25

      They made their way up in the elevator, past the band warming up, and through the club to the Dressing Room. It was moderately busy: about one hundred and fifty girls. Georgina stood just inside the door, overawed by it all.

      Lucy took her by the hand and led her through to the mid section of the room where her locker was. She showed Georgina which locker was to be hers and they changed into their evening dresses.

      Candy came over to introduce herself and speak to Lucy. She wanted to know if there had been any news about Roxanne. Lucy couldn’t tell her anything. Candy shook her head sadly; she’d really liked Roxanne, she would miss her. Then she shrugged her shoulders. Candy was hoping not to be here too much longer herself. Her boyfriend had put a deposit down on a deli premises in Little Italy, and just needed a couple more months’ money to stock it.

      While they waited for their names to be called, Lucy caught up with the gossip and did her make-up. Georgina was given a bowl of rice and vegetables to eat. Bernadette turned up, looking the worse for wear after a heavy drinking session. She came over, pulling up the arms of her dress. It was layered chiffon, in all the colours of the rainbow.

      ‘You new?’ Bernadette asked.

      Georgina nodded.

      Bernadette sat down next to her and started applying her make-up. ‘Where are you from?’ she asked, pulling her mouth into a lipstick grimace.

      ‘Devon.’

      ‘What you doing in this place?’ she said disparagingly, as she moved on to hair arranging, which involved jamming it all into a bunch on the top of her head and securing it fast, before it escaped.

      ‘Just thought I’d give it a try.’ Georgina turned and gestured towards Lucy, who stopped her chatting to acknowledge Bernadette. ‘Lucy’s my cousin.’

      ‘That Lucy?’ Bernadette pointed. ‘Jaysus!’

      ‘NUMBER 169 – MISS LUCY.’

      ‘NUMBER 305 – MISS GEORGINA.’ A voice came over the intercom.

      Lucy jumped to her feet with a screech and yanked Georgina out of her seat. ‘Aye! Our number. Come on!’

      ‘Good luck’ came from the direction of Candy and Bernadette. Georgina followed Lucy nervously through the velvet curtain. Lucy held her back for a second as they were making their way out. She whispered:

      ‘Don worry, huh? Be okay. Juz sit, talk, laugh. But easy on drink, okay? Just water or Coke, okay?’

      Georgina nodded that she understood but her face didn’t reflect it. Mamasan Linda took Georgina’s hand and Lucy followed behind as they trotted off in the direction of the cheaper seats. They were going to sit with a group of three well-dressed office workers on a very expensive night out. The eldest of the three, Don, sat with Georgina, while Lucy sat between the other two.

      It was all pleasant enough; not Lucy’s usual kind of punter. Mamasan Linda must have wanted her to help her cousin on her first night. Lucy knew she was wasting her time at the table. They would not be buying her out. They did not have the money. But never mind, she also knew that Mamasan would hoick her off at the first sign of a decent client.

      It didn’t take long. Mamasan appeared and excused Lucy. She had a visitor. Someone very important wanted to see her again.

      Bernadette passed Lucy on her way to sit with James Dudley-Smythe. Bernie was surprised to see him. He must not have realised that she’d helped herself to the contents of his wallet the last time they’d met – emptied it while he slept. There was obviously something he liked about her. He was an odd old fecker! But Bernie could handle him. It would be a case of him and whose army.

      ‘All right, James?’

      ‘Grand, thank you, my sweet. Just super. Fancy a nightcap back at mine?’

      ‘Sure. Why not?’ Bernie laughed. Like taking candy from a baby.

      At one a.m. Georgina was back in the Dressing Room. There was no sign of Lucy, just a dozen girls sitting around chatting. Most of the girls were already at tables or out with customers. Mamasan Linda came to find her.

      ‘You go home now. Very good girl. Come again tomorrow.’ She patted her on the arm.

      Georgina took off her evening dress and put it away in the locker. She changed and walked back through the club. The doormen smiled politely at her as she passed. The woman in the cheongsam stared at her as they descended in the conical elevator.

      Ka Lei was still up, waiting for her.

      ‘Okay?’ She rushed to the door as she heard Georgina open it. ‘Okay?’

      ‘Yes. It went fine.’ Georgina went into her room to change.

      ‘Sure, they all love you, so beautiful!’ Ka Lei called to her, and then handed Georgina some tea as she reentered the lounge wearing a sarong.

      Ka Lei rubbed her cousin’s shoulders. ‘Cole?’

      ‘No, I’m fine, really,’ Georgina laughed.

      ‘Okay?’

      ‘Yes, Mum!’ Georgina teased.

      ‘Me? Loo lie your mum?’

      ‘I didn’t mean it … but maybe a little bit,’ Georgina said, after seeing Ka Lei’s delighted expression.

      ‘You have photo?’

      ‘Yes, wait here, I’ll get them.’

      Georgina returned holding the small photo album. She turned the pages and Ka Lei held the album.

      ‘Here is my father, holding me.’

      ‘Such a big man, thaz why you so tall. Who tis one?’ Ka Lei pointed to the next page. ‘Tis one is you?’ It was a picture of a baby in a high chair, eating a biscuit, chocolate all over its face. Ka Lei laughed. ‘Chocolate baby!’

      ‘Yep! That’s me.’

      The next photo was of Georgina as a young teenager, standing with her arm around Feng Ying’s shoulder.

      ‘Tis is your mommy?’

      ‘Yes, we were on a trip to the seaside. We went with the school.’

      Ka Lei held the picture closer to her face to get a better look.

      ‘It make you sat, looking at photos. I am solly. You sat about your mutter?’

      ‘Yes, I am sad, sad about a lot of things, but I am getting happier.’ Georgina smiled to reassure her. ‘I am getting much happier. Coming to Hong Kong is the best thing I ever did.’

      He surveyed his hunting ground. Even the knowledge that he was out there murdering women just like them didn’t stop the girls from working. That was the way they were – greedy little whores.

      He looked around the club. Candy was there. He would like to add her to his collection but she had a boyfriend. That meant she had family. The Italian boyfriend might not care for her, but he certainly cared about the cheques she wrote him. He might come looking for her.

      Bernie? He’d seen her leave with the old drunk. Bernie was tempting. He had yet to add Irish to his list of nationalities. He was also missing a black girl – English or American would do. Still, he had his eye on one of those already, and it would happen when the time was right.

      But tonight he had seen something that excited him greatly. A new girl. A mixed-race girl. Another first on his list – a Eurasian. He’d watched her walk out alone. Just off the boat, he thought. She hasn’t even been paid for sex yet.