“WELCOME BACK TO BAR COVE MR. & MRS. BAO. As you requested we reserved the westerly beach front for your exclusive use. Other than the custodial staff that will remain on the island to assist you, you have full and private use of all the amenities. Your groceries from Keppella Marina arrived earlier and everything has been placed in your Hut. We hope you enjoy your stay.” Kim & Shai shook hands with the Owners thanked them and walked towards their beach front Hut.
After landing at the Vancouver International Airport they used the two hour layover for their flight to Brisbane to purchase luggage, clothing and other travelling attire. The emergency evacuation at the apartment building left no time for packing. Fleeing the apartment building was more eventful than what Kim had anticipated. Kim, after identifying the Security Agents patrolling the parking lot, proceeded to emergency services with a story that he had inhaled exhaust fumes while at the gym and was now feeling nauseous and very faint. He was immediately placed on a stretcher and put inside an ambulance with an oxygen mask put on, successfully covering his face. When a curious Agent asked about the patient the Paramedics confirmed he was from the gym and not the apartment building. From the ambulance he watched Shai as she entered the apartment building. She recognized the Agents from the parking lot now at the front door monitoring everyone as they passed through. Keeping her face downwards she crossed over the threshold but felt multiple eyes focused on her. From behind her someone called out “Miss…excuse me, can I speak with you…” Shai ignored the request and moved quickly down the hallway. She did not turn around, but knew someone was following her. She had almost reached a crossover in the corridor that would allow her access to a room, temporarily set up for dry-cleaning deliveries and pickups. The permanent room was under renovation so the temporary room was unmarked from identification. Shai worried that she had enough time to turn the corner, insert her access key in the lock, enter and be able to close the door before her pursuer turned the corner.
Maneuvering around hundreds of tenants in the hallway the Agent made the turn following his last sighting of Shai and continued down the hallway passing by the door that Shai had entered only moments ago. She remained in the room for the next while, waiting for some of the traffic to decrease in the hallway. Looking through the multiple orders that remained on shelves and hangers she found an outfit that fit her and quickly put it on over her own cloths, wrapped a scarf around over her head, as well gathered several bags of laundered shirts to carry to camouflage her face. She left the room and travelled down the corridor into the stairwell then doubled back to the exit leading out to the rear of the building and the visitor parking lot where she her car was waiting. Failing any complications they had agreed she would follow him to the hospital.
As she travelled along the avenues she hoped there was still time to move about before any bulletins were posted by the authorities. She arrived at the emergency ward with a choice of seats, it was early in the afternoon and the rush had not started. She contacted her travel agent in Grand Cayman to arrange for immediate air line tickets to Brisbane. Within 15 minutes all the arrangements were made. They were travelling under the name of Mr. & Mrs. Juan & Ky Bao (Shai’s grandmothers maiden name). Shai always carried these travel passports and required identification with her. Kim came through the doors leading to the ward; Shai stood up and walked over to meet him. So anxious to get to the airport, neither turned back to see Chanarong Montri in the reverse row of seats.
From the Banking Hall Chanarong also witnessed the evacuation of the apartment building. In all the confusion he readily saw Kim and later identified Shai; but his focus never left Kim. He too saw the Agents, several in number, mingling in the crowd. When the ambulance carrying Kim left the lot, he followed arriving at the Hospital; waited in a darkened alcove of the Emergency room. When Shai arrived he waited for her to sit and become occupied in her chair so he could take a seat behind her and listen to her conversations. Once he knew of their travel arrangements he called Veronica to make their necessary plans. Veronica arrived at the Hospital in a private Town Car and waited in the visitor lane way outside the Emergency room doors.
Kim and Shai drove to the storage warehouse lot and pulled their car into the storage container they had leased months ago; removed all identification and locked the doors. They walked to the airport shuttle stand and boarded the bus that would take her to the airport.
Their tickets were waiting for them at the Airline wicket and they proceeded to Gate 27 to board their connecting flight to Vancouver.
While on the plane Shai sent several communications; the first to Yellow Cabs requesting a car to meet them at the Brisbane airport, and the others were confirming their accommodations at Bar Cove. The last time on the Island Shai had made a substantial deposit for future reservations avoiding the need to provide a credit card. After clearing customs and collecting their luggage they identified themselves to the cab and immediately requested to go to the Commonwealth Bank. Entering the Bank, keeping their hats and sunglasses on offered them some margin of obscurity from the cameras. They slide their passports and photo identification under the two-way metal slider for the guard to inspect and he then released the lock on the door allowing them through. They moved to the elevator which took them down to the vault housing their lock-box. Shai, along with the Bank custodian, inserted her keys to open the lock and remove the box. Waiting until staff had left the room Kim and Shai said nothing. Shai lifted the lid and removed several manila envelopes containing Australian notes valued at $100,000.00. Kim returned the box to the vault and Shai inserted her two keys to secure it back into place. From the Bank they returned to the airport and boarded a shuttle flight and then a charter helicopter to Bar Cove. Cherishing the isolation and beauty of the Island they were anxious not to have to remember the last two weeks. They were not disappointed when resting in the hammocks looking into the sunset. This time of day always reminded them of China; the evening sky torched in tangerines and aqua silks blowing in the trade winds, when from nowhere the humpback whales would rise out of the tides and land creating geyser’s of ivory foam; a tapestry rising through the cascading tangerine silks.
As Kim and Shai settled into their Hut, another couple had arrived and was being shown their accommodations on the south beach. Chanarong Montri and Veronica Bartola’s reservation was last minute, but readily accepted as soon as Veronica's name was mentioned. Well known as the Prima ballerina from Italy, they were honored to have her as their guest.
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Kayn had received an update from the local authorities that a previous detainee to their jail by the name of Wei Shai had been admitted into the Hospital earlier in the day and show no further signs of distress, had been discharged. Arriving in an ambulance no forwarding address was documented at the Hospital. The officers questioned the hospital staff for further information, but received nothing. Martin Graham arrived at the Hospital securing surveillance tapes of visitors to the Emergency room. It was not long before the cameras focused on Kim Chan So. He was exiting the ward with a companion.
Transferring to another camera monitoring the outside doors Martin followed the pair as they travelled along the sidewalk towards the public parking lot where they disappeared. The camera posted at the exit toll gate of the visitor parking lot was out of service. Martin almost had his finger on the stop button, when he noticed the Town Car, parked along the roadway and none other than Chanarong Montri getting into the back seat. Martin called his Agents and asked that they again make a house call to Mr. Garrison at the Hotel.
As the Agents waited in the Lobby for Mr. Garrison to again return to the Hotel, they knew the response that awaited them. Through the doors he came, not acknowledging the night staff, focused on the Agents, who again demanded his attention in the middle of the night.
“Gentlemen, is this customary of your office? Conducting interviews only in the middle of the night?”
“Please accept our apologies for again disturbing you Mr. Garrison, but we have been attempting to contact Mr. Montri and have been told by the desk that he is unavailable and any further questions must be brought to your attention.”
He turned and went behind the desk, speaking with the attendants. Satisfied with their response he turned to the Agents;
“I will volunteer only that Mr. Montri had previous travel plans and has left the hotel for a few days.”
“Do you know his travel plans? Do you know when he will be returning?”
“No and No, unlike you Agents, we don’t interrogate our guests. Mr. Montri’s room will be waiting for him when he returns. Now, will there by anything else?”
“Not at this time Mr. Garrison.”
“Good evening Gentlemen.”
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Martin Graham arrived on the 12 Floor where Kayn was waiting.
“Our Agent in Cayman called and advised that airline tickets to Brisbane were purchased in the name of a Mr. & Mrs. Bao. I am just waiting for photo of the passport used clearing customs.”
“Kayn, if that is Kim and his partner they would have had to connect in either Vancouver or Los Angeles, there are no direct flights to Brisbane from here and I don’t think that Kim would risk clearing US customs.”
As Martin spoke confirmation arrived that indeed photo ID confirmed that Mr. Bao was indeed Kim Chan So.
“Are we any closer to finding the money? Is it even in the Country? Now that he’s gone, I would like to say good riddance, but with our friend Mr. Montri possibly returning and the AOC boys once again setting up camp on the street corner, I have gut feeling that money is somewhere within our reach.”
“Let’s find out where Chanarong Montri has travelled too? Let’s also find out where his lovely partner is.”
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