Killing Grace by Peter Prichard
Author:Peter Prichard [Prichard, Peter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: River Grove Books
25
THE AFFAIR
24 DECEMBER 1967
His driver was too cautious. On Sunday nights Francois was always in a hurry, trying to get to Maiâs villa outside Vung Tau as soon as humanly possible. Traffic was horrendous at any hour but tonight was an even bigger tangleâit was Christmas Eve, and thousands of Catholics were rushing to their ancestral homes for the holiday. The one-lane road that led to Maiâs house was jammed with minibuses, cyclos, and the occasional wandering water buffalo, slowing progress to a crawl.
âCanât you go around them?â Francois demanded, but his driver shook his head. Perhaps I need a new driver, he thought.
He wished he could command a helicopter, like Prime Minister Manh, who happened to be Maiâs husband. Francois hated wasting time in the car; it was hard for them to be together now that she was in the papers all the time. Photos of Mai and the minister were even showing up in the Western magazines.
Reporters couldnât resist fawning over the dashing couple that was supposedly going to transform South Vietnam. Some writers had started comparing them to the Kennedysâjournalists could be so stupid. But thankfully, Mai was often alone in the beach house. The minister had his regular meetings on Mondays in Saigon, and he traveled frequently around the country to inspect ARVN units and meet with province chiefs.
The minister loved visiting the provinces in personâthat was the best way to collect the necessary bribes. Necessary, because the ministerial lifestyle was not cheap. There was a lot to look after: the big villa in Saigon, the Vung Tau hideaway, a rubber plantation, and thousands of hectares of prime rice-growing land in the Delta, all purchased by his dummy corporations. Francois found it surprising that the minister hadnât tried (at least not yet) to make an âinvestmentâ in Francoisâs off-the-books operation. Minister Manh had to know how much money âthe Eelâ was makingâthe arms trade was another potential honeypot to siphon. It was probably just a matter of time.
As soon as her husband left on Sundays to fly to the city, Mai would dismiss the servants and prepare for her lover. The anticipation was hard for Francois to take; his body ached thinking about her. He always brought a gift; this time a pair of delicate earrings, gold with rose-cut diamonds, fashioned by French jewelers in an antique style. He knew Mai would love them. They had a routine. They would share a light supper and a good bottle of wineâthe minister had an excellent cellarâand retire to the second floor bedroom with the long view of the sea and the islands.
Francois loved watching the light play on the big statue of the Virgin Mary that rose over the harbor. He never tired of studying Vung Tauâs hilly coastline. And then there were the long, languorous nights, when they couldnât get enough of each other. These moments with Mai were the only times Francois ever relaxed. He needed these little breaks;things were always so tense in town. Especially lately, heâd been under such pressure.
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