Lost Innocence: The Accused. Part One by John Daysh Page A

assistant, Bo.”
    Nigel shook her hand.
“That’s a strong grip.”
    “ She’s real tough.
I’m an ex-marine. I taught her everything she knows. Take a look at
her knives.”
    Harvey pulled up her
top at the waist to reveal a set of throwing knives hanging from a
black belt. Nigel noticed a cute belly-button piercing of a white
flamingo on her toned stomach. He diverted his eyes back to the
knives. “Would she ever use them?”
    “ You never know when
you’re in the red zone.”
    “ Well, nice to meet
you, Bo. This is my partner, Pang – working partner that
is.”
    The Thais waied, then
everybody took a seat. Nigel’s eyes flickered onto the
table.
    “ That’s Lisa
my Leica 9. She’s
ideal for outside shots, excellent zoom, definition, you can take
shots without a flash; great for private surveillance.”
    “ Very
impressive.”
    “ So you have two
girls you want us to find?”
    “ That’s
right.”
    Nigel felt a
vibrating in his pocket. “Excuse me, I have a call.”
    He rose and
stepped away. “Hello?”
    “ Hello, Daddy…..You
forget me already? I am Sung, your son’s special friend.”
    “ Oh, hi Sung. Did you
find anything?”
    “ Not yet. It’s
difficult without good picture.”
    “ I understand. We’re
looking now for a girl called Puku. We think she’s the sister. I
have her picture. We’re also looking for her friend who works at
Evita.”
    “ I know that place.
Who is friend?”
    “ Her name’s Tee but
we don’t have her picture.”
    “ Okay. I see what I
can find out about Puku. Not forget to send picture.”
    “ I’ll do it
now.”
    Sung hung up. Nigel
was about to return to the table when his phone rang, again.
“Hello?”
    “ Hello, Mr Walker.
This is Pamon. I just heard that the case has been postponed for
twelve days.”
    “ Why? What does that
mean?”
    “ It means they’re not
ready to charge him with a crime and he may still have time to make
a deal.”
    “ That’s good to know.
Can I call you back? I’m in a meeting at the moment.”
    “ Of course. I’m sorry
to have disturbed you.”
    “… Not at all. I’ll
get back to you later.”
    Nigel hurried back to
Harvey. “Sorry about that. Where was I?”
    “ You were about to
tell us about the two girls.”
    “ That’s right, but I
better tell you why we’re looking for them, first.”
    “ That works for
me.”
    “ Then let me
begin….”
    ‘ Who Wants To Live
Forever’ was playing on the jukebox. Harvey was on his third
whisky, Nigel and Pang were drinking Chang and Bo was sipping on a
diet Coke through a straw.
    “… .And that’s how
Mike ended up in prison.”
    “ It sounds like a
well organised scam.”
    “ So, what can you do
for me?”
    “ Normally this would
be a simple pay-off case, but since Michael has refused to pay,
it’s become complicated. If it does go to trial and becomes a
matter of public record, it will be more difficult to bury the
paperwork and buy him out. His twelve days are almost up and if he
hasn’t paid by then, they have three choices: charge him, release
him or extend the case for another twelve days.”
    “ I just had a call
from my lawyer and can confirm that the court date has been
postponed.”
    “ Maybe they want to
settle. Could we?”
    “ I’d like to, but
Michael isn’t keen.”
    “ Normally with the
conditions of the prisons here, they can’t wait to get out. People
die all the time. Doesn’t he want out?”
    “ Of course he does.
He just doesn’t want to plead guilty to a crime he didn’t
commit.”
    “ Is he worried about
a record?”
    “… Amongst other
things.”
    “ I could make that go
away, I know a guy…”
    “ He will not plead guilty. We still have twelve days to
find these girls. That’s where you would come in.”
    “ If we find either of
these girls, what makes you think they’ll cooperate?”
    “ I’ll talk to them,”
Nigel winked at Pang.
    “ Even if they agreed
to drop the charges, the police captain would