Charlie put the gun in his briefcase: the long silencer made it impossible for him to carry the gun in his pocket.
He paused to look at his brother’s body. He was distressed to think that Yu-Ian would find Blackie, but he didn’t dare wait for her return. He would write to her from Hong Kong, he told himself, trying to ease his pricking conscience. He would invite her to come and live with him.
Carrying the briefcase under his arm, he left the club and went over to where Blackie’s car was parked. He glanced at the police car up the road. The two detectives looked at him indifferently and then returned to reading their newspapers. He wondered if they would follow him, but as he drove away, he saw the black Citroen hadn’t moved. “He reached Thudaumot after five o’clock. He parked the car by the lacquer factory and then walked over to the little wooden villa.
From his window, Jaffe saw him coming. Charlie was sufficiently like his brother for Jaffe to recognize him.
What was he doing here at this hour? Jaffe wondered. Had something gone wrong? Was there to be a new arrangement?
Nhan’s grandfather had gone out and Jaffe was alone in the villa. He hurried down the stairs and opened the front door.
Charlie entered, giving Jaffe a little bow.
“I am Charlie Lee,” he said. “Blackie has told you about me?”
“Yes. Why are you here? Has something gone wrong?”
“Not badly wrong,” Charlie said. During the drive to Thudaumot, he had carefully rehearsed his lies. “But it is necessary for you to leave here immediately. Blackie has heard from a friend at Police Headquarters that your hiding place is now known. The police are already on their way to arrest you.”
Jaffe stiffened.
“How did they find out?”
“I will explain everything later,” Charlie said. “You must leave immediately. There is not a minute to lose.”
“Where’s Nhan?” Jaffe asked.
“She is quite safe. Blackie is looking after her. She will join us in a few hours. If you have anything you want to take with you, please get it. I have the car here. We must leave at once.”
“You are sure she is safe?”
“Of course. Please hurry.”
Jaffe hesitated, then he mounted the stairs two at a time, went into his bedroom and threw his few possessions into his canvas hold-all. He put the police gun inside his shirt. He made sure he had the tin containing the diamonds in his hip pocket, then he picked up his hold-all and moved to the door. He paused for a final look round.
On the bedside table stood Nhan’s little ivory Buddha. Jaffe grinned as he went over to it and picked it up.
She said as long as I have it, no harm will come to me, he thought. I’d better take it along with me. Funny superstitious kid, but she means well.
He dropped the Buddha into his shirt pocket, then joined Charlie in the hall.
“Wait here,” Charlie said. “I’ll bring the car to the door. Get in the back and lie on the floor. You mustn’t be seen.”
While he waited for Charlie to bring the car, Jaffe tried to steady his alarmed mind and to assess the consequences of his hiding place now being known.
Nhan’s grandfather and her family were certain to suffer.
What have I done to these people? Jaffe thought. I am a crazy, selfish sonofabitch. Is Nhan really safe?
Charlie tapped the horn button of the car impatiently.
I won’t even be able to say good-bye to the old man, Jaffe thought as he moved into the hot sunshine. If I had any guts I would stay right here and warn him to get out when he comes back.
Charlie had opened the rear door of the car. He was beckoning to Jaffe.
“Come quickly,” he called.
With a feeling of shame, Jaffe ran down the path and scrambled into the back of the car. He lay on the floor of the car. Charlie slammed the door, then he trod on the gas and the car shot away.
As the car roared down the dusty road towards Ben Cat, Jaffe kept thinking of Nhan. He still had five and a half hours before the helicopter was due to arrive. Much could happen in that time.
Charlie had to stop once or twice to consult his map. He told Jaffe that the landing-ground couldn’t be far, but it was nearly seven o’clock and growing dusk by the time Charlie finally located the exact place.
He saw at once that it was a good place for concealment. There was a thick fringe of bamboo in a half circle before a disused rice-field which was burned into a hard mass of dark mud by the sun, and it was very suitable for a helicopter landing.
The rice-field was concealed from the road by trees and shrubs. As the car bumped over the rough ground, black and lemon butterflies as big as bats rose out of the bamboos while egrets flew in panic across the darkening sky.
Charlie brought the car to a halt and got out. Jaffe, his legs stiff and his body aching from the cramped ride, also got out.
“We must prepare two large bonfires,” Charlie said. “The pilot will have trouble locating this place. When we hear him coming, we will set fire to the bonfires.”
“He won’t be here for four hours,” Jaffe said. “There is plenty of time. How did the police find out I was at the old man’s place?”
“You were seen at the window,” Charlie said, remembering what YoYo had told Blackie. “There is a reward offered for information about you. This peasant who saw you claimed the reward.”
Jaffe cursed himself for being so careless.
“But how did you find this out?” he persisted.
“Blackie has a good friend at Police Headquarters,” Charlie lied.
“What will they do with the old man?”
“You needn’t worry about him. They will do nothing. The newspaper carrying the offer for the reward doesn’t circulate in Thudaumot. How was he to know you were wanted by the police?”
Jaffe relaxed slightly. It was the kind of news he wanted to hear so he readily accepted it.
“And Nhan? Where is she?”
“She is safe,” Charlie said. “She is with Blackie. When it is dark Blackie will bring her here.” He began to move away. “We should begin to build the bonfires.”
The two men parted and began to collect sticks and dried grass.
While he worked, Charlie wondered if he could persuade the American to leave without Nhan. It was a risk. He might refuse. Charlie realized that it would be safer to kill him before the helicopter arrived. He couldn’t kill him if Watkins was there. Watkins would blackmail him for the rest of his life.
He looked across the rice-field to where Jaffe was working. The American’s massive figure was outlined against the darkening sky.
Charlie decided he must wait until it was darker, then he would get the gun, conceal it by his side and when he was close to Jaffe, he would shoot him at point-blank range. He would tell Watkins his passenger had changed his mind and wasn’t coming. He would go with Watkins to Kratie. By this time tomorrow he would be safe in Hong Kong with two million dollars worth of diamonds.
He was glad to have the bonfire to build. It took his mind off Jaffe. It was just after eight when the two men completed their tasks. By then it was so dark, Charlie had difficulty in finding the car.
He could see Jaffe coming across the field by the red spar of his cigarette. He opened the car door and felt around on the floor for his briefcase, but he couldn’t find it. In a sudden sweating panic, he got into the car, turned on the dashlight and looked frantically on the floor, but his briefcase wasn’t there. He could have sworn he had put it on the floor just before he had got out of the car. Maybe it had fallen out of the car as he had got out. It must have fallen out As he got out of the car, Jaffe loomed out of the darkness.
What were you showing a light for?” Jaffe demanded. “It could have been seen from the road.”
Charlie felt a trickle of cold sweat run down his face. “Yes,” he said, trying to steady his voice. “I should have thought of that.”