The Son (22 page)

‘Wait. There's one more thing. The price has gone up.'

‘What do you mean?'

‘Passports.'

‘Passports?'

‘Yes. I want two Australian passports. One for Eric, and one for his aunt if she wants one. Not straightaway, but when this is over.'

‘Paul! Have you gone crazy? That wasn't part of the deal.'

‘It is now. Look! I brought him to you, in good faith, so you could make use of the information he's got, and judge for yourselves how much trust you can put in him. And yes, so you could use him a little longer if need be. But this is getting a bit more ambitious, Roger, and I'm starting to have doubts about it. So this is the deal! Either you arrange for him to get a passport when this is all over, or I pull out. And I pull him out with me. And don't forget his aunt!'

What she'd say to that I could only guess. But I'd face that later.

‘Come on Paul,' Roger pleaded. ‘You know we can't do that! The Minister will have a fit if we ask him! Christ, it's hard enough to get a passport under alias, we can't give these things out to just anyone–'

‘Not just anyone, Roger!' I said hotly. ‘This is a kid whose father was Australian, who got himself killed in the line of duty, a kid who himself would have been born Australian if our government in 1975 hadn't been so shitty over Vietnam! His mother died trying to bring him out here! Do you want me to tell him how Canberra refused to accept her? That'll put a dent in his motivation! So either you go to your minister and get approval, or we both pull out and you can kiss your operation goodbye. We'll go to the cops in Sydney and they can take it from there.'

Roger listened in silence, his face set.

‘OK. I'll see what I can do,' he said after a while. ‘But I can't promise anything. Not about her. Why don't you just marry her for God's sake!'

‘Leave my private life out of this!' I snapped. He stared at me.

‘Christ, she really has got under your skin! OK. I'll see what I can do.'

‘I want your word!'

‘Yes! I promise! Satisfied? Bill will simply go berserk.'

Bill can go fuck himself, I thought. But at least I'd won that point. What good it would do was for me to work on.

The afternoon session went much faster. Roger left as soon as we got back to the house, to confer with Bill Forsythe no doubt, while Keith and Samantha went over the details of contact arrangements in Sydney with Eric. They were simple, and just shady enough to pass as genuine. Samantha was to be Eric's girl friend–

‘But I already have a girl friend,' he said.

‘All the better. That way you've got more reason to keep Samantha secret. She'll use her real name, but she's from Sydney, here's her phone number, you met at Bondi and you've both got the hots for each other. So when you feel the need you just give her a ring, and come out to meet her. You can meet in town over coffee, or go for a walk somewhere quiet. Be prepared, she'll change her appearance a little. And you just tell her what you know. She'll give you instructions. OK with that? Don't worry, you won't be called on for any scenes of passion. Just hold hands as you huddle over a drink or walk along the beach.'

He smiled at the thought, and there was amusement in her eyes too as she contemplated having assignations with this tough-looking kid with the smouldering eyes. She had taken him up to Black Mountain tower for lunch and they seemed to have become very chummy all of a sudden.

Roger came back as they were finishing up. He had a quick word with me first, his manner terse and not very friendly.

‘I talked to Bill. He's not happy, but I put your arguments to him and he agreed to do what he could. We'll put it to the Minister. But not until this is over. Then we'll have a good case, and he'll probably wear it. Sorry, that's the best we can do.'

‘I understand. Thanks. But I'll hold you to it.'

‘I'm sure you will.'

Then he went back to Eric, all avuncular once more.

‘Got everything worked out? Are you happy with it, Eric?'

Eric was happy. His eyes were dancing with excitement.

‘Good. It's not too late to back out you know. What you're doing takes courage. I can see you've got that, you're a lot like your father, and from what I've been told your mother was very courageous too. So you're doing them proud. But it's not too late to pull out. No one here will blame you if you do.'

‘No. I want to get on with this.'

‘We're going to back you all the way. We'll have people on the ground to make sure nothing goes wrong. And we'll sort everything out with the police in Sydney. So you don't have to worry about that. But you'll be on your own for much of that time. Think you can handle that?'

‘Yes.'

‘I think so too. But remember. We don't want you to take any risks. Once you've found out what they're planning, get in touch with Sam. Don't lose her number. OK? You can still keep in touch with your aunt, of course you can, but you mustn't go anywhere near Paul. Not until this is over. It's too risky for you. Paul understands that too. He'll drive you back to Sydney but after that you don't have any further contact until I tell you. All agreed?'

‘Yes. Perfectly.'

‘Just one more thing.'

Like a magician Roger produced a large manila envelope from his briefcase, from which he pulled out his rabbit of the day.

‘Paul told us you didn't have any photos of your father. These are for you.'

They'd done a good job, and the two large glossies would have done a portrait photographer proud: two full-face shots of David, taken at different times – one on his first entry into the firm, the second some time later, probably when he set out for Vietnam – making him look young and fresh and eager, like a student on graduation day. And a third smaller print, even more telling, taken at the training establishment, David doing unarmed combat, with the instructor's face carefully blacked out. Eric studied them in silence then looked up, almost too moved to say thanks.

‘I can't let you keep them, not until this is over. It wouldn't be safe. But later on you can have them. Permanently.'

‘Perhaps I can keep them for him,' I suggested.

Roger gave me a sharp glance, as if suspecting me of wanting to see Eric behind his back, but Eric looked at me with such a hopeful expression that he didn't have the heart to refuse.

‘Alright,' he said. ‘As long as they stay with Paul. It's for your own safety, Eric. You must understand that.'

He nodded, his head bent over the prints, moved almost to tears.

I let him drive on the way back. He had a licence, and I was glad to sit back and relax for a change, while I thought about what lay ahead. As far as Hao was concerned I told myself not to get my hopes up, but I was deeply excited that shortly I'd be seeing her again, and bringing her back to the flat. What happened after that I could only dream of.

Now it was Eric I was worried about. The day had gone very well. Roger and his team had handled it expertly, like the professionals they were. I thought they'd genuinely liked him as well, and I had no doubt they'd do their best to protect him. But their objective first and last was to exploit his access to get as much information as possible before Loc arrived, and perhaps go beyond that and ask him to play a more active role. I knew they wouldn't sacrifice him wantonly. But when it came to the crunch I wasn't so sure they'd put his safety first.

That was where we parted company. I was prepared to help all I could, and had brought Eric to them knowingly, for just that reason. And in return I had extracted the maximum price I could hope for. But no way could I stand by if his safety was compromised. I knew I'd have to keep a close eye on things, whatever Roger said, even if for the time being I was barred from having further contact with him.

Meanwhile Eric drove on, in a haze of contentment. If he still felt any doubts about what he was doing they had been swept away when Roger gave him the photos. That had been a masterstroke, even if I had thought of it first.

Which, to his credit, he hadn't forgotten.

‘Thank you for getting those photos,' he said after a while.

‘You're welcome. I'm sorry they couldn't do much about your father's family yet, but we can ask them again when this is all over. I'm sure they'll come up with something.'

I didn't tell him about the passports. It was too early for that.

‘Do you think I could join them later on?'

I smiled. I'd been pretty well expecting that question. The combination of spycraft, Sam's smile and his father's memory was irresistible.

‘I don't see why not,' I said. ‘You'll need to go to university first. Get a degree. And you'd have to become an Australian citizen. But I'm sure that can be arranged.'

‘I'd like to do further study. Asian history. And languages. Vietnamese for a start.'

‘You couldn't go wrong with those. But what about Britain? Don't you want to go back to Leeds?'

‘No. I'd rather stay here. I never liked Leeds much anyway. Especially after Uncle Khiem died.'

‘Your aunt told me about that. You must miss him a lot.'

‘Yes. He was always very kind to me. She had a hard time after he died.'

I wanted to ask more, about what kind of man Khiem had been, but I didn't know what questions to ask, that would help me visualise him, and I didn't want to give Eric the impression I was spying on her. I thought of George, or whoever that man was, waiting for her. I wondered if she'd tell me about him.

We finished the trip in friendly silence. On the outskirts of Sydney I took over again for the last lap. I drove along the M5 to King Georges Road, then up through the tangle of back streets to Marrickville. I pulled up around the corner from the cousins' house.

‘Aren't you coming?' he asked, suddenly suspicious.

‘In a while. It's safer if we're not seen together. Even by the cousins. How long do you think you'll be?'

‘Not long. I don't want to hang round the cousins.'

‘Tell her I'll be there in half an hour. Now off you go, before it gets too late. And take care of yourself, alright? Don't do anything stupid. If things start to look dangerous I want you to come away fast. Doesn't matter what Sam or Roger tell you. I don't want you to take unnecessary risks.'

‘I'll be OK. Stop worrying.'

‘I'll stop worrying when this is all over.'

He took one last look at the photos, then got out of the car. I watched him stride off into the night and silently wished him luck. He and I would both need it over coming days.

PART IV

HAO'S STORY 2

There was an odd little incident when I picked Hao up at the cousins' house thirty minutes later. Eric had gone and the front door was closed but the porch light was on and she opened as soon as I knocked. She was dressed to go out, in a dress and heels with a coat on top, and her luggage stood in the hallway behind her. She even wore hose and had put her hair up. But she also looked rather harassed. For a second I feared the worst.

‘Are you alright?' I asked. ‘Don't tell me you've changed your mind, and you're on your way to the airport!'

‘No, of course not! I'm coming back with you. Oh Paul, I'm so glad to see you!'

She came forward and stepped into my arms. I hugged her cautiously back.

‘I've missed you,' she said. ‘I'm sorry I walked out on you like that. I didn't mean to hurt you. But I had to get away, I needed to think–'

‘I deserved it. I behaved like an idiot.'

‘No you didn't.'

We clung to each other for a moment, while I marvelled at the way my luck had changed once again. Then she disengaged.

‘I'm ready now, but I still have to say goodbye. Could you come in? I – I'd like you to be there.'

She took my hand and I followed her in. I hadn't been past the front door before. She led me through to the back of the house, where the whole family was gathered around a large kitchen table, making
chả giò
, the small Vietnamese rolls, for the shop no doubt: father, mother, several children ranging from toddlers to young adults, and a grandmother or aged aunt of some sort. They looked up as we came in but no one said anything and when I said hello all I got in reply was a curt nod or two, which I thought odd. Vietnamese are normally very polite to strangers.