Read Online The Mystery of Yamashita's Map by James McKenzie - Free Book Online
Authors: James McKenzie
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him more.’
‘Exactly.’
Things were not as bad now, but there were still elements of the police who wouldn’t shy away from earning some extra income through less than honest circumstances.
‘Where are the bad cops when you need them?’ she pondered.
Lisa looked out across the island. It had an end of the world quality about it, the end of the line at least. This was a place that existed outside of time and normal society, a place that could swallow you up if you were not careful and never let you go. It was green but lifeless. The growing things on it seemed to do so out of spite. They were challenging the ground not to allow them, the dead dry ground full of salt from the sea. ‘We’ll have to look around,’ she said. ‘Do you want me to drive still?’
Fraser looked across at the professor. ‘Hmm, perhaps you’d better let me,’ he said and opened the door of the car.
After a few minutes’ drive they entered a large estate full of tall tower blocks. Fraser slowed down as they passed row upon row of tenement buildings. In the back the professor was quiet and stared out of the window at the growing number of food stalls and small shops that lined the pavements. Smells of all sorts wafted through the open window reminding him that he hadn’t had any breakfast that day. He sniffed at the air and felt his stomach rumbling.
‘Perhaps, er . . .’ he began, ‘we could stop and take a little air, or perhaps a little food.’
Lisa thought a while. ‘You know, it might be a good idea to stop and ask someone about Amichi. We hardly know where to start here.’
Fraser pulled up in a nearby alley and he, Lisa and the professor got out. The professor straightaway headed for a fried crab stall, rubbing his hands together and moving faster than either of the other two had seen him move for years. As he neared the stall he reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of change. Lisa laughed.
‘Where do we start?’ she said to Fraser.
Fraser thought a while. ‘Well, we know that he liked books. Perhaps we should scout around to see if there’s a bookshop nearby?’
‘But would they know him?’
‘Possible on a small island. It’s worth a try anyway.’
Lisa agreed. They decided to split up to look for a bookshop and leave the professor to his crab. An hour passed and they still hadn’t found anything. Fraser and Lisa returned to where the car and the professor stood, the latter covered in grease.
‘Where have you two been?’ he asked.
‘Well, Fraser thought there might be a bookshop on the island, or at least someone who would remember Amichi. We went to look but . . .’
‘Nothing,’ the professor finished.
‘No, nothing.’
‘It is to be expected,’ the professor said rather pompously. Lisa felt disgruntled. She was, after all doing this for the old man; she would much rather be at home now, studying for her exams that were fast approaching.
The professor licked his fingers. ‘Hung Shing,’ he said.
Fraser and Lisa looked at each other. ‘What?’
‘The oldest and largest temple on the island is Hung Shing. It’s on Main Street about a mile away. They’ll know Amichi there.’
Fraser stood open mouthed. ‘How do you know that?’
‘The girl. The girl committed suicide in a temple. It was a place of safety for her, a place of refuge, a place where she had gone since she was a child, perhaps. I had a student once from England, highly strung and very sensitive but a brilliant student. Every time she had an exam she would go missing and I always found her in the stationery cupboard. It got so that every time she went missing I would just go to the stationery cupboard knock on the door and say, ‘Janet, I am waiting for your presence,’ and five minutes later she would come out and get on with her exam. Do you know why she did this? Habit. When she was a small girl she had a panic
‘Exactly.’
Things were not as bad now, but there were still elements of the police who wouldn’t shy away from earning some extra income through less than honest circumstances.
‘Where are the bad cops when you need them?’ she pondered.
Lisa looked out across the island. It had an end of the world quality about it, the end of the line at least. This was a place that existed outside of time and normal society, a place that could swallow you up if you were not careful and never let you go. It was green but lifeless. The growing things on it seemed to do so out of spite. They were challenging the ground not to allow them, the dead dry ground full of salt from the sea. ‘We’ll have to look around,’ she said. ‘Do you want me to drive still?’
Fraser looked across at the professor. ‘Hmm, perhaps you’d better let me,’ he said and opened the door of the car.
After a few minutes’ drive they entered a large estate full of tall tower blocks. Fraser slowed down as they passed row upon row of tenement buildings. In the back the professor was quiet and stared out of the window at the growing number of food stalls and small shops that lined the pavements. Smells of all sorts wafted through the open window reminding him that he hadn’t had any breakfast that day. He sniffed at the air and felt his stomach rumbling.
‘Perhaps, er . . .’ he began, ‘we could stop and take a little air, or perhaps a little food.’
Lisa thought a while. ‘You know, it might be a good idea to stop and ask someone about Amichi. We hardly know where to start here.’
Fraser pulled up in a nearby alley and he, Lisa and the professor got out. The professor straightaway headed for a fried crab stall, rubbing his hands together and moving faster than either of the other two had seen him move for years. As he neared the stall he reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of change. Lisa laughed.
‘Where do we start?’ she said to Fraser.
Fraser thought a while. ‘Well, we know that he liked books. Perhaps we should scout around to see if there’s a bookshop nearby?’
‘But would they know him?’
‘Possible on a small island. It’s worth a try anyway.’
Lisa agreed. They decided to split up to look for a bookshop and leave the professor to his crab. An hour passed and they still hadn’t found anything. Fraser and Lisa returned to where the car and the professor stood, the latter covered in grease.
‘Where have you two been?’ he asked.
‘Well, Fraser thought there might be a bookshop on the island, or at least someone who would remember Amichi. We went to look but . . .’
‘Nothing,’ the professor finished.
‘No, nothing.’
‘It is to be expected,’ the professor said rather pompously. Lisa felt disgruntled. She was, after all doing this for the old man; she would much rather be at home now, studying for her exams that were fast approaching.
The professor licked his fingers. ‘Hung Shing,’ he said.
Fraser and Lisa looked at each other. ‘What?’
‘The oldest and largest temple on the island is Hung Shing. It’s on Main Street about a mile away. They’ll know Amichi there.’
Fraser stood open mouthed. ‘How do you know that?’
‘The girl. The girl committed suicide in a temple. It was a place of safety for her, a place of refuge, a place where she had gone since she was a child, perhaps. I had a student once from England, highly strung and very sensitive but a brilliant student. Every time she had an exam she would go missing and I always found her in the stationery cupboard. It got so that every time she went missing I would just go to the stationery cupboard knock on the door and say, ‘Janet, I am waiting for your presence,’ and five minutes later she would come out and get on with her exam. Do you know why she did this? Habit. When she was a small girl she had a panic
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