James Chase - A Lotus for Miss Quon

Jaffe felt like a man standing on the edge of a swimming pool, preparing to dive in. Could he trust this fat Chinese? he asked himself and hesitated.

Seeing him hesitate, Blackie said encouragingly, “Besides my many friends, my brother also lives in Hong Kong.” There was another long pause while Blackie probed his teeth with a gold tooth-pick and,Jaffe stared out across the crowded dance floor while he tried to make up his mind whether to trust Blackie or not.

Finally, he said, “A situation has arisen: it’s tricky and strictly confidential. A friend of mine may need a false passport.”

Blackie gave an imperceptible start but enough to puncture his gum with the sharp point of the tooth-pick.

“A passport?” he repeated as if he had never heard of the word.

“I guess it would be easier to get a passport in Hong Kong than here,” Jaffe said, trying to speak casually. “I was wondering if you knew someone who could get it.”

“An American passport?”

“A British passport would be better.”

“It is an illegal and dangerous business meddling with passports,” Blackie said softly. He was frankly worried. He didn’t believe Jaffe’s friend existed. This big man wanted a British passport for himself. Why? Obviously he planned to leave Vietnam, but why a false passport?

“I know all that,” Jaffe said impatiently. “Have you any contacts who could get me a British passport?”

“For your friend?” Blackie asked.

“That’s what I said. He’ll he willing to pay for it.”

“If it could be arranged it would be expensive,” Blackie said.

“But can it be arranged?”

Blackie put his tooth-pick into his shirt pocket.

“It is possible. I would have to make inquiries. It would cost a lot of money.”

“It’s urgent,” Jaffe said. “How soon could you know?”

“I would have to write to my brother. As you know letters are often censored here. I would have to find someone I could trust to take the letter personally to my brother. He would have to find someone to bring his reply personally to me. This would take time,”

Jaffe suddenly realized how difficult it was all going to be. His estimate of ten days before he could get away suddenly seemed ridiculously optimistic. He might have to remain in hiding for a month; even longer.

Blackie went on, “Your friend is in trouble I suppose?”

“Never mind the details,” Jaffe said curtly. “The less you know about it, the safer for you.”

“That isn’t entirely correct. If it is very serious trouble and it is discovered I had something to do with it, I could also get into trouble,” Blackie said quietly. “It is unwise to walk into something you don’t know about. Besides, if the trouble was very bad, it would effect the cost of the passport. Naturally, your friend would have to pay more.”

Out of sight, under the table, Jaffe’s big hands turned into fists. Goddam it! he thought, this is going to be a hell of a complicated thing! As soon as he reads the paper tomorrow, he’ll know I’m up against a murder rap. He’ll either be too scared to help or he’ll jack up the price to some hopeless figure. Then he remembered he had the diamonds. He could pay for the passport with a diamond or two, but if he did that, he would be tipping Blackie off he had the stones. That could be dangerous. If Blackie once discovered he had General Nguyen Van Tho’s diamonds, he might be tempted to steal them. He would have to be very careful. He was rushing into this without thinking the thing out.

“I’ll have to talk to my friend again,” he said, not looking at Blackie. “I would have to get his permission before I could tell you more about this business.”

“That I understand,” Blackie said. “A good friend doesn’t betray confidences recklessly.”

Jaffe looked sharply at him, but the fat yellow face told him nothing. Jaffe thought: he’s no fool. He guesses the passport is for me. Should I admit it? He’ll certainly know when he reads the papers tomorrow. Better not. I’ve still got a little free time. I better talk to Nhan first.

“I suppose your friend wants to leave the country?” Blackie said mildly. “He must know it is a very complicated business. The passport to be of any use would first have to have an entrance visa stamp and then an exit visa stamp would have to be obtained. There would have to be photographs of your friend for the Immigration authorities. It would be necessary to bribe a number of people. This can, of course, be arranged, but not if the trouble is serious. For instance if your friend is in trouble with the police for issuing bad cheques or for molesting some girl or for taking something that doesn’t belong to him or for running someone over, then it could be arranged, but if it is a political or a capital crime your friend has committed, then it could not be arranged.”

Well, that’s that! Jaffe thought and he felt a restriction around his throat.

“I’ll talk to him,” he said and Blackie recognizing the finality in his voice, got to his feet.

“You can, of course, rely on me to help where I can,” he said, “but naturally I must avoid any trouble.”

“That’s okay,” Jaffe said. “I understand.”

When Blackie had gone away, Jaffe looked at his watch. The time was half past nine. It was unlikely Nhan would arrive before ten-thirty. He suddenly realized he was hungry.

He pushed back his chair, got to his feet and moved around the dance floor to the exit.

Across the street, was a Chinese restaurant where he often ate. He went in, nodding to the proprietor who was flicking the beads of his calculator with that incredible swiftness that made the whole operation a complete mystery to any European mind. He paused, bobbed his head and revealed big yellow teeth in a smile.

A Chinese girl, wearing what looked like an air hostess’s uniform, led Jaffe behind screens to a single table.

Every table in this restaurant was hidden by screens from which came the raucous sound of Chinese laughter and the clatter of numerous dishes.

Jaffe ordered Chinese soup, sweet sour pork and fried rice. He wiped his face and hands on the hot towel offered to him by the girl who handed him the steaming towel in a pair of chromium tongs.

While waiting for the meal to be served, Jaffe considered his problem. He was nervous of Blackie in spite of his wife’s assurance. He saw now that the problem of getting out of Vietnam would be even more complicated if he tried to buy a passport.

So what was he going to do? He felt sure that if he had enough ready cash, he would be able to get out of Vietnam. To get the necessary cash, he would have to sell some of the diamonds. But who would buy them in Saigon?

He was still brooding over this problem when the meal Was served. He ate hungrily, washing the food down with warm Chinese wine. When he had finished, the girl gave him another hot towel and he wiped his hands, then asked for the bill.

The girl went away, leaving his screen half open. While he waited for the bill, he saw Sam Wade and a Chinese girl come out from behind a screen and move to the head of the stairs.

Jaffe studied the girl with Wade. She was tall, with an exceptional figure. She was wearing a scarlet Cheongsam that accentuated the curves of her figure. She was sophisticated and looked very bored and sharply aware of her physical attractions. Jaffe decided she wasn’t the kind of woman who would appeal to him. She would be complicated. Comparing her to Nhan’s simplicity, he was suddenly very thankful and grateful that he had been lucky enough to have found Nhan.

He waited until the two had disappeared down the stairs, then he paid his bill and went down into the street to find Nhan.