Sharon’s mind was racing. The girl was but one of the key players in the riot and its aftermath. She needed to identify an influential grassroots leader to convey her messages on the ground and a compliant resident of Little India to publicly receive her care and concern. And then there was that STAR team member whom the entire nation had witnessed single-handedly rescuing the girl. She needed to rope him into her team.

But first, the girl.

Sharon very quickly identified three advantages. Jessica Tan Jia Lin had turned out to be a rather pretty and well-mannered university student. The public would like her. Secondly, she lived with her parents in public housing, which made it easy for the public to identify with her. Last, but not least, the girl was not affiliated or sympathetic to the opposition party. It would be a disaster if she turned out to be a dissident voter who was decidedly against the incumbent party Sharon belonged to.

There was, however, a slight inconvenience. The girl had not, as Sharon had assumed, been sexually assaulted in the ambulance.

Before her visit to the hospital, Sharon had mapped out an action plan. Elvis was right. The public needed to be told whom they should fear. The tragedy of the girl assaulted in the ambulance could unite the nation and direct the people’s collective resentment and rage at the migrant worker community. As a parliamentarian, Sharon could push through new laws that enhanced public safety and penalise the unruly among the migrant workers. She could emerge a champion of the people.

Unfortunately for Sharon, the fact that the sexual assault did not happen had thrown a spanner into her action plan. The girl was not enough of a victim to unite the people.

Sharon made the girl promise not to speak to the media without her guidance. That would give her some lead time. After she returned from the hospital visit, Sharon texted one of her grassroots leader to arrange an impromptu meeting. She knew she had to act fast.

Sasukumar Sathiyaseelan was the chairman of the Jalan Besar Constituency Citizens’ Consultative Committee. The man owned a company that provided security services for condominiums and shopping malls all over the island. His home office was an august three-storey terrace house situated at Desker Road, a stone’s throw from where the Little India riot had erupted. He had been a stoic supporter of the incumbent political party his entire life and had generously provided the party candidates with funds and manpower during past election seasons. Sharon knew she could rely on Sasukumar to effectively convey her messages on the ground. It certainly helped that he also served as treasurer for the Little India Shopkeepers Association.