For The Death Of Me

46

When I stood aside to allow her into the room, I could see the flash of astonishment in Mike’s eyes, but he controlled it well, and didn’t let it transfer to his mouth.

She insisted that I read her letter of introduction, and I went along with it. The notepaper bore the embossed crest of the Government of Singapore.

Dear Oz [it began],

Allow me to introduce formally my daughter, Tan May Wee, who is my emissary in this matter. I apologise if this has come as a surprise to you, but I ask you to accept that when one’s father is head of the security police it is wise to pursue one’s profession under an assumed name.

Marie is indeed an aspiring actress, and she was very honoured to make your acquaintance in Singapore, although she was unaware, until I told her of the incident in the Next Page, that you had made mine.

She is a good, brave woman, and you may trust her to complete our mission properly and to return the material safely to me, so that use may be made of it. Yours truly Jimmy

When I’d finished, I passed it to Mike; he read it in turn, unsmiling, then put it back into its envelope and handed it back to me.

‘Okay,’ I said to Maddy. ‘This is Marie, the agent of the Singapore security service, and she’s here to take charge of your pictures. So, hand them over and let’s get the hell out of here.’

She looked at me, almost gratefully, then reached into her bag, removed an HP personal organiser, a state-of-the-art model, and handed it over. ‘Go to “Home” then “Pictures” if you want to see them,’ she offered.

‘My father said I must not look at them,’ Marie told her, ‘for my own safety.’ She switched off the palmtop and removed the memory card from its slot. ‘They are stored here?’ Maddy nodded. ‘Then that will be sufficient.’ She handed back the wee silver computer.

‘Good,’ I said. ‘Now, come on. Let’s board the jet.’

A second door in the VIP room led directly on to the tarmac. I opened it, and found the co-pilot waiting outside. ‘If you’ll come with me,’ he said. He was a big, beefy lad with a blond crew-cut. His ID said he was called Scott, and he looked as if, at some point in his college career, he could have been a pretty effective nose tackle.

Mike took each of the girls by the elbow and steered them after the officer towards the Gulfstream, which was parked only thirty yards away. They wheeled their luggage and his was slung over his shoulder. I waited in the doorway with Marie. ‘I want to thank you for this,’ I told her, ‘and your father. You’ve saved a woman’s life here.’

She looked at me as she had as she disappeared down the escalator at the Clarke Quay MRT station, the last time I’d seen her. ‘Then thank me,’ she whispered. ‘Stay behind with me for a while. I know you well enough now.’

I felt a tiny shudder run through me. I almost turned and walked away, as I bloody well should have done. Instead I looked at her, or maybe the devil in me looked at her. Again, I almost turned away, and then I heard inside my head a voice, crystal clear, a voice I’d known all my life: Jan’s voice, my sister’s voice, my soul-mate’s voice.

‘You can trust this girl,’ it said. ‘You can trust her with your life.’

I turned and looked towards the plane. The other three were on board, and Scott was standing at the top of the steps. ‘Go on without me,’ I shouted to him. ‘I’ve changed my mind. I’ll drive the hire car back to New York.’

‘Very good, sir,’ he called back, then stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

A few seconds later the plane began its taxi. As it pulled away, the last thing I saw was Prim’s face, framed in a small round window. I could see mischief in her eyes; I could almost hear her chuckle.