Georgina followed Mandy and met the other workers. They were a mixed bunch: a Scottish chef, an Irish barman, a barmaid from New Zealand and two big surfer types from Oz who worked as a double act behind the main bar, and several more kitchen staff. They were an interesting mix, very energetic and friendly.

The first night flew by and Georgina found herself enjoying it immensely. Mandy told her what she would be doing. She would be working shifts, six days a week. She would start by bringing the food orders out and progress to serving behind the bar when she was ready. The pay was pretty appalling but the job was fun. She had forgotten how nice it was to be with people whose sole aim in life was to have a good time. It reminded her of her late teens, a time of boyfriends and parties and no worries, before her mother got ill. She hadn’t realised how wonderful that time had been until now. Two weeks went by so fast. The Albert opened up a whole new world, not just for Georgina but also for Ka Lei. Whenever her shifts allowed, Ka Lei came to meet Georgina from work and joined in with the socialising that went on after hours. They were invited to parties and picnics and endless barbecues. Life was beginning to feel like fun. But not for Lucy.

43

Lucy was glad to see that Frank was waiting for her one evening. She was working long hours every night and coming back to an empty house. She slid in beside him.

‘Good evening, Flank,’ she simpered. ‘Why you no come see me long time? What matter, Flank? You no love your little Hong Kong girl no more?’ She looked at him curiously. He was a mess. ‘You okay, big man?’ He didn’t smell so good either and his left eye was twitching uncontrollably. ‘Wha matter, Flank? You sick?’

‘Just lovesick, honey.’ He patted a bag next to him on the seat. ‘Got some toys for us to play with.’

‘Oh learly? Got sometin nice for your goo little Hong Kong girl?’

‘Got something really nice for my naughty one.’ The twitching moved to the other eye.

They wasted no time in finding themselves a love motel, where Big Frank unzipped his bag and pulled out an assortment of whips, leather apparatus and ponytail attachments. Lucy laughed out loud at the peephole leather, but Big Frank was too excited to be in the mood for laughing. He had some serious fun in mind.

‘Was these, Flank?’ Lucy pulled out some leather chaps.

‘Those are what I wear when I’m out herdin’ up steer.’

‘Steer?’

‘Cattle. Cows. Moo Moos.’ He pulled her to him, crushing her with a bear hug. ‘I’m gonna herd you. But first …’ he reached into the bag ‘… I’ve gotta catch you …’

And he brought out his lasso.

44

Johnny Mann walked through the lobby of the Peninsula Hotel. It was prime cocktail time. He was looking for James Dudley-Smythe. Mamasan Rose had remembered that he had bought Bernadette out a few days before she disappeared.

People watched him walk through. Mann was used to getting stared at. He didn’t slot neatly into any pigeon hole – which suited him. Being a Eurasian he was at ease in both worlds but belonged to neither.

The pianist was playing Sinatra songs. Mann headed for the corner of the lobby bar where he knew James liked to hold court. James still had enough clout and enough money to call in a few friends to drink with most nights. They were the same sorts – lonely old drunks that had made their money and were now spending it on drinking themselves to death.

James saw Mann coming from some distance. His stare was fixed on the Inspector. He was more alert than Mann had given him credit for. But then a pretty young blonde passed in front of Mann and he saw James’s eyes refocus on her. The two other red-faced, white-haired paunch bellies looked up as Mann reached them. They stared at him as if he were a bad smell.

James smiled: thin, wet-lipped. ‘Johnny, dear boy. Come, come. What is it now? Need my help again?’

The other two tittered nervously.

‘How did you guess? Want to talk to you about some Irish connections, some business transaction you might have made. Do you mind?’ Mann pulled up a chair and sat between James and his friends. ‘Won’t keep him long, gentlemen.’

They lumbered out of their seats, grumbling disdainfully, and went to find someone else to buy them drinks. James looked like he was just getting into the evening.

‘You bought out a girl the other night … Irish … from Club Mercedes … Ring a bell?’

James was shaking his head before Mann had even finished asking. Then he looked at Mann’s face and his head switched to nodding. ‘Actually, dear boy, now that you mention it – I think I did. Big girl – broad accent. Lovely hair – that the one? Bernadette?’

‘That’s the one. She’s gone missing. You were the last client she went out with.’

‘She left in the morning,’ he said, a little too hastily. ‘I paid her and she left. You know how it is, dear boy – my memory is not so good these days. As far as I remember we had a lovely evening –’

‘Okay, James.’ He’d probably passed out early, Mann thought. He seemed to be better at remembering the morning more than anything else. ‘If anything comes back to you, let me know.’

‘Count on it, dear boy. I will search the innermost crevices of my pickled old brain and see if I can remember anything to help you.’

Mann left him to it. On his way back to Headquarters he had the urge to call in at the Albert. Georgina had been working there for nearly three weeks now.

She was chatting to some regulars at the end of the bar as he walked in. She didn’t see him. He stood watching her, smiling to himself. She seemed so settled. It looked as if she had always been there. She was a changed woman – confident and sexy in her T-shirt and jeans – and she looked happy. He was glad. She must be safer in here than in Club Mercedes. Plus, now that he saw her in different surroundings he knew there was definitely something about her that he liked. Strong, cocky women usually did it for him. At first he thought that Georgina might be the exception, but now that he was watching the way she talked to the customers, joked with the other members of staff. The way she moved – strong and confident, maybe that’s exactly what she was; she just didn’t realise it yet.

She still hadn’t seen him and she disappeared behind the bar to pour some drinks. As he watched her he realised, God knows why, that he was proud of her. Maybe it was because she had thrown herself in the deep end by coming to Hong Kong. She had shown guts and determination. He admired her for that.

Mandy came through from the other bar and caught sight of him. She followed his eyes to Georgina and was about to alert her to his presence when Georgina disappeared into the other bar.

‘Hello, Johnny. Come to check up on her?’ said Mandy, walking over.

‘Just checking on all foreign staff, that’s all.’

‘Especially Georgina?’ She laughed. Mann started to leave. ‘Won’t you stop and say hello, now that you’re here?’

‘I wish I could, but I’m up to my eyes at work at the moment. You say hello from me, okay?’ He was backing out of the door.

Mandy wouldn’t let him go. She followed him as far as the door.

‘She’s a really nice girl, lots of men have been asking her for a date, so you’d better watch you’re not neglecting her.’

‘I wish I had the time to come in, but I’ve been working on this case. Anyway, I told you, Mandy – I’m not looking for romance at the moment.’

‘Yes, well, sometimes it comes looking for you, Mann. Remember that. Love is not a sign of weakness, Johnny.’

‘You’re just an old romantic at heart, Mandy. I never knew that.’ He laughed at her.