d-don’t know.”
He looked at the Suit, then back at her. The Suit lit a cigarette, barked a question. Dimly she took in the broad gap between
his two front teeth, stained brown with nicotine.
“And Mingshu?”
“Who?”
“Suzie Wilson.”
“She died in a plane accident.”
Leather Jacket strode forward, and that was when she saw the letters stitched on the T-shirt beneath his jacket: “Windsurfers
Do It Standing Up.”
The same as Lee’s. She didn’t know what it meant, didn’t want to know.
“Where is Mingjun?”
“Ming who?”
“Mingshu’s brother.”
“I’ve no idea. Sorry.”
As he approached he stretched a hand wide and she took in the hideous fingernail on his left pinky finger. Roughly two inches
long, it was gnarled the color of old ivory dipped in ash.
“Why are you lying?”
Raising her head, Georgia met his eyes squarely, determined not to cringe as he stood before her. “I am not lying.”
Leather Jacket’s hand moved so fast that she had no time to avoid it and took the slap full on the side of her face.
“Where is Lee?”
She was holding her throbbing cheek, her mouth stinging, but she managed to keep her tone steady as she said, “I saw him on
the beach this morning. Three Mile Beach.”
“Where is he staying?”
“I don’t know.”
He slapped her other cheek, but this time she was ready for it and rolled with the blow to lessen its impact.
“Don’t lie.”
She was about to say she wasn’t lying when the Suit interjected and pushed a small bag onto the table. It was, she saw with
a little shock, Suzie’s fanny pack. He unzipped it and emptied the contents on the table. Then he held up the floppy disk
for her to see.
“Where is the rest?” asked Leather Jacket.
If you can’t use your fists, don’t let bullies see your confusion or your fear. It only makes them worse.
Tom’s voice.
“What do you mean, the rest?”
Another stinging slap, this one against her left cheek.
“If you continue to lie, you will be sorry.”
Ignoring her burning cheeks, holding her fear tight inside her, Georgia said steadily, “I don’t understand what you mean.
I’m not being obtuse, and I’m not lying. I simply do not understand.”
Leather Jacket looked at her, expression unmoved.
“Please believe me,” she said in the same calm tone, “when I say I don’t know anything about Suzie Wilson, or Lee Denham.
I was just a passenger on the same plane as them, that’s all.”
Leather Jacket walked back to the table, indicating Suzie’s fanny pack. “I repeat. Where is the rest? Where is her brother,
Mingjun? Where’s Lee Denham?”
“I’m s-sorry . . .” She paused and took several breaths until she knew her pulse had calmed a little. “Until now, I’d never
heard of Mingjun. And I don’t know where Lee Denham is. It’s the truth.” She gestured at the chairs. “May I sit down? I’m
not feeling very well.”
Leather Jacket clicked his fingers and flicked a hand at a chair, then at Georgia. One of the men brought the chair over.
She sat down, her right hand gripping her wrist above her bandage, trying to ensure they couldn’t see her trembling.
Leather Jacket folded his hands on the table. “You have many police friends.”
“No, I don’t. I know only one policeman. Someone I was at school with. Daniel Carter.”
“You are also a police officer?”
“No, I’m not. I’m a book rep. For a publishing firm.”
“You work undercover,” he said decidedly.
She rose from her chair, alarmed. “No, I don’t! I don’t work with the police at all.
At all.
I’ve never worked with them, never wanted to. Just because my school friend is a cop doesn’t mean I’m one.” Her breathing
was coming really fast now; she was terrified they might not believe her.
“You drove Mingshu and Lee Denham to the airfield.” Once more Leather Jacket indicated Suzie’s fanny pack. “You had Mingshu’s
personal bag, hidden in your
He looked at the Suit, then back at her. The Suit lit a cigarette, barked a question. Dimly she took in the broad gap between
his two front teeth, stained brown with nicotine.
“And Mingshu?”
“Who?”
“Suzie Wilson.”
“She died in a plane accident.”
Leather Jacket strode forward, and that was when she saw the letters stitched on the T-shirt beneath his jacket: “Windsurfers
Do It Standing Up.”
The same as Lee’s. She didn’t know what it meant, didn’t want to know.
“Where is Mingjun?”
“Ming who?”
“Mingshu’s brother.”
“I’ve no idea. Sorry.”
As he approached he stretched a hand wide and she took in the hideous fingernail on his left pinky finger. Roughly two inches
long, it was gnarled the color of old ivory dipped in ash.
“Why are you lying?”
Raising her head, Georgia met his eyes squarely, determined not to cringe as he stood before her. “I am not lying.”
Leather Jacket’s hand moved so fast that she had no time to avoid it and took the slap full on the side of her face.
“Where is Lee?”
She was holding her throbbing cheek, her mouth stinging, but she managed to keep her tone steady as she said, “I saw him on
the beach this morning. Three Mile Beach.”
“Where is he staying?”
“I don’t know.”
He slapped her other cheek, but this time she was ready for it and rolled with the blow to lessen its impact.
“Don’t lie.”
She was about to say she wasn’t lying when the Suit interjected and pushed a small bag onto the table. It was, she saw with
a little shock, Suzie’s fanny pack. He unzipped it and emptied the contents on the table. Then he held up the floppy disk
for her to see.
“Where is the rest?” asked Leather Jacket.
If you can’t use your fists, don’t let bullies see your confusion or your fear. It only makes them worse.
Tom’s voice.
“What do you mean, the rest?”
Another stinging slap, this one against her left cheek.
“If you continue to lie, you will be sorry.”
Ignoring her burning cheeks, holding her fear tight inside her, Georgia said steadily, “I don’t understand what you mean.
I’m not being obtuse, and I’m not lying. I simply do not understand.”
Leather Jacket looked at her, expression unmoved.
“Please believe me,” she said in the same calm tone, “when I say I don’t know anything about Suzie Wilson, or Lee Denham.
I was just a passenger on the same plane as them, that’s all.”
Leather Jacket walked back to the table, indicating Suzie’s fanny pack. “I repeat. Where is the rest? Where is her brother,
Mingjun? Where’s Lee Denham?”
“I’m s-sorry . . .” She paused and took several breaths until she knew her pulse had calmed a little. “Until now, I’d never
heard of Mingjun. And I don’t know where Lee Denham is. It’s the truth.” She gestured at the chairs. “May I sit down? I’m
not feeling very well.”
Leather Jacket clicked his fingers and flicked a hand at a chair, then at Georgia. One of the men brought the chair over.
She sat down, her right hand gripping her wrist above her bandage, trying to ensure they couldn’t see her trembling.
Leather Jacket folded his hands on the table. “You have many police friends.”
“No, I don’t. I know only one policeman. Someone I was at school with. Daniel Carter.”
“You are also a police officer?”
“No, I’m not. I’m a book rep. For a publishing firm.”
“You work undercover,” he said decidedly.
She rose from her chair, alarmed. “No, I don’t! I don’t work with the police at all.
At all.
I’ve never worked with them, never wanted to. Just because my school friend is a cop doesn’t mean I’m one.” Her breathing
was coming really fast now; she was terrified they might not believe her.
“You drove Mingshu and Lee Denham to the airfield.” Once more Leather Jacket indicated Suzie’s fanny pack. “You had Mingshu’s
personal bag, hidden in your
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