The Scottish Banker of Surabaya - By Ian Hamilton Page 0,44
didn’t even know it had. It’s been months since he’s talked to Rocca.”
“Do you think you could ask him to reach out to Rocca? If he doesn’t want to, could he get me Rocca’s contact information?”
“I’m one step ahead of you. Here, write this down,” Yan said, giving her a phone number and a personal email address.
“That’s great. Now, how about the other guy?”
“Henry has never heard of him. In fact, he probably wouldn’t have heard of the bank if Rocca hadn’t been involved. So I did a name search on Muljadi and came up with absolutely nothing.”
Ava made a note and then returned to the question that was gnawing at her. “Johnny, why would the bank close?”
“I have no idea,” he said.
“Take a guess.”
“Not making enough money? I mean, a lot of them come here thinking it’s going to be easy going and then find out otherwise. Others have closed, you know.”
“They were in real estate. How can you not make money doing that in Toronto?”
“You told me to take a guess and that’s what I did. I don’t know what else to say.”
“Sorry, Johnny, I wasn’t picking on you. I just can’t help thinking there has to be another reason.”
“Talk to Rocca. Talk to that guy Muljadi.”
“I’ll try, but I’m going to Surabaya tomorrow. I have a small lead there, so that might work out better for me.”
“That reminds me,” Yan said quickly. “Henry reminded me that we have a mutual friend who lives there. His name is John Masterson. I have to look up his phone number and email. When I do, I’ll send him your number and give him a heads-up that you’re going to be there and that you’re a friend.”
“What does he do?”
“He’s in the crab business.”
Ava’s experiences with the seafood business had been mixed, and her opinion of the people who populated it was harsh. “Thanks. I’ll reach out to him if it’s necessary.”
“He’s a fun guy. Even if you don’t need his help he might be worth contacting.”
A seafood guy and a fun guy — it sounded like a deadly combination. “Thanks, Johnny.”
( 15 )
She slept fitfully, the jet lag and the strange bed overpowering the wine’s effects. Ava dreamt frequently and her father was most often the central figure — always out of reach, a distant figure she chased to no avail, in and out of hotels and airports. That night she dreamt of Maria for the first time. They were in a stranger’s house that was filled with people she didn’t know. The two of them sat on a couch drinking wine as a party swirled around them. Maria undid her blouse and exposed a breast to Ava, urging her to suck the nipple. Ava did, reluctantly, keenly aware of the eyes that were on them. Then Maria pulled up her skirt and began to masturbate. Despite her embarrassment, Ava was aroused and reached down to touch herself. Play, play, Maria said. Ava woke throbbing and close to climax. She slipped her hand beneath the sheets and finished what she had begun in her sleep. Good God, she thought afterwards, what kind of dream was that?
It was just past six thirty when she hauled herself out of bed. Erotic dreams were foreign to her, as were dreams about Maria, and she couldn’t help but be bothered by them. She understood well enough what her father’s distant, unavailable presence meant in her nighttime wanderings, but what was her subconscious telling her about Maria and their relationship?
Ava brushed her teeth and then showered quickly. She wanted to spend some time on the computer before heading for the airport. She threw on her casual wear and then packed her bags so she was ready to go. The room had a hot water Thermos; Ava made herself an instant coffee and took it to the desk.
She opened her book and reread the notes she had made the night before while talking to Uncle and Johnny. When she was done, she replaced the SIM card in her cell with one that had a Toronto 905 area code and the name James Lewis as the caller ID. She punched in the number for Dominic Rocca. It rang once and then flipped to an automated message informing her that the number was no longer in service.
Her computer was still on from the night before. Ava logged in as James Lewis and sent an email to Rocca enquiring about investment opportunities. It took only a few seconds for