James Chase: A Lotus for Miss Quon

She said suddenly, “My grandfather has a house in Thudaumot. You would be safe there. I think I could persuade him to have you.”

Jaffe drew in a long deep breath. He put his arm around her and hugged her.

“I knew you could help me,” he said. “I was relying on you. It’s going to be all right. In three or four months you and I will be in Hong Kong: we’ll be rich.”

She leaned against him, clutching his hand. He could feel she was still shaking “I’ll buy you a mink coat,” he said. “That’s the first thing we’ll buy, and pearls. You’ll look lovely in mink. You can have a car too: a car of your own.”

“It will be very difficult for you to leave Vietnam,” she said. “There are many restrictions and regulations.”

He was irritated that she hadn’t reacted to the dream-he had tried to create for her. Mink, pearls and a car! She should have been excited at such a prospect, but instead she was underlining the one problem he had no idea how to solve.

“First things first,” he said. “Let’s go and talk to your grandfather. I will pay him well. You mustn’t tell him about the police. It would be better to say I have a political enemy who is looking for me.”

“I will tell him the truth,” Nhan said simply. “When he knows I love you, he will help you.”

Jaffe shrugged.

“Well, all right. I’ll leave it to you, but be sure he doesn’t rush off to the police.”

“He would never do anything to make me unhappy,” Nhan said with so much hurt dignity that Jaffe felt slightly ashamed. “I can persuade him to help you.”

Jaffe suddenly saw the snag in this plan.

Thudaumot was twenty-two kilometres outside Saigon. He remembered there was a police post on the road and all cars had to stop at the post for a police check. It would be fatal to his plans if his car was checked. When the police found Haum’s body, they would check up on his car. As soon as they learned he had passed along the Thudaumot road, they would concentrate their hunt for him there.

“There’s a police post on that road,” he said. “This could be difficult.”

Nhan stared at him, remaining motionless, waiting while he concentrated on a solution to this snag.

He realized after a moment’s thought that his only hope of passing through the police post was to use another car and not his own. He did know cars with C.D. plates were rarely stopped at the police posts, and he immediately thought of Sam Wade and his big Chrysler car. If he could borrow the Chrysler he stood a good chance of covering his tracks.

From what Wade had said, he wouldn’t be using the car tonight, but where was he? He knew he was holed up somewhere with the Chinese girl, but how could he find him?

He asked Nhan if she knew the girl and he described her.

“Yes, I know her,” Nhan said, puzzled. “She dances at L’Arc-en-Ciel. Her name is Ann Fai Wah. She makes a lot of money going with Americans. She isn’t a good girl.”

“Do you know where she lives?”

Nhan thought for a moment then she said the had an idea the girl had an apartment off Hong Thap Tu.

Jaffe got to his feet.

“Let’s go,” he said.

She stared blankly up at him.

“You want to see Ann Fai Wah?” she asked indignantly. “Why? I will not go with you to that woman.”

“Come on, come on,” Jaffe said impatiently. “I’ll explain on the way.”

As he drove to the centre of the town, he explained about Wade’s car.

“You’ll have to drive it back, Nhan. Do you think you can manage?”

He had taught her to drive the Dauphine and she handled the small car very well, but he had no idea if she could cope with the big Chrysler.

She said firmly and with confidence that she would be able to drive the Chrysler.

They found the big car parked outside a block of luxury flats down a quiet, tree-lined road.

Jaffe told Nhan to wait in the Dauphine and he went over to the Chrysler. As he expected the doors were firmly locked and the windows up. He would have to get the keys from Wade and get his permission to use the car. He hoped Wade wasn’t already in the sack with the Chinese girl.

He entered the block and learned from the indicator board the girl’s apartment was on the fourth floor. He went up in the lift and as he paused outside her front door he glanced at his watch. The time was ten minutes past eleven.

He listened and thought he could hear faint dance music. He thumbed the bell and waited. There was a long pause, then he rang the bell again.

The front door opened on a chain and the Chinese girl looked inquiringly at him. He saw with relief that she was fully dressed. He smiled at her.

“Sorry to intrude, but I want to speak to Sam,” he said. “It’s urgent.”

He heard Wade, somewhere out of sight, say, “What the hell? Here, get out of the way, baby.”

The door pushed to, the chain was released and Wade appeared in the doorway, scowling.

The girl, with an elaborate shrug of her shoulders, went into the inner room and closed the door.

Wade looked a little drunk. He glared blearily at Jaffe.

“What the hell do you want?” he demanded. “How did you know I was here?”

“You told me - remember?” Jaffe said. “Sorry to bust in like this but I’m in a fix. Look, my damn car’s broken down. I’ve got a girl waiting and I’ve got to cart her out to the airport. Can I borrow your car? I’ll put it right back in a couple of hours.”

“Why the hell don’t you take a taxi?”

Jaffe gave him a sly grin.

“You don’t and can’t do what I intend to do to this girl in a taxi, brother. Come on, be a sport or she’ll change her mind. I’d do the same for you.”

Wade suddenly relaxed and matching Jaffe’s grin, he fished out his car keys.

“You old sonofabitch,” he said. “Who is she? Anyone I know?”

“I don’t think so, but if she’s any good, I’ll introduce you. That’s the least I can do.”

You do that and take care of my car. I want it back here by seven tomorrow morning.”

“Thanks, Sam, you’re a real pal.” Jaffe took the keys. “Okay in there?” He nodded towards the closed door of the inner room.

“Looks all set,” Wade said, lowering his voice. “We’ve got to the dancing stage. Another hour should see me approaching the home base.”

“Good luck and thanks again,” Jaffe said and moved to the lift.

“Same to you,” Wade said, “and don’t forget that introduction.”

He watched Jaffe descend out of sight in the lift, then he stepped back into the apartment and closed the door.

As Jaffe walked over to the Dauphine, Nhan looked anxiously at him through the open car window.

“It’s okay,” he said. “I’ve got the keys. Come on. We’ll leave my car right here.”

She got out of the Dauphine and stood by his side while he wound up the windows and locked the door.

“You’ll have to bring the Chrysler back here,” he said, putting his hand on her arm and hurrying her across the road to Wade’s car. “Do you think you’ll be able to find your way back here on your own?”

“Yes.”

“Good girl. It’s a dead easy car to drive.”

He opened the door of the Chrysler and she slid across the bench seat to the far side and he got in under the steering wheel. He put the key in the ignition and explained to her how to start the car.

“There’s nothing to it. The gears are automatic. You just shift this lever to drive, take off the brake and give her gas.”

He moved the car from the kerb and started slowly down the road.

“I’m going to drive past my place,” he told her. “Keep a look out on your side. If that girl’s gone, I want to get some clothes. I don’t know how long it’ll be before I can get away. I must have a change.”