The Fund. Jeff Edwards
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he returned. He smiled as he sent her a reply and wished she could be here to enjoy the view from his window. He told her he would take a few photos of the area that she could use as the subject of a future painting.
Among the other messages was a long report on H Leong Soh and his wife Opal.
The computer whizzes had recorded their conversations with Soh and had taken the opportunity to give Brian a full background report on the person to whom they had been speaking.
The ‘H’ stood for Harry and it appeared that Celestial Clothing was just one of his enterprises as the list of companies he controlled began to scroll down the screen.
Finally, the computer gave up details of a more personal nature. Photos from various sources, mainly newspaper articles, confirmed that Opal Soh was indeed his current wife and that they had been married for just a couple of years. They had one daughter named Sunny.
There was a lot more information, but Brian couldn’t see any point in pursuing the matter at this time. He saved the information to a folder and decided that he would delete it completely once the car had been repaired and paid for.
He knocked on the adjoining door and Toby opened it.
‘Do you think we should tell Fred about the watch we presented him with before we left?’
Toby shrugged. ‘Is there any point?’
‘No. I suppose not,’ he conceded. ‘Our people are on the ball back home. They’ve sent me a profile on Soh. Opal is really his wife by the way.’
‘Fred will be disappointed. Was there anything else of interest in it?’
‘Well, it seems Mr Soh shouldn’t be a risk when it comes to getting the car repaired. He’s loaded.’
‘That’s good news. So, our little information net is up and working?’
‘And working well.’
* * *
That evening the three dined at a restaurant overlooking the ocean and after a leisurely meal they decided to take a stroll along the seaside.
Brian had brought his camera and was snapping off shots as they walked along a roadway that skirted the harbour with boats of all descriptions tied up at wharves just below them.
‘How many shots are you going to take?’ asked Toby as they slowed once again to allow Brian to catch up.
‘Never take one when you can take a dozen. You never know which one will turn out to be the best picture you’ve ever taken. If you restrict yourself to just one then you cut down the chances of getting that one perfect shot. Besides, I can delete the ones I don’t want later.’
They continued walking for a time until Fred broke the silence. ‘Isn’t that Soh’s car over there?’ he said, pointing to a Mercedes parked further down the street.
Toby nodded his head. ‘You are completely obsessed, aren’t you?!’
‘It is their car. I’m sure of it.’
They continued walking and as they reached the vehicle Fred exclaimed, ‘See! I told you it was!’ and pointed at the damaged front bumper.
‘So what?’ asked Toby.
‘I wonder what they’re doing down here at the docks,’ asked Fred.
Brian shook his head in exasperation. ‘You really are becoming a bore. If it means that much to you go and ask them. They’re down there,’ he said, pointing.
At the end of a pier stood the Asian couple and Fred noted that Opal Soh now wore sunglasses and the same clothes from their trip. She was standing apart from her husband as he spoke to a pair of men dressed in the rough woollen clothing of seamen. The conversation between the three men was very animated, until Soh finally turned to his wife and waved her away.
Unlike his wife, Soh had changed his clothes and was now dressed in a short black leather jacket with correspondingly dark trousers.
He followed the men down a rickety gangplank and onto a small fishing trawler.
Opal Soh stood watching from the pier as the men cast off and the trawler moved into the bay.
Brian was busy taking photos, recording the unfolding events on his camera, as Opal Soh finally turned away from the departing boat and made her way back towards their car.
‘Let’s get away from here,’ said Brian. ‘We don’t want to give the impression that we’re following them.’
They were well away from the dock by the time Opal Soh returned to the Mercedes and drove back to her hotel.
* * *
When Brian and his friends returned from their walk Toby spotted Opal Soh, still wearing the sunglasses, in one of the souvenir shops just off the lobby. Her brow was knotted in concentration as she went through the scenes of Jersey, trying to make her selections.
Fred couldn’t help himself. He knew her husband was nowhere around and decided to talk to her.
She looked up as he approached and appeared startled. A quick look over each shoulder told her that there was no way for her to escape and she hunched down, trying to look inconspicuous as Fred walked up to her.
‘Good evening, Mrs Soh. It’s good to see you again,’ he smiled. ‘Is your husband around? I’d like to apologise to him for being so forward with you earlier.’
‘My husband is upstairs, asleep. I must go now,’ she said as she tried to push past him.
Fred could smell the fragrance of her perfume as she edged past. It would have sent him into raptures except for the fact that he could now see the woman’s face from close quarters. He stepped back and allowed her room to pass and then followed her with his eyes as she crossed the lobby and entered a lift.
Toby and Brian watched as Fred rejoined them at the bar. His face had a closed in expression and his eyes flashed hate.
‘That prick!’
‘What?’ asked Toby.
‘Soh! That prick! He’s been bashing his wife. She’s sporting a black eye under her sunglasses.’
‘It might have happened in the accident,’ said Brian.
‘No way! I spoke to her on the ferry. There was no sign of it then. It’s happened since.’
They found a quiet corner and sat Fred down. Toby bought them drinks while Brian tried to calm his friend.
‘There could be a perfectly reasonable explanation for her eye.’
‘There could. So, you give me an example of a reasonable explanation.’
Brian looked at his friend and conceded the point. From what they had already seen it was more than likely that Soh had assaulted his wife. However, there was little they could do without proof. ‘We can’t help her unless she asks for help. You know that, Fred.’
‘Yes, I know that. That’s why I’m so pissed off. She won’t give him up. In fact she lied to me just now. She said he was upstairs. Asleep.’
Toby had returned with drinks and Brian told him what Opal Soh had said. ‘Why would she lie about her husband’s whereabouts?’
Brian switched his camera on and flicked through his photos until he came to the section in which the Sohs appeared. The three of them gathered around the screen and looked at each photo in turn.
‘What do you think?’ asked Toby.
‘It looks as though our friend Soh is off on a sea jaunt,’ said Fred, ‘but he’s definitely not dressed to go fishing.’
‘The dark clothes makes it look like they don’t want to be seen,’ said Brian. ‘It all looks very suspicious. Especially going out at night.’
‘Another