‘Not too much actually,’ Susan answered, ‘but I explained that we’d like to have her around for Christmas and I think I did mention that she’s quite attractive and single…’
‘You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, I think the saying goes. You should be ashamed, you have no inhibitions!’
‘I thought you liked that side of me,’ Susan replied with a wink and she left the room, hips swaying.
Half an hour later she called Amanda. The call went straight to answerphone. Smiling to herself she left a message: ‘Hi, it’s Susan. I just discovered that you owe me six hundred quid. Please call me back as soon as possible.’
It wasn’t long before Amanda was on the phone. ‘I just got your message, Susan. Have you been drinking? I certainly don’t owe you six hundred quid! I would know about that.’ Amanda sounded upset.
‘You do, my dear. Can you open your email? I’ll send you the proof.’
‘Give me a sec… but it’s impossible, really!’
Susan heard steps; apparently Amanda had left the phone to search her tablet. Then she heard the squeaking of a chair.
‘You ought to buy a new armchair, Amanda. I can hear you here in England when you sit down!’
‘Maybe it’s squeaking because I’ve put on weight.’ Amanda sighed. ‘I followed your suggestion and can tell you that I’ve already successfully killed a third chocolate bar. But I’m not feeling particularly cheerful so far – the medication is simply not working. Should I try another bar?’
Susan laughed. ‘Well, you’ll stop eating junk after you read my mail.’
‘I can see your mail, but is says nothing,’ Amanda complained.
‘Open the attachment!’
‘I’ll do it now. Six hundred quid – you must be mad!’
Amanda fell silent, then she yelled, ‘Sue, you’re crazy! You booked a flight to Hong Kong in my name! Have you become insane? Did Neil feed you some of those pink pills he’s testing on monkeys?’
‘I’m not insane, darling. I’m just making sure that you won’t become depressed when you’re sitting alone in Hamburg during the holidays. I paid for the flight for you. I was right all the time – you owe me six hundred pounds.’
‘But Susan, I mean that’s really nice, but you forget something. Where will I stay? Can you imagine the prices of hotel rooms in Hong Kong at Christmas – if there’s any room at all? It’s going to cost a fortune!’
‘Stop pretending you’re poor. You won a fortune in that silly TV show. And by the way, all of that’s been settled. You’ll take our hotel room. Neil and I will stay with a friend in Hong Kong. The room is prepaid by the pharmaceutical company organizing the convention. All you need to do is pack your suitcase, check your passport and leave Hamburg on Monday. Maybe you should practise eating with chopsticks in the meantime.’
There was silence at the other end of the phone.
‘You’re not crying again, are you?’ Susan asked, alarmed.
‘Of course not, you goose,’ sobbed Amanda. ‘Thank you – you just saved me from eating another packet of chocolate bars.’
‘Bring them along, we’ll share them in Hong Kong!’
‘Susan, you’re a darling.’
‘I’m trying to convince Neil to share that opinion but from time to time he seems doubtful. Speak to you later – I have to finish packing the suitcases. Neil wants to bring twenty kilos of books with him, can you imagine?’
Amanda laughed and Susan congratulated herself on her strategy as she pushed the red button on her cell phone.
‘This will be a marvellous Christmas celebration, Neil. I’ll make sure she forgets Daniel in no time.’
‘I’ve travelled twice with Amanda and each time she got involved in some kind of trouble. I truly hope that this won’t become a habit – stumbling on a new corpse every time.’
‘Oh, come on, Neil, don’t be stuffy. Those were sheer coincidence. Nothing will happen, we’ll have a lot of fun. Is Geoffrey handsome?’
Neil scratched his chin. ‘What do women call handsome? He doesn’t look like Cary Grant or George Clooney, if that’s what you mean.’
Susan smiled and came over to plant a quick kiss on Neil’s cheek. ‘Cary Grant… he was a long time ago. But you’re right, beauty is one thing but only love makes people truly handsome. Let’s hope Amanda will forget her playboy friend.’
‘Let’s hope for peaceful Christmas then. Now, where did I put the paper about amygdaline concentration in prunus armeniaca? I think I spotted an error in one of the charts.’
Once Neil’s mind was firmly back on matters of science, Susan knew that any further discussion would be futile and she returned to the exasperating task of choosing the clothes she’d need in Hong Kong – while leaving enough space for Neil’s books. At least there was no need for heavy coats or winter clothes – that would help.
Amanda was stunned. She might not feel like celebrating, but the excitement of going to Hong Kong was replacing the numbing feeling of emptiness that had drained all her energy since she had broken up with Daniel.
Would reality hold up with the high-gloss pictures she had seen in the travel blogs and the news? Six million people living in a comparatively small space – would she be able to breathe freely and move among those crowds? With pleasurable anticipation she opened the website of the hotel that Sue had mentioned – it looked fabulous, almost too good to be true. Then she checked the weather forecast for Hong Kong in December. It looked surprisingly encouraging – not too hot, not too cold. No heavy coats or winter shoes would be needed – but she’d need to check her summer wardrobe; there was plenty to do.
She’d start a new life without Daniel – and going to Hong Kong would be the perfect opportunity to do so.
Hong Kong here we come!
‘Didn’t you mention “welcome to my humble abode” in your email?’ Susan teased Geoffrey as she entered the vast bedroom that would be their home for the days to come. It commanded a beautiful view of Repulse Bay, a setting that could rival any luxury hotel on the French Riviera. ‘It’s stunning! You’re a blatant liar.’
Geoffrey grinned. ‘It’s quite nice, I admit. There are worse places to live. But of course I can’t rival some of the villas close to the Peak – I’d need to roll in millions to afford those. By the way, you’ll be able to see one of those grand houses if you want. We’ve been invited by a friend of mine to his Christmas party. Big money there – among many other things he’s a big shot in the pharmaceutical industry. Neil will know his company well. As soon as he realized that Neil was coming to Hong Kong David insisted I should drag you along. I simply couldn’t refuse.’
‘How come he knows Neil?’
‘Everybody knows him – Neil’s always so humble, but he’s a celebrity in his field. David owns a big company in China and he has grand plans in his mind. He wants to combine traditional Chinese medicine with Western scientific research. Poisonous animals and plants have always played an important role in Chinese medicine, therefore he’s fascinated by Neil’s work.’ He grinned. ‘And as a true Chinese, his fascination means that he sees plenty of opportunities to make money.’
Neill nodded enthusiastically. ‘I’m sure there’s a way to combine the benefits of both. I’ll be very interested to talk to him. It’s a bit more complicated than it might appear though at a first glance. Large areas of traditional Chinese medicine probably won’t pass rigid clinical testing I’m afraid – and some of the stuff they swallow like sweets is so toxic that you wonder how they survive it. That would lead me to…’
Before Neil could give a long-winded lecture on Chinese medicine, Susan quickly interrupted him. ‘Thanks again for inviting us to stay, Geoffrey. It was really sweet of you. Neil actually hated me for suggesting that we should stay with you – he thought we’d be a nuisance to you.’
Geoffrey laughed. ‘Don’t worry, it’s a pleasure to have you with me. Remember, you saved me from having to accommodate my Scottish relatives. It’s a
pity that my aunt never sought a career with the Royal Navy, she’d be nothing less than an admiral by now. She’s so intimidating! I plan to organize an intimate Christmas party here at home just for us and then to keep you very busy. I want to show you and your friend Amanda the Island, Kowloon and the pubs in Wanchai, and dare some bets on horse racing in Happy Valley. Oh yes, I almost forgot, we have to travel for a day or two to Macau – it’s the new Las Vegas of the Far East. All fake and artificial, but very impressive. Let Neil be busy with his poisons and bore his academic mates to death during the convention, and we’ll have plenty of fun.’
Susan smiled back, brain swirling with the mentioning of so many diverting activities. She had taken an immediate liking to Geoffrey.
Neil took it good-humouredly. ‘No chance of boring them to death – they’re even worse. Those guys consider me entertaining, just imagine.’
Secretly Susan was wondering how Amanda might react. Geoffrey was probably the antidote to her previous boyfriend Daniel: compact build, on the verge of chubby, certainly no cinema-style immaculate Prince Charming. Where Daniel was lean with curly brown hair and brown eyes, Geoffrey was fair and there could be no doubt that his hairline had started to recede. He regarded the world through blue eyes that could switch from innocent to curious and alert instantly. Although Geoffrey was in his mid-thirties he had a boyish air.
Aloud Susan said, ‘I’m sure you’ll like Amanda, she’s fun. If I remember correctly, she must be leaving Hamburg any minute now.’
Amanda was heaving her heavy suitcase onto the belt of the airport counter for her flight to Dubai, from where she’d be heading to Hong Kong. Had there existed an age when gallant gentlemen or attentive porters were ever present or willing to give a hand?
Dubai sounded quite exotic but she was sure that Hong Kong would be even better. A smiling clerk handed her the boarding pass and all Amanda had to do now was to walk through the maze of security and immigration and wait in pleasurable anticipation for the boarding announcement – and forget Daniel. She knew that the latter exercise would be her most daunting task. Even though she had been trying very hard to forget Daniel, his picture had the annoying habit of popping up in her mind. It was not only that it happened on the most inappropriate and upsetting occasions – it also happened far too often for her emotional comfort.
Maybe it was the effect of the soothing noise of the engines or the red wine she had sampled with her meal but (to her own surprise) Amanda quickly fell asleep and was rather annoyed when the lights were switched on before the plane started to descend.
Dubai Airport presented itself as a typical cathedral of modern times, made to the usual blueprint of vaulted glass, steel and polished marble, dedicated to the worship of the gods of our modern times: the venerated gods of travel, shopping and dining. Soon Amanda lost count of the number of duty free outlets and restaurants, and refused to be drawn into a jeweller’s shop overflowing with glowing golden bracelets and necklaces displayed on screaming red velvet cushions. Feeling tired she was relieved when her flight to Hong Kong was finally announced.
Two hours before the plane approached Hong Kong, glaring lights were switched on as breakfast was served. Amanda was reluctantly forced to leave the realm of her dreams but a large cup of coffee restored her good spirits. Glancing at her fellow passengers she could only wonder how many people were seated in this gigantic airplane – there must be hundreds of them: young, old, poor, rich, black, white, Asian – whoever had had a chance to travel must have made use of it.
Seeing the city of Hong Kong appear on the flight map, Amanda suddenly felt excited although she had no real idea what to expect. On the one hand there was the high-gloss postcard image of Asia, associated with fairy-style landscapes and fragile beauties inspiring poetry – but on the other hand there were pictures she had seen in the news: overcrowded cities, high-rise skylines and vast compounds of factories polluting the air with an ant-like army of workers. What would Hong Kong really look like? Would it still possess a soul or just be one of those nameless and faceless modern cities housing millions of people that had fled poverty?
Arriving at the airport Amanda’s first reaction was a feeling of déjà-vu, almost a sense of disappointment. This sleek, modern airport could be anywhere in the world; maybe the choice of colours and the signs reminded her vaguely of England and if it weren’t for the slight mouldy smell of air conditioning and the ever-present humidity she’d never be able to tell that she had landed in a tropical city. The airport was gigantic – but again, if it hadn’t been for the airport staff with gleaming black hair and almond-shaped eyes, and the continuous announcements in Chinese and Cantonese, she might never have guessed she had landed in China.
While she was queuing in the long meandering lines at immigration, Amanda had ample time to study the people flocking around her. Her jet-lagged mind was in a peculiar state; her brain must have been reduced to a lump of cotton wool during the long fight. Had she ever really thought that all Asian people looked alike? Here she easily picked up differences and she discovered a surprising variety of faces.
Despite the long waiting time, the general mood in the queue was upbeat. Most arriving passengers were smiling or chatting happily, looking forward to having a great time in Hong Kong, the magnet they had been drawn to.
The immigration officer made a quick check of her passport and, before Amanda understood that she had been admitted, the next passenger was already being called forward. In no time she picked up her luggage from the conveyer belt, passed the last hurdle of the customs officers and found herself walking straight into the great arrival hall.
She had arrived in Hong Kong – among hundreds of other people who were waiting to meet their friends, business partners or relatives. A row of uniformed bellboys from an amazing array of famous hotel chains were fighting for the arriving passengers’ attention, holding large boards in their hands and paging for those lucky passengers who’d be whisked away by hotel limousines and wouldn’t need to bother about finding and taking public transport.
‘Miss Lipton?’ asked a bellboy as Amanda steered towards a board with her name on it.
‘That’s me.’ She smiled.
‘Please follow me, madam. May I take your luggage?’
Graciously Amanda obliged and, bathing in the feeling of having been transformed from a nameless passenger into a pampered VIP, she followed her guide who led her outside to the waiting hotel limousine.
Still tired but feeling curiously elated, she sank into upholstered seats that were wider and more comfortable than her preferred armchair at home. Amanda spotted the car’s logo; she was sitting in a Bentley. Could she have asked for anything better?
Noiselessly the car sped forward and Amanda finally mustered the courage to check her cell phone. Six messages were waiting for her. One was from her travelling mother (who was still under the assumption that she’d be on her way to New York), one from Susan, and four, as she’d been dreading, from Daniel.
Torn between a feeling of deep-rooted satisfaction that she hadn’t been instantly forgotten by Daniel and dismay, she looked at the phone. It might be soothing for her ego to know that Daniel was still trying to talk to her but all she needed for the moment was to be able to forget him and gain some peace of mind.
But she knew that she couldn’t ignore his messages forever. Amanda breathed deeply and started to listen to the recorded messages.
‘Hi, Amanda, listen, if you don’t want to come to New York, let me come and take the next plane for Hamburg. We must meet and talk. I love you, I miss you. Please call me back.’ He had repeated this call again and again.
Amanda felt a pang of guilt. Would Daniel really be foolish enough to catch the next plane?
The long hours of the flights had at least enabled her to reflect and produced the benefit of putting some order and clarity into her thoughts. Even if there’d be some kind of benign explanation for the photos of Daniel in the tight embrace of the young and volu
ptuous Miss Brazil, Amanda had reached the (very) painful conclusion that she would have to stop seeing Daniel all the same. Daniel was handsome, exciting, fun and, most importantly, highly intelligent – what more could one ask for?
But, if she was being honest with herself, their relationship had been just a dream – albeit a wonderful one. Amanda had grown tired of a relationship that essentially consisted of long phone or Skype calls and random weekend meetings (admittedly, those had been simply fabulous). If she was truthful there was no prospect of them ever leading the life of a genuine couple, the kind of boring, normal life that might be less exciting and spectacular, but that she could share with a true partner.
Daniel was a smooth talker and Amanda had no doubt that – whatever he might explain to her – he’d come out innocent like a newborn baby in his own story. Owing to Daniel’s colourful line of ancestors, Miss Brazil might prove to be anything from an illegitimate sister to a long-lost but loving niece – but whatever explanation he’d come up with, it wouldn’t change the fact that Amanda had made her mind up. She wanted a serious relationship, to be more than a part-time girlfriend.
Fighting back a silly but stubborn tear she texted back:
Please don’t come to Europe, Daniel. I’ve left already for a long holiday. We had a wonderful time together, but we should stop seeing each other for some time. It’s better for both of us. Let’s remain friends. Happy New Year!
Amanda stopped for a second. ‘Does this sound phony,’ she thought, ‘like a soap opera?’
But what else could she write? She couldn’t simply tell Daniel the truth, that she was tired of being his part-time girlfriend and that she longed a true relationship. And she certainly did not want to speak to him. That would be far too dangerous – she knew Daniel’s skills of persuasion. In no time she’d flee back into his arms, those wonderful strong arms…
The next message was much more cheerful. It was Susan’s upbeat voice that greeted her from the mailbox:
Death in Hong Kong: (Amanda Lipton Mysteries Book 3) Page 2
