Singapore 52 Read online

  “And only speaks Japanese.”

  “Yes. She started off seeming reasonable but made it clear we are to wait for someone to arrive.”

  “Do you know who?”

  Rahman shook his head.

  I said, “The girl—why do you think there is foul play as you put it?”

  Rahman didn’t answer immediately and then said, “Later. You will see.”

  I got up. “All right, let’s take a look from upstairs?”

  As we walked to the stairs, the stony-faced madam seemed to consider barring our way. She looked long and hard at the inspector and he asked her firmly in English to move aside. She did so but I couldn’t help thinking there was something odd about her.

  At the top of the stairs stood a cluster of young women seemingly desperate to know what was going on. I counted seven girls. The tallest must have been no more than five-foot-four. They were pressed in the corridor, huddled together, worried and skittish.

  The corridor had rooms running off it left and right, white partitions in black frames. Some of these were the rooms I had seen from the street.

  The girls parted to let us through and closed ranks again behind us. They all turned and watched as we continued down the corridor to the back of the building. We passed through a more conventional door and down a couple of steps.

  Here the décor was different; no longer luxurious, but in a state of squalor and neglect. Paint peeled off walls, the floor boards were bare except for a worn rug-like covering that appeared to be made of reeds.

  “The girls’ living quarters,” Rahman explained.

  At the end of the corridor there was an outside door that led to the metal staircase I had seen last night.

  I tried the door and it opened outwards. I stepped onto rickety metal and looked down. It was steep and someone could easily lose their footing.

  Rahman pointed to where the body had been found, about ten feet directly after the foot of the stairs. Beyond this was the courtyard gate. It was open.

  “If she fell,” I said, “then she must have rolled afterwards. I expected her to be closer to the bottom. Injuries?”

  “A single blow to the head.”

  Ah, so that was part of why he suspected something. If the girl had tumbled down the fire-escape, she would likely have multiple injuries.

  Rahman said, “Shall we go down?”

  “Which is the girl’s room?” I asked. “Let’s take a look at that.”

  It was the first internal door of eight and adjacent to the fire-escape. Rahman opened it and we stepped into another shabby room although, unlike the hallway, this had personal touches that made it homely. Stark and square room, the room had a single mattress in the centre. There was one window with matting for a blind and the only light bulb was pallid and hanging forlornly from the ceiling above the bed. Cushions provided softness and colour. A bamboo wardrobe and chair were on one side of the room. A hard wood dressing table and chair were on the other. The table was covered in bottles that I assumed to be cosmetics. There was also a photo frame although there was no picture inside.

  The chair was at an angle that made me wonder if it had been knocked over and repositioned. The table looked disturbed and items also lay on the floor.

  “Was the room like this when you found it?”

  Rahman looked embarrassed. “No, we searched it for evidence just in case she didn’t just fall. Unfortunately my constable was less than careful.”

  “Did you find anything of interest?”

  “No.”

  I went to the window and looked out. I couldn’t see the base of the fire-escape but I could see where she’d been found.

  “That’s it,” he said leading me back into the corridor. “Shall we take a look in the courtyard, Ash?”

  Before I could respond, the constable who had been downstairs called to us from the door to the girls’ quarters.

  “What did he say?” I asked since the man had spoken Chinese.

  Rahman closed Tai Tai’s bedroom door and then indicated that we should head back up the steps and corridor beyond. The girls were still clustered together talking loudly.

  The other policeman spoke again. I heard a word that sounded like “hip”. It may as well have been the sound of a falling guillotine, the way it immediately silenced the chattering.

  The girls watched us. Rahman looked agitated.

  I said, “Anand, what is it?”

  “They are ready to talk,” he said giving little away. “The person we have been waiting for has just arrived.”

  TWENTY-ONE

  “How nice to see you again Ash Carter,” Su Ling said. She was standing in the lounge next to the madam of the house.

  She looked as surprised as I felt but gave me a slight smile and held out her hand. I registered that she barely looked at the inspector and didn’t greet him.

  She pointed to a curving sofa with an oval table in front and said, “Please. Let’s sit.”

  Rahman and I sat at one end and she perched delicately on the other. Hegarty and the police constable hovered within earshot.

  Su Ling spoke to the madam in a harsh tone and then turned her attention back to me.

  “Mr Carter—or is it Captain now?—what brings you here?”

  I wanted to ask her the same question, but explained that I was investigating a case.

  “Ah,” she said as though that explained everything.

  The madam shuffled to the table, her face a mask of pleasantness. She placed a cocktail in front of each of us: a Singapore Sling. Rahman pushed his away but, out of politeness, I copied Su Ling and took a sip.

  She smiled at me. “You are wondering why I am here. Well, I work for the owner of this establishment. You will recall from our meeting at the warehouse that my employer is Andrew Yipp.”

  I realized then that upstairs the policeman must have said Yipp rather than hip. His name had abruptly silenced the chattering girls.

  She continued: “One of my roles is as translator because I speak many languages including Japanese. I am here to ensure that the police—and of course you, Mr Carter—gain the information that you need to investigate this disturbing situation.”

  “You told me that Mr Yipp was a philanthropist and one of the largest merchants in Singapore. I didn’t realize that it included brothels.”

  Her eyes widened with horror. I’d previously thought her eyes were green, now in this light I saw they were more brown, possibly warmer than before and even more attractive.

  “This is not a brothel,” she admonished me. “This is an exclusive house of gentlemen’s company and entertainment.”

  Rahman smiled then nodded towards the big Japanese lady. “Ask the madam what she knows.”

  Su Ling ignored Rahman’s abrupt request and took another sip of her drink. “What do you think of our interpretation of a Gin Sling, Mr Carter?”

  “A little sweet for me,” I said and then added: “Would you mind if we could talk to the madam of the establishment?”

  Su Ling shook her head with a sad smile. “Please, Mr Carter, you aren’t getting it. This is not a brothel. Her name is Mai Wan Murasaki. She is not a madam but rather the manageress.”

  “My apologies,” I said. “Please may we speak with Madam Murasaki?”

  Rahman bristled with irritation but said nothing.

  Su Ling waved and the woman came and stood by her. The contrast between the two women was extreme and I was reminded again at just how stunning Su Ling was.

  Rahman said, “Please talk us through the events of this afternoon.”

  Murasaki spoke and Su Ling translated. She had been getting the House ready for the evening’s guests when she heard a scream.

  “Was it Tai Tai?” I asked.

  “No,” was the reply. “It was one of the other girls.

  “Sorry for the interruption,” I said. “Please continue.”

  Su Ling smiled at my politeness as though it were unusual and appreciated. She continued to tran
slate and told us that the other girl had gone to find Tai Tai and saw a body in the courtyard. The other girls came out to see what the problem was and Madam Murasaki said she was the last of them to see her.

  “Did you know it was Tai Tai?” I asked.

  Murasaki said she wasn’t sure. She ran downstairs and through the kitchen and then realized it was Tai Tai.

  I asked, “Where were the kitchen staff at this time?”

  “They were not yet on duty.”

  “Even the big guy?”

  Murasaki looked at me strangely, maybe wondering how I knew about the man I’d seen with the meat cleaver but then repeated that the kitchen staff were not there.

  “The gate was open,” Rahman said.

  “Yes. The kitchen staff use it for deliveries. It should have been locked at that time. I went outside and looked down the road.”

  “Did you see anyone?”

  “No.”

  Rahman asked, “How do you explain the open gate?”

  “I cannot.”

  I said, “Was the door to the fire-escape unlocked?”

  “Of course.”

  “Do you think that Tai Tai fell down the steps?”

  Murasaki paused as if considering her response. Then she said, “No, I think somebody hit her.”

  “Someone who then escaped down the road at the back?”

  “It was no one here who did it so I believe that is what happened.”

  Rahman had been taking notes and looked disappointed. “Is there anything else you can tell us?”

  “That is all I know.”

  I said, “Can we talk to the girl who screamed, please?”

  Murasaki agreed and went to get her.

  While we waited I asked Su Ling, “Where are the evening’s customers, surely this place should have customers at this time?”

  Murasaki returned with one girl and Su Ling directed the question to her.

  The woman failed to mask her annoyance before she spoke. Su Ling repeated in English: “They disappeared like incense into a fog. As soon as there was sign of trouble, the customers left immediately. The police have been here too long for such a minor matter, Mr Rahman.”

  I looked at the inspector who was clearly going to ignore the comment. I nodded towards the young girl. “So who do we have here?”

  “She is called Keiji.”

  I introduced us and asked her to tell us what happened.

  The girl said something about preparing a schedule and Su Ling explained that the girls were all trained musicians and dancers. They served the gentlemen who often came here for meetings but also relaxation. “Most of the evenings are formally planned,” she said.

  Keiji said that Tai Tai was her best friend and she went to discuss the plans with her.

  “When I got to her room, there was no answer. That’s when I saw the man running.”

  I leaned forward. “Where did you see a man running?”

  “Out of the courtyard. And then I saw a body…” she started to sob and we waited for her to calm herself. “I realized it was Tai Tai in the courtyard. I ran down the stairs—”

  “The fire-escape?” Rahman asked.

  “Yes. I ran to check how she was.”

  “Was the fire-escape slippery? You were able to run down it?”

  “Yes.”

  I said, “What about the man you saw running away? What can you tell us about him?”

  “I saw him run out through the gate.”

  “Anything else?”

  “He was wearing dark clothes.”

  Rahman said, “Was he Chinese?”

  She seemed to think hard, trying to picture him, probably. Eventually she said, “Yes,” but I thought she sounded less than certain.

  When nothing more was forthcoming I asked about the photo frame in Tai Tai’s bedroom.

  Keiji smiled. “Tai Tai’s man.”

  I said, “The frame was empty. Do you know why she would have taken the photograph out?”

  “No.”

  “What’s her man’s name?”

  She looked uncertain or unwilling to tell us. I tried another tack: “What does he look like?”

  “Like you.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes, white only not as tall.” She paused and Su Ling prompted her to speak.

  Keiji said, “And a soldier.”

  “Is the boyfriend a member here?”

  “Maybe once but not since I have worked here.”

  Rahman said, “So it wasn’t the boyfriend you saw running away?”

  Keiji looked unsure perhaps confused and Su Ling had to repeat the question. When she spoke, the girl said she thought the man running away was Chinese.

  I looked at Rahman. He didn’t seem to have any more questions so we let the girl go.

  “Can we get a list of customers?” Rahman asked Su Ling.

  At first it looked like the woman refused to comply as her face turned stony, but Su Ling seemed to insist. They talked for a minute.

  While they were away I said, “You’re thinking that whoever did this—whoever Keiji saw running away is a member.”

  “Right. My working assumption is they knew her.”

  Su Ling returned and said, “Inspector, you will appreciate that discretion is paramount in this establishment. They protect their patrons’ identities.”

  “Get the register,” Rahman said abruptly and Su Ling waved to the madam.

  Moments later Su Ling had a heavy, leather bound ledger handed to her. She opened it and we saw it was clearly a register of sorts. However, instead of names against the dates there were stamps.

  “What’s this?” Rahman asked.

  “The stamps represent the patrons,” Su Ling said.

  I looked down the column showing animals and flowers of all sorts.

  I pointed to one. “Is this a symbol or a name?” The print looked like Chinese writing rather than a picture.

  “That represents the wind,” Su Ling explained. “The symbols are all mah-jong tiles. When a member joins he chooses his tile.”

  The madam said something that sounded like pin zoo.

  “What did she say?” I prompted Su Ling.

  “She said, ‘five wheels’. It’s a mah-jong tile.”

  Rahman was clearly irritated. “This is not good enough,” he barked. “I just want a list of all the people who have been here recently. I don’t want stamps, I want names. You can tell your Madam here that if she doesn’t give me the names, I will arrest her for obstructing justice.”

  Su Ling spoke sternly to Murasaki and sent her away.

  Before she left I thought she smiled strangely at Rahman.

  Su Ling said, “You shall have your list, Inspector.” Her tone said she was offended by his bluntness. However, she stayed impeccably calm, stood and bowed.

  Rahman said, “You are going? What about the list?”

  She looked at him with hard eyes that appeared to be darker than before.

  “As I said, Inspector, you will get your list but it will take a little time. May I suggest we bring it to you at the police station tomorrow?”

  He started to complain but Su Ling had already turned her attention to me. “Mr Carter, I wonder what you are doing this evening?”

  I was taken aback by the sudden switch. I had no expectations other than returning to the barracks at some point.

  She smiled alluringly at me but I was disappointed by her next statement.

  She said, “Andrew Yipp would like to meet you.”

  TWENTY-TWO

  Any other situation and I may have asked for an appointment on my terms. But I travelled back to the city in Su Ling’s car and asked Hegarty to follow. Like Pope’s, her ride was a Bentley but white and much older; from the nineteen-thirties I guessed.

  Su Ling and I sat in silence as the jungle moved past in the darkness. I had smelled her scent earlier but in the enclosed area it was now stronger and I enjoyed breathing it in. This girl was quite intoxicating.

/>   Finally, to break the spell, I said, “You don’t like him, do you? The inspector I mean.”

  “Am I so transparent?”

  “Not at all. I just—”

  She cut me off, ending my discomfort. “I think the feeling was mutual. Normally it is nothing personal but the police can be an irritation. They are ineffective and in the way most of the time.”

  I understood her point of view. In my limited experience of the island, I had seen poor policing twice. Once with Sergeant Kee’s accident investigation and now the way they had handled the potential attack of the Japanese girl. If someone had been in Tai Tai’s room, why had he taken the photograph of the boyfriend? Was that his reason for being there or was he looking for something too? Simple crime scene preservation and fingerprinting might have given them some clue. Whilst I liked Inspector Rahman, I had also noted that his questioning was awkward. When the witness had told us about the man, he shouldn’t have suggested he was Chinese. It was possible he influenced her answer.

  “Do you think it is possible that an attack is planned against Japanese people on the island?” I said.

  “By whom?”

  “Chinese—a group of Chinese. I don’t know. I’m grasping at straws. I’m still struggling to understand whether there’s a connection.”

  “Chinese men are particularly fond of Japanese girls, Ash. The House of Tokyo is extremely popular and I find it hard to believe a member—especially one who is Chinese—would attack one of the girls like that.”

  I was thinking of the security issue and the role Secretary Coates had given me. “But what about a wider tension, not just the members of the club?”

  She shook her head. “I still don’t think so. Hopefully when you have spoken with Mr Yipp, you will understand a bit more.”

  I looked behind and watched Hegarty’s lights. Had it been like this for my friend? Had he just been driving along pleasantly and then the other car come up behind and hit him? Or had he known he was being followed? I seemed to be collecting questions rather than answers.

  “Everything all right?” she asked.

  I wanted to change the subject and not think about Tom’s death for a while so I asked about the piece of paper Secretary Coates had given me and said, “Have you had any thoughts about the flyer I showed you?”