into the adjourning library. She locked the door securely behind her and paused for a moment with her back pushed against it. A determined look crossed her face. She strode to the huge desk at the corner and picked up the phone, her fingers nimbly dialling before speaking into the mouthpiece. “I don’t care how you do it, just make sure that she leaves the country. Take her by force if you have to, I want her put on the first available plane to the UK. I don’t think we will have much trouble with Hussein. He seems quite besotted with Shalimar. He will be leaving for Kuala Lumpur with her tomorrow morning.”
Chapter 7
J enny rushed up the path and banged on the dark red door. Not satisfied, she lifted the brass letterbox to peep into the house before releasing the catch with a clash and a bang. “Come to the door. I have news,” she shouted, breathing heavily. Her bosom rose and fell rapidly from the effort of running all the way from the car park.
“We’re coming. Wait a minute,” shouted Mei Yin.
Mei Yin wrenched open the door.
Jenny could see the top of Nelly’s head, just the forehead and eyes, over Mei Yin’s shoulders. Both women had obviously been crying.
Mei Yin took hold of Jenny’s arm and ushered her into the house. “Tell us! What news? Do you know where she is?” Her voice rose. In her anxiety, she banged the door shut.
“Shhh! Slow down both of you,” warned Nelly pointing with her finger to the floor above them. “Ming Kong is asleep. You are not going to get anywhere by shouting. It’s always like this when the two of you get together. All you will succeed in doing is waking up Ming Kong and having him rush down. You know as well as I do that it would best for us discuss this calmly before getting him involved.”
Jenny stopped mid-stride and turned to Mei Yin. She remembered Ming Kong’s animosity towards her. He thought her a bad influence. There was even a time when he had forbidden his wife from seeing her. What would he do now if he knew that she had been instrumental in introducing Hussein to An Mei?
“Are you sure it is alright for me to stay?”
Their answer was to lead her into the kitchen. Nelly closed the door gently, wincing at the creaking sound it made. “Quick, tell us.” Both women moved closer to Jenny.
“Hussein took An Mei to his parent’s house in Kuala Lumpur. He left almost immediately with them for his hometown on the east coast. Poor An Mei was left on her own for days in the house. Then, according to the servants, she vanished. They could tell me nothing.”
“Did you ask Hussein?” Nelly demanded.
“It took me a long time to get hold of him. At first no one seemed able or willing to get him to the phone. I felt I was bashing my head against a brick wall. One of the servants eventually told me that Hussein had returned to KL. So I called again and managed finally to speak to him. He had little to add to what I already knew about An Mei, but he did admit reluctantly that his parents were against An Mei. I had warned him that would happen, but he chose to ignore me.”
“So where is our daughter, what has become of her?”
“I’m so sorry, but I just don’t know,” admitted Jenny. She was at a loss as to what to say. Her sources had told her of Faridah’s antagonism towards An Mei and of Ahmad’s visit. She did not wish to alarm her friends of her own suspicion. It could be nothing.
Mei Yin looked unconvinced. She saw the guilt in Jenny’s face. “You are hiding something from us,” said Mei Yin.
“I don’t really know. I... I just heard that Hussein’s mother wanted An Mei out of the house before Hussein returned to it.”
“How do you mean? You mean they’ve kidnapped her, harmed her?
“I don’t know.” She regretted her words and tried to calm Mei Yin and Nelly. “It might be that they just forced her to leave the house.”
“Who are these people? How could they turn a young girl out onto the streets, particularly at a
Chapter 7
J enny rushed up the path and banged on the dark red door. Not satisfied, she lifted the brass letterbox to peep into the house before releasing the catch with a clash and a bang. “Come to the door. I have news,” she shouted, breathing heavily. Her bosom rose and fell rapidly from the effort of running all the way from the car park.
“We’re coming. Wait a minute,” shouted Mei Yin.
Mei Yin wrenched open the door.
Jenny could see the top of Nelly’s head, just the forehead and eyes, over Mei Yin’s shoulders. Both women had obviously been crying.
Mei Yin took hold of Jenny’s arm and ushered her into the house. “Tell us! What news? Do you know where she is?” Her voice rose. In her anxiety, she banged the door shut.
“Shhh! Slow down both of you,” warned Nelly pointing with her finger to the floor above them. “Ming Kong is asleep. You are not going to get anywhere by shouting. It’s always like this when the two of you get together. All you will succeed in doing is waking up Ming Kong and having him rush down. You know as well as I do that it would best for us discuss this calmly before getting him involved.”
Jenny stopped mid-stride and turned to Mei Yin. She remembered Ming Kong’s animosity towards her. He thought her a bad influence. There was even a time when he had forbidden his wife from seeing her. What would he do now if he knew that she had been instrumental in introducing Hussein to An Mei?
“Are you sure it is alright for me to stay?”
Their answer was to lead her into the kitchen. Nelly closed the door gently, wincing at the creaking sound it made. “Quick, tell us.” Both women moved closer to Jenny.
“Hussein took An Mei to his parent’s house in Kuala Lumpur. He left almost immediately with them for his hometown on the east coast. Poor An Mei was left on her own for days in the house. Then, according to the servants, she vanished. They could tell me nothing.”
“Did you ask Hussein?” Nelly demanded.
“It took me a long time to get hold of him. At first no one seemed able or willing to get him to the phone. I felt I was bashing my head against a brick wall. One of the servants eventually told me that Hussein had returned to KL. So I called again and managed finally to speak to him. He had little to add to what I already knew about An Mei, but he did admit reluctantly that his parents were against An Mei. I had warned him that would happen, but he chose to ignore me.”
“So where is our daughter, what has become of her?”
“I’m so sorry, but I just don’t know,” admitted Jenny. She was at a loss as to what to say. Her sources had told her of Faridah’s antagonism towards An Mei and of Ahmad’s visit. She did not wish to alarm her friends of her own suspicion. It could be nothing.
Mei Yin looked unconvinced. She saw the guilt in Jenny’s face. “You are hiding something from us,” said Mei Yin.
“I don’t really know. I... I just heard that Hussein’s mother wanted An Mei out of the house before Hussein returned to it.”
“How do you mean? You mean they’ve kidnapped her, harmed her?
“I don’t know.” She regretted her words and tried to calm Mei Yin and Nelly. “It might be that they just forced her to leave the house.”
“Who are these people? How could they turn a young girl out onto the streets, particularly at a
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