Singapore Girl_An edge of your seat thriller that will have you hooked

by Murray Bailey

  “The airstrip,” I explained. This was the narrow swathe cut through the trees that I’d seen from the air. “This is where the transfer happened. Turner flew the girls here and handed them over to Petersen.”

  We drove along the field, which was about two wingspans wide and two hundred yards long. We could see no planes, no hangar, but there was a shed and fuel drums at the far end.

  Stevenson parked and I opened the shed door. It was more like a workshop, with an array of pristine tools on the wall. In the middle of the room was a small generator.

  The metal was cold to my touch.

  “In use but not recent,” I said.

  Stevenson walked past me and kicked a wooden box.

  “You were spot on,” he said. “Come and look.”

  There among the crates was one with holes drilled in the side. Air holes.

  “That’s what they shipped them in,” he said unnecessarily. “Poor kids.”

  I lifted the lid and looked at the confined space. No way was anyone getting in there voluntarily.

  “Must have drugged them,” I said.

  He nodded, and I could see in his eyes that this was now much more than revenge for Jeevan’s murder.

  We went back into the daylight and I walked along the airstrip. I could see the tracks and indentations. I could see where planes had landed and taken off. How many times? Was this just one operation or many?

  And then I saw them: the faintest of faint tracks. They veered off into the bushes.

  I followed and saw that the bushes were in fact cut branches. Stevenson helped me pull the camouflage away to reveal a wooden fence. I tugged and the front panels moved. Behind the fence, covered by tarpaulin, was a light aircraft.

  Stevenson looked along the side. “Cessna 140,” he said. “Two man. Not fast, but handy if you need to get away.”

  I looked at him, impressed. “How do you…?”

  “Don’t ask.” He grinned. “Though maybe I’ll tell you one day, when I’m sure you won’t shop me.”

  I checked the plane over.

  “How can we disable it?”

  “Fuel line. Easy,” he said.

  He pulled out a penknife and quickly slashed a hose in two. The smell of aviation fuel rose up and filled my nostrils.

  We replaced the tarpaulin, the fence and then the bushes and drove away. One thing I’d learned from my spell in the Middle East: when it comes to a fight, the man who knows the lay of the land has the upper hand. Rix knew this country better than me. But I’d familiarized myself with the school, I’d assessed the surroundings and roads, and now I had another piece of the puzzle. If Rix had an escape plan, then I reckoned we’d just scuppered it.

  On the way back, Stevenson hummed a tune and it reminded me of Hegarty’s annoying habit.

  “What is that?” I asked.

  “‘Ten Green Bottles’. You know, hanging on a wall.”

  “The kids’ song.”

  “Nothing wrong with kids’ songs, although you’d probably prefer the ten sticks of dynamite version.”

  “Why?”

  “Because after one falls, there’s no bloody wall.”

  “Ah. That would solve our problem with the school, but we haven’t got dynamite,” I said. “More’s the pity.”

  And then Stevenson said something that surprised me. “You’re not so bad,” he said.

  “What?”

  “I was just thinking about the John Wayne film. He’s the bad man but isn’t in the end.” He looked at me in all seriousness. “That’s like you.”

  “What?” I said again. “You’re saying I’m the bad one?”

  “Well you’re the cop. An ex-cop at least. I had you down as the bad man, but you’re all right really. Just goes to show that leopards can change their spots.”

  I shook my head. I’d pegged Stevenson as the bad guy. I guess it’s just perspective. There probably aren’t many people who’d think they’re bad. I suppose even criminals justify their actions.

  I said, “Maybe nothing is as black and white as we’d like to believe.”

  “Are you having doubts about Rix?”

  “Hell no,” I said. “Hell no.”

  FIFTY-THREE

  We returned to the hotel expecting to find Jane but she’d gone. She’d left me a message about visiting the orphanage. There was an important part of our loose plan that we’d overlooked, according to her. What were we going to do with the girls? This was as much about rescuing them as it was capturing Rix.

  My change of clothes had gone up in flames at the other hotel so Stevenson and I walked towards the centre and found the same clothes shop I’d been to before.

  The Indian shopkeeper recognized me. Buying the same black clothes two days running must have seemed strange. But I figured a sale is a sale. He grinned as I paid but didn’t comment. However, when Stevenson bought two of the tops—one large for himself and one medium for Cranfield—I could see the shopkeeper’s mind whirring.

  “I can get more,” he said. “Lots more. Come back tomorrow. Bring more friends.”

  We thanked him and made our way back to the hotel.

  “What are you going to do about Jane?” Stevenson asked as we approached. “She can’t come with us.”

  “No,” I said, “she can’t.” I wasn’t sure what she expected, but based on her appearance this morning, she needed some involvement. The orphanage idea appeared a good distraction and I half hoped she wouldn’t be at the hotel when we returned.

  She wasn’t. I checked for messages and was surprised by a call from McNaughton.

  I rang the police station and got put through to him.

  “Mr Carter,” he said, “I have news.”

  “Have you been to the school yet?”

  “No.”

  “That’s the only news I want from you.”

  He said nothing for a moment and I wondered if he was considering whether to tell me. Finally he said, “Another girl has turned up.”

  “Go on,” I said, “I’m listening.”

  “At the KL hospital. They’ve got another girl in similar condition to the first one—Monalisa Cardoso—if I have the name right. Well, this one says her name is Jakaterina Tiurina.”

  “Hard name to say.”

  “I have it written down. I’m just passing this on.”

  “OK, why do you think I’ll be interested?”

  “She’s half-caste,” he said, “and alive.”

  “So she can talk—she can tell me what happened?”

  “I guess so. The reason I mention it is because she asked about two other girls and one of those was the Cardoso girl, so I reckon they are connected.”

  I said, “So now you’ll take my claim seriously? Two girls from the same school.”

  He took a long breath. “I’m telling you this as a courtesy, Mr Carter. This new girl is connected to the one you said was important. I’m not saying it validates your theory about the Rafflesia school.”

  “What did she say about the school?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to her and the hospital says she’s delirious. Like the other one was. I don’t think she’ll do much talking over the telephone.”

  I looked at my watch. I said, “I could be at the hospital by seven o’clock.”

  “What you do next is totally up to you,” he said. “I’m just calling as a courtesy.”

  I thanked him and put the phone down. Stevenson had been leaning close, trying to hear. I told him about the second girl, Jakaterina Tiurina.

  He said, “Was she on the list?”

  “In the notebook and from Penang,” I said. “She’s definitely one of the three who escaped.”

  I could see him thinking about the information. Did that change things?

  “What do we do now?” he asked.

  I held up a hand and asked the receptionist for a pen and paper. I scribbled a quick note to Jane and said I was returning to KL hospital to interview another runaway.

  Ou
tside the hotel, Stevenson shook his head. “This will delay everything. Are you sure…?”

  “Let’s just go,” I said. But once we were outside the town I asked him to take us back to Kota Tinggi.

  Again I saw Stevenson shake his head.

  “We needed an angle with Rix,” I explained. “And I think he’s just given us one.”

  FIFTY-FOUR

  Jane’s meeting with Lady Hage-Dando at the orphanage had gone well. The elderly lady had given her tea and cucumber sandwiches followed by fruit cake and listened intently. At times, Jane thought Lady Hage-Dando didn’t really understand. She mentioned the sale of babies at the Johor Bahru hospital, which seemed her biggest concern.

  “These girls aren’t babies,” Jane had said.

  “I know, dear. I know.”

  “They’re teenagers… maybe a bit older… I don’t really know.”

  Then Lady Hage-Dando had smiled and nodded. “They will be welcome here,” she’d said, and pointed to the young woman who had served tea. “If they’re too old to be found homes, then perhaps they will help run the orphanage and teach the children.”

  Jane returned to the hotel in good spirits. The trip had taken much longer than she’d anticipated, mainly because of the time it had taken with the old lady.

  The receptionist passed her the message Ash had left and she returned to her room. An hour later, frustration took her back downstairs and a walk outside.

  An attractive tall woman stood in the lobby.

  “Jane Dobson?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m Sarah. Can we talk?” She pointed to an armchair and guided Jane towards it.

  “What’s this about?”

  “I’m from the school.” The woman held out her hand and Jane instinctively took it, feeling the cool smoothness of the other’s elegant fingers.

  Jane said nothing. This woman was Rix’s assistant from Rafflesia. Rix was the enemy and so by extension…

  The woman broke into Jane’s scattered thoughts. “You’ve got it wrong,” she said.

  Now Jane found her voice. “What, wrong about the abduction of girls? Keeping them against their will?”

  The woman looked around, maybe feeling awkward because of Jane’s raised voice.

  Jane felt her chest constrict. “The school is a cover for the sex trade.”

  And then the woman’s face creased with concern. “You’ve got it all wrong,” she said.

  Jane shook her head. She desperately wanted to say something about rescuing the girls but instead managed: “We’ve been to the police.”

  Now the woman shook her head and smiled kindly. “My sweet girl, you have it all wrong. Really you do.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “The police won’t do anything… because we’ve done nothing wrong.”

  “What about abduction—?”

  “Let me explain.” The woman reached forward to touch Jane’s arm but Jane shrank back into the chair. “We take girls in.”

  “Abduct them.”

  “They are free to leave at any time. Yes, we take in girls—and many of them are orphans—but Rafflesia is a respected finishing school. We’ve been established for over fifty years. In fact, I was once a pupil there. I was also an orphan so I know the importance of the school. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for a handful of girls to better themselves, better their prospects.”

  Now the woman called Sarah touched Jane’s arm. “Honestly. Like I say, I was once given the same opportunity and I see this as my duty to provide the same for other girls.”

  Jane blinked rapidly. She’d slept for a few hours but her head hurt. She couldn’t think straight. Could this be right? Could the whole thing have been a misunderstanding? And then she realized the problem with the story.

  “What about the girls who escaped?”

  Sarah nodded. Her face dropped. “Tragic,” she said. “But they didn’t escape. Not at all. Three girls wanted to leave and they were allowed to. It’s the first time in our history that someone has done that and there were the three of them together. It was like they worked themselves up—convinced themselves that they would have a better life if they left. It was ridiculous and we handled it badly.” She paused.

  “Yes?”

  “We just let them walk out. I listened to Major Rix and let them just walk out. I blame myself, but the major said they would realize their mistake and come back. He said we shouldn’t give them anything or take them anywhere.” Tears welled. “It won’t happen again. Next time we will make sure they have travel plans, that they are taken to the station in JB at least.”

  Jane didn’t say anything for a while and Sarah seemed to stare into the distance, maybe thinking about the girls she’d let go.

  Jane said, “What about Laura?”

  “Laura?” Sarah’s focus came back.

  “Laura van Loon. She left Penang seven weeks ago. A man called Turner took her in his plane and handed her over to someone called Petersen.”

  Sarah shook her head. “I don’t know about the arrangements. I leave that for others. I just make sure the girls get proper training. You know, some of the girls have gone on to marry wealthy gentlemen. They couldn’t have done that without learning how to be a lady.”

  Jane said, “What happened to Laura?”

  “I don’t know,” Sarah repeated. “I really don’t know.”

  “Where is Petersen?”

  Sarah didn’t answer straight away. Then she said, “Why don’t you come back with me. Visit the school. Speak to the girls. You’ll soon realize you’re mistaken. And I’ll introduce you to the major. I’d also like to know why Laura didn’t come to the school. Perhaps he knows what his friend Petersen did with her.”

  Jane thought the car parked outside the hotel was a light grey Rolls Royce. She realized it wasn’t when she spotted the silver cat on the bonnet.

  A driver opened the door for her. She climbed into the rear with Sarah and settled into the luxury leather seat. It had a Motorola radio. She hadn’t seen a car radio before and Sarah asked the driver to turn it on.

  As they drove, Sarah asked Jane about Penang and her work.

  “So you aren’t in the army,” Sarah said when Jane told her she was a nurse.

  “Oh no! Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps.” She laughed. “Just doing my bit.”

  “Then you know what it’s like to care for others. Medicine is such an honourable profession.”

  They left the town and continued west. Sarah asked more questions, about England and home, and Jane watched the trees and elephant grass as they sped past.

  Up a hill and around a bend and then the school walls appeared, cold and incongruous. The gates were closed and she saw the eagles either side, looking down as though judging her. It had been so easy to assume the worst. Laura was missing but it now seemed foolish to have put two and two together. Sarah was nice and friendly. She really wanted to help these girls. It was just the way they arrived here that was off.

  The Jaguar barely slowed as the gates were opened before them and Jane saw the immaculate gardens and stunning house.

  “Impressive, isn’t it?” Sarah said. “Used to be a royal house a long time ago. Then it became a high-end school.”

  The Jaguar pulled up alongside steps to an entrance door and Sarah got out. Jane stepped out of her side and the Jaguar rolled forward towards a garage.

  Jane said, “It’s a school now, but what happened during the occupation?” She glanced up at the ornate arches and spotted the window bars that had mentioned. “Sarah?”

  Sarah wasn’t listening. She opened the door and stepped inside.

  Jane followed, but when she looked around the entrance hall, Sarah wasn’t there.

  A man came out of a room to her right.

  “Welcome,” he said. He had a disarming smile and offered his hand.

  As she was about to greet him, Jane heard a noise. She turned just in time to see something rush towards her.
>
  And a burst of stars preceded utter darkness.

  FIFTY-FIVE

  We waited at Kota Tinggi. The night closed in quickly from the east and the camp was soon in darkness except for the central area and scattered, burning hurricane lamps. I found the communications office and persuaded them to let me use the phone.

  I called the Penang switchboard and asked for Deborah.

  “Ash Carter,” I said when the woman came on the line. “You placed a call for me three nights ago, remember?”

  “Hmmm.”

  “I called the RMP in Singapore and Camp Kota Tinggi in JB.”

  She laughed like the faint tinkling of a bell. “Of course I remember you, sweetheart. You’ve got the nice voice.”

  “Short, fat and ugly,” I said.

  “My type.”

  “I need a favour.”

  “Anything, sweetheart.”

  Two minutes later she was calling the Rafflesia school in Bukit Zarah.

  I heard her say, “This is the KL switchboard. I have a Mr Carter calling for a Major Rix.” I heard a click and then I was through.

  “Yes?” It was Rix.

  “I’m at the hospital,” I said. “Good trick.”

  “Expecting Miss Tiurina were you, Carter?” I could hear the smile in his voice.

  I said, “I’m coming for you, Rix.”

  And then he surprised me by saying, “I don’t think so.”

  “I’m coming back there and I’m taking your fake school down, brick by brick if I have to.”

  “Really?” he said, the smile still there.

  “You’d better prepare,” I said, feeling increasingly uncertain by his relaxed attitude. Yes he was in a fortress, but all he’d done was buy himself more time.

  He said, “Jane Dobson.”

  The words were like a belt tightening around my chest. “What about her?”

  “She’s here,” he said, paused, then added: “Although she’s sleeping at the moment.”

  I said nothing.

  “Oh, when I say sleeping, I mean when she wakes up she’ll have quite a headache.”

  I gritted my teeth. “You’ve just made it worse for yourself, Rix. A hundred times worse. Like I said, I’m coming for you.”