James Chase - A Lotus for Miss Quon

The driver slowed down, letting Blackie go ahead and in a minute or so they had lost sight of his car. The driver then drove fast to the nearest police box and called the police post on the Bien Hoa highway. To the patrolman, he described Blackie’s car and gave him the number. He told the patrolman to follow the car for only a short distance and then to alert all police posts on the highway to have cycle police ready to keep the car in sight until it reached its destination.

Once on the deserted highway, Blackie took the precaution to look continually in his driving-mirror to make sure he wasn’t being followed. He had no reason to think he might be followed, but he was taking no chances.

He didn’t see the motorcycle patrolman some two hundred yards behind him for the patrolman was riding without a light.

Blackie had to stop at the Bien Hoa-Thudaumot police post which had now been repaired. The policeman in charge checked his papers, then waved him on. He watched Blackie turn to the left and head towards Thudaumot. There was already a policeman a mile ahead on a bicycle, waiting for him. The policeman went into the police post and telephoned the Thudaumot police post, warning them that Blackie was on his way.

It was exactly at eleven o’clock when Blackie drove over the grass-covered, ruined road to the temple.

The policeman who was waiting patiently a quarter of a mile away saw Blackie’s headlight in the distance suddenly go out. The countryside was treeless and flat at this part of the road. The ruined tower of the temple, black and gaunt against the skyline, was the only visible landmark the policeman could see, but his sharp eyes picked out the glimmer of Blackie’s sidelights as the car bumped over the potholes, and he realized Blackie had turned off the main road and was heading towards the temple.

He got on his bicycle and began to pedal fast down the road.

Blackie edged the big car through the gateway of the temple and pulled up. He saw Jaffe come out of the darkness and walk towards him. He remained in the car, waiting.

Jaffe opened the off-side door and got into the car.

“Well?” His voice was sharp. “What’s been happening?”

In a few moments, Blackie thought, I’ll know if he did find all the diamonds. He was aware that his hands were damp with the sweat of excitement and taking out his handkerchief he wiped them before saying, “My brother has arrived. As I had hoped, he will be able to help you. Nhan told you we need more money?”

Jaffe made an angry movement with his big hands.

“You’re not getting it! I’ve already given you a thousand dollars! Where the hell do you think I’m going to get more money from?”

Blackie winced.

“We must have another two thousand dollars,” he said. “Once we have that, we can get you out.”

Jaffe peered at him,

“How?”

“My brother knows a pilot in Laos. He will pick you up here in a helicopter and fly you to Kratie. From Kratie, it will be a simple matter to fly you to Hong Kong. We can arrange for you to leave the day after tomorrow.”

Jaffe relaxed slightly. He drew in a deep breath. This sounded like action at last! For two days and nights he had been cooped up in the stiflingly hot little room and had been so bored he thought he would go frantic. Whatever it cost, he was determined to get away.

“Is the pilot to be trusted?” he asked and Blackie caught the eagerness in his voice.

“My brother knows him well. You can trust him, but he will want his money in advance. He will want at least three thousand dollars.”

“You pay him,” Jaffe said. “I’ll settle with you in Hong Kong.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Jaffe, but I can’t do that,” Blackie said firmly. “If you can’t give me a further two thousand dollars, then I must withdraw my help.”

Jaffe wished he knew the value of the smaller diamonds. For all he knew, he might be throwing away a small fortune in parting with these stones, but he had no alternative. The finality in Blackie’s voice warned him that Blackie had the last word.

“I have one more diamond,” he said. “It’s worth a thousand dollars. I’ll owe you the rest.”

Blackie shook his head.

“I’m sorry. I don’t like taking diamonds. I had trouble in selling the last two you gave me.”

“What did they fetch?” Jaffe demanded.

“Under a thousand dollars,” Blackie lied. “If this stone you’re now offering me is the same as the other two, the sum realized won’t be enough.”

Jaffe had brought two of the diamonds with him, each screwed up in a separate scrap of paper. He took out one of the screws of paper and gave it to Blackie.

Blackie leaned forward and put on the dash-light. He examined the stone. It seemed to him very similar to the other two stones he had sold. He was breathing a little faster now. Charlie had been right. The American had found all the diamonds.

“This will only fetch five hundred dollars,” Blackie said. “It is not nearly enough.”

A big hand reached out and caught hold of his shoulder. Fingers that felt like steel pinchers dug into his fat flesh. He was jerked around. He stared at Jaffe, his heart giving a little kick of fright. The expression on the American’s face alarmed him.

“That’s all I’ve got,” Jaffe said, speaking slowly and distinctly. “You haven’t any choice now, my friend. If they catch me, I’ll tell them about you. They’ll trace those two diamonds back to you. You know what they’ll do to you; I don’t have to tell you. You’re going to fix this for me or you’ll go down with me.”

“You’re hurting me, Mr. Jaffe,” Blackie said unsteadily. He could understand now how easily Jaffe had killed the house-boy. The strength in these steel fingers horrified him.

Jaffe let him go.

“You’ve got three diamonds out of me. When I get to Hong Kong, you’ll get the rest of the money, but no more until I get there.”

Blackie’s mind worked swiftly. With the three diamonds, he now had more than four thousand dollars in hand. It would be enough to pay the pilot and take care of Charlie’s air passage. He saw that it would be dangerous to push Jaffe further. He pretended to hesitate, then he smiled, lifting his fat shoulders.

“Because I trust you, Mr. Jaffe, it’s a deal,” he said. “I will have to pay something out of my own pocket to make up the difference, but for you, I’ll do it.”

“You’d better do it,” Jaffe said grimly. “Don’t forget - if I go down, you go down with me.”

“There’ll be no question of that.”

“That’s up to you.” There was a pause, then Jaffe went on. “What’s the set-up?”

“I’ll return now and fix it,” Blackie said. He gently massaged his aching shoulder. “Be ready to leave the day after tomorrow. Either my brothel or I will come here at eleven and pick you up in my car. You will be taken to a place to be decided upon where the helicopter can safely land. Not here: it is too close to a police post. Is that understood?”

Jaffe nodded.

“You will bring Nhan?”

“I will bring her.”

“Okay: Thursday night here at eleven and with Nhan.”

Blackie watched the big American get out of the car, then he started the engine.

“I’m relying on you,” Jaffe said, bending to look in through the window at Blackie. “Remember what I said: we go down together.”

Blackie had a feeling of uneasiness. He suddenly wished he wasn’t mixed up in this thing. It could go wrong. He remembered his brother’s warning about a shooting squad. He felt the damp sweat of fear break out on his face.

“It will be all right,” he said. “You can rely on me.”

He backed the car through the gateway of the temple, turned it and started down the narrow road to the main road.