bathroom.
Manks (‘Call me Robbie’) had suggested that as soon as they had their bags sorted, they all move to his room to talk through what needed to be done. But once the two visitors from Singapore had filed into the royal consultant’s chamber, he received a call on his mobile phone, which made him very agitated. It was clearly a disturbing conversation, although all they could hear of it were his cries of disbelief: ‘What? You don’t…you’re serious? I just…but that’s incredible. You’re sure? You’re absolutely sure? I’m…I’m stunned. I don’t know what to say. Are the police there?’
Wong was vaguely aware that he should leave the room during what was clearly a private call, but was too nosy to do so—as was Joyce. They continued to stand and eavesdrop, even as Manks flashed glares at them and moved towards the window. After a minute, the conversation drew him in so deeply that he seemed to no longer register that they were present, and then he suddenly marched out of the room and into the corridor to finish his chat.
For a moment Wong was tempted to follow him, but manfully resisted. Two minutes later, Manks strode back into the room, his face white and voice unsteady.
‘There’s been a terrible accident…er…incident at the hangar where Skyparc is. I think this may change things. We need to stand by for further instructions.’ He breathed in and out quickly, like a small dog.
‘What do you mean? What sort of incident?’ Joyce asked.
‘I’m not at liberty to say at this moment.’ He sat down on the bed in a daze. ‘We need to stand by for further instructions. You folk can take a break. I need to make some calls urgently.’
Joyce headed to the door. ‘I’m going to change into my swimmers,’ she told her boss. ‘If the rooms are this fab, can you imagine what the hotel swimming pool must be like?’
They had barely left the room when Robbie Manks followed them out, his phone back at his ear. ‘Okay. Understand.’ He rang off and turned to face Wong, who was standing in the thickly carpeted corridor. ‘I’ve just been in contact with Sir Nicholas Handey at Skyparc. We are going to continue with the preparation of the venue. There’s too much riding on this for us to change the schedules now.’
‘So we go to the plane tomorrow morning?’ the feng shui master asked.
‘The visit will be as scheduled tomorrow morning.’
‘Ten o’clock.’
‘Correct. But there’s one thing…’
They both looked expectantly at him, but his voice trailed off. For a moment, he said nothing, merely staring at the backs of his hands. Then he turned to squarely face Joyce. ‘I’m afraid you can’t go. Only Mr Wong.’
‘What?’
‘The vetting people have been doing a secondary search on visitors after…uh…an incident, and the level of security has been raised one notch. They’ve dug up something in yourprofile, Ms McQuinnie, that means that we have to ask you not to accompany Mr Wong to the venue tomorrow.’
‘Me? What have I done?’
‘Don’t take this too badly. It’s nothing serious. It’s just that…well, in certain situations, extra care has to be taken—and this is one of them.’
‘But can you at least tell me what I’ve done?’
‘You’ve done nothing, I’m sure.’ He gave her a smile. ‘It’s just bureaucracy.’
The lines between Joyce’s eyebrows arranged themselves into an angry little grid and she pouted, suddenly an upset little girl about to have a tantrum.
But then her face relaxed and she turned to leave them.
‘Where are you going?’ Wong asked.
‘Swimming,’ she said. ‘If I’m not allowed to do any work, I might as well enjoy myself. I’ll do some shopping and stuff, after a swim. I can’t wait to see the pool. It’s going to be a scream.’
An hour later, Joyce had finished her swim and started to phone some local friends, hoping to meet them at the mall. There was one young man she was particularly
Manks (‘Call me Robbie’) had suggested that as soon as they had their bags sorted, they all move to his room to talk through what needed to be done. But once the two visitors from Singapore had filed into the royal consultant’s chamber, he received a call on his mobile phone, which made him very agitated. It was clearly a disturbing conversation, although all they could hear of it were his cries of disbelief: ‘What? You don’t…you’re serious? I just…but that’s incredible. You’re sure? You’re absolutely sure? I’m…I’m stunned. I don’t know what to say. Are the police there?’
Wong was vaguely aware that he should leave the room during what was clearly a private call, but was too nosy to do so—as was Joyce. They continued to stand and eavesdrop, even as Manks flashed glares at them and moved towards the window. After a minute, the conversation drew him in so deeply that he seemed to no longer register that they were present, and then he suddenly marched out of the room and into the corridor to finish his chat.
For a moment Wong was tempted to follow him, but manfully resisted. Two minutes later, Manks strode back into the room, his face white and voice unsteady.
‘There’s been a terrible accident…er…incident at the hangar where Skyparc is. I think this may change things. We need to stand by for further instructions.’ He breathed in and out quickly, like a small dog.
‘What do you mean? What sort of incident?’ Joyce asked.
‘I’m not at liberty to say at this moment.’ He sat down on the bed in a daze. ‘We need to stand by for further instructions. You folk can take a break. I need to make some calls urgently.’
Joyce headed to the door. ‘I’m going to change into my swimmers,’ she told her boss. ‘If the rooms are this fab, can you imagine what the hotel swimming pool must be like?’
They had barely left the room when Robbie Manks followed them out, his phone back at his ear. ‘Okay. Understand.’ He rang off and turned to face Wong, who was standing in the thickly carpeted corridor. ‘I’ve just been in contact with Sir Nicholas Handey at Skyparc. We are going to continue with the preparation of the venue. There’s too much riding on this for us to change the schedules now.’
‘So we go to the plane tomorrow morning?’ the feng shui master asked.
‘The visit will be as scheduled tomorrow morning.’
‘Ten o’clock.’
‘Correct. But there’s one thing…’
They both looked expectantly at him, but his voice trailed off. For a moment, he said nothing, merely staring at the backs of his hands. Then he turned to squarely face Joyce. ‘I’m afraid you can’t go. Only Mr Wong.’
‘What?’
‘The vetting people have been doing a secondary search on visitors after…uh…an incident, and the level of security has been raised one notch. They’ve dug up something in yourprofile, Ms McQuinnie, that means that we have to ask you not to accompany Mr Wong to the venue tomorrow.’
‘Me? What have I done?’
‘Don’t take this too badly. It’s nothing serious. It’s just that…well, in certain situations, extra care has to be taken—and this is one of them.’
‘But can you at least tell me what I’ve done?’
‘You’ve done nothing, I’m sure.’ He gave her a smile. ‘It’s just bureaucracy.’
The lines between Joyce’s eyebrows arranged themselves into an angry little grid and she pouted, suddenly an upset little girl about to have a tantrum.
But then her face relaxed and she turned to leave them.
‘Where are you going?’ Wong asked.
‘Swimming,’ she said. ‘If I’m not allowed to do any work, I might as well enjoy myself. I’ll do some shopping and stuff, after a swim. I can’t wait to see the pool. It’s going to be a scream.’
An hour later, Joyce had finished her swim and started to phone some local friends, hoping to meet them at the mall. There was one young man she was particularly
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