It took them another two hours to crawl to the police post in the panting Citroen. The Inspector telephoned for a fast car to be sent immediately.
The Colonel sent no message to Lam-Than. He wished now to deal with Nhan personally. Nothing else could satisfy the vicious fury that boiled inside him.
He arrived at Security Police Headquarters at half past one. He dismissed the Inspector, and then went to his private quarters where he took a shower, and changed his uniform. He had lunch. The atmosphere from his pent-up rage and the expression on his face terrified his servants.
Lam-Than, hearing that his master had returned, came into his room while the Colonel was eating his lunch.
The Colonel looked up. With his mouth crammed with food, he snarled, “Get out!”
Startled by the mad gleam in the small bloodshot eyes, Lam-Than hurriedly backed out of the room.
At twenty minutes past two, the Colonel finished his meal. He got to his feet. With thick, unsteady fingers, he undid the glittering buttons of his tunic which he took off and tossed on a chair. Then he went to the door, opened it and walked with a heavy measured tread down the passage, down the stairs to the room where Nhan still lay strapped to the steel table.
The two executioners were squatting patiently either side of the door. They stood up when they saw the Colonel. “You will wait here,” he said, “until I call you.”
He opened the door and went into the room, closing the door behind him. His hand groped for the light-switch and turned it on.
Nhan was blinded for some seconds when the violent cruel light beat down on her. Then she saw the Colonel standing looking down at her. The expression on his face turned her sick.
Steve! Steve! she thought wildly. Come and save me! Please; come and save me!
But she knew Steve wasn’t coming. This was the moment she had waited for when she had lain in the dark, knowing it would come. This was the moment she had gained time for, to gain strength to keep silent.
She stiffened her will.
He won’t make me talk, she said to herself. Whatever he does to me, I will keep silent. I want Steve to get away. I want him to be happy with his money. Oh, Steve, Steve, Steve, don’t forget me. Think of me sometimes. Please, please don’t forget me.
Then as the Colonel bent over her and put his hands on her, she began to scream.
Outside the room, the two executioners had squatted down again. It was cool and restful in the passage. There was nothing to disturb them for the room into which the Colonel had entered was sound-proof.
At half past two, the Dakota from Phnom-Penh arrived at the Saigon airport.
Blackie Lee sat in his car waiting for his brother to pass the Customs and Immigration barriers. He had to make a conscious effort not to look across the car park “where the black Citroen was parked. The car had followed him from the club. He had now identified the two detectives in the car. He knew they were from Security Police Headquarters.
He wasn’t unduly alarmed although he found it a little unnerving to be followed wherever he went. If they had a case against him, he argued to himself, they wouldn’t be wasting time following him. They would arrest him. Since he had survived so far, he didn’t intend to be stampeded into flight. He had, at first, thought that he would go with Charlie and Jaffe in the helicopter, but it would mean not only leaving his club, but also Yu-lan. There was too much money tied up in the dub to run away at the first sign of danger.
Charlie Lee came out of the airport. He walked with a springy step of a successful man as he crossed over to Blackie’s car.
“All right?” Blackie asked as he opened the off-side door.
“Very satisfactory,” Charlie said. “Nothing to worry about at all.”
Blackie drove the car out onto the main road. He glanced into the driving mirror. The black Citroen was moving slowly behind him.
He drove carefully back to Saigon. He didn’t tell Charlie about the following car. There would be time for that when they got back to the club. He listened to Charlie’s recital of his arrangement with Lee Watkins.
“There will be no hitch,” Charlie concluded. “He is trustworthy. Did you get the gun?”
Blackie nodded.
“When you have had a rest,” he said, “I think you should see Nhan and talk to her. Don’t tell her too many details, but warn her to be ready by ten. Make sure she doesn’t take too many things with her. These Vietnamese girls cling to their possessions.”
“It is a pity we have to bother with her,” Charlie said.
“We can’t avoid it. The American won’t leave without her. I am sure of that.”
The car pulled up outside the Club. As the two men got out, Blackie noticed the Citroen had already parked further down the road. He didn’t notice Yo-Yo watching them from the shade of the tree opposite the club.
When the two men had gone up the stairs and out of sight, Yo-Yo stood up and walking casually, his hands in his pockets, crossed the road and entered the club.
He had seen Yu-lan go out a few minutes before Blackie and his brother had arrived. It occurred to him the club might be empty, and he might just possibly get a chance to overhear a conversation between the two brothers that would give him a clue to what was going on.
Moving silently, he walked into the club. There was no one in the big hall. He tiptoed across the dance floor until he reached the door leading into Blackie’s office. He could hear voices. Pressing his ear against the panel of the door, he listened.
Blackie was telling his brother about the Security Police and being followed. Charlie listened with growing alarm.
“I don’t understand it,” Blackie said. “If they had any proof, they would arrest me. It may be nothing to do with Jaffe. There was that currency deal last month.”
“I don’t like it,” Charlie said. “I think you should come with me tonight. It may be nothing, but you mustn’t take risks. There will be room in the helicopter for the four of us.”
“I’ve thought of that, but what will happen to Yu-lan? If I leave now, they’ll never let her get out. Besides, I can’t just walk out of this place. When I do go, I intend to sell it. I must take a chance, Charlie.”
“You could be sorry. I don’t like it.”
“I don’t like it either. I’ll think about it. There’s time. I have until ten tonight to make up my mind.” There was a pause, then he went on, “I have a million piastres in the safe, Charlie. I think you had better take the money with you. If anything goes wrong, it will be something for Yu-lan if she can get to Hong Kong. Will you do that for me?”
“Of course,” Charlie said. “I still think you should come with me. If they’ve found out you know about the diamonds and where Jaffe is hiding, they will wipe you out.”
“If they knew that,” Blackie said bleakly, “I wouldn’t be here talking to you now. I’ll let you know definitely by tonight what I am going to do. In the meantime, will you see the girl? She has got to be ready by ten. There must be no delay.”
Charlie got to his feet.
“I’ll go now,” he said, “then I’ll come back and have a nap. I won’t get much sleep tonight.”
Yo-Yo moved silently away from the door: his thin vicious face alight with excitement. He concealed himself behind a curtain that covered the entrance to the kitchens.
He heard Blackie and Charlie come out of the office. Blackie accompanied his brother as far as the entrance to the club.
“I don’t think they’re interested in you,” Blackie said, “but be careful you are not followed.”
When his brother had gone down the stairs, Blackie returned to his office. He looked through the shutters into the street. The two detectives still sat in the Citroen. He saw his brother walk briskly away. No one seemed to pay him any attention.
A slight sound behind him made him look sharply over his shoulder.