Free Charlie Martz and Other Stories by Elmore Leonard

wait at least two weeks before contacting him; but that was out of the question now. If Clad was having her watched, which she doubted, then she would have to be that much more careful. But regardless of the risk she had to see Tam Lee within the next two days.
    It wouldn’t be necessary to tell him she was working at the police post. He would know that already. Nor would she have to sign it. She wrote: Fifteen villages will be left without police officials Sunday. I must see you. Please come to me or have me taken to you. Please . That was all.
    At dusk she left the note in the hole beneath the mangosteen tree beyond the north end of the village. Returning home, she saw Yeop, Clad’s office clerk, standing in front of his house watching her. As she passed him she looked up and smiled and Yeop seemed to lose his poise. As if he had been caught stealing, Ah Min thought. She continued on unhurriedly. Yeop would be less trouble than Clad.
    Before dawn Ah Min went to the mangosteen tree again. The note had been picked up.
    Clad was out of the office most of the day, seeing to the building of stands for Sunday, so Ah Min’s time was her own.
    She pictured Tam Lee reading her note, deliberating over it,convincing himself that it wasn’t a police trick. And finally he would contact her. She was certain of that. He would remember their months together in the jungle camps and hurry to her. He would be delighted and show his delight and ask her to return with him. That was something else to think about and decide.
    When Clad came in later in the afternoon, Ah Min reported that she had nothing to do.
    Clad shook his head. “I don’t have any letters.”
    â€œOr forms or things to be typewritten?”
    â€œNo forms or things.” He looked beyond her. “Unless you want to give me a report on my ‘things to do.’”
    She looked at the corkboard. There were seven darts there, all grouped on the left or things to do anytime side. “Just list them on a sheet of paper,” Clad said. “We’ll call it our weekend report. All right?”
    Ah Min gathered the notes, carrying them to her desk in the outer office. But a moment later she was back.
    â€œI’m afraid I made a mistake.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œThis note with ‘things to do anytime,’ but it should have been with ‘things to do soon.’ I think yesterday when I read it—when you were explaining this system?—I replaced it on the wrong side.”
    Clad unfolded the note. He was on his feet at once, studied the wall map behind him, then sat down again and picked up his telephone.
    â€œOperator . . . yes, Clad . . . I want to contact a Colonel G. A. H. Mitchell, fifth-fourth Gurkhas, either at Kajang or Seremban . . . Yes, I’ll wait.”
    Ah Min went to her desk in the outer office. She sat looking at the notes but listening to Clad. She heard him say, “Mitch!” almost shouting it, and who this was and how long it had been and something about India. There was frequent laughter. Finally Clad broughtup the badminton event, inviting him, and after that there was a long silence.
    The man on the other end of the line was doing most of the talking now. From Clad there was only an occasional yes or no or mumbled two-syllable sound. Ah Min began to lose interest. She took out memo sheets and placed carbon paper between them carefully.
    Yeop was still watching her, she knew. But she was already growing accustomed to this. As if, because his watchfulness was so obvious, there was nothing to fear from it.
    Clad’s voice came to her again.
    â€œOf all the days to pick for a field problem . . . I know, I should have phoned before but . . . Mitch”—she pictured Clad suddenly straightening up—“Mitch, why not march them up here? It would be perfect! . . . Uh-huh . . . No, let them bash about in the woods for the day and march back Sunday afternoon . . . Yeah . . .