Deadly Betrayal: A gripping crime thriller full of mystery and suspense (Detective Jane Phillips Book 4)

by OMJ Ryan

  Just then, Phillips’s phone, on the table in front of her, began to ring. Leaning forwards, she picked it up and showed the screen to Jones. ‘Speak of the devil.’ She answered and switched it to speaker. ‘Senior Inspector Li.’

  Li didn’t waste any time with pleasantries. ‘Did I, or did I not, tell you to stay away from the Gold Star Trading Corporation?’

  ‘Yes, of course. Why?’ said Phillips, feigning surprise.

  ‘You know damn well why!’

  ‘I’m not following you.’

  ‘I’m not a bloody idiot, Jane,’ said Li, almost shouting now, ‘I know you’ve been to their offices this afternoon.’

  Phillips looked at Jones and grimaced. ‘Look, I can explain—’

  ‘Don’t bother. May I remind you, you are a guest in this country, and as such you must follow our rules and protocols. If I tell you someone is off limits, then that’s exactly what they are. Is that clear?’

  ‘Crystal,’ said Phillips.

  ‘I expected better from you of all people, Jane,’ said Li, sounding like a scolding father.

  Phillips felt herself nodding. ‘I know, Billy. It was a mistake. I promise it won’t happen again.’

  ‘It had better not,’ said Li, and rang off.

  Phillips placed her phone back on the table. ‘How the hell did he know about us going to see Genji?’

  ‘News obviously travels fast in Hong Kong,’ said Jones.

  ‘So it seems,’ replied Phillips as she took a drink of beer.

  ‘Well, let’s hope we have more luck getting information out of Lawry and his mate tonight,’ said Jones.

  Phillips nodded, but remained silent. The gnawing feeling she’d had on the plane had returned. She had expected that finding Wong would be difficult, but from where she was sitting now, it appeared almost impossible.

  20

  The Foreign Correspondent Club interior is a strange mix of the colonial British heritage of the island and the new world order of modern Chinese Hong Kong. Clusters of smart leather chairs and mahogany tables lined the walls of the main bar, whilst diners and drinkers perched on high stools at the large rectangular bar in the centre of the room. Above their heads, flat-screen TVs showed 24-hour news and business channels.

  After meeting Phillips and Jones at reception in order to sign them in, Lawry led the way to a quiet table in one of the far corners. ‘It’ll give us a little more privacy,’ he said over his shoulder.

  Watching him walk in front of her now, Phillips was impressed with how well he had aged. He appeared effortlessly chic in his flannel shirt and khaki shorts. His thick, curly blond hair was brushed casually back against his head. As they reached the table, a short Asian man stood and offered his hand.

  Lawry made the introductions. ‘Jonny Wu, this is Jane Phillips and…sorry, I’ve forgotten your name?’ he said, as he looked at Jones.

  ‘Jonesy. Everybody just calls me Jonesy.’

  Lawry produced a wide grin. ‘Jonesy it is.'

  As everybody took seats, Lawry beckoned a waiter over, who appeared in a flash, smartly dressed in black trousers, white shirt and black waistcoat, complete with bowtie.

  ‘Choose your weapons,’ said Lawry, cheerily.

  ‘I’ll have a glass of pinot,’ said Phillips.

  ‘Beer for me, please,’ added Jones.

  ‘Excellent,’ said Lawry. ‘And we’ll have the same again.’

  As the waiter took his leave, Lawry turned his attention back to the table. ‘So, how are you finding Hong Kong so far? Pleased to be back?’

  Phillips bit her top lip for a moment. ‘We’ve had better days, haven’t we, Jonesy?’ she said.

  ‘You could say that,’ said Jones with an ironic chuckle.

  Lawry raised his eyebrows. ‘Oh really? What’s been happening?’

  ‘Well, we made the mistake of trying to get an impromptu meeting with Lui Genji this afternoon, which, you could say, didn’t exactly go according to plan.’

  Lawry laughed now. ‘Turfed you out, did they?’

  ‘Pretty much, yeah.’

  ‘Sounds about right. No appointment, no business. That’s the Chinese way,’ said Lawry.

  At that moment, the waiter returned and passed around the drinks before he stepped away to a safe distance, ready for his next order.

  Lawry took a long drink from his gin and tonic, prompting everyone else to do the same.

  A moment later, Phillips placed her glass down on the table. ‘And if that wasn’t bad enough, our chaperone in the RHKP found out about our impromptu visit. He wasted no time in calling me to make it very clear he wasn’t happy about it, pointing out just how well connected Genji was and how she’s off limits.’

  Lawry’s eyes widened. ‘That is interesting.’ He turned to Wu now. ‘That certainly backs up your thinking, doesn’t it, Jonny?’

  Wu nodded. ‘I’m sure Dan mentioned it to you both already, but I’m an investigative journalist. My focus in the last couple of years has been on the infiltration of Triad families and gangs into legitimate business across Hong Kong, Macau and overseas. Your friend Genji Lui is a big part of that.’

  Phillips sat forwards now. ‘Genji’s a Triad?’

  Wu smiled warmly. ‘Not quite, but she is closely connected to them. On the quiet, of course.’

  ‘How?’

  ‘Her father, Lui Lok Yu, is the head of the Lui Triad family,’ said Wu. ‘There’s no actual proof – there never is with the Triads – but word is he’s pulled together a consortium of sympathetic and like-minded families who have bankrolled the Gold Star Trading Corporation. It’s their way of setting up a legitimate business enterprise. Hong Kong is changing, and the new hardline rule from the mainland has the gangs looking to find alternative ways to launder their money. Behind closed doors, everyone knows China’s corrupt, but it also has a very different external perception it’s trying to create. Long term, it cannot allow the old-school Triad gangster image to tarnish the country’s carefully manufactured “Brand China”.’

  ‘So, where does Genji fit in with this consortium?’ asked Jones.

  ‘She’s the public face of it, as Vice President of the Gold Star Trading Corporation. She was educated in Oxford, she’s young, charismatic, beautiful and ambitious: exactly the image the business needs,’ said Wu. ‘Plus, she’s “Daddy’s little girl”, so she’s loyal to the consortium and completely untouchable when it comes to outside influence.’

  ‘And untouchable to the police, it seems,’ said Phillips. ‘It took less than ten minutes for our chaperone, Senior Inspector Li, to find out about our visit and warn me off.’

  ‘Again, there’s no proof, but it’s widely known that the RHKP turn a blind eye to what’s happening with the gangs’ infiltration of big business,’ said Wu.

  Phillips recoiled. ‘Are you saying the cops are corrupt?’

  ‘Some, yes, but not all of them.’

  ‘What about Inspector Li? Could he be corrupt?’

  Wu shrugged his shoulders. ‘The way the force is run since the British left is far more in line with the policing in mainland China. These days, there’s a lot less autonomy and even the most senior ranks follow the “party line”. If Li was told to keep you away from Genji, that order could have come from any one of the ranks above him.’

  ‘That would explain why his attitude suddenly changed towards our visit,’ said Phillips.

  ‘How do you mean?’ asked Lawry.

  Phillips took another drink. ‘Well, When I called him from the UK and told him I was coming over, he seemed pleased, but by the time we arrived on the island, it was like we were dog shit on his shoe.’

  Lawry chuckled.

  ‘So, what else is known about Genji?’ asked Phillips.

  ‘She’s the driving force behind Gold Star Trading’s overseas investment,’ said Wu. ‘She’s very skilled at buying failing companies and making them profitable.’

  Phillips nodded. ‘Yeah. As I understand it, they’ve already
acquired a chain of casinos in Manchester that was going bankrupt.’

  ‘Yes. It’s all part of Gold Star Trading’s careful strategy to build their overseas brand and portfolio. You see, Manchester, with its world-famous football clubs, the music scene, the media hubs, the regeneration of the city, etc., it presents the perfect backdrop for their overseas ambitions and looks great in investment prospectuses. In fact, in less than a month, Genji is due to present their latest UK development opportunity to investors here in Hong Kong: an enormous twin tower construction in Manchester City centre.’

  That sounded familiar. ‘That wouldn’t be St John’s Towers, would it?’

  ‘I’m afraid I don’t know the name of it. They’re keeping that under wraps until the big launch.’

  Phillips said nothing for a moment as she processed the information. ‘This is all very interesting stuff, Jonny, but we’re here looking for a murder suspect. None of this helps us find him.’

  ‘You’re talking about Jimmy Wong?’

  ‘Yeah. Do you know him?’

  ‘No, I don’t, but Dan mentioned earlier that he works for the Red Dragon Trading Company, in Manchester. That means there’s a very good chance he could have been working for Lui Genji’s cousin, a guy by the name of Zhang Shing, who recently moved over there.’

  Wu had Phillips’s full attention now. ‘Now that is an interesting connection.’

  Lawry’s grin returned as Wu continued. ‘Zhang Shing and Genji grew up together, and are as close as brother and sister. When they both turned eighteen, she went to study at Oxford, whereas Zhang Shing went to work for Genji’s father, joining the Triads. Shing is considered a very, very dangerous man – an enforcer. Again, there is no proof of any of this, but some even suggest he’s an assassin. In fact, that’s rumoured to be the reason why he was shipped off to the UK.’

  ‘What happened?’ asked Jones, taking a drink.

  ‘Shing supposedly killed a high-ranking government official who was making a big stink about the Triad gangs across the island, telling all and sundry that they should be shut down for good. They say Shing silenced the official: tortured him, then cut his head off with a butcher’s cleaver.’

  ‘Jesus,’ mumbled Phillips.

  Wu continued, ‘Anyway, it was a step too far for the government, and they had to be seen to act in order to protect “Brand China”. The subsequent murder investigation brought a lot of unwanted attention to the Triad families, so, about a month after the official’s body was found, Shing flew out to the UK to oversee Gold Star Trading Corporation’s interests in Manchester.’

  ‘Bloody hell,’ said Phillips. ‘This is starting to make sense now.’

  Wu nodded and took a drink.

  Phillips continued, ‘You see, we have good reason to believe that our victim was actively working to block the re-zoning of the St John’s development in Manchester. If that is the same development Genji is about to launch over here – then, without realising it, Vicky Carpenter could have got herself into a fight with the Triads—’

  ‘Which is why Wong killed her,’ Jones cut in.

  ‘It’s certainly the sort of thing the Triads would do,’ said Wu.

  ‘This is unbelievable,’ said Jones, shaking his head.

  Phillips drained her glass and set it back down on the table. ‘So, all we need to do now is find Wong, which is like hunting for a needle in a haystack over here.’

  ‘And I’d suggest that time really is of the essence,’ pressed Wu. ‘If Wong did kill your victim and him coming back to Hong Kong has brought unwanted attention to the Gold Star Trading company, then the Triad consortium will not take kindly to it.’

  ‘What exactly do you mean by that?’ asked Phillips.

  ‘That Wong could well be a dead man walking,’ said Wu.

  ‘My day’s just getting better and better, isn’t it?’ replied Phillips, sarcastically.

  Lawry smiled. ‘Well, whilst you figure out how you’re going to find Wong before the Triads do, shall we have another round?’

  Phillips nodded. ‘Same again, please.’ She stood and pulled her phone from her pocket. ‘I’ll be back in a minute,’ she added, and made her way outside onto the veranda.

  21

  ‘Guv?’ Entwistle sounded surprised. ‘I wasn’t expecting to hear from you. How’s things?’

  ‘Complicated,’ replied Phillips.

  ‘Any luck finding Wong?’

  Phillips let out a deep sigh. ‘Sadly not. What time is it with you?’

  ‘Coming up to 2 p.m.’

  ‘Is Bovalino with you?’ asked Phillips.

  ‘Yeah. He’s sat opposite me now, devouring what looks like half a pig wrapped in a bread roll.'

  ‘Late lunch, is it?’

  ‘Not sure to be honest, Guv,’ said Entwistle, with a chuckle. ‘You know what he’s like; he’s always eating.’

  ‘Well, when he’s finished, I want you both to start looking into a couple of things for me.’

  ‘Sure. What do you need?’

  ‘We think Wong may have been working for a guy in Manchester called Zhang Shing. We’re led to believe he’s in charge of the Red Dragon Trading Company, which owns the Belmont casinos.’

  ‘Ok,’ said Entwistle.

  ‘I want to know when exactly he landed in the UK and who signed off his visa paperwork. We need all his addresses since he moved over, and I want to know how many times he’s been back to Hong Kong or China during his time in the UK.’

  ‘Anything else?’

  ‘The usual: known associates, any convictions or cautions, and see if you can find any connection between him and Wong.’

  Phillips could hear Entwistle scribbling notes on the other end of the line.

  ‘Oh, and send me a picture of his passport photo. I wanna know what this guy looks like.’

  ‘Consider it done, Guv.’

  ‘How soon can you have something for me?’

  ‘I’ll get straight onto my contact in immigration and see what she can dig up for me. She’s usually pretty efficient, but it’ll probably take twenty-four to forty-eight hours, I reckon.’

  ‘Right, well, I’d better leave you to it, then.’

  ‘No worries, and say hi to Jonesy for us. Tell him not to spend too much time in the strip clubs,’ said Entwistle playfully.

  ‘I will,’ Phillips chortled. ‘Chat tomorrow.’

  Standing for a moment in the heat of the night, she listened to the sound of the city around her; the buzz of cars honking their horns on the nearby Wyndham Street and Ice House Street, the roar of planes coming in to land above her head, the distant sirens somewhere in the mass of buildings surrounding her, juxtaposed the polite chatter coming from inside the club. The warm breeze dancing across her cheeks reminded of her teenage years on the Island. She had loved this city and the untold excitement and possibilities it had offered back then. She’d been devastated when her parents had announced they would be leaving once the territory was handed back to China in July of 1997. Phillips recalled the heartbreak of saying her farewells to all her friends – as well as her first true love, Daniel Lawry. Turning, she glanced back into the club to see him gesturing to her now, indicating that fresh drinks had arrived. She nodded and held up her index finger. ‘One minute,’ she mouthed, then dialled Li.

  After what seemed like an eternity, the call eventually went to answer machine. Phillips ended the call and tried again, with the same result. This time she left a message. ‘Billy, it’s Jane. If you get this, can you call me back? I have some information I need to share with you on Wong. Thanks.’

  Staring down at the phone, she wondered if she had done the right thing calling him. Was Billy Li corrupt, or was he, as Wu had suggested, most likely toeing the party line. Whichever one it was, the reality was that the clock was ticking and she needed a reaction from him one way or another. If she was going to find Wong before the Triads killed him, she needed to know if Li was on her side or not.

  Closing her eyes
, she took a deep breath and soaked in the atmosphere one more time before she pushed her phone into her pocket and headed inside.

  In the taxi back to the hotel, Jones was unusually quiet as he stared out of the window. For most of the evening he had chatted comfortably with Lawry and Wu, and had seemed more like his old self. Then, as the conversation drifted onto the details of Carpenter and Townsend’s affair, he had become quiet and reserved again. He had hardly spoken a word since.

  As the cab pulled onto Queen’s Road East, Phillips decided it was time they had a proper talk. ‘What’s going on with you at the minute, Jonesy?’

  Jones flinched and spun his head to face her. ‘Sorry?’

  ‘I’ve worked with you long enough to know when something’s not right, and you aren’t yourself. What’s up?’

  ‘Nothing. I’m fine,’ he said, without conviction.

  ‘Bullshit, Jonesy. Something’s not right.’

  Jones said nothing for a moment as the cab stopped at a set of red lights.

  ‘Come on, mate. If there’s something wrong, then maybe I can help.’

  ‘I doubt it,’ said Jones.

  ‘So there is something?’

  Jones nodded.

  ‘Is it the job?’ asked Phillips.

  ‘No, no. Well…maybe.’

  ‘Look, we all get stressed, and God knows we see things most people should never have to see. That can take its toll. I know that better than most.’

  ‘The job’s not affecting me. The problem is what it’s doing to Sarah.’

  Phillips was taken aback. ‘I don’t understand.’

  ‘She says she’s had enough of being an MCU widow, and thinks we need time to figure out what we both want from life.’

  ‘Oh, God. I’m sorry.’

  ‘Apparently I’m never at home and she never sees me.’

  ‘That’s my fault,’ said Phillips. ‘I’ve been working you guys too hard. Look, if I’d known, I would never have asked you to come all the way out here.’

  ‘It’s nothing to do with you, Guv. I choose to be available. I’m the one that works on weekends when there’s no need. It’s on me – and besides, I wanted to come to Hong Kong. Beats being at home pretending everything’s ok in front of the kids, when inside I’m dying.’