Chapter Twenty-Six
Ning prided himself on his boyish looks. Like so many other Thai men, his slender frame, smooth skin and hairless body confused farang into believing he was five years younger than his real age. And given that he was twenty-one, it meant he got a lot of attention from men of a certain persuasion. Which suited his chosen profession well.
He had ten minutes spare before his next customer. Time enough to prepare the massage table, towels, oils, tissues and assorted toys of pleasure. He checked his appearance in a full length mirror, posed, and practiced standing in a way that customers could get a sensual glimpse up his shorts. He hoped he’d judged the look right, for his ten o’clock appointment had promised a very large tip.
Being anxious for customers who may not like to linger outside his apartment block, Ning was ready waiting at the intercom when the bell rang. He released the outer door lock then opened his front door for the customer’s swift and discrete entry.
He welcomed his customer with his normal camp greeting. ‘Sawadi, ka.’
The customer stepped into Ning’s apartment and replied, ‘Good evening, Ning.’ He then switched to Thai and said, ‘We’ll talk in Thai, I believe your English is limited.’
Ning shut the door, turned and found the customer striding around the flat, poking his nose into each room. It wasn’t an unusual preliminary to a massage. He well understood that some customers had privacy issues, or might get edgy about the possibility of hidden cameras or concealed accomplices engaged in theft.
The customer returned from his search and asked, ‘We are alone?’
‘Yes, sir, of course.’
‘Good.’ The customer withdrew a gun from behind him, swung it around until it almost touched Ning’s nose.
Ning reeled backwards and squealed, ‘Ai!’
‘Don’t shout, Ning. I just want to talk. Understand?’
Ning stared at the gun in horror and replied, ‘Yes, sir.’
‘Good. Now, here’s your hundred pound fee for the massage I booked and a little extra. Five thousand pounds, Ning. For your troubles.’
‘Troubles, sir?’
‘For the inconvenience you’re about to experience.’
A wave of panic rose in Ning’s chest. ‘That’s not necessary, sir,’
‘No. No, I suppose it isn’t,’ the customer agreed. He raised his left hand and caressed Ning’s face. ‘My, my, you are a pretty boy, aren’t you? Such fresh, youthful skin. A pity if it was scarred, don’t you think?’
‘Please, sir,’ Ning cried. ‘Don’t hurt me.’
‘I won’t hurt you if you cooperate. But I will hurt you if you don’t cooperate. Do you understand?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘You see, violence is necessary at times, Ning. Believe me, I won’t hesitate to slash your pretty face with a knife, or burn it with acid. Be a good boy, and it won’t come to that.’
‘I promise, sir.’
‘Good. So, treat the money as a bonus. Now, put it away. Lock it in a drawer or something.’
Ning did as he was instructed.
‘Good. Now then, it’s a bit chilly outside. Get dressed, please. Put some warm clothing on. You’ll catch your death out there in those skimpy shorts.’
‘We’re going out?’
‘Don’t worry. You’ll come to no harm. Provided you do precisely as you're told, that is.’
Ning sobbed as he slipped on a pair of jeans. ‘What do you want from me?’
‘Just your cooperation. I want to take you to see an old friend of mine. Ronnie Nelson, you’ll like him. He’s a real dear.’
‘Why?’
The customer seemed to think about the question for a few seconds, grinned broadly and said, ‘It's a surprise for him, it's his birthday. You're his treat!’
‘Then why the gun? I would go willingly.’
‘Sorry, but that’s the way it’s got to be. It wouldn't be so much fun otherwise. My friend and I are both into S&M. I need to do this to get aroused.’
‘Do you want rough sex as well?’
‘No thanks. Only the preliminaries need to be like this. Now, shoes please.’
Ning did as he was ordered.
‘Good. Now, turn around.’
Ning stood obediently as his hands were bound with thin nylon rope, and a strip of sticky tape stuck across his mouth. He was led out of the apartment to a nearby car, a black Daimler Sovereign, and pushed into the passenger seat. He sat trembling, trying to loosen the ropes around his wrists as the car drove from Kemp Town towards the Palace Pier.
‘Don't you enjoy this game, Ning?’
Ning grunted in response.
‘Oh, well, suit yourself. It won't be long now. It's only a short drive.’
Within ten minutes, the Daimler pulled into the driveway of a large detached house on the edge of Preston Park Avenue.
‘Here we are, then, Ning. Time for fun.’
Ning was dragged out of the car and across the drive. The doorbell was rung and, just as the front door opened, Ning was violently thrust forward. He collided with the owner of the house, Ronnie Nelson, and the pair of them landed heavily on the hall floor.
As Ronnie Nelson struggled to free himself of Ning’s body, he shouted, ‘What the bloody hell is going on?’
The response was sharp. ‘Shut up, Nelson. Get up. You too, Ning. Into the sitting room, quickly.’
Ning managed to right himself despite the bonds, and followed Ronnie Nelson into a neat and tidy room in which was prominently placed a bottle of champagne in a pail of ice cubes, a decanter of brandy lying on an adjacent table.
‘I see you were expecting company.’
‘Yes, I am,’ Ronnie Nelson replied. ‘And he’ll be here any minute. With a police escort, I’ll have you know.’
‘You mean Geoff?’
‘I beg your pardon?’
‘The Right Honourable Geoffrey Rees Smith sends his apologies. He sent me instead.’
‘What!’
‘You heard me, Nelson. Your expected guest is not coming.’
‘But . . .’
‘But you’re on your own.’
Ronnie Nelson rubbed his eyes and looked hard at the man pointing a gun in his direction. ‘What is this? What do you want? Money?’
‘I don’t need your money, you little shit!’
Ronnie Nelson looked taken aback. ‘So why are you here then?’
‘You could start with an apology.’
‘Fuck you!’
‘You asked.’
‘You’ll never get away with this.’
‘I have so far.’
‘You’ll get caught. You’ll get life. They’ll throw the key away.’
‘I don’t think so. No one suspects me.’
Ronnie Nelson nodded his head slowly. ‘No, I don’t suppose they do.’
‘There you go, then.’
‘So,’ Ronnie Nelson said, as he edged his way towards the fireplace, ‘Where’ve you been hiding this last eighteen years?’
‘In Bangkok, mainly.’
Ronnie Nelson’s eyes scanned his immediate surroundings. ‘Been keeping busy?’
‘I have actually. Perhaps you’ve followed the news out there?’
Ronnie Nelson shook his head.
‘Shame. You’d be impressed at what I’ve achieved. I’ve built up quite a business empire.’
‘Bully for you.’
‘Your ignorance disappoints me, Nelson. Still, it’s of no real consequence.’
Ronnie Nelson cleared his throat. ‘Look, Nick would love to see you, I’m sure. Can I phone him? Let him know you’re here?’
‘I don’t think so, do you?’
Ronnie Nelson’s eyes seemed to have become fixated on a spot near the fireplace. ‘So, what happens now?’
‘Up to you, Nelson. But first, tell me one thing. I've waited a long time to ask you this question. That flight out of Tibet, did you plan the route or was it all just one god-forsa
ken fuck-up?’
Ronnie Nelson looked angry. ‘We weren't able to plan, for Christ sake! There were no charts on board. I flew by the seat of my pants. It was just an unlucky decision to go that way.’ In an apparent act of desperation, he made a grab for a fire poker but was intercepted and pushed into a glass display case which shattered on impact. As he tried to stand up, he was stabbed in the thigh. He screamed as blood spurted from the gaping wound. ‘Please don't do this.’ He tried to stem the flowing blood with his hand. ‘It wasn't my fault, you know that!’
‘You could have stopped the madness. You could have stopped Geoff. You’re going to pay for that mistake.’
‘No, please, I beg you. Don’t!’ A knife slashed at Ronnie Nelson’s hands. ‘For the love of god, don’t do this!’ Despite his pleas, the merciless attacks continued relentlessly until the room resembled a war zone. ‘Enough,’ he murmured, as he collapsed to the floor. ‘I can’t take any more.’
Ning had been cowering in a corner, doing his best to evade the flying debris. As he watched a jet of blood spurt from Nelson’s slit throat, he let out a muffled scream.
‘Ah, Ning, there you are. Thought I’d lost you for a moment.’
‘Mmm!’
‘Ning, look, I’m sorry about this. But this is where you start to earn your five thousand pounds. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt much.’
Ning was dragged off the floor, thrown on top of Nelson’s body and rolled over so that his clothes would soak up the blood. The nylon bonds were cut loose and the gag removed. To his horror, he watched a metal case being withdrawn from the customer’s jacket pocket.
‘Hold your arm steady, Ning.’
Ning looked on in terror as a syringe was extracted from the case and dipped into a phial. ‘Please, sir. Please don’t do this!’
‘This won’t kill you, Ning. It will just send you to sleep. But I’m afraid you’ll have a bad headache when you wake up. Still, at least you’ll still be alive.’
Ning screamed. ‘No!’
‘Look, I don’t want you to be found until the morning. A cleaner arrives about eight o’clock, she has a house key, okay? I need to get away from here, and I need to leave your body for the police to find.’
‘But . . .’
‘No “buts”, Ning. You’ll be questioned by the police, but they’ll release you in a day or two. Once I kill the next one, the police will realize their mistake.’
‘I don’t believe you. You’re going to kill me!’
‘Ning, listen to me. Look into my eyes. I’m going to tell you something few people know about me.’ He leaned forward and whispered into the boy’s ear.
Ning’s face froze in utter fear.
‘I want you alive for a purpose, Ning. If you fulfill that purpose, you’ll live. But if you betray me, I’ll be back.’
Ning looked away.
‘Ning, you will not fail me, you understand. Let me make it clear to you. Number 392, Soi 4, Sukhumvit 93. I know your family live at that address.’
Ning’s eyes bulged.
‘Now, even if I’m locked up in prison, I can get word out. Do you really want to be responsible for the deaths of your mother, father, your two brothers and young sister? They’ll all die slowly and painfully, I promise you that. You believe me, don’t you?’
‘Yes, sir,’ Ning sobbed.
‘Good, so you’ll cooperate?’
‘I promise. On my family’s life.’
‘There you go. Good boy.’
‘But the police will ask questions.’
‘Of course they will. And I want you to tell them everything, just don’t give them a clear description of me. Tell them I was wearing a mask. Tell them you were unconscious most of the time. Tell them you were too frightened to take much in. Make it up, Ning, the health of your family depends upon it.’
‘I will try, sir.’
‘Good. Now then, I want you to give a message to Detective Chief Inspector Jack Magee. Give it to Magee only. He will find you, give it to him then. Then and only then. No one else, do you understand?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Tell Magee “John Mansell is the key. Magee needs to find John Mansell.” Now, repeat that in English.’
‘John Mansell is the key,’ Ning repeated in his best English. ‘Magee needs to find John Mansell.’
‘Good. And you’ll give it to Chief Inspector Jack Magee only.
‘Yes, sir. Chief Inspector Jack Magee only.’
‘Well done, Ning. Now, hold still.’
Ning wept as the needle was inserted into a vein. ‘Please don’t ...’