I spent a miserable night, kept awake by an overdose of coffee and alcohol, plagued by fits of jealousy and anger, sweating through patches of haunted sleep. At five in the morning I got up, put on a track suit and set out to jog a three-mile circuit round the harbour fringe and back, through the quiet suburban streets to the Melmar. At seven-thirty I rang Klosters again. It was nine-thirty in the evening there. A manservant answered. Mrs. Gregory was dining out. She was not expected back until midnight. I left a message asking her to call me at the bank, no matter what hour she came in.
By the time Laura Larsen arrived for breakfast I was shaved, showered and half way human. I was also determined to discharge Cassidy’s business in short order and go home. Clare Cassidy was a clever woman. She had put out the warning flags and I would be a fool not to respond to them.
I asked Laura: ‘When is your father expected in Bangkok?’
‘Today, I believe.’
‘Can you get your travel people to switch my air and hotel bookings from Sunday to Saturday, then telex your father and tell him my change of plans?’
‘I’ll do it, of course; but why the hurry?’
‘Something’s come up. I need to get back to London as quickly as possible.’
She set down her coffee cup, called the travel desk and asked for immediate action on my request. Then she sat down and reached out to touch my cheek. She said, gently, ‘You’re very sombre this morning. Is something wrong?’
‘I had a bad night – too much wine, too much coffee and a rather depressing evening with Arthur Rebus.’
When I told her about it she was angry and scornful.
‘…So what was he trying to prove? Sydney’s a rough and raunchy town? There are wild women and nasty men and the crime bosses run the mobs by their own rules? So what’s new? What about New York, Miami, Naples, Houston, Texas, for God’s sake? He’s brainwashing you! They all are! It’s the elementary technique – make the victim feel shame and guilt. A little way down the track they’ll have you believing you spiked the girl in the pond… or dealt with junk in Kings Cross. Come on, Martin, this is too much already! You’ve got to make your own decisions, do things because you want them.’
Whereupon I did just that. I got up, lifted her to her feet and kissed her, long and hard. She surrendered slowly, then the kissing went on for a long time.
Then, very gently, she pushed me away and said, ‘I wonder what brought that on?’
‘I hate scolding women – especially at breakfast.’
‘Ah!’ She gave me a little crooked smile. ‘And I hate to catch a man on the rebound from a wife.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘I was in the telex room when the message came in addressed to you. I’m a nosey bitch. I read it. I’d have been angry, too, if it had been addressed to me.’
‘So now what?’
‘I’d like to even the score and kiss you.’ This time the kiss lasted longer, but some of the magic was gone and what was left was a heady mixture of desire and calculation and the bitter-sweet revenges of jealousy. While she was rearranging her hair and putting on fresh lipstick, she gave me another surprise.
‘I’ve decided to come to Bangkok with you. After all, I have a big stake in what’s decided between you and my father.’
‘Does your father know this?’
‘I’ll tell him when I telex your new arrival time.’
‘And he’ll approve?’
‘Why should he not? He made me your guardian angel. And I have been an angel, Martin, haven’t I? Much more than I wanted to be… No! No! No more games. I’ve got to meet a conference planner from a big insurance group, punctually at nine. But tonight we do have dinner, yes?’
It was only after she had gone that I remembered. Pornsri Rhana was leaving for Bangkok on Saturday. There was only one flight on that day, so it would be impossible for the two women not to meet. I wondered whether I should give them both fair warning. On second thoughts, I decided against it. A little black comedy might enliven the life of Martin the Righteous.
Half an hour later, at the bank, I told Arthur Rebus about the message from Klosters and my decision to leave early for Thailand and afterwards head back to Europe. From the moment of my departure he would be in full charge of the probate decisions, the disposition of all Cassidy’s records, with the exception of the microfiches which I was taking with me. He was not a happy man…
‘…The probate is routine. We’re well advanced with inventory. My people have checked through the documents annexed to the will and the Australian trust deeds. There’s no real problem. The tax people will have to be satisfied, of course, but I don’t foresee too many hitches. Cassidy was, after all, a very tidy lawyer. The stuff from the safe is a different matter. There’s a stack of gold bars, all the account books, the porno photographs and a miscellany of hot documents. I can see an unholy row brewing between the State and Federal authorities about possession of all that stuff. With Gerry Downs’ articles in publication, any leak could bring down the Government. So I’ll have to sort out that little mess the best way I know how. It’s the situation in Switzerland that concerns me.’
‘It bothers the hell out of me, Arthur.’
‘Because you think your wife’s having an affair?’
‘Because she’s never done anything like this before. She’s always made a big event of getting the kids back to school. Why didn’t she call me? Why did she leave it to Clare to send the telex?’
‘Perhaps she tried to call but missed you.’
‘There were no messages at the hotel. She’s meticulous about communications, always has been. Besides, the security aspect is dangerously messy – the kids in England, she in Switzerland. Nothing’s happened yet, but if anything blows before I get home, everyone’s terribly vulnerable.’
‘Perhaps Mr. Marius Melville has persuaded her otherwise: a powerful man, a lifetime friend of her father, connections everywhere. I imagine he could be very persuasive… about anything.’ He broke off for a moment and then, a trifle uncertainly, broached a new argument. ‘I’m more worried about you. You’re being forced to rush through a critical confrontation with Marius Melville because you’re worried about a domestic situation. You’re resentful about it, too, which makes you vulnerable in other ways. I can’t help wondering…’
‘Whether Marius Melville is setting me up.’
‘Or simply softening you up. You and I have both done that with legal adversaries. You’re quite a prize for any marauder. You’ve got to expect rough tactics.’
‘So what do you advise?’
‘Talk to your wife first. I presume she will call as you asked. Suggest, very gently, that there are certain risks and you’d prefer she were home with the children. If she doesn’t buy that, don’t fight. Arrange to meet her in Zurich. There’s a regular Swissair flight from Bangkok. I’ve used it several times… Old and simple counsel, Martin: never fight over the telephone. One of you is sure to slam down the receiver. Then there’s hell to pay afterwards… What else can I say? Let’s get back to work. We’ve got a lot to get through today.’
We went to join Sergeant Donohue at the scanner. I told him of my conversation with the Commissioner. He was very offhanded about it.
‘Then he’ll instruct me in due course. That’s his way. I’ll get a phone call or a telex or a letter in the daily bag. Relax, Mr. Gregory. The Commissioner works strictly by the book. I’m surprised he gave way on this one…’
Ten minutes later, while we were trying to make sense out of a complicated but badly drawn diagram on the banking connections of certain casino owners, Pat called from Switzerland. I asked the switchboard to give me the call in an interview room two doors down the corridor. Pat was composed and cordial.
‘Martin! I’m sorry we’ve been missing each other. You got Clare’s telex?’
‘I got it. I’m not sure I understand it.’
‘It’s simple really. I’ve been working very hard at langlaufen. That’s –’
‘I know what langlaufen is, darling.’
‘Well then, you’ll understand. There’s a big competition at the end of this week. My instructor thinks I’m good enough to enter the women’s section. I don’t expect to win, but I could manage a place… I put all this in a letter. Mr. Melville’s bringing it out to you in Bangkok. He’s been very kind. He’s letting me have the house for the extra time. You sound very grumpy. Is something the matter?’
‘Yes. I don’t like the family being split up at this time. There are certain risks…’
‘I know. I talked about those with Mr. Melville. He told me he’d have people on watch day and night at the kids’ schools and at our house. He says you’re very valuable to him and he wants to make things as easy as possible for us all. So I’m not really a neglectful mother, darling. Truly I’m not…’
Had I let it lie there, things might, just might, have been different. I didn’t. I had to hammer the nail right into the wood. I said, ‘Listen, love! I told you from the beginning I didn’t want you to accept favours from Marius Melville. You did, so that’s water over the dam. But now, any day, I can find myself in an adversary position with him – and you’re asking his advice on your life as if I don’t exist. It isn’t good enough, sweetheart. He’s not your husband, I am. At least you owe me the courtesy of a call before you make a decision like this…’
Then, with an almighty crash, the heavens fell in.
‘Courtesy! My god, Martin Gregory, you’re a fine one to talk of courtesy. Did you ask my permission before you started catting around Sydney!’
‘What the hell do you mean, catting!’
‘You know damn well what I mean, Martin! I was prepared to wear it, because I knew you were working for us and I knew the stress you were under. But not now, Martin… not ever again…’
And then, as Arthur Rebus had warned, the receiver was slammed down and I had only myself and my ill-humour to blame. Or did I, by Christ? Someone had done a very good job of traducing me to my own wife. It was a real Cassidy ploy – convoluted, paradoxical, full of nasty little ironies – except that Cassidy was dead and buried and the piping of his ghost was getting thinner and thinner. Rebus counselled, as all lawyers do, a cooling-off period. He drafted a telex to Pat and handed it himself to the operator at the bank:
I DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD SO I CANNOT AND WILL NOT DEFEND MYSELF AGAINST ANONYMOUS CALUMNY. I WILL BE PASSING THROUGH ZURICH ON MY WAY HOME TO LONDON. WILL TELEX YOU ARRIVAL TIME AND ASK YOU TO MEET ME. IF WE CAN MAKE SENSE TO EACH OTHER, LET’S GO HOME TOGETHER TO OUR CHILDREN. I LOVE YOU.
MARTIN
I told him I didn’t believe it would do much good. Pat was her father’s daughter. Once an idea was fixed in a Cassidy head you had to use a jackhammer to ream it out. Rebus did not argue. He sat me down in front of the scanner and ordered me to concentrate.
‘…It’s your last chance. You have to know the issues that will be decided by a sale or no-sale of our information to Marius Melville. You have to guess what more he’s going to ask of you and how you’re going to respond. We’ve got to discuss worst cases, best cases, all the options in between – including, very possibly, a bullet in your head. Are you ready now, Mr. Gregory?’
‘I’m ready, Mr. Rebus.’
‘Then switch on, Sergeant Donohue, and let’s see how we arrange the rape of the ungodly.’
Half an hour later we struck gold: a whole series of diagrams of the organisation and shareholdings of Cassidy’s trading companies in the Far East. They followed an identical pattern. One-third share held by a local – like Pornsri Rhana in Thailand – one-third by Melville through his Melmar group, one-third by Cassidy through the Rotdrache trust. Since the local shareholder was always a Cassidy nominee, the assumption was that policy would be determined in Cassidy’s favour.
These organisation plans were followed by schematic diagrams, showing the acquisition of products, their distribution and the transmission of funds from their trading transactions. These diagrams made it clear that Australia, as a stable, British-style democracy in the South Pacific, was emerging more and more as a clearing house for financial transactions, container shipping and bonded air-courier services. Money was washed through under a variety of business names. Goods were held in bond, free from Customs checks, and onforwarded by container ship or aircraft. Given the proliferation of trading in arms, drugs and classified strategic materials, given the shortage of trainee Customs officers and the venality of some local staff, it was an almost foolproof system.
Finally, there was an outline, less easy to follow, of the connection between Cassidy’s Far Eastern operations and groups on the mainland United States, in the Bahamas, Europe and the Mediterranean Basin. Sergeant Donohue was hopping with excitement. He was insistent that all the diagrams had to be copied before the briefcase left the country. The schematic material was too valuable to risk. It was, like the Enigma cypher during the war, the key to a huge sector of criminal operations. Once again, it was Arthur Rebus who issued the caveats.
‘…First question: how much does Marius Melville know about the actual contents of the briefcase?’
‘He must know a hell of a lot.’ Sergeant Donohue was emphatic about it. ‘Otherwise, why would he offer five million for it?’
‘If he knows,’ said Rebus amiably, ‘why pay anything?’
‘To remove the thing from circulation.’
‘Not good enough, Sergeant. Every villain knows that you buy nothing in a blackmail situation. You can copy anything ad infinitum. What say you, Martin?’
‘I’m trying to read what was in Cassidy’s mind when he put together this little box of tricks… He never did anything simply. His whole career was an elaborate series of moves and counter-moves, designed to confuse his friends as much as his enemies. Laura Larsen was telling me the other day that Cassidy and her father were like brothers. I believed her; but I’m sure it was like the Brotherhood of the South – full of reservations, open always to conflict of interest and the suspicion of treachery. Cassidy was comfortable with that. He understood it. So my guess is that, in all his dealings with Melville, the information we have in this briefcase was his insurance policy. He let Melville know just enough so that he realised the insurance policy was in force and that Melville might be able to cash it in after Cassidy’s death… Now I’m not sure that situation obtains any more.’
‘Why not?’ It was Sergeant Donohue who asked the question.
‘Because by now Melville knows we’ve been in contact with the Federal Police.’
‘How would he know that?’
‘His daughter has been having me watched. She was able to give me a full account of our movements and contacts in Canberra.’
‘So you’ve got nothing to sell,’ said Rebus flatly. ‘The material has been exposed. It’s worthless.’
‘Except that Melville doesn’t know what the material is.’
‘You think he won’t guess?’
‘It doesn’t matter what he guesses. He doesn’t know. He won’t know until the material is actually in his hands.’
‘Why should it ever get there?’ asked Donohue. ‘You leave the briefcase here, locked up in the vault of the Banque de Paris. Rebus has access to it. So have we. You go to Bangkok and simply tell Melville, very courteously, that there’s no deal.’
‘And,’ said Arthur Rebus, ‘that the briefcase material is compromised. What does he do then?’
‘Then he has to present a new deal. I’m still sitting as delegate of a half-billion trust fund which is also the effective owner of one-third of all the Oriental enterprises and has a stake in some of Melville’s as well.’
‘On the other hand,’ said Donohue pleasantly, ‘he might decide to take you out – permanently!’
‘I don’t see what that buys him.’
‘An empty space on the board.’
We were just mulling over this pleasant proposition when the telephone rang. The switchgirl asked me to hold for a call from Parliament House. A few moments later, Rafe Loomis came on the line.
‘Martin?’
‘What can I do for you, Mr. Loomis?’
‘You remember our last meeting?’
‘I do.’
‘My driver drove you to a dinner date.’
‘Not exactly. I told you I had a dinner date. Your driver took me back to my hotel. I went out later to keep the date.’
‘Whatever you say, Martin. The police would like to talk to you about your date.’
‘Why?’
‘Best we don’t discuss it on the phone. Detective-Inspector Nichols is on his way to see you now. Is it convenient?’
‘As it happens, yes. Arthur Rebus, my lawyer, is with me – and Sergeant Donohue of the Federal Police.’
‘Oh! Well, in that case…’
‘Inspector Nichols will be very welcome. Once I know what he wants, I’ll give him all the help I can. There’s only one problem. I leave tomorrow for Bangkok.’
‘I know,’ said Rafe Loomis. ‘I hope the Inspector will have finished with you by flight time.’
When I put down the phone and told them what Loomis had said, Sergeant Donohue offered the happy thought that this was where the dreck was about to hit the fan. Arthur Rebus regretted that he had not made the handover to Standish and Waring and taken delivery of the share certificate. Donohue then began to debate whether he shouldn’t call the Commissioner and seek some direction on the matter. He finally decided against it on the grounds that he couldn’t yet define the matter in terms the Commissioner would accept. Which was just as well, because the matter which Detective-Inspector Nichols wanted to discuss was something quite different.
At seven in the morning, a neighbour going to work noticed that the front door of Pornsri Rhana’s apartment was ajar. She rang the bell. There was no answer. She pushed open the door and called. Then she went downstairs and asked the doorman to investigate. He found Pornsri lying on the bed. She was heavily bruised on the neck, face and arms. An empty syringe was lying on the floor. The body was cold. She had obviously been dead for at least an hour. All the evidence suggested that she had been forcibly subdued and injected with a massive overdose of narcotics.
My first reaction was numbness. It was as though I had been struck by a bullet and was still walking. Then I felt violently ill. I rushed to the toilet and vomited into the pan. When I came back, the Inspector began his questioning.
‘We know from our surveillance reports and from our questioning of Marco Cubeddu that you had contact with the lady. So we’d like to ask you some questions – in private, if possible.’
‘Not possible,’ said Arthur Rebus quickly. ‘My client will respond here and now, in the presence of his solicitor and an officer of the Federal Police.’
‘So be it,’ said Inspector Nichols wearily. ‘Had you in fact met the lady, Mr. Gregory?’
‘Yes. On two occasions. The first was on the evening after Charles Cassidy’s funeral. She came to my hotel. We had a brief conversation about her connection with the deceased and her involvement with his affairs abroad. The second was on the day of my last meeting with the Attorney-General. I went to her house for dinner and was back at my hotel before midnight.’
‘Where were you last night?’
‘With me,’ said Arthur Rebus. ‘We dined at Rosa’s in Kings Cross. I dropped him back at his hotel about half an hour after midnight.’
‘No. I telephoned Klosters in Switzerland. Then I went to bed.’
‘Alone?’
‘Regrettably, yes.’
‘No other communication with the lady other than on the two occasions mentioned?’
‘Yes. A telephone call to her house.’
‘I was there when the call came through,’ said Arthur Rebus. ‘I was conferring with her about some documents.’
‘This would be when?’
‘The night before last.’
‘What documents were you conferring about, Mr. Rebus?’
‘A share certificate in a Philippines company and the consideration that was to be paid for it. The transaction was being handled through Standish and Waring, who represent the Macupan Pharmaceutical Company in Manila.’
‘Was there anything abnormal about that transaction, Mr. Rebus?’
‘Quite a lot,’ said Rebus. ‘And Sergeant Donohue here will be able to communicate it to you. Before we get to it, however, I’d like to establish some groundwork.’
‘What sort of groundwork?’
‘Are you aware that the deceased was the mistress of the late Premier, Charles Cassidy, and that she had borne him a child?’
‘Yes, we were aware of that.’
‘It was common knowledge?’
‘In certain circles, yes sir. On the whole, though, it was what you might call a discreet situation.’
‘You were aware of the fact that she was a major shareholder and director of the Chao Phraya Trading Company, Bangkok? Are you also aware that the Macupan Pharmaceutical Company of Manila is run by Erhardt Möller, a former member of the Painters and Dockers Union, who has heavy form here and big criminal connections abroad?’
The Inspector was uneasy about both questions. He stumbled a little over his answer.
‘I’m sure both pieces of information are in my files, Mr. Rebus, but I’ll have to check. I’ve come straight from the scene of the crime to you.’
‘Furthermore – and you’ll note that all this information is volunteered – Mr. Gregory as executor and I as his local solicitor are engaged to settle Mr. Cassidy’s estate. We have still to establish what provisions Cassidy made for his mistress and her daughter – and, indeed, what happens to the girl now. This is one of the reasons which takes Mr. Gregory to Bangkok tomorrow and was taking Miss Rhana there on the same flight.’
‘All this is very helpful, sir; but what we’re really looking for is a motive for the murder. Can you help us there, Mr. Gregory?’
‘Not very much, I’m afraid. From the start, I found myself in an embarrassing situation with the lady. She was the mistress of my wife’s father. Her child, therefore, is my wife’s half-sister.’
‘They could therefore be rival claimants to an estate.’
‘Not possible, Inspector,’ Arthur Rebus intervened swiftly. ‘You’ll see that when I demonstrate Cassidy’s will and trust deeds, which I am sure Mr. Gregory will want me to do.’
‘I can confirm, Inspector, that Miss Rhana told me that Cassidy had made adequate provision for her and for their child. It was he who established her interest in the Chao Phraya Trading Company. I am not yet clear on the details. We were to discuss them in Bangkok.’
‘Thank you, gentlemen. This brings me to Sergeant Donohue and this – this abnormal share transaction. What can you tell me about it, Sergeant?’
‘Not a lot,’ said Donohue cheerfully. ‘I’ll have to clear with my Commissioner first. Do you mind if I make a phone call from another office?’
He walked jauntily out of the office, secure in his own righteousness and the protection of his own Service. Inspector Nichols was less happy.
‘I might have to take some new instructions myself. I’m not sure you’re going to make that plane tomorrow, Mr. Gregory.’
‘I’m quite sure he will.’ Arthur Rebus was bland as honey. ‘You’d have to show cause to hold him and impound his passport. If there were any fear of that I’m sure the Federal Commissioner would have him sworn in immediately as a Special Constable under the Act and pack him off on assignment to Thailand. Besides, I have all the available information, all the relevant documents and Mr. Gregory’s power of attorney as well. Never put the frighteners on a good witness, Inspector. You lose him before you get to court. By the way, what arrangements have been made about informing the victim’s relatives – her father and her daughter? The father’s an important man, a general in the army. The daughter’s at school in Switzerland.’
‘I’m not sure that anything’s been done yet, sir. We only found the body a couple of hours ago.’
‘You got here very fast.’
‘That was Mr. Loomis. He suggested Mr. Gregory might be our best informant.’
‘I was wondering how the report got so quickly to the Attorney-General’s office. That’s hardly normal, is it?’
‘No, sir. But the victim’s relationship with Mr. Cassidy put her in a special category – if you know what I mean.’
‘Has the press got the story?’
‘The place is swarming with ‘em… reporters, photographers, TV crews… Gerry Downs’ people are going to have a field day with this one.’
At that moment, Sergeant Donohue came back with an announcement.
‘My Commissioner’s on the line, Inspector. He’d like to speak to you personally.’
As soon as Nichols had left the room, Donohue said hastily, ‘Word from the Commissioner. No transaction took place. No money passed, no diamonds, no drugs. What we were discussing are demands to Mr. Gregory for a handover of substantial funds under pretext of a share transaction. We were investigating the situation, but we hadn’t come to any conclusion about it. We let Standish and Waring carry the bag. Clear?’
‘Very clear.’ Arthur Rebus was frowning now. ‘What now becomes even clearer is that Pornsri Rhana was not killed by Möller’s people. Her death puts them out of pocket for big money… After the pay-off, yes, I might have understood it; but not now.’
‘Don’t be too sure,’ Donohue uttered a respectful warning. ‘Mr. Gregory was the real paymaster. This could be a warning to him… On the other hand, there is your earlier suggestion, Mr. Rebus…’
‘Which one, Sergeant?’
‘Marius Melville – and an empty seat on the board of Chao Phraya. When it’s two seats to one, it doesn’t matter to him which of the two falls vacant, does it? Provided he’s got the new nominee in his pocket.’
‘Which in this case, Melville may have.’ The words were out before I had time to weigh them. ‘Pornsri told me she and her father were under pressure from someone at the Palace. What if that someone were in league with Marius Melville?’
‘Let’s dream on that awhile,’ said Arthur Rebus hastily. ‘The Inspector’s coming back.’
Nichols was in pensive mood now. He said, ‘The two Commissioners will be talking. I’d better get back to brief my men. Thank you for your help. I look to you to provide all necessary depositions, Mr. Rebus.’
‘The moment you ask for them, Inspector. Needless to say, I’ll be in constant touch with my client.’
‘And that,’ said Sergeant Donohue, ‘is the best double-shuffle I’ve seen. My old man is very quick on his feet.’
‘Let’s get some coffee,’ said Arthur Rebus. ‘You look like hell, Martin.’
‘I’m scared. It’s as simple as that. I’m scared for my wife, my family, myself. What sort of people are we dealing with?’
‘Nice people,’ said Arthur Rebus. ‘People who are photographed at the Black and White ball and get their daughters’ weddings in the social columns. People with million-dollar houses and stunning city offices and a private army of thugs and assassins. So let’s reason about this killing. Who arranged it – Möller or Marius Melville?’
‘Möller had no reason to believe we weren’t paying off. We went through all the right motions. Now he doesn’t get a cent…’
‘Which means either way that he goes after Mr. Gregory – or his family.’ Thus Donohue, as he walked out to order coffee.
‘Can he reach my family, Arthur?’
‘These people can reach anywhere, Martin. What’s the price of an air ticket and a killer’s fee against a kilo of uncut heroin and all that loot from Cassidy’s safe?… But I don’t think we should put Marius Melville out of court, either. His motive is even stronger…’
It was only then that I remembered Laura Larsen. I told Rebus I had to ring her. He nodded agreement, but stopped me before I had finished dialling.
‘Hold it a moment. It’s a rough way to pass bad news. Why not ask her to come round here? It’s ten minutes in a taxi. Besides, I’d like to meet her, see how she reacts.’
It made sense. I called the Melmar Marquis. Miss Larsen was in conference with clients and could not be disturbed. I asked to speak with the Duty Manager. He was persuaded, with difficulty, to call Miss Larsen out of her meeting.
I told her: ‘I have bad news. I don’t want to give it to you over the phone. Can you grab a cab immediately and come to the Banque de Paris? I’m on the third floor, working with Arthur Rebus.’
She didn’t argue. She didn’t question. She was with us in eleven minutes flat. When I told her of Pornsri’s death she went white as chalk. She clasped her hands to stop them trembling. Rebus brought her a mug of coffee and held it to her lips. His bedside manner was impeccable.
‘…Violence is always a shock when it strikes so close to home… We thought it best you should hear the news from friends… Sergeant Donohue is dealing with certain aspects of the matter which fall within Commonwealth jurisdiction. The murder itself is a matter for the State police. The chief investigating officer, Detective-Inspector Nichols, has just left… The press boys are swarming like bees. We want to protect you and Martin until your flight time tomorrow…’
‘I can arrange that, at least.’ She said it with a sudden surge of determination.
‘Did you know,’ asked Sergeant Donohue quietly, ‘that Pornsri Rhana was a partner with your father and Cassidy in the Chao Phraya Trading Company?’
‘I was aware of it, yes. I was not concerned in the activities of the company.’ She turned to me. ‘If this is going to turn into an interrogation, Martin, I shall need legal representation.’
‘That wasn’t the intention. I wanted to spare you the shock of a bald announcement on the phone. Sergeant Donohue is not the investigating officer; this is not his jurisdiction. He’s interested in certain dealings between Chao Phraya and a company in the Philippines.’
‘Then you shouldn’t discuss them with me.’ She was fully in control of herself now. ‘They are my father’s affairs. He’s in the air now, on the way to Bangkok. There’s no way I can contact him. Besides, Martin holds Cassidy’s vote…’
‘Are you sure of that, my dear?’ There was a subtle change in Rebus’ attitude. ‘It would help us a great deal if you were. We’re going through Cassidy’s records. We haven’t come across that item yet.’
‘I… I don’t know. I just presumed that, as Cassidy’s executor…’
‘Of course.’ Rebus was his old bland self again. ‘Most natural thing in the world. But you do see that we’re all on the brink of a very messy scandal. There’s no way now that Cassidy’s love affair and his love-child can be kept secret. No way, either, that the press won’t call this a drug-related killing.’
‘Was the woman an addict?’
‘No; but the method is almost ritual for women who fall foul of the drug barons.’
‘I repeat. I know nothing of these things. I’m in the hotel business.’
‘I’d stick to that,’ Sergeant Donohue approved. ‘Just keep saying it over and over.’
She gave him a quick, suspicious glare.
‘That’s an odd thing for a policeman to say.’
‘I’m an odd sort of policeman,’ said Sergeant Donohue cheerfully.
‘I should get back to work,’ said Laura Larsen. ‘I think you need more protection from the press than I do, Martin. I’ll have someone pack your bags and shift them into one of our company suites. Come to my room when you get back. I’ll be holding the key. And don’t come through the foyer entrance, use the public bar. The front office and the switchboard will inform all callers that you’ve checked out.’ She stood up. ‘Thank you all for taking this trouble. It was a kind thought.’
I offered to take her downstairs to find her a taxi. She refused. I obviously had work to do. She would be glad of the walk back to the hotel. Arthur Rebus watched every step of her exit and then nodded his approval.
‘That’s quite a woman, Martin. I hope to God she’s on your side!’
‘Now!’ said Sergeant Donohue briskly. ‘Decision time. Action time. What are you taking to Bangkok, Mr. Gregory?’
‘Clothes, personal documents, travellers’ cheques. Three items from the file: the access code to the trust and the two sets of the organisation plans we’ve just been looking at. You’ll make your copies here.’
‘Good! All the other records will remain here at the bank.’
‘Under my authority,’ said Arthur Rebus.
‘The Commissioner suggests we put ‘em under Federal Seal – just in case Inspector Nichols decides to move in with a State warrant.’
‘Clever!’ said Rebus with genuine admiration. ‘But I still want the Commissioner’s written agreement on access.’
‘You’ll get it, Mr. Rebus. Now, Mr. Gregory, you have a pistol licence, but no weapon. Right?’
‘Right.’
‘Then before you leave this afternoon I’m going to make you a personal gift – a souvenir of this happy occasion. It’s a pocket pen and pencil set. Both are lethal weapons and quite illegal – but since you’ll be out of our jurisdiction, who’s going to know? Next question. What are you going to tell Marius Melville?’
‘No sale on Cassidy’s records. And I’m taking over Cassidy’s interests.’
‘And you think he’ll buy that story?’
‘It isn’t a story. This is a power game. How can I play it if I give up the only base I hold?’
‘You could leave it to the professionals,’ said Arthur Rebus.
‘They’ve done a hell of a job so far! My marriage is poisoned. My kids are under threat. Pornsri is dead. Cassidy’s boyos are still trampling all over my life. It’s enough. I’m in the game now, for keeps!’
‘Nothing we’d want to do to stop you,’ said Donohue mildly, ‘unless you start playing on our turf; then we grab you by the short and curlies and shove you in the lock-up.’
‘And you lose a good lawyer,’ said Arthur Rebus. ‘However, that being said, I do admire a slugger, don’t you, Sergeant!’
‘Not much,’ said Donohue drily. ‘A slugger is usually a bonehead. I prefer a brainy fighter who doesn’t get marked up.’
‘Suggestions, Sergeant?’ I had to ask the question.
‘Two, Mr. Gregory. Meet the victim’s father. Assuage his grief. Offer help with his granddaughter in Zurich. The Thai set great store by such human gestures. He’s a general in the army; he should have high friends. Next, I’d enquire whether Mr. Melville is negotiating to build a hotel in Bangkok. If so, he has to choose a Thai partner. That makes him both friends and enemies. Money talks. You’ve got enough to buy yourself some beautiful conversation… Now, may I suggest we call in Mr. Paul Langlois and see how we can seal up this stuff without discommoding him too much.’
An hour later I was sitting with Arthur Rebus over a very late lunch in Rosa’s restaurant. I had eaten little and drunk only a glass of wine, but I felt strangely detached from my surroundings, utterly devoid of any emotion. I asked Rebus if he thought there was anything more I should do before I left. Should I call Marco Cubeddu, talk to Rafe Loomis or the Premier? Should I write my note of protest to Gerry Downs?
‘There’s nothing, Martin. I’m your other self now – your doppel-ganger. Forget everything here. Go and do what lies ahead of you.’
‘It’s funny! The night Cassidy died, everything changed – even my wife. It was like the onset of an ice-age, with people and animals and plants freezing into grotesque shapes, and yet I didn’t feel anything. It’s like that now.’
‘You need a woman tonight,’ said Rebus, ‘a nice, warm, friendly woman, first names only, no questions asked, all laughs and no tears afterwards.’
‘I was afraid of that.’
‘I’m not. If she’s all the things you say, I’ll bless her and be grateful. Even if she’s not, she’s a passport into Marius Melville’s domain.’
‘And you don’t feel badly about that?’
‘I told you. I don’t feel anything. That’s the magic – Cassidy’s special malignant magic… a spell for all sexes and seasons… Cassidy on woman! Now there’s a whole book still to be written. “Woman,” he used to say, “woman, sonny boy, is a compendium of wonders. The one thing you must never expect her to be is a gentleman!”’
It was nearly six in the evening when I got back to the Melmar Marquis. The public bar was noisy. The foyer was crowded with incoming guests and end-of-day drinkers, men and women, from the neighbouring office blocks. So I was able to move without attracting the attention of the cameramen and reporters waiting by the entrance. As I passed the newsstand, I caught a glimpse of the banner headline, ‘Cassidy’s Mistress Murdered’. I didn’t pause to buy a copy, but hurried across to the elevators and rode up to Laura’s room.
My arrival interrupted a telephone call. She gave me a quick kiss, pointed to the drinks and hurried back to the phone. I poured myself a very stiff whiskey and sat down to wait. The conversation with a travel agent seemed to last an age. By the time it was over, all the emotion had drained out of our meeting. Laura poured herself a drink and then perched in the armchair opposite me, kicking off her shoes and tucking her legs beneath her. It was as if she needed to maintain an airspace between us. She said gravely, ‘You scare me, Martin. I’ve never seen any man so angry – not even my father.’
‘I don’t feel angry.’
‘I believe you. That’s what makes it so terrible. Did you know this woman very well?’
‘Not well at all. I had dinner with her. I found her very attractive. She asked me for advice and help in her affairs. I promised to look into them… I told my wife about her. We had to face the ironic situation that her daughter is my wife’s half-sister… What gets to me is the sheer, gratuitous inhumanity of the act. Out of the blue, a faceless, nameless someone invades a house and snuffs out a woman’s life. They’ve invaded my life, too… Someone’s told my wife I’ve been playing around in Sydney. She’s sent our children back to school and is working out her resentments on the ski-slopes. Your father’s had his part in that little drama… But we’re not at the end of it yet. Whoever killed Pornsri Rhana is going to take a crack at me or my family… I’m not angry, because I can’t afford to be when I step onto the killing ground.’
‘Obviously you believe my father’s involved in all this.’
‘Directly or indirectly, he has to be, because his affairs and Cassidy’s are connected, right across the board.’
‘So why are you confiding in me? You know I’m his daughter. I’ve told you I have to stand with him.’
‘Because murder has been done. Murder will be done again. I’m near enough to loving you to give you fair warning…’
‘About my father?’
‘About me, Laura. Cassidy trained me in the law. He taught me to love it and respect it as the last bastion against barbarism. Then he turned traitor and sold the gates and now the barbarians are pouring in. So there’s nothing left but to throw away the book and pick up the sword – live or die!’
For a long, long moment she sat, with downcast eyes, picking at a thread of fabric on the arm of the chair. Finally, she raised her head and faced me. Her eyes were full of tears but her voice was steady.
‘It’s sad, Martin. I don’t belong to you. You don’t belong to me. Tomorrow’s a big, big question mark. Surely we can afford to lend each other one night from a lifetime.’