The Two Sisters of Borneo

by Ian Hamilton

“Well, Ms. Lee, there’s a pub called the Melancholy Miller two streets from your hotel. I can meet you there around six.”

  “No sooner?” Ava said, the thought of a drawn-out afternoon having no appeal.

  “No.”

  “Okay, then six will have to do. How will I recognize you?”

  “I’ll be wearing a brown suit.”

  ( 11 )

  Ava called downstairs to the concierge. “How close is the Rijksmuseum?” she asked.

  “You can walk there in less than ten minutes.”

  “In this weather?”

  “I have umbrellas here — very good umbrellas.”

  “Put one aside for me,” she said.

  Ava had visited the museum on her previous trip to Amsterdam. She had spent almost an hour staring at Rembrandt’s The Night Watch before being hustled from the building at closing time. She figured this time she would be able to see more of Rembrandt’s work and also catch the Vermeers and Van Dycks.

  She checked her watch. It was just past seven o’clock in the evening in Borneo. May Ling had to be finished with the lawyer by now. Ava phoned her.

  “Yes,” May answered. Ava could hear the sound of clattering dishes in the background.

  “It’s Ava.”

  “I was going to call you in a little while. I’m having dinner with the sisters and Amanda.”

  “I got your emails.”

  “Good. So you’re safely in Amsterdam?”

  “Yes, and I’ve had phone conversations with all of the interested parties here — the trustee, Meijer Finance, and the charming Jan de Groot from Janssen Volker.”

  “How did it go?”

  “Badly.”

  “How bad?”

  “Meijer has our furniture, de Groot is selling it for them, and the trustee says there is nothing he can do to prevent it.”

  “De Groot? How is that possible? They let the thief sell his stolen goods?”

  “According to the trustee it isn’t uncommon and it’s within the law.”

  “That is bad.”

  “Anyway, I still plan on going to the bankruptcy meeting tomorrow, but I’m not hopeful it will make any difference.”

  “Is there nothing you can do?”

  “I’m going to hire a private detective.”

  “Why?”

  “We don’t know enough about anyone. I want to see what he can dig up.”

  “Sounds like a fishing expedition.”

  “It is.”

  “The same is true here, except that . . .” May paused. “Just a minute, let me move outside. It’s very noisy here.”

  When May came back on the line, the noise level was probably greater.

  “What was that about?” Ava asked.

  “The sisters. I didn’t want to talk in any detail in front of them. They were very reluctant, especially Ah-Pei, to agree to pursue their brothers legally. They’re afraid that it’s going to cause a schism in the family. And, just as bad, bring public embarrassment to the family. This is a very small community, and all the Chinese businesspeople know each other. They don’t want to look like fools, and they don’t want their brothers to be thought of as thieves.”

  “Even if they are?”

  “Who knows if they are or not? The one thing I can tell you is that this lawyer is as aggressive as anyone I’ve ever met. Even before Amanda, Chi-Tze, and I left, he had his people working on the paperwork. He intends to serve Mamat and Tambi with a lawsuit as early as tomorrow.”

  “What inspired that response?”

  “Money. I promised him a lot of money.”

  “And just what is he suing them for?”

  “He’s accusing them of accepting illegal commissions and is going after them for the entire sum of the Janssen contract.”

  “Based on what facts?”

  “None. It’s all supposition on his part, but he said he knows the brothers personally. He began to denigrate them so harshly I almost asked Chi-Tze to leave his office.”

  “But the women do know about the lawsuit.”

  “Of course. They just aren’t happy about it and don’t want to know the details.”

  “What does Amanda say?”

  “As far as she’s concerned, anything is fair. All she cares about is getting any part of our money back.”

  “And the lawyer actually thinks that’s possible?”

  “He started reading the contract they signed with the Dutch firm and said ‘illegal commissions’ before he even finished.”

  “Why was he so sure about that?” Ava asked.

  “As I said, he knows Mamat and Tambi and he thinks they’ve always been a bit off-colour. Also, according to him, illegal commissions and other side deals are standard ways of doing business in Borneo. And, Ava, he isn’t just suing them. He’s sending a copy of the lawsuit to the brothers’ banks, telling them what we’re doing and advising them that he will be seeking full access to records of any money transfers in or out of their accounts from offshore accounts over the past five years, and putting them on notice that no large withdrawals should take place until these legal issues are resolved.”

  “What makes the lawyer think the bank will co-operate?”

  “His brother is Superintendent of Financial Institutions for Sabah.”

  “Wheels within wheels.”

  “Big Chinese wheels within big Chinese wheels.”

  “Well, I’m not dealing with Chinese here.”

  “You’ll manage.”

  “I wish I was so sure. I’ve been worrying about Uncle since I arrived and, truthfully, I was also upset for Amanda.”

  “I told you, Amanda is fine.”

  “I should speak to her.”

  “She said she’s going to call you when she gets back to our hotel.”

  “Okay, but remind her that I’m seven hours behind you. It’s only early afternoon here, so any time in the next three or four hours is fine. After that I’m meeting with the detective.”

  “I’m going to bed early tonight, and then tomorrow morning I have another session with the lawyer before he does anything official. Once that’s finalized, I’m heading back to Wuhan and leaving things here in Amanda’s care.”

  “How about the money the business needs? You said it was about five million.”

  “I have it organized to send tomorrow. I was waiting to make sure you agree.”

  “Do we have any choice?”

  “Not if we want to make sure the business remains viable.”

  “Then send it.”

  Ava stood up and stretched. She could feel tension rippling through her body. The events in Borneo and Amsterdam were nothing she wasn’t used to, but this time she wasn’t doing a job for a stranger. And she wasn’t in pursuit alone, with Uncle hovering in the background ready to lend whatever aid she needed.

  “Go back to your dinner,” she said to May. “I’ll email you when I finish with the detective.”

  ( 12 )

  She put on her black nylon Adidas jacket and training pants and then slid the bankruptcy documents into her bag and headed for the lobby. The concierge nodded when he saw her, reached behind his desk, and pulled out an umbrella that looked big enough to shield a family of four.

  “You said the Rijksmuseum?”

  “Yes.”

  “When you leave the hotel, turn right at the third street, walk to the third block, and then go left,” he said. “That will take you to Museum Row. The Hermitage, the Van Gogh, and the Rijksmuseum are all there.”

  “I want to see the Rembrandts.”

  “Go to the Rijksmuseum then, but if you haven’t been to the Van Gogh you’re missing something special. More than two hundred of his works are on display there.”

  “I’ll see if I have time,” Ava said.

&nb
sp; Despite the umbrella she was instantly wet the minute she stepped outside. The rain was being driven sideways by the wind. She held the umbrella at an angle and started to walk.

  The Rijksmuseum was the national museum of the Netherlands. More than two hundred years old, it moved into its current quarters in 1885. It was constructed in the style of a French château, with a grand central building framed by two enormous towers and flanked on either side by large and impressive wings.

  Ava could see the building from several blocks away, its slanted green roofs looming through the sheets of rain. She lowered her head and plunged forward. When she got to the front entrance, she looked up and found herself confronted by construction barriers and a security guard holding an umbrella.

  “Don’t tell me the museum is closed,” she said.

  “Only the main building, for renovation.”

  “I wanted to see the Rembrandts. That’s where they are, I think.”

  He pointed towards the wing to the left. “The most important pictures in the collection have been moved to the Philips Wing. You will find what you want to see there.”

  She took the pathway that led to the Philips. The last time she had been to the museum she had lined up for close to half an hour before getting in. As she neared the entrance this time, she couldn’t see another person. There are some benefits to wet, dreary weather, she thought as she paid her admission. Then she stood back as the security guard examined her bag and its contents.

  She was just about to climb the stairs to the first-floor exhibits when her cellphone rang. She reached into her pocket and saw Amanda’s number displayed on the screen.

  “No mobile devices can be used inside the museum,” a voice said.

  Ava turned and saw the security guard behind her. “No mobile devices,” he repeated.

  “Can I speak from down there?” she asked, pointing to the hallway near the front door. “I don’t want to go back outside in this rain.”

  “Yes, that will be all right.”

  Ava opened her phone. “Amanda, give me a minute. I’ll be right with you,” she said.

  She retraced her steps, and when she reached the hallway, she turned into an alcove on the left and leaned against the wall. “Sorry, I had to find a spot where I could talk,” she said. “Where are you? May said you were going to call me from the hotel. I didn’t expect you to be back so soon.”

  “I didn’t want to wait. I’m in the parking lot of the restaurant.”

  “You should be on your honeymoon,” Ava said.

  “There’s no way that was possible after talking to Chi-Tze.”

  “I’m sorry it happened this way.”

  “Me too, though the news is so bad I can’t think of a good way to find out.”

  “It isn’t your fault.”

  Ava heard Amanda sigh as if it came from her toes. “That’s what May said. Logically I know I did proper due diligence, and logically I knew this business was sound. But emotionally . . . it was like getting kicked in the stomach. And I’m still kind of reeling.”

  “We’ll sort it out.”

  “How?”

  The question, quick and pointed, caught Ava off-guard. It reminded her that Amanda was not someone to be spoken to lightly or in clichés. “May thinks her lawyer will light a fire.”

  “He might,” Amanda said.

  Ava could hear the doubt in her voice. She thought about mentioning Jacob Smits and then discarded the idea. “The thing is, we won’t just accept this. I’m not sure what will or will not happen; all I know is that we will pursue it until there’s nothing left to chase. And there isn’t much point worrying about that from your end. Just keep the sisters calm and the business in one piece.”

  “We meet with their bank tomorrow.”

  “Who are we?”

  “Me and the sisters. May is leaving for Wuhan.”

  “Are you okay with that?”

  “Yes. Actually, I’m glad to see she still has confidence in me.”

  “We have agreed to put another five million into the business.”

  “I know, she told us when she came back to the table after talking to you.”

  “How did the sisters react?”

  “Relieved.”

  “Of course.”

  “They really are very capable. I mean, Ah-Pei virtually ran the business with her parents for ages, and single-handedly for a few years while Chi-Tze was finishing her degree. Then the two of them were building it very nicely until this disaster.”

  “Well, with the five million they can go back to building it. There’s no reason for them to be distracted by this sideshow. And the same goes for you. Stay focused on the business. Let May and me worry about the other money.”

  “After tomorrow I think it will be easier. The bank has been leaning on them very hard. They’ve exhausted their lines of credit and the bank is looking for at least a partial paydown. And they haven’t been able to pay some of their key suppliers, so they’ve have been worried sick about competitors picking them off. The five million should get everything back on track.”

  “That’s all we want to happen.”

  Ava heard another deep sigh. “God, what a way to start a new business,” Amanda said.

  “And a marriage. Tell me, how did Michael react to your leaving the honeymoon?”

  “He was okay,” she said. “Actually, it surprised me just how okay he was. After the mess he and Simon got themselves into last year, he’s certainly more empathetic about other people’s problems. Before, he would have been dismissive. He would have said that whatever problem someone might have, they brought it down on themselves through bad judgement, or some flaw in their character. Now he understands that sometimes things happen that are beyond anyone’s control.”

  “Good.”

  “And Borneo isn’t that far from Hong Kong. I told him he can fly over on the weekends until I get back.”

  “And he will?”

  “He’d better.”

  Ava laughed. “It sounds as if you have things organized already.”

  Amanda went quiet, and Ava wondered if she had somehow upset her.

  “Ava, I need to tell you how much I appreciate the fact that you and May are standing by me and Ah-Pei and Chi-Tze.”

  “There’s no need to talk about that anymore.”

  “Still —”

  “Amanda, listen to me. I don’t want to have to say this again,” she said. “I was in business with Uncle for more than ten years. We never had a contract and we never had a personal disagreement. It worked because we never second-guessed one another. We each understood that both of us were doing our best, and if things didn’t always work, there was no reason to point that out. There was total trust between us. We were partners in the complete sense of the term. Now, I would never have agreed to get into this business with you and May if I hadn’t felt the same way, and I know those are May’s feelings as well. So I don’t want to hear you ever again thank us for standing by you. We are in this thing together. There will be ups and downs, but if we all carry the load, it will be bearable.” She paused. “Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Ava.”

  “Then go and calm the sisters and get this business back on track.”

  Ava hung up and then climbed the stairs again. The security guard stared at her cellphone. She held it up and punched the off button. He nodded and she slipped it into her pocket.

  The Rembrandts occupied one large room in the centre of the Philips Wing. Ava headed there with purpose, passing some Van Dycks, Vermeers, and Hals. Vermeer’s The Milkmaid caused her to pause for a second, but no more than that.

  The Rembrandt room had paintings on three walls. The fourth was devoted to a written history of the man and his work, in ten languages. Six cushioned benches ran the length of the centre of the room. One was
occupied by a Japanese couple. There was no one else in the room except for a security guard positioned at its single entrance and exit. Ava sat down. For the next ten minutes she took in the entire nineteen paintings from a distance.

  Ava wasn’t an art scholar. Most of what she knew technically about paintings she had learned only months before, when she was involved in running to ground some art forgers. But she loved art in general, in the same way that she appreciated good books and fine films — as the end result of creative processes she didn’t understand and could never emulate. It amazed her what human beings could extract from their imaginations.

  After absorbing the totality of the works on display, she stood and walked towards the nearest wall. Then, painting by painting, she worked her way around the room. She had no idea how long she spent with each, and she had no schedule. Each painting drew her in on its own merits and then released her to move on to the next.

  How did he do it? she asked herself. How could anyone use just a brush and paint to create such complicated, layered, nuanced, multihued images, so awash in light and shadow? She got as close as she could to every painting, her neck stretched forward, her eyes searching for brushstrokes.

  She circled the room once, sat on the bench to reinvigorate her senses, and then went around again. None of the paintings paled on second examination. If anything, their complexity increased. She was in front of The Night Watch — she had no idea for how long — when the security guard appeared at her side. His presence startled her, and for a second she wondered if she had ventured too close.

  “Miss, the gallery is closing,” he said.

  She looked at her watch. It was ten minutes to six. “Sorry, I had no idea of the time.”

  “That’s common enough here.”

  She pointed at the painting. “What a genius he was.”

  “I’ve seen tourists come here every day for a week and never leave this room,” he said.

  “I can understand why.”

  “So perhaps I’ll see you tomorrow. But for now, you do have to leave.”

  “Of course,” Ava said.

  It was dark when she walked out of the Rijksmuseum, which made the wind and the rain seem even nastier. She opened her umbrella and peered into the street, trying to figure out how to get to the pub that Jacob Smits had mentioned. When she felt oriented, she held the umbrella towards the wind and started to walk.