In Singapore on Sunday morning the message was sure, no problem, as soon as we see the colour of your money.
Lovell replied, But you can fill the order okay?
Sure. No problem.
The intermediary for the arms dealer was a Chinese tailor just off Bugis Street. Lovell hated Singapore. Twenty years ago hed been kicked out for looking like a hippie. Well, in those days he had been a hippie. Hed landed in Singapore in the first place because he wanted to take the hippie trail overland to London, like everyone else. But theyd shut the door in his face and ordered Qantas to fly him home again. Qantas had got pissed off. In the end, to save hassles, hed had a haircut. Five hours later, half a dozen twittering transvestites had felt him up on Bugis Street, squeezing his balls, tweaking his nipples, running their hands up his crack, and lifting his passport and moneybelt. Bugis Street was clean now, and Lovell preferred short hair, but he still hated Singapore.
How long?
The Chinese tailor looked at him. Explain, please.
I said how long will it take you to fill the order?
No problem. We see your money first.
A hundred thousand bucks. Lovell groaned inwardly. Hed hoped hed have something left over from the hundred thousand Nurse had given him on Friday morning, but no such luck, meaning he still had to find the full seventy-five thousand for the smack stolen from Nurse.
It was all in the timing. Pray that Bone would take a while to notice the shortfall, giving him time to buy the guns, deliver them, fly back with a few planeloads of cannabis to sell to the eighty thousand Queenslanders who smoked it at least once a week. Earn back his original stake plus Bones seventy-five grand.
Maybe he could get this gook to see reason. Weve done business before, he told the tailor.
The man beamed, his glasses flashed and his sleek oiled hair caught the dim light. Funny how their hair was either dead straight or kind of fluffy.
Yes.
Buddha sticks, Lovell said. White rock. Pink rock.
Yes.
So you know my moneys good. So why cant you ship the guns now and Ill pay you in a few days time? This will be an ongoing thing, you know.
No problem. We see your money first.
Lovell flew out of Singapore at two oclock, a hundred thousand dollars poorer and his hatred for the place a notch or two tighter. He flicked restlessly through magazines, tried to doze. He was a pilot; he was no good at this kind of shit, smuggling, dealing, overseeing couriers.
When he eventually got to Brisbane airport that evening it was dark outside. He kept close to people. In the carpark he checked his car before getting in. On the freeway he changed lanes, hung back, spurted ahead. It had been a week since Nurse was robbed. Why the silence? he wondered.