and come at once.

They got into the car and drove without haste back to the club. During the drive, Blackie asked how business was, and Charlie, with a resigned lift of his hands, admitted it wasn't good at the moment. He was having trouble with his team of rickshaw boys. Sooner or later the rickshaw would go: traffic in Hong Kong was becoming increasingly congested and was gradually edging the rickshaw off the streets. The boys knew this. They were demanding higher pay to have something to fall back on when they could no longer work. The four girls Charlie protected were also making trouble. Since the publication of that book about a prostitute in Hong Kong, the American authorities had forbidden all .American sailors in uniform to enter any of the hotels where he girls worked. This ruling had a had effect on business and to make matters worse the girls were demanding a higher percentage.

Blackie listened, grunting in sympathy from time to time. They were still discussing Charlie's affairs as they climbed the stairs to the club where Yu-Ian greeted Charlie affectionately.

Lunch was ready and the three sat down and ate through eight courses of immaculately prepared food. Little was said during the meal and when it was finished the two brothers retired to Blackie's office while Yu-Ian went to her room for a siesta. Charlie sat in the most comfortable chair while Blackie sat behind his desk. He offered a cigar which Charlie accepted.

There was a short silence while Charlie lit the cigar, then he said, "There is something perhaps that I can do for you?"

Blackie immediately got down to business. With admirable clarity, he told his brother Jaffe's story. He gave his brother every scrap of information he had been able to gather without complicating the facts with his own thoughts or opinions.

Charlie had lived for many years in Saigon. He had left when the French had pulled out and President Diem had come to power. He had felt it his duty to provide a bolt-hole for his young brother in case of need, and he had settled in Hong Kong. But he understood the Vietnamese methods and mentality. He knew they would take the sternest measures against a Chinese if they found out he had helped a fugitive from justice to escape.

Blackie said, "The American has money. He will pay fifteen thousand U.S. dollars if we can get him out. This is an acceptable sum. I thought five for you and ten for me would be a fair arrangement. What do you think?"

"My life is worth a lot more than five thousand U.S. dollars," Charlie said quietly.

Blackie frowned. He was disappointed. He thought his brother would have jumped at such an offer.

"What do you mean?"

"It is too dangerous," Charlie said. "I am sorry, but I cannot consider the matter for a moment; it is much too dangerous."

Blackie understood how to deal with his brother. He took from his pocket the two diamonds that Jaffe had given him.

"The American is willing to trust me," he said. "He has given me these two diamonds. He tells me they are worth a thousand U.S. dollars. They will take care of our immediate expenses. When he reaches Hong Kong, he will pay us fifteen thousand U.S. dollars." He put the two glittering dia. monds on his blotter.

Charlie was an expert in all kinds of precious stones. He had once been a diamond cutter to a jeweller in Saigon, but unfortunately for him he had been caught stealing gold and that had put an end to his career in the jewellery trade.

He picked up the two diamonds and studied them. Then he took a watchmaker's glass from his pocket and screwed it into his eye and examined the stones very carefully. There was a long pause while Blackie watched him. Finally Charlie took the glass from his eye and put the diamonds back on the blotter.

As he leaned hack in his armchair, he asked, "The American gave you these stones?"

"Yes."

"Where did he get them from?"

"From Hong Kong. He bought them for a girl, but changed his mind."

"How much did you say he told you they were worth?"

Blackie frowned.

"A thousand U.S. dollars."

"It would surprise you if I told you they are worth three thousand dollars?" Charlie said.

Blackie's eyes went dull. He slumped down in his chair while he stared at his brother.

"The American didn't buy these diamonds in Hong Kong," Charlie went on. "He was lying to you."

"I don't understand," Blackie said. "Why did he give them to me if they are worth so much?"

"Because he doesn't know the value of them, and that means he didn't buy them."

"He stole them," Charlie said. "This is a very strange coincidence." He pointed to the diamonds. "Six years ago, I cut those diamonds. Myself. My mark is on them."

"This is extraordinary," Blackie said. "You are quite sure?"

"Of course. I can tell you who the owner was of these diamonds. Do you remember General Nguyen Van Tho?"

Blackie nodded.

"He ordered a hundred and twenty diamonds from the firm I worked for and he paid cash for them. It was a secret deal, but I learned he had gone to another dealer and bought fifty much bigger and better stones. In all he bought two million American dollars worth of diamonds. He used the Army funds to buy the stones. He planned to leave the country but he left it too late. He was killed by a bomb, and the diamonds were never found. I think the American has found them!"