by John Muir
CHAPTER 42
CONCLUSION
The Swagman Hotel, Manila
T.A. decided to leave the date of his departure as it was, on the original ticket. He spent much of the next two weeks just sleeping and eating. He did not bother with any visits to the red light district.
Henry and Rangi had left on the first day of their return to Manila for wherever they had come from.
T.A. had asked Pater where Henry and Rangi came from. He simply responded with "You just never know where you are likely to find good friends."
T.A. took that as a 'don't ask any further' answer, so he let the subject drop.
It seemed strange to him that once again he had to keep what happened, a secret. Nobody outside those involved would ever be aware of what had happened. It was, after all, supposed to be the Japanese industrialist that was kidnapped by parties unknown two weeks before. Any revelation that the Japanese was in fact kidnapped by Pater only days before, and given to the ones the public thought were the kidnappers, would stretch any imagination.
The frequency of the newspaper reports about the kidnapping and ransom had diminished. Just two days before T.A. was departing, the papers reported that the police and Armed Forces had suspended further attempts at finding Ken Yamada. Operations would be reopened again when they heard further from the kidnappers.
This mystified both Pater and T.A. It was easier, and preferable, to remember the money. Also two days before T.A. was due to depart, Pater gave T.A. an A5 size envelope.
"Should be about 280 of these in there," he said, flashing a US$1,000 note before handing it to T.A. “As for the rest of it, I’ll use a contact to get it to you at your home, otherwise you could get it confiscated passing through Immigration if they searched you.
"You beauty," said T.A., "it was almost worth it. And this time, I'll pay my own hotel bill."
"I've got news for you there kiddo, I never paid it last time."
"Well who did?"
"I confess, I did go down to pay it, but that little lady, Marivic that you had here, apparently she paid it. I asked the manager Ben. She paid with a combination of US and Australian notes on the day she walked out on you."
T.A.shook his head. “This is crazy. I’ll never understand women. Please, just get me on the plane, I wanna get home to my safe little apartment.