Free Bill for the Use of a Body by Dennis Wheatley

Kwai ten days, and on the eighth day Mok Kwai led his shadowers to the quarry.
    Now, with pardonable pride, Udo Nagi revealed to his master the final result of his investigation. They were seated cross-legged facing one another on mats in a room that was bare of furniture except for one long low table, and lacked all decoration except for one vase of carefully arranged flowers that stood in a corner.
    Having said his piece, Nagi remarked, ‘Since it is clear, Honourable Master, that the woman has sought to revenge herself on officers and men of the 230th Regiment for at least the past thirteen years I find it surprising that she has claimed only five victims.’
    Hayashi gave a sign of disagreement. ‘You must remember that, although the 230th Regiment numbered several thousand men, the great majority of them were either peasants or low-paid workers who, if they survived the war, would not have had the money to leave Japanagain. But that is beside the point. We now know the name under which the woman who either murdered my son, or was responsible for his death, is living in Hong Kong. I mean to make her pay a price. Go now and arrange matters so that she should come here and grovel to me.’
    Nagi slowly shook his head. ‘Honourable Master, that will be far from easy, because this woman is very clever and will not readily fall into a trap. But it may be that I shall find means to persuade her to pay a visit to Japan.’

Chapter V
A Gentle Wooing
    At Six O’clock on the Wednesday morning Julian awoke in his bedroom in the west wing of the Repulse Bay Hotel. When he had been young he had slept his head off. During the war, if he had to go on early duty, in order to rouse him it was not enough for his soldier servant to wake him with a cup of tea; he had to be propped up and the hot tea poured into his mouth. But now, unless he went to bed well after midnight, he always woke between half past five and half past six.
    That did not worry him because, while dozing comfortably between six and eight, he had the opportunity to con over in advance any pleasures the coming day had to offer; and on this Wednesday he woke to the knowledge that for him this was the Day of Days. For the whole of it, and for as many days afterwards as he liked to pay for her services, he could explore the personality and bask in the smiles of Merri Sang—the loveliest human being he had ever set eyes on.
    At 7.30 he roused himself to take in again the splendid room of which he was the occupant. The Repulse Bay had been built long before actuaries had worked out for financiers the minimum number of cubic inches that rich tourists would accept as living space in London, New York or Hong Kong. Either side of the door there was a closet six feet by eight for hanging clothes and keeping baggage. The main part of the room was thirty feet long by twenty wide with a lofty ceiling. At the farend there was a spacious bathroom, and an alcove with table, armchairs and a writing desk, from which one could look out on the blue waters of the bay.
    He rang for the Chinese boy and ordered breakfast—pawpaw, mangoes, coffee and croissants. Then, in his dressing gown, he took his time to enjoy it at the table near the big window. By the time he had had a leisurely bath and dressed it was getting on for nine o’clock. Impatient now for this happy day to begin, he made his way to the entrance of the hotel and stood there for a while watching other people who were staying there boarding the little bus that took those who wished across the pass to the city or back every half-hour.
    Soon after half past nine Merri Sang arrived in her car. Today, as it was somewhat colder, she was wearing a coat and skirt of grey Thai silk; and Julian thought that, if anything, she looked more delectable than ever. She greeted him gaily and asked him where he would like her to take him. On his replying that he would leave it to her, she said, ‘Then we will