Singapore Fire (An Ash Carter Mystery-Thriller) by Murray Bailey

Author:Murray Bailey [Bailey, Murray]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-02-28T22:00:00+00:00

Last night Madam Chau told me a relative had died, and I’d told her to take the day off. However she was in the office when I arrived.

“I wanted to make sure you got back,” she said.

“Madam Chau… You missed me!”

“Nothing of the sort,” she said with a frown. “I don’t like the idea of you gallivanting about. We have bills to pay.”

I smiled because I think she actually imagined me gallivanting about like a pleasure-seeking playboy. I also knew she really did care about me but for some reason she couldn’t admit it.

“Madam Chau,” I said, “I insist you take the day off. But before you do, please would you place a call to the police headquarters in KL and ask for the typing pool manageress?”

It was almost fifteen minutes before the lady came on the line.

“Yes, sir?” she began. “I apologize for the delay, but we don’t have a telephone in the typing room.”

“Not a problem… I’m sorry, but I don’t recall your name,” I said.

“Mrs Sharon Bressen.”

“Well, Mrs Bressen. My first question is this: are you aware of anyone who might have contacted me?”

“Contacted you, sir?”

“By telegram.”

“No, sir.”

“I gave you my business card. Do you still have it?”

“It’ll still be in my desk drawer, sir.”

“My second question is about the copies you keep. Please could you find the police reports typed up on the second body at Batu Caves investigated by Detective Munsi in September and also the report on Detective Munsi’s murder.”

There was no immediate response. I heard whistles and electronic clicks and distant voices—the sound of policemen talking as they walked by.

“Are you still there, Mrs Bressen?”

“Yes, sir. I’m sorry, sir, but all of my records were taken this morning.”

I looked at my watch. It wasn’t even nine-fifteen.

“Who took them?”

“A detective investigating the murders,” she said.

Now it was my turn to be silent. I heard all the usual noises and finally said, “Was there anything unusual about the reports that you can remember?”

“No, sir. As I told you, I don’t actually read the papers, just check them.” She sounded apologetic. “There are far too many. I just don’t have the hours in the day.”

I thanked her and asked that she let me know if anything did come to mind. Then I asked the operator to put me through to Chief Inspector McNaughton.

“What’s going on?” I asked him and then proceeded to explain that the typing pool reports had been sequestered.

“For investigation, dear chap,” McNaughton said. “Thanks to you—or at least your anonymous tip-off—we think there may be something we missed. You know how the police protect their own. Munsi investigated the ex-soldier’s death and was then murdered himself. Maybe the gangsters who confessed to Munsi’s murder were involved in the other one. Maybe they are connected.”

“Or maybe the confessions are false,” I said.

“That’s a possibility too.”

After a pause, he said, “I thought you were moving on from the case. I thought you were focusing on finding your girlfriend.”

“I am. Good luck with the case,” I said, and ended the call.

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