Singapore Sling Shot - Andrew Grant [110]
“No. I left that to my people back here.”
“Lu can’t have people in all the funeral homes in Singapore, but he either had someone on his payroll in one already, or he managed to get someone into that home at short notice. Right?”
“Right! Remember that it wasn’t the home itself, but their transit warehouse. So it was probably a labourer who made the switch and not one of the morticians.”
“So it appears that someone on Lu’s payroll and on your team selected the funeral parlour.” I wasn’t surprised really. To me, the huge money on permanent offer in Sami’s world meant there would always be a traitor.
“I haven’t been to the apartment since the bombing. My own people think I’m back in Thailand. I’ve been routing my calls through Bangkok. I’ve told them you are coming, so you go there when you’re released in the morning. K will be there. Go in through the front entrance, but later when you want to get in and out unseen, there’s a basement service tunnel that links three of the buildings in the complex. Access is through the parking garages via this key.” Sami handed it to me. “I suggest you use the tunnels when you want to be invisible. Just in case Lu has anyone watching, which he probably does. Be very careful and trust no one, not even K.” There was a deep sadness in Sami’s voice.
“You suspect he’s the rat?”
“I honestly don’t know, Daniel. There were six people in the apartment when I called from Bangkok: K and five others. One was Stanley’s former in-house accountant, Paul Wang. Paul was out at a meeting when the office was attacked. That in itself raises suspicion. There were two house staff there and two others from Jo’s crew when I called. I haven’t had the time to play detective. I’d hate to think it was K.”
“So would I.” We all went way back. To have to kill a man you once called friend was the pits.
“I’ll be in touch, Daniel! By the way,” he paused, “on the subject of spies. Michael, my man in Lu’s camp, has been severely tortured and is in intensive care in KL. Obviously, his cover was well and truly blown.” Sami’s expression was grim. “Another score to be settled, Daniel. We’ll bury Simone and the others when Lu is gone. It will be more fitting then. Take care, my old friend.” Sami patted me on the arm and walked out of the room without a backward look.
Shortly after Sami’s departure, the detectives arrived.
To the police officers, David Crewe was an injured man with blank eyes and very little memory. I could see they were frustrated by my act, but I was convincing. Given I’d spent the past three days hiding in the jungle on Pulau Ubin helped give credence to the amnesiac angle. That and the nurse who was hovering in the background like an anxious mother.
Eventually, after asking questions that drew only the vaguest of confused responses, the interview or interrogation or whatever it was came to an end.
“I don’t think he has anything for us,” one of the detectives said to the other.
“No. He checks out with Hong Kong, no problem.”
The two of them were still standing at the foot of my bed. They were speaking Mandarin. I didn’t let on I knew what they were saying, I just stared blankly up at them.
“Thank you, Mr Crewe. We will be in touch if there is anything else we may need. Here is my card.” The conversation was now in English again. The more senior of the pair put his card on my side table and they turned for the door.
“If I remember anything at all, I will contact you,” I called after them as the door swung shut. I could have added a big fat “Not!” to the end of the sentence, but didn’t.
Soon I would be out of this place.
42
They took the staples out of my head and washed off the iodine. The scars are vivid, but they will fade or vanish under my hair when it grows back. However, I made a decision about my appearance. The photo of the man Sami told the police was David Crewe had been all over the newspapers and on television. I needed to make