The Son Page 20

  ‘Yes. Not directly, through Bob Maynard’s office. He had another meeting with his handler, on Friday night. Medea. A good session apparently. But he didn’t add much to what we already know. He still doesn’t know where or how he’s supposed to make the hit, or even when. He also said he was going to the hills for a couple of days, he’d contact her when he got back, but she hasn’t heard from him since.’

  ‘That would be at their training camp presumably.’

  ‘Sounds like it. He said they were pumping him up non-stop.’

  My heart went out to him, alone, bravely coping with a job a grown man might have quailed at.

  ‘I still don’t know why you can’t arrest the lot of them right now. Surely you’d have enough evidence, with his testimony, to crack down on them and make sure nothing happens.’

  He shook his head.

  ‘Canberra won’t hear of it. They keep saying it’s too early, they need to know more, they need to know exactly what’s being planned, and who else is involved. In case this is just a decoy and they’re preparing something else as well. I’m not sure they’re right, but I keep getting over-ruled. You’d better keep that to yourself, by the way.’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘I’m not sure I should be telling you all this. I got the impression Roger Bentinck didn’t really want you at that meeting.’

  I said nothing to that. He gave me a half smile. I had the feeling that what Roger wanted didn’t count all that much with him.

  ‘Personally I thought you did a good job. Even that fat prick Truscott was impressed.’

  ‘Thanks. Do you know how long they plan to keep Jason there?’

  He made a non-committal face.

  ‘Probably until close to the end. If he’s the one who’s meant to do it, they won’t want to pull him out and find that someone else has been put in his place. Which is really why I’m here. I want to ask if there’s anything else you can tell me about that group. Especially their leader, that man Bach Ho.’

  ‘Not much more than I told you at the meeting. I’ve only met him once.’

  ‘True, but that’s more than anyone else has done. And you’ve talked to Jason about him, and that man Quang, who was killed. You know more about him than the rest of us put together.’

  I went over once more what I had said at the meeting.

  ‘I can’t prove anything. I told you. The clear impression I have is that he’s at the centre of things, but that’s all it is, just an impression. What I can say is that he struck me as a very tough person, very self-possessed. Very clever and very much in control of himself. If he is running things, then you can expect they’ll be well run.’

  ‘What about that other man? Vo Khanh? From what you said they’re very different types.’

  ‘Yes. Vo Khanh is a very physical man. He’s impulsive and hot tempered and no doubt courageous, but I don’t think he’s very bright. My guess is he’s overawed by Bach’s intelligence. And it’s possible Bach’s got a financial hold over him too. Quang thought he’d probably financed Vo Khanh’s restaurant.’

  Considine nodded.

  ‘You were talking to Bentinck about him. Something about asking the Americans.’

  ‘Yes. When Roger and I were discussing him earlier, it emerged he hadn’t been interviewed by any of our people on the ground, at the time. In the refugee camp, I mean. Other than Immigration interviews, which didn’t go very deep. I thought he might have been vetted by the Americans and Roger said he’d check it out. But when I asked him on Thursday he said he hadn’t received anything back from them yet.’

  ‘How long does it normally take to get a response?’

  ‘Depends I guess. What they’ve got in their data base. We had this discussion on Tuesday last week. So it would have been about a week.’

  ‘Should be long enough to get something back. Maybe I’ll know more tomorrow. I can’t help feeling he’s the key to all this. Call it an old cop’s instinct.’

  He finished his drink, stood up, declined a second.

  ‘My shout next time. What was it? Laphroaig?’

  ‘Yes.’

  I accompanied him to the door. I had more questions.

  ‘How was Jason on Friday? Did he say anything else?’

  ‘I don’t know the details. I only got a summary. But it seems he was in good shape, holding up well. Sounds a good lad, from all I hear.’

  ‘He is. And he really wasn’t able to tell them anything else? About how it’s supposed to happen?’

  ‘No. All he said was he was going off for a couple of days, and he’d try to ring her when he came back.’

  ‘Do you have any idea yourself where it’s likely to take place?’ I asked.

  ‘A couple. But it’s hard to be sure. I’ve been over every inch of that route, and I can’t see that there are many ways they can get at him, unless they try a suicide bid – and that doesn’t seem likely, that’s not the way Jason’s talking. He says they expect him to make a clean getaway, they’ll help him. Where would you do it, if you had to plan a hit like that?’

  ‘I don’t know. It’s not something I’ve ever had to do. Maybe I’d go for a rifle shot, you know, with a marksman. But if I couldn’t get a good shot at him … Maybe try the apartments. Get access there under some pretext.’

  He looked at me.

  ‘I’m going to have the place covered. Everyone searched on entry. There’s no way he could bring a gun in with him.’

  ‘What if they’ve already stashed one in there?’

  ‘I’ve had my team go over every inch of that place, and we’ll be doing that every day until the big day. There’s no way they could hide anything there. Not for quick retrieval, anyway.’

  He hesitated.

  ‘Something else you should know. I probably shouldn’t be telling you this either. But you’ve been straight with us and I feel we owe you. That meeting, on Friday. Jason was followed.’

  ‘How do you know?’ I asked, suddenly alarmed.

  ‘Maynard told me. He had the meeting covered. Don’t worry, it was very professional. They met in a pub in Bondi, apparently, near the safe flat where she’s staying, had a couple of drinks and then she took him back to the flat. Roger wanted to be there but Maynard wouldn’t allow it. Let’s play it straight, he said, she’ll tell us about it afterwards, if she’s in doubt she can ring. He was there for nearly two hours. When he left she came down with him. They were seen to embrace passionately, I’m told. Lucky young man. They say she’s quite a looker. So I wouldn’t worry too much about him. I have a feeling he’ll be alright. But that’s why everything has to be done right.’

  ‘Of course,’ I said. ‘Thanks for telling me that.’

  ‘Don’t go doing anything stupid like trying to contact him. It might well be the worst thing you could do right now.’

  ‘I know.’

  After Considine left I washed the glasses, put the bottle away, resisting the temptation to have another drink. Like him, I needed a clear head for the days to come. I sat down and went over our talk. I could see where his thoughts were heading, alright. Mine had already gone in that direction. For all his cop’s instincts, I suspected I had a more devious mind. I thanked my lucky stars I’d had the wits to act in time.

  CHAPTER TWENTY - NINE

  It had been by instinct, more than rational thought, and it was more of a precaution as yet than a fully-formed plan. But it was the only thing I could come up with, and I couldn’t afford to neglect it.

  Basically it was very simple. What I wanted was somewhere to stay, a base of my own in that block of serviced apartments, where I could hole up and be ready to act if things went sour for Eric. I’d felt clearly enough at that meeting that I was an outsider, as far as they were concerned I had fulfilled my role, apart from Considine no one seemed to need me any more. If I was to do anything to help Eric I would have to do it alone.

  And so when I returned to the office on the Thursday after the ASIO meeting I’d had a long talk w
ith Viv. I needed to act quickly, before my options were closed off. Viv had an older sister, Maisie, who lived on the far south coast and occasionally came up to Sydney to visit her. My plan was to have Maisie book one of the apartments in her name, covering the period when Loc would be there, and spend a few days there with Viv. I would play the part of Maisie’s fictitious son Jonathan, also visiting from the country, and join them at the appropriate time. This would give me the base I needed. The rest would be up to me.

  Viv had agreed without too much fuss, but Maisie had taken longer to convince. Fortunately I got on well with her too. I’d told her that I needed to get away from the gang that had bashed me up, and I needed somewhere safe to help Eric, and this was the only way I could do it. I assured her it was not illegal. And I promised her the best week on the town she’d ever had. Whether it was that or the thrill of helping out on something so far out of the ordinary, she finally agreed.

  Within half an hour she rang back. She had rung the Southern Aurora Apartments and booked a two-bedroom serviced apartment, for a week, from Sunday through to the following weekend. She paid the deposit over the phone with her credit card. I told her I would transfer money at once into her bank account, and explain everything in more detail when she arrived.

  On Sunday afternoon I went with Viv to meet her at the coach terminal at Central Station. I drove them both to the apartments, adding to their luggage the small case I had brought along. I left them to register by themselves, and an hour later went in to see them. They’d had no problem booking in, under Maisie’s identity. I told them what I had in mind, and swore them both to secrecy. As keen fans of thrillers and whodunits they were thrilled at being caught up in a real-life version. Then I went home to wait for Hao’s call.

  It was too late after Considine had left to go back to the apartments that night. I needed to keep a low profile, keep my comings and goings to daylight hours, when I was less likely to be noticed. I rang the two women, checked they were comfortable, stayed home, did some more thinking.

  On Monday I went to work as usual. So did Vivien, coming in from the apartment via her flat in Greenwich. I found it hard to concentrate, managed to conduct a couple of interviews without afterwards remembering anything of the applicants. I went out, made more purchases, tried to ring Roger, finally got him at work late that afternoon. He told me he was coming up to Sydney again the next day, for another meeting, but quickly pre-empted any attempt to get myself invited.

  ‘Sorry Paul, this one you can’t attend. It’s just a working meeting. But I can see you straight after, if you’re free. I can come to your office about eleven thirty or twelve.’

  ‘Have you heard from Eric?’ I asked.

  ‘We’ll talk about that tomorrow.’

  He hung up before I could say anything else.

  That night I debated whether to stay home, in case Considine rang again. But it was time to start acting my part. I checked with Vivien, went home, packed another case, put on the kind of conservative clothes Maisie’s rural offspring might wear, and went to the apartments. Maisie met me downstairs, playing her role like a trooper.

  ‘Jonathan. Come up. You’re just in time for dinner.’

  The apartment was on the seventh floor. I moved into the second bedroom, unpacked. We ordered take away, watched television. I discreetly explored the building. There was more reconnoitering to be done, but it would have to wait until Tuesday afternoon, when the first VIPs arrived, and I would have to rely on Maisie and Viv for that. That night I slept badly, thinking of Hao. I wondered how she was getting on in Leeds.

  On Tuesday I was up before six. The two sisters were still asleep. I wanted to ring Hao, but didn’t want to do it from the apartment. I left them a note and went out for a walk, found a phone booth in Martin Place. It should be seven thirty pm in Leeds. Her phone didn’t answer. I caught a taxi, went home, changed into my normal clothes, had breakfast, rang again at seven, and again at eight. That would be ten pm there. She must have gone out with friends. I went to the office, tried a fourth time at nine, still no answer. Give it up, I told myself, you’re getting obsessive.

  Vivien came in at ten, looking relaxed.

  ‘You were up early,’ she commented. ‘Everything alright? You look tired.’

  ‘I never sleep well in strange beds.’

  I spent the morning waiting for Roger’s visit. At twelve thirty he rang, to say he couldn’t make it. The meeting had dragged on, he had to rush back to Canberra.

  ‘I have to see you, Roger!’ I said. ‘We need to talk about what’s happening.’

  ‘You’d better come to the airport then. We can talk there before my flight.’

  He gave me his flight number and time. I took a taxi, rushed to the departure lobbies in the Qantas domestic terminal, caught up with him as he waited for his flight to be called. Barely time for a quick conversation. We moved out of hearing of the other passengers. He looked harassed, and if I hadn’t been so keyed up myself I might have felt sorry for him.

  ‘Have you heard from Eric?’ I asked.

  ‘Not since Friday. I gather Considine told you about that meeting.’

  ‘He mentioned it. He said Eric was supposed to ring in as soon as he came back from the hills. He hasn’t rung in at all?’

  ‘I wish he’d stick to his job!’ he said irritably. ‘No, we’re still waiting to hear. But that doesn’t mean anything. He’s probably still up there.’

  ‘What about the restaurant? Is anyone monitoring it to see if he’s back?’

  ‘Bob Maynard’s covering that. There’s been no sign of him there either.’

  ‘I hope they know what they’re doing.’

  ‘Of course they do! What do you think, that we’re a bunch of amateurs? All it means is that he hasn’t come back to town yet. They’re probably keeping him on ice until the last moment. He’ll be back tonight or tomorrow morning. Stop worrying! He’ll turn up.’

  ‘Yes, but that may be too late. Too late even to get in touch. What happens if you don’t hear from him in time? What do you do then?’

  ‘If that happens we’ll play it by ear. We’ll have everything covered, there’s no way he can get in close without our knowing it. If we don’t hear from him first, we’ll wait until we see him and then we’ll simply move in and grab him and take it from there!’

  ‘And hope no one gets shot in the process! That’s hardly good enough, is it!’

  ‘What else do you want us to do?’

  ‘You could have stepped in earlier! When he reported on Friday! You could have stopped the whole thing there and then! Why didn’t you? Why are you waiting until the last minute?’

  He shook his head.

  ‘And why are you stopping Considine from doing his job properly? What are you up to, Roger?’

  ‘Christ! He has been talking, hasn’t he!’

  ‘I’m glad someone has! It seems to me he’s got a point!’ I was fuming, with frustration and anger. ‘I hope to God nothing’s happened to Eric. What if they’ve got wind of something and simply got rid of him? Have you thought about that possibility?’

  ‘Of course we have!’ he snapped. ‘What do you think? We’re not stupid either! But they won’t have done that. You were right at that meeting. They need him, that’s what they need him for, because of what he looks like. So stop worrying! He knows what he’s doing. He was fine on Friday. He’ll come through!’

  His flight was announced. Passengers stood up and started to mill towards the gate. He picked up his briefcase.

  ‘What about Bach?’ I said urgently. ‘Have you heard back from them yet?’

  He hesitated. I sensed he was holding something back, but even in his predicament he was reluctant to lie outright.

  ‘Come on Roger! I was the one who suggested you try them!’

  ‘Yes, we got something back. Not much.’

  ‘What did they say?’

  ‘Not much, I told you. They did look at him, you were right, he did apply to go to the
States. But they knocked him back. That’s all they could tell us. They had to dig through all their records to get that far. That’s why it took them so long. No big deal. Nothing there to help us. Sorry, I’ve got to go.’

  ‘But why did they knock him back? They must have had a reason!’

  ‘They didn’t say.’ He looked straight at me as he said that, and I knew then that he was lying. Professional liars look you in the eye when they’re telling you a fib. ‘Who knows anyway? They didn’t take everyone, you know. Maybe they thought he was already accepted here. You know what a bugger’s muddle those refugee camps were like, agencies falling over themselves in all directions, it’s a wonder anyone got through sometimes.’

  He started to move off, but I called after him.

  ‘I think I should ring him.’

  He turned round and came back to me. He looked furious.

  ‘Don’t even think of it!’ he hissed. ‘That’s the worst thing you could possibly do! Stay right out of it, Paul. You’ve done your bit, everyone’s grateful to you for it, but now you’re fast becoming a pain in the arse! So stay away, go home, do nothing. Let us handle it. We’ve done more delicate things before and you know it. Otherwise you’ll give us no choice but to have you arrested. For his safety and yours.’

  He nodded curtly and strode off. I looked after him, aghast, and close to fury myself. I knew very well what I had to do, and it wasn’t going to be to stay home.

  I took a train back to North Sydney. This exercise was starting to cost. I sat in the office that afternoon, my mind in a whirl, wishing I could talk to someone, someone who could help me think rationally instead of worrying myself sick. But there was no one, I couldn’t talk to Viv or Maisie, that would only frighten them out of their wits. I thought of ringing Considine, to check if he’d heard anything, but decided to wait until morning. More and more I knew I’d been right to make the preparations I had.

  Viv left, and at five I packed up and went to the apartments, getting in without attracting attention. The two women were in the sitting room comparing notes. They’d done their job well: Viv had explored the building, on the pretext of getting off on the wrong floor, and Maisie had sat in the lobby from mid afternoon, reading a book while ostensibly waiting for her sister to arrive. When a group of Asian men in suits arrived instead she put her book away and made her way slowly to the lift, as if to go up too. The lift was too crowded and she waited patiently for it to come back down, noting that it had stopped at the third floor. The day manager had accompanied the party, and another Australian who looked like a security man. Viv confirmed this: she had wandered from floor to floor, looking vaguely dotty, and noted activity there, people moving in and out of a suite of rooms, Asians with luggage, who she said didn’t look or sound Japanese (she and Maisie had once holidayed in Kyoto.) I surmised this was the advance party, with an escort from their consulate. Loc himself and his chief companions weren’t due until the next day.