Jim saw the shadows beneath her tired eyes and the lines of stress around her mouth. It was clear she was barely coping and probably hadn’t slept or eaten properly in days. ‘The name’s Jim Reilly,’ he said. ‘Pleased to meet you.’

‘Elsa Bristow,’ she replied, shaking his hand. ‘I’m sorry, Jim, but as you can see, I’m snowed under – and it will probably get even worse once they start bringing in the POWs from the camps.’

‘But surely you’re not handling this all on your own?’ he gasped.

She shot him a weary smile. ‘Not entirely – although it does feel like it at times. I have several secretaries, but unfortunately those really in charge find paperwork irksome and prefer to deal with other, more interesting things.’

She cocked her head and regarded him thoughtfully. ‘Who were you looking for?’

‘John Angus Charles Fuller – who was known as Jock and was a plantation manager in Malaya, and Philip Tarrant, the owner of the plantation.’

‘I remember them both very well,’ she murmured and gave a weary sigh. ‘I’m sorry to hear they didn’t get out in time – but my husband did write and tell me they’d managed to get Jock’s wife and daughters on ships before Singapore fell.’

Jim nodded. ‘Sarah and Jane came to live with me and my wife in England, and with so little news coming out of this part of the world, they’re frantic to learn what happened to their father and Sarah’s fiancé.’

‘And their mother, Sybil?’

‘She and the baby got passage to Australia and she’s living with her parents in Cairns. But my wife tells me they’re all planning to come here to look for Jock and Philip.’

She sat straighter in the creaking chair. ‘Then you should send a telegram immediately to stop them,’ she said firmly. ‘This place is overrun as it is, and will soon be even worse. The last thing any of us needs is distraught relatives clogging up the place.’

‘I can understand that,’ he replied, surveying the chaotic filing system.

Elsa put her glasses back on. ‘I’m sorry if I come across as blunt, but you can see how it is, Jim. This is no place for Sybil or her girls, but I will certainly do my best to track Jock and Philip down, even if it means the worst news possible. Send that telegram today, Jim. It would be best for all concerned.’

Realising he would get no further for the moment, he smiled. ‘I’ll leave you to it, then.’

He strode out of the office and made his way to the dining room where he collared a waiter and ordered a pot of tea, a plate of sandwiches and a bowl of fruit – it seemed fruit grew in abundance here and the selection was positively mouth-watering. While he waited, he drank a Singapore Sling from a tall, frosted glass, and then ordered another on the waiter’s return before following the man back to Elsa’s office.