THURSDAY'S ORCHID (32 page)

The knife blade silvered
through the air, the spurting blood turning the sea to crimson.

With hardly an effort, the now lifeless body was flung over the side as if it were a sack of garbage.

I made it to the opposite side of the deck with a fraction of a second to spare. My stomach was cleansed of the whisky, the coffee, the orange juice. I dry-retched again and again, the orange juice burning my throat.

When the convulsions had finally stopped, I turned to find they had all gone below deck again. I could hear the questions and answers flying back and forth inside the junk: Tek double-checking the details given
by the now dead youngster. I stepped back down into the saloon, my mind empty, my brain stunned. I had done some callous things in my life, but never so cold-bloodedly, so without purpose.

I slunk back to my seat and sat silently as the talking went on, not looking at Tek, not looking at any of them, the words a mere blur in the distance. A silence brought me back to reality and I raised my head, seeing them carry the poor wretch up to the deck, his hands now down at his sides, the handcuffs removed, his feet dragging, but the chain gone. There was a splash. I stared at Tek, his face calm once again.

The anger had abated with the blood.

“Do not look so shocked,” he replied in that quiet voice. “If he can swim to shore then he deserves to live. We are eight kilometres from the nearest land, so I do not think he will be successful. But he was stronger and more loyal to his master that the other. He deserves some indulgence. If he ever reaches the shore, he will not bother us again. He will be too busy hiding from his former friends. They will kill him if they find him.”

He had spoken quietly, as if discussing an ordinary everyday business matter and not the death of two people – one of them violently.

“Who’s behind all this?” I asked, my voice croaking. “What does it mean?”

I wanted the matter to end: this senseless killing, the sultry brutality of the East.

“Sang,” he whispered in a soft voice.

“What?”

“Sang. It has all been my fault. I should have suspected him from the start. But he has been with me for so long that it never occurred to me that it could be him. There was no telephone tap, no listening device. He must have heard bits and pieces of our conversations, and thought he had put them all together. It has been a good lesson for me.”

All it was to him was a lesson. It had nearly been the death of me; and Pete wouldn’t have thought much of it – I knew his folks didn’t. At least four people had been killed and a multi-million-dollar deal nearly ruined. No, I didn’t think much of it at all.

“Yes,” he
continued. “Sang thinks he can be an important man. He wants power. He is not content with his station in life. He has formed an association with a small-time smuggler and thought I would stand by while he stole our shipment from under our noses. He is greedy.” He paused. “Never be greedy, my young friend.”

How right he was. You can on
ly eat one steak at a time. The profit I was making on this deal would be more than sufficient to last me for the rest of my days; but the longer I stayed in this business, the shorter those days would become.

“You look worried,” he continued. “There is no need to be. Once we reach the shore, I shall give orders for Sang to be hunted down and killed like the dog he is. I would use the radio, but
he might intercept the message. Don’t worry. He will not last the week once the Tong gets after him.”

It was the first and only time I ever heard him make reference to that secret society, supposedly dead for a hundred years and never mentioned aloud where more than two people were present. The ring of its name chilled me to the bone. Tek would be a faithful friend, but as an enemy – deadly. I drew a deep breath, calming my nerves.

“I’m glad that’s over,” I replied, letting the air out slowly. “Just as long as none of Sang’s men inform on us to customs.”

“That should not be a problem.” He smiled confidently. “We have already taken delivery of the wool. It would be impossible for them to find it, even if they did receive certain information. The whole
consignment has been hidden. Your scheme worked extremely well.”

“Thanks,” I mumbled, the flood of relief flowing through my chest. “I told you it was foolproof. But I wonder how
Nick’s taking all of this. We’d better get on to him as soon as we get back.”

“Yes, I will see to it.” He paused for a moment. “There is one further matter, and one which it pains me to raise.”

“What’s that?”

“I think it would be wiser if we were not seen together again.”

I looked at him, surprised. “Why not?”

“The police are still continuing with their investigation into the death of your Australia
n friend on the
Syrius
. I feel they are not entirely satisfied. It does not really matter, as we have removed the cargo; but I think it would be prudent if we were not linked together.”

He was right, of course. I had to keep playing the innocent inquisitive write
r who took long boat trips. Meetings with important businessmen with questionable connections might arouse suspicions that we could well do without.

“That makes sense,”
I replied. “But what about the cash? Half on delivery, remember?”

I wasn’t going to let the social niceties interfere with business.

“One of my men will deliver the bonds to you for the agreed sum in the morning, if that is in order. It is too late to bank it today. You will soon be a rich young man. What do you intend to do with all that money?”

I smiled at him. That was my business.

There was a soft knock at the door of my hotel room early the next morning, waking me from a deep sleep. I walked across the carpet, feeling refreshed and ready to bank some money – a lot of money.

“Who is it?” I asked quietly.

“Sung.”

I opened the door and welcomed Tek’s nephew, telling him to make himself comfortable while I made us both a cup of coffee. We sat on either side of the low table and checked through the documents
. Everything seemed to be in order; but I still couldn’t get used to the number of noughts behind the dollar sign. Nick and I were rich beyond our dreams; and there was still more to come.

I thanked Sung and he left as discretely as he had arrived.

After breakfast in my room, I showered and dressed in freshly laundered slacks and shirt; the smell of the ship now merely a memory; and lost no time in ordering a cab and making straight for the bank. This time there were no cries, no gunshots, and no people running to and fro. They took the sealed legal-looking envelope from me, checked the instructions that Nick had sent those many weeks ago for the package of supposed confidential business contracts to be sent through the bank’s secure courier system, and confirmed politely that such instructions would be instantly complied with. In twenty-four hours the envelope would be in Switzerland, the bearer bonds converted into cash and deposited into our account. The rest was a mere formality.

I strolled back to the hotel
, richer than I had ever believed possible, and put a call through to Nick. He was delighted with the news, having heard from Tek the night before, but still believing that there would be a last-minute hitch with the money. He would call Switzerland in the morning and confirm payment into the account.

“Well done, Jeff!” he gushed.
“I knew we could do it. I never had a doubt!”

Lying bastard. I told him so. I wanted to blast him for not calling Tek after I had phoned from the Hilton, but knew it would be a waste of time. That was Nick. He had to think everything through, and then think it through again.
So I just added: “Give my regards to Angeline and to those beautiful daughters of yours.”

Tek had estimated that it would take another two or three days to unpack the bales and check the quality and quantity of the grass.

I called him from the public phone in the downstairs lobby. He said that everything was moving on schedule, but that Sang hadn’t been found. His smuggling partner had though. The peacock would never get to raise his finger again. The gang was in complete disarray, running for their lives. There weren’t many of them left. Tek had accounted for two out on the junk – there had been no sign of the swimmer. The bank guards had killed the peacock’s bodyguard. The driver was in hospital in a serious condition under police custody; and I had accounted for one on board the
Syrius
.

I bounced
back up to my room to grab a pair of sunglasses, knowing that it was finally safe to go out into the open, to walk the streets; and to go to Mee Ling.

There was a knock at the door; and before it was even part way open the delicate perfume wafting through the air told me who was waiting
outside.

I wasn’t going anywhere.

It was the following day before we returned to the real world, floating on a cloud. We hadn’t moved from the room, and hardly even from the bed. Food had been ordered and brought by room-service; but we had hardly touched a morsel, each too hungry for the other.

A glorious day: the sun shining; moisture dripping from the buildings after an early morning shower; the air crisp and clean. We walked th
rough the streets, hand in hand like a pair of adolescent kids; laughing at the smallest thing; not a care in the world. This was happiness: the most exquisite girl in the world in love with me; and more money than we could ever hope to spend. It would last. It must last.

We parted in the afternoon, and it was misery to see her go. She looked so sad; but she was due to start a modeling assignment in Brunei
in the morning, an assignment she couldn’t cancel.

She wouldn’t let me take her to the airport. That would have been too brutal, the farewell too drawn
out. The last I saw of her was as the taxi turned the corner, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Nick called that evening to tell me that the funds had cleared into our account. I was glad he called. I was despondent and totally lost.

“Jeff, my son,” he said, the fatherly tone back once more. “This one worked like a dream. What’ve you worked out for the next one?”

Not for me. I’d
had enough. I had found what I wanted and had the money to give her the best of this world for the rest of our lives. She would be in my arms in a week and we would never again be apart. A grazing property far out in the country was for us, a large farmhouse, some horses, and a few kids. I could picture it all.

I was rich, but I didn’t have to be powerful; watching my back at every turn
. I didn’t want electric fences and stone walls. I wasn’t going to need alarms and bodyguards; and have to search out traitors. We had more than we needed. I was finished with the business. I had done my last deal.

“There’s no next one,” I replied. “That’s it for me. I’ve got enough, and I’ve had enough. Those bastards tried to kill me more times than I care to remember.
It was close, too bloody close. I have nightmares just thinking about it. It’s time I settled down and did something else with my life, and, to be honest with you, I’ve lost my nerve. I’m buggered, washed out. All I want is to marry Mee Ling and buy a property somewhere and disappear into the scenery. I’m sorry, mate.”

He remonstrated with me, but I was adamant. He could continue with the shipments and use the same idea, if he wanted. I wouldn’t interfere. I would keep quiet. He knew that.

“Jeff,” he said finally. “If that’s the way you want it; if you’ve really made up your mind, then so be it. But for Christ’s sake, give it some more thought, please?” I didn’t answer. “You sound like you’ve found a wonderful girl though. Give her my best.”

“T
hanks, Nick. I was sure you’d understand. You’ve got Angeline and the girls, and your house. You know what I want. And don’t worry. As soon as the rest of the bonds are in my hands, I’ll give you a call.”

“Okay. See you in a week or so.”

I was surprised he had given in so easily. I didn’t think they would use the wool trick a second time. There were too many people who knew about it now. But there were other ways. I had already thought of one or two.

The next couple of days were spent walking the city, waiting for Mee Ling to return, and waiting for the rest of the bonds; but somehow the bonds had taken second place. They weren’t as important as they had be
en.

Mee Ling telephoned twice, telling me how much she missed me, and whispering what she was going to do to me when she returned. I proposed over the phone and she accepted; her tears bringing a lump to my throat.

It was the third morning after she had left for Brunei. I was counting time by the number of days that she had been away. There was a knock on the door and this time it was Tek, alone. He came in and sat down, refusing a cup of coffee.

“I have the rest of the bonds,” he said, handing the package to me. “The consignment weighed
out a bit heavier than we had agreed, so I have added the difference.” My opinion of him had been correct.