Read Online Spirit Tiger by Barbara Ismail - Free Book Online Page A

like that.’
    â€˜Do you think he could have … hurt him?’
    â€˜You mean, killed him? I don’t know. He might try. Like I said, Din was stupid, and if he got mad, he’d just do whatever came into his head.’
    â€˜Does he owe money right now?’
    She nodded. ‘Yusuf was just talking to him about it a little while ago. I don’t think it went very well, though usually, after the first time Yusuf’s collected, they pay up much faster the second time. Yusuf can – could be, I mean – tough.’
    Maryam rose to thank her hostess with newfound warmth. ‘Stop by sometime in Kampong Tikat,’ Khatijah urged them both. ‘Come and meet my daughter! I’m thinking of opening a little coffee stand on the main road. We’ll see …’ She laughed happily, and Maryam liked her even more.

Chapter X
    Zainuddin lived with his long-suffering wife and two nearly grown children near the match factory in Kota Bharu, in an insalubrious collection of houses on the bank of the river. Mud was a constant here; it never seemed to dry, and the houses were mired in it. Maryam and Rubiah held their sarongs up out of the dirt and kept to the single plywood board road, which rocked every time they put a foot on it. Maryam feared for her equilibrium and silently cursed the narrow tightrope she was forced to walk. Rubiah did not bother with silence, but grumbled audibly and occasionally turned to grasp Rahman’s arm to keep herself erect. It was but a short walk from the main, paved road, but already the two were sweating profusely with the effort of balancing.
    Zainuddin’s wife stood in the doorway, watching them expressionlessly. When they arrived at her door, she gestured for them to come up the ladder without saying a word, and when they had entered the living room, she’d already disappeared, leaving her husband to entertain their guests. He’d recently woken up, though it was well into late morning, and he sat before them in a spavined chair scratching himself. Maryam detested him on sight.
    He looked both sleepy and sulky, with heavy cheekbones and thick lips. He was as described, big and broad, and didn’t look too bright. His eyes were only half opened, his nose was wide and his hair was standing on end. As Maryam summed him up: All in all, a hot mess . He gave them a perfunctory smile and evinced no curiosity regarding them or why they were there.
    He wandered over to a small cabinet and rummaged through it to extract a crumpled cigarette pack, which he examined with tremendous interest and care, to find two cigarettes still in it. He grinned apologetically at the women, took one for himself and offered his last to Rahman in an unforgiveable breach of courtesy. Maryam and Rubiah exchanged a look, and then each brought out her own cigarettes. If he had no manners, at least they could make themselves comfortable!
    He yawned. ‘What are you doing here?’he asked at last, finally registering that he didn’t know them, and they must have some errand in mind. Rahman answered immediately, as he rarely did, hoping as a policeman to get his attention.
    â€˜We’re here to investigate Che Yusuf’s murder,’ he began crisply, ‘and we understand you’re one of his regulars.’
    Rahman looked at him boldly, challenging him to wake up and start thinking, but Din merely scratched with more effort. He took a long drag on his cigarette, and watched his wife enter with coffee and a small plate of cookies. She served, wordless, and retreated to the kitchen while Din vaguely waved his hands over the cups, picked one up and began slurping.
    Rubiah closed her eyes to avoid the spectacle of a Malay man acting like a complete boor. Berapa tingginya terbang bagau, akhirnya hinggap dibelakang kerbau juga: no matter how high the padi bird flies, it ends up on a water buffalo’s back. Din could not be schooled and taught courtesy, and