The Night Tiger(55)

“Do you like being a nurse?” I asked as we loaded our trays with tea and toast and soft-boiled eggs.

“It’s all right.”

Eagerly, I asked about the qualifications required, and how to apply.

“But why would you want to be a nurse?” Pei Ling assessed my fashionable cheongsam. “You look like your family’s well-off.”

“No, I’m just a dressmaker’s assistant. This was made at our shop.”

She sipped her teh O, sweet black tea, glumly. “Being a nurse isn’t easy—if you make a mistake, Matron chews you out.”

“But it’s interesting, isn’t it?” I said. “And you can be financially independent.”

I never heard her answer, because Shin slid into the seat opposite. “Where were you? I was waiting for you at the women’s hostel until someone said your room was empty.”

There were shadows under his eyes, and his dark hair was sleek and wet, as though he’d stuck his head under the tap. Despite that, he still had a handsome, wolfish look. You could tie Shin up in a sack and roll him around a field, and he’d still come out attractively tousled. Some people were just lucky, I thought enviously.

I glanced at Pei Ling to see if she had the usual slack-jawed reaction to my flashy stepbrother. That always happened to my friends, but Pei Ling had fallen silent, staring at Shin. It was almost as though she was frightened of him.

“Shin, this is Pei Ling. She’s a nurse here.”

He put on his polite smile, the one used to charm old ladies. “I’m Shin,” he said. “Thanks for looking out for…” He paused and I could tell he was having the same confusion about how to refer to our relationship. “Her,” he said finally, jerking his head at me.

Very smooth, Lee Shin, I thought, exasperated, though I hadn’t managed any better myself. “Pei Ling was wondering if you’d do her a favor. Can you fetch something from the men’s hostel for her?”

“No!” she blurted out. “Just forget it.”

“Are you sure?” I’d never seen anyone have that reaction to Shin before.

“Yes. I have to go now.” Standing abruptly, she shoved her chair back as she fled the cafeteria. Stunned, I followed her as best I could in my stupidly tight dress.

“What’s wrong?” I asked breathlessly. She’d sounded so desperate this morning, as though she’d had no one else to ask. “Don’t you want Shin to get your package back for you? I’m sure he’ll do it.”

“How well do you know him?”

“Since we were children,” I said, puzzled.

She bit her lip, looking away. “I’ve seen him around with Yew Cheung’s friend. The one I don’t like.” Not knowing what to say, I recalled Y. K. Wong was Shin’s roommate here at the hospital.

“Forget it. I’ll get it back myself.” Pei Ling walked off stiffly, her back radiating a clear do not follow sign.

Returning to the cafeteria, I found Shin eating the remains of my kaya toast. “You’re losing your touch with women,” I said gloomily. “And give me back my breakfast.”

“Too late.” He stretched his long legs out under the table. I felt like kicking him, except the cheongsam I was wearing was too narrow to allow it. “What was that all about?”

I told him about Pei Ling and her connection with both the salesman and Y. K. Wong—though when I mentioned that his roommate had tried to follow me home on Friday night, Shin’s face darkened.

“Why didn’t you say anything to me yesterday?”

“Just pretend you don’t know. I don’t want to get involved with him.” Thankfully, Y. K. Wong didn’t seem to have glimpsed my face yesterday. “Though I wonder what Pei Ling wanted you to get for her in the men’s hostel.”

Everything connected to the severed finger, including Pei Ling and her odd request, cast an uneasy shadow. Half of me was rabidly curious, while the other half warned it was best to forget about it. In any case, we were almost done cleaning up the storeroom—a couple of hours more and I’d be heading back to Ipoh.

Shin had finished what remained of my breakfast and now gazed speculatively at Pei Ling’s untouched plate.

“You can have hers as well.”

“Don’t want it.”

“Hers is better—she didn’t even take a bite,” I pointed out.

“I only want your food,” he said languidly.

I rolled my eyes, relieved we were on friendly terms again. Though I ought to be careful with Shin. He might blow hot and cold again. So I said nothing and ate Pei Ling’s toast instead. It bothered me, that she’d seemed so frightened.

A shadow fell across us, and I looked up to see Koh Beng, the porky-jowled orderly. Although it was only morning, his face was covered with a thin sheen of sweat. “Are you all right?” he asked. “You didn’t look well last night.”

It was kind of him to remember. Koh Beng sat down and started eating. Noodles again, with thin succulent slices of pork liver ladled on top of the steaming hot soup. I wished I’d ordered that as well. “Want some?” he asked.

“We were just leaving,” said Shin, standing. I got up as well, discreetly tugging my dress down. Koh Beng’s gaze lingered on my legs.