The Scottish Banker of Surabaya

( 36 )

Ava and Perkasa sat in the Nissan with the air conditioning running. Neither of them had said much since the brothers left the porch with Cameron. Waru had taken him by the ankles, Prayogo by his wrists, and they had carried him back to the palm trees, where they tossed him into the ground. It took longer than Ava would have imagined to return the dirt to its rightful place.

Perkasa gave her the small wrapped box he had picked up at Cameron’s house. She put it into her bag, ignoring the questions in his eyes. He showed her the luggage the housekeeper had packed: a blue nylon suitcase. She checked the nametag. Cameron had been a member of Star Alliance.

When the brothers finally emerged from the house, Ava waved them over to the Nissan. She gave each of them two U.S. hundred-dollar bills. She knew that was probably equivalent to a month’s salary. Whatever it was, and whatever else they were being paid by Perkasa, they had been worth every dollar. They smiled at her and then spoke to Perkasa.

“They say thank you very much, and now they want to know what the next plan is.”

“You, me, and Waru will drive to the airport in the Nissan. He’d better come inside with us and make sure you have no problems at check-in. Prayogo can drive the Porsche; tell him to put it in long-term parking. Then he can join us inside the terminal. You will get on the plane to Singapore and I’ll catch mine to Hong Kong, and we’ll try to forget any of this happened today.”

It took them an hour to drive back into the city and then south to the airport. Ava had moved to the back seat, her thoughts now on Hong Kong. Perkasa sat in the front with Waru, the two men chatting and laughing as if they were the ones who had just finished a game of golf. Behind the Nissan, Prayogo trailed in the Porsche.

They were ten minutes from the airport when Perkasa turned to Ava. “Do you have a confirmation number for me?”

“Oh, yes, I almost forgot,” she said, reaching into her bag.

She passed him the slip of paper she’d written it on. “What are you going to do when you get to Singapore? Get on the first plane back to Jakarta?”

“Maybe, but maybe I’ll stay there for a few days.”

“Do you need any more money?”

“No, I’ve told you, Uncle sent more than enough.”

Ava looked out the window as Surabaya slid by. She would never come back to the city, she knew. It was going to be struck from her mind, dispatched like Cameron.

“You were great to work with,” she said. “So were the brothers. Please make sure they know how much I appreciate everything they did.”

“They know. The two hundred dollars you gave them meant a lot.”

Waru drove the Nissan into the airport’s short-term lot and Prayogo peeled off and headed for the long-term. When they disembarked from the car, Waru reached for Ava’s bags. She shook her head but he insisted.

They stopped just inside the terminal, Waru looking around in all directions. The two Indonesians exchanged words. “He’s looking for his contact,” Perkasa said.

The contact found them — a short, middle-aged woman in a Singapore Air uniform who walked into the terminal through the same door they had used. She tapped Waru on the shoulder and he spun around, to be greeted by a hug. They exchanged words and then she said to Ava, “Are you travelling with us as well?”

“No, I’m going in a different direction.”

“Here is my confirmation number and the passport I want to use,” Perkasa said to her, handing over the paper Ava had given him. The paper was on top of a stack of rupiah notes.

She put the money in her pocket. “Good. Now follow me over to the check-in counter and we’ll get you settled. I’ll look after everything personally,” she said, looking at the passport, “Mr. Cameron.”

Waru spoke to Perkasa. “He says she’s the supervisor,” Perkasa translated for Ava.

Ava spotted the Cathay Pacific counter further down the terminal. “I’ll get my own boarding pass and meet you back here,” she said.

Uncle had booked her into first class and there was no lineup at that counter. Within five minutes she was back at the spot where she’d left the men. Perkasa and Waru joined her almost at once. “She’s going to take me to the lounge and then wait there with me until boarding. She’ll personally clear me at the gate,” he said.

“What will you do with the bag in Singapore?” she asked.

“I thought I’d put it in a storage locker at the airport.”

“Destroy the passport.”

“Of course.”

Ava hesitated, trying to think of anything she’d missed, and then she remembered Cameron’s phone. It was still in her bag. She took it out and gave it to Perkasa. “Call the housekeeper from the lounge and tell her Cameron just came off the golf course and is going to Singapore. And then lose the phone when you land.”

Prayogo came into the terminal and headed towards them. He handed the Porsche keys to Perkasa, who in turn looked at Ava. “Lose them with the phone,” she said.

“There could be some noise here about Cameron disappearing. Do you want Waru to keep his ears open and let us know what’s going on?”

“The Italians won’t go to the police, and they’ll discourage anyone associated with him from doing that.”

“Yeah, I guess so. Still . . .”

“If he hears our names connected to Cameron’s, call me. Otherwise, let it be.”

“Okay.”

The supervisor hovered just out of earshot. “It looks like she wants to get you to the lounge,” Ava said.

Perkasa nodded. “It’s been one helluva twenty-four hours.”