Lima Puluh Enam
Hallway outside Amanda Jones’ Room, Raffles Hospital, Wednesday, 2:30 PM
Frost and bin Ibrahim turned into the hall for Amanda’s room only to see a four, tough-looking men in suits standing guard at Amanda’s room. They hurried down the hall and flashed their badges to enter the room. The men were unfazed by their IDs and loudly told them to leave. As Muse objected strenuously, Deputy Director Williams appeared from the patient room with Sergeant Hoa following. As soon as Hoa saw Musa, he ducked behind Williams for protection. He whispered in his boss’s ear, “That’s him! That’s the crazy detective.
Williams ignored Hoa and extended his hand to the Guards officer,
“Chief Inspector bin Ibrahim! I am so glad to meet you. Your reputation proceeds you. I am Keffer Williams, Deputy Director of the CNB.”
Musa was bound by professional courtesy to shake Williams's hand and speak politely.
“Pleased to meet you, Deputy Williams. May I introduce my colleague in the Jones investigation, Detective Inspector Frost, of the police Special Cases Unit.”
After Williams took Frost’s more reluctantly extended hand, Musa stated, “We are here to interview Miss Jones again, but your men refused us entrance. You do understand that this case is under the jurisdiction of the Parliamentary Guards?” He had a bad feeling about the CNB people being there, but hoped to bluff his way through. If he could arrest Amanda quickly, he could take her into Guards’ custody.
“The assault and rape accusations are undoubtedly your bailiwick,” smiled Keffer. “However, we have…” Here he was interrupted by two more of his men emerging from the patient room with Amanda between them. She was barefoot and dressed only in a short, open in the back, patient gown. Her arms were cuffed behind, and the two large men grasped her arms tightly.
“Oh, Please, Mr. bin Ibrahim, Mr. Frost, don’t let them take me away!”
“Silence the pig,” said Keffer to the guards. One of them shoved a handkerchief in her mouth, cutting off her pleas. “As you can see, Chief Inspector,” he said, turning back to Musa, “we have just arrested Miss Jones on charges of drug possession and trafficking, making that a CNB case.”
Frost visibly stiffened at hearing the man refer to Amanda as a pig, but held his tongue. He knew Musa was the only one who might redeem the situation.
“I’m afraid you are too late for that,” said Musa with an unflinching expression. She is under arrest by us for those offenses.”
“Really?” smiled Williams. “We found no guards on her when we arrived a little while ago.”
“They were removed temporarily last night.”
“And do you have an arrest warrant from your Parliamentary Court?”
“No,” Bin Ibrahim had a sinking feeling. He knew where this was going.
“I gather, therefore, she is not under your custody or arrest, but you were coming just now to arrest her. I’m sorry, Chief Inspector,” said Keffer with an attempt at a sympathetic face, “We have slut, and our case concerning drugs has priority over yours. Does it not?”
Faced with overwhelming force and the manifest weight of the law on Williams’ side, Musa had no option. “Yes, it does. But I need to interview her again for my case.”
“And so you shall, Chief Inspector. However, for the next few days, she will be busy answering our questions. You two,” he said, turning to the men holding Amanda, “get the bitch down into the wagon.”
As they started to drag Jones away, she looked imploring at the two detectives. Despite her diminutive size and the large men holding her, she struggled to stay. One of the men drove his fist into her right kidney, and she slumped, stunned.
Frost started forward, but Musa grabbed his arm and held him back.
“Of course, Deputy Director. I shall be in touch to arrange my interview at your convenience.”
Keffer turned to two of his men, “Chang, Wilson! Search her dorm room, don’t leave anything out! Then come back to headquarters. Bring her some changes of clothes. Special clothes.” One of the men winked and said, “Yes, sir.”
Musa and Jack watched the group move down the hall, dragging Amanda on her unsteady legs. Her gown gaped behind, baring her ass. As they turned down the main hallway, Amanda’s blue eyes turned toward them, pleading. The two just stood, helplessly staring.
Phone Call between Rut Betar-Gisber and Josephine Shanmugam, Wednesday 3:15 PM
JS: How did the hearing go today?
RBG: Splendidly. Justice Amina – did you know her name means ‘truthful and trustworthy? So descriptive of her – anyway, she stood up for the principal. The other justices listened and discussed politely, but they know what they must do. Moore’s appeal will be rejected by the end of the week.
JS: I do hope so. I’m anxious for a tête-à-tête with Moore before the prison guards mess her up too much.
RBG: My, aren’t you besotted? You may get the chance, my dear. Moore must be presentable for the televised execution. However, there are more immediate concerns. How goes the Guards’/police investigation?
JS: My source says they have made a lot of progress. At the end of the week, Jiang will be charged with attempted rape, and no other person charged. The investigators hit, as we knew they would, a brick wall at the CNB.
RGB: The CNB would like to handle it themselves – avoid bad press. Please arrange for the Guards to turn Jiang over to Williams.
JS: That may be difficult. That young Guards’ inspector is a bulldog, as the English say!”
RBG: Then go over his head, my dear. Go to the Commander of the Guards, Colonel, what’s his name.
JS: An Kow. Yes, your Ladyship. I’ll arrange a meeting with him for tomorrow and ask for his cooperation.
GBG: Do more than ask, Josephine, get it. Remember what I said about no more problems.
JS: Yes, your Ladyship.
RGB: Good. Be careful not to underestimate those detectives. Frost is a lot smarter than he looks and is the epitome of a pure-bred English Bulldog!
JS: Don’t worry, Mama. We have them well walled in.
RBG: Just make sure they don’t have a shovel or a ladder! Do we know if they are re-considering the drug charge against Miss Jones? That could cause some messiness if they control it.
JS: It is too late for that. Williams was planning to take some CNB men to the hospital today to arrest the little slut.
RBG: And did they grab her before the detectives?
JS: I assume so. I would have heard from Williams if…
RBG: DON’T assume. Contact Williams as soon as we finish. You sometimes leave too much to chance, my dear.
JS: (a bit flustered) I’m sorry. Your Ladyship. I shall do so.
RBG: What are the charges?
JS: The CNB is charging the slut with possession and intent to sell. That would be eligible for capital punishment.
RBG: Good that will keep her out of our hair.
JS; Williams offered me the opportunity to sit in on her interrogation. She is a hot little piece of ass. It could be exciting watching the CNB people ‘question” her.
RGB: Oh, my dear. You seem to be pursuing the abuse of interesting young women in multiple directions! Don’t let temporary pleasure distract you from the essential work. Any more slips, and you will need to report to your ‘Mama’ for punishment.
JS: No more slips, I promise you.
Hallway outside Amanda Jones’ Room, Raffles Hospital, Wednesday, 3:30 PM
As Jeffrey came down the hallway to Amanda’s room, he felt good about how the hearing had gone. He was confident that two or even three of the judges were clearly on his side. Only that bitchy woman judge was firmly against him. He caught himself using that misogynistic word. But, he thought, her uncaring comments about Amanda justified the label.
He would be able to give Amanda an upbeat report that should cheer her. The poor girl worried more about Barbara than the horrific things that had been done to her.
It was with a light step that he entered the patient room. Then he stopped cold. Where was Amanda? There was only a small, elderly hospital volunteer placing the remaining flower bouquets on a rolling cart. She turned to Hodges with a friendly smile and a kind voice, “Can I help you, sir?”
“Excuse me,” he said to the Chinese woman. “Do you know where the patient who was in here has gone? Another room, or was she released?”
The woman’s wrinkled face changed in an instant from a smile into a look of deep hatred. “Released! Ha! That scum should be so lucky. She’s a drug dealer, you know. That kind of filth is the lowest of the low. My grandnephew got on drugs because of the likes of her! The cops took her away an hour ago. I hope they hang her!”
Jeffrey stood for a moment with his mouth open. He said nothing, but staggered from the room into the hall, holding onto the walls to maintain his balance. As he started down the hall, he heard the woman’s high, piercing voice following him, dripping with venom.
“You a friend of that slut? You tell her for me, hangings too good for a bitch like her! They should skin her alive, like we did to filth before the Brits came here!”
Parliamentary Square, Singapore, 3:35 PM
Frost and bin Ibrahim trudged dejectedly across Parliamentary Square toward Guards Headquarters. Not a word had been said between them since leaving the hospital.
They had followed the CNB group down to where they had a police van waiting. The two men dragging Amanda along took the opportunity to reach inside her gown for some serious groping. At the truck, they had tossed her carelessly onto the floor and then climbed in after. Both detectives held their tongues with difficulty.
Now Frost was first to speak. “Is there nothing you can do for that poor girl?”
“Not a thing. It’s in the hands of the CNB now. They will interrogate her, get a confession, choose a friendly prosecutor, take her before a special drug court, and get her convicted. We have zero say in that.”
“Unless we get some leverage over the CNB, darling” mused Frost.
“That’s our only hope. It’s a long shot, but we have nothing else. Where do we start?”
“Where we planned to before.” Frost put his finger beside his nose. “We sniff out the trail of dirty Jimmy Rogers and the missing Moore files.”
“Let’s pick up my car at the headquarters and go talk to the hotel people,” said Musa.
“Right you are!” The pace of the two noticeably quickened, even in the brutal heat.