two questionnaires and went out of the room.
A little after eleven o'clock, Inspector Ngoc-Linh arrived at the Paradise Club.
He was seen getting out of his car by Yu-lan, who pressed a button which lit up a red light in Blackie's office, a warning that prepared him for the Inspector's visit.
The Inspector found him reading the morning's newspaper.
Blackie rose to his feet, bowed and offered the Inspector a chair. Yulan came in with two glasses of tea which she placed on the desk. She bowed and smiled at the Inspector who bowed in return, his face expressionless.
When she had gone, the Inspector sipped his tea, passed a complimentary remark about its quality, then seeing Blackie was waiting, he said, "You know an American gentleman: Mr. Jaffe?"
This was something Blackie was not expecting to be asked.
However his face remained bland and smiling although his mind was startled. He immediately remembered Jaffe's strange hints about obtaining a false passport. Now here was the police officer inquiring about him.
"Ah yes," Blackie said. "He comes here quite often."
"Was he here last night?"
"Yes, I believe he was."
"What time was this?"
"About nine o'clock. I can't say I noticed the exact time."
So Jaffe had been here, the Inspector thought, five hours after he had murdered the houseboy. What had he done in the meantime?
There was a pause, then Blackie asked, "Has something happened to this gentleman? I should be sorry if it had."
"He has been kidnapped by Viet Minh bandits. You will read about it in tomorrow's newspapers."
To say Blackie was astonished would be an understatement. He stared at the Inspector in bewilderment.
"Kidnapped by Viet Minh bandits?" he repeated. "Where was this then?"
"You will read about it in tomorrow's newspapers," the Inspector said curtly. "There are certain things we wish to know about the American. What is the name of the woman he associated with here?"
Blackie's eyes went dull. He reached for a cigarette and lit it.
"He associated with no particular girl," he said. "He came here and hired any girl to dance with him he happened to fancy."
"I have reasons to believe he favoured one particular woman," the Inspector said. "I want to know her name."
"If I could help you, I would," Blackie said, bowing. "But I had no idea he was associating with one particular girl."
"His servant says a girl used to come to his house two or three times a week," the Inspector said, staring hard at Blackie. "He used to come to this club quite often. It is reasonable to assume he met the girl here."
"I should be surprised if he did," Blackie said. "My girls don't sleep with Americans. It is possible he met this girl at some other club."
"The girl has to be found quickly," the Inspector said and got to his feet. "Extensive inquiries will be made. Are you quite sure you don't know the girl? I ask you again because if later it is found that you did know her and you withheld this information deliberately from us, you will be in serious trouble. It would be a simple matter to close this club."
Blackie was quite certain none of the girls working at the club would give Nhan away. The few Americans who came to the club probably had seen Jaffe with Nhan, but they wouldn't know her name. He felt reasonably safe in refusing to be bluffed by the Inspector.
"If it will assist you, I will make some inquiries myself," he said blandly. "It is possible someone I know will be able to help. If I get the girl's name I will telephone you."
The Inspector had to be content with that. When he had gone,
Blackie left the club and took a pousse-pousse to the house where Nhan lived. The time was a little after noon: a good time to call. Nhan's uncle was at the Temple and her mother was with a neighbour across the street.
He knocked on the door. After waiting a few moments, he knocked again. Nhan opened the door. He could see at once that she had been crying and she seemed in a very nervy and
A little after eleven o'clock, Inspector Ngoc-Linh arrived at the Paradise Club.
He was seen getting out of his car by Yu-lan, who pressed a button which lit up a red light in Blackie's office, a warning that prepared him for the Inspector's visit.
The Inspector found him reading the morning's newspaper.
Blackie rose to his feet, bowed and offered the Inspector a chair. Yulan came in with two glasses of tea which she placed on the desk. She bowed and smiled at the Inspector who bowed in return, his face expressionless.
When she had gone, the Inspector sipped his tea, passed a complimentary remark about its quality, then seeing Blackie was waiting, he said, "You know an American gentleman: Mr. Jaffe?"
This was something Blackie was not expecting to be asked.
However his face remained bland and smiling although his mind was startled. He immediately remembered Jaffe's strange hints about obtaining a false passport. Now here was the police officer inquiring about him.
"Ah yes," Blackie said. "He comes here quite often."
"Was he here last night?"
"Yes, I believe he was."
"What time was this?"
"About nine o'clock. I can't say I noticed the exact time."
So Jaffe had been here, the Inspector thought, five hours after he had murdered the houseboy. What had he done in the meantime?
There was a pause, then Blackie asked, "Has something happened to this gentleman? I should be sorry if it had."
"He has been kidnapped by Viet Minh bandits. You will read about it in tomorrow's newspapers."
To say Blackie was astonished would be an understatement. He stared at the Inspector in bewilderment.
"Kidnapped by Viet Minh bandits?" he repeated. "Where was this then?"
"You will read about it in tomorrow's newspapers," the Inspector said curtly. "There are certain things we wish to know about the American. What is the name of the woman he associated with here?"
Blackie's eyes went dull. He reached for a cigarette and lit it.
"He associated with no particular girl," he said. "He came here and hired any girl to dance with him he happened to fancy."
"I have reasons to believe he favoured one particular woman," the Inspector said. "I want to know her name."
"If I could help you, I would," Blackie said, bowing. "But I had no idea he was associating with one particular girl."
"His servant says a girl used to come to his house two or three times a week," the Inspector said, staring hard at Blackie. "He used to come to this club quite often. It is reasonable to assume he met the girl here."
"I should be surprised if he did," Blackie said. "My girls don't sleep with Americans. It is possible he met this girl at some other club."
"The girl has to be found quickly," the Inspector said and got to his feet. "Extensive inquiries will be made. Are you quite sure you don't know the girl? I ask you again because if later it is found that you did know her and you withheld this information deliberately from us, you will be in serious trouble. It would be a simple matter to close this club."
Blackie was quite certain none of the girls working at the club would give Nhan away. The few Americans who came to the club probably had seen Jaffe with Nhan, but they wouldn't know her name. He felt reasonably safe in refusing to be bluffed by the Inspector.
"If it will assist you, I will make some inquiries myself," he said blandly. "It is possible someone I know will be able to help. If I get the girl's name I will telephone you."
The Inspector had to be content with that. When he had gone,
Blackie left the club and took a pousse-pousse to the house where Nhan lived. The time was a little after noon: a good time to call. Nhan's uncle was at the Temple and her mother was with a neighbour across the street.
He knocked on the door. After waiting a few moments, he knocked again. Nhan opened the door. He could see at once that she had been crying and she seemed in a very nervy and
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