The Imam of Tawi-Tawi

by Ian Hamilton

  “Let me make some calls,” she said.

  ( 2 )

  Ava had not been misleading Chang when she said she had meetings scheduled in Shanghai, but what she didn’t tell him was that she’d already had doubts about attending them.

  Ava and her partners, May Ling Wong and Amanda Yee (who was also her sister-in-law through her marriage to Ava’s half-brother Michael), owned Three Sisters Investments. One of their largest holdings was in PÖ, a recently formed fashion design company based in Shanghai. PÖ was run by Chi-Tze Song, a Three Sisters employee, and by Gillian Po, who was the sister of Clark Po, the brand’s visionary young designer. They had successfully launched the company in Asia the year before, and just a month ago they had introduced the line to fashion buyers and journalists from North America and Europe, at London Fashion Week.

  Initially London had been a success, so much so that PÖ attracted the attention of VLG, a Milan-based luxury-brand conglomerate. But when Ava and her partners turned down VLG’s bid to buy Three Sisters’ shares in the company, the directors of VLG retaliated by attempting to damage PÖ’s reputation in the industry and shut them out of the major Western markets. PÖ fought back, and at a meeting in Macau, VLG had agreed to end the hostilities and help repair PÖ’s reputation. The deal was brokered by Ava’s friend Xu, the Triad leader in Shanghai and a silent partner in Three Sisters, and by Franco Bianchi, who ran the Camorra Mafia organization in Naples and was a silent partner in VLG.

  In the days since Macau, VLG had been true to its word, and the meeting in Shanghai was to lay the groundwork for recontacting key Western markets. Ava was feeling some concern that her presence might inhibit contributions from the people who were actually running the business. She was also wondering why May Ling — who had been in nearby Hong Kong when they negotiated the truce in Macau — had begged off going to Shanghai and instead had returned to Wuhan. She had said there were business issues there that needed her attention, but Ava sensed that something else was in play. She reached for the phone and called her.

  When May Ling answered, Ava could barely hear her over the background noise. “I’m in a restaurant. I have to go outside to talk,” May said. A moment later the noise died down and she came back on the line. “Where are you?”

  “I’m still in Kunming.”

  “I’ve been thinking about you all weekend. How did it go with Fai?” May knew Fai from Shanghai and London, where Fai had modelled for PÖ’s runway shows. On a more personal level, she had also spent some time with her and Ava in the bar of the Hong Kong Mandarin Oriental Hotel, on the night that Ava and Fai became lovers. She had long been privy to Ava’s sexual orientation, and now she was aware of Fai’s and the emergence of their relationship.

  “It was wonderful.”

  “How wonderful?”

  “May, I’m not going to talk about my sex life.”

  “My problem is that I don’t have a sex life to talk about.”

  “Well, good friends though we are, I still don’t want you living vicariously through mine.”

  May laughed. “Is that what you’re calling to tell me?”

  “No. I’ve been thinking about Shanghai and whether I’m really needed at the PÖ meetings.”

  “What’s caused you to ask that?”

  “Something else has come up and I’m wondering what I should do about it,” Ava said. “I was also thinking about your return to Wuhan. I know you said it was because you’re busy, but I keep thinking there might be some other reason.”

  May didn’t respond right away, and in that hesitation Ava knew immediately that her instincts had been correct.

  “I didn’t think it was a good idea for me to go to Shanghai,” May said carefully. “Amanda and Chi-Tze have the hands-on responsibility for Three Sisters’ concerns in that business, and Clark and Gillian are one hundred percent dedicated to it. I felt they should be left to go at it on their own. I know they’re all young, but they’re also very smart and committed, and they won’t learn how to run and grow a business with me looking over their shoulders. They need to make their own decisions and know that they’re trusted to do it.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me how you felt before you left Hong Kong?”

  “I didn’t think it was my place to suggest that you go to Shanghai or not. And truthfully, I wasn’t sure whether my reasoning applies to you in the same way. You’re closer in age to them and you have a different set of relationships. I’m like their mother; you’re a slightly older sister. And let’s not forget, you’re the one who actually saved the business.”

  “May, we’re equal partners. What applies to you should apply to me.”

  “I didn’t want to impose my opinion on you about how we should operate, because that’s all it is — an opinion. If pushed, I could probably even make an argument for our being there, but in this case I felt it was best to back off. We’ve given Amanda and Chi-Tze lots of responsibility, and there are times when they should be allowed to exercise their authority completely. I thought this was one of those times.”

  “I do wish you’d discussed this with me beforehand,” Ava said. “I’m still learning how to work with a team. I’ve spent too many years operating on my own.”

  “Next time I’ll speak up.”

  “Thanks. What’s strange is that I was having the same kind of thoughts, but I didn’t know how to express them.”

  “Does that mean you’ve decided not to go to Shanghai?”

  “I have now. I’ll call Amanda to let her know.”

  “I think it’s the right decision, and I’m really glad you were considering it before talking to me. I’m sure Amanda and the others will understand,” May said. “So what will you do instead? Spend more time with Fai?”

  “She starts shooting tomorrow. She’s going to be completely tied up for weeks,” Ava said. “But I’ve been invited to Manila. In fact, that’s the other reason I wanted to talk to you.”

  “Who do you know in Manila?”

  “Chang Wang and Tommy Ordonez. Chang called me a few minutes ago. He said he knows you and Changxing very well. Is that true?”

  “It is. In fact, Changxing is a partner with them in a Chinese cigarette factory. I’ve only met them socially and have never done any business with them directly. Why did our names come up in your conversation?”

  “I mentioned that you’re my partner,” Ava said. “He had called to ask me to help him and Ordonez with a problem they have. I told him I’m not in the debt collection business anymore, and that you and I have our own investment company. He was very complimentary about you.”

  “Knowing him, I’m sure you’re exaggerating about the compliments,” May said. “What did he say when you told him you aren’t in the old business?”

  “He told me their problem has nothing to do with that. He asked me to go to Manila tomorrow for a meeting, and he made it clear that if I accept, he’ll consider it a personal favour. He asked me to commit to one day, but with all the flying involved, it will most certainly be two days, if not more.”

  “What’s the problem?”

  “He told me it’s serious but wouldn’t give any details over the phone. He said he wants me to get those directly from the sources,” Ava said. “The thing is, I’ve never known him to overstate anything, and he was quite insistent, though in the politest way imaginable. He even said ‘please’ several times.”

  “The Sledgehammer said ‘please’? That’s a first,” May said. “He usually just curses and makes loud threats.”

  “I’ve heard that about him but I’ve never experienced it,” Ava said. “He has never been anything but courteous towards me. But then Uncle and I did save him and Ordonez fifty million dollars, and considerable embarrassment.”

  “I remember hearing about that. I was told that Chang and Uncle were lifelong friends, which also speaks well for him.”

&n
bsp; “But May, I don’t know what to do. Now that Shanghai is off the table, I have the time, but I don’t know if I’m willing to take on someone else’s problems.”

  “Chang and Ordonez have to be the most powerful business combination in the Philippines,” May said.

  “I think that’s true.”

  “I also have to say that I’m intrigued by the manner of Chang’s request,” May said. “He and Ordonez obviously have tremendous respect for you. Having them indebted to you could be very good for our business in the Philippines and here in China. Chang still has deep financial roots in Hubei and Wuhan, and Ordonez has made some substantial investments in and around Qingdao.”

  “Are you telling me I should go to Manila?”

  “No, but there might be some benefit for us if you did.”

  “It could also turn negative if I went and then decided not to help or couldn’t help with whatever problem they have,” Ava said. “I need to think about this a bit more.”

  “I’m sure whatever decision you make about Manila will be the right one. You know Chang better than I do.”

  “I’ll let you know as soon as I’ve made up my mind.”

  After they said their goodbyes, Ava sat quietly and thought about Chang. How well did she actually know him? She’d met him in person twice, both occasions related to the recovery job she was doing for him and Ordonez, and both times with Uncle by her side. He had come to Uncle’s funeral and they may have exchanged words, but she had no specific memory of that, or of anything else that day except for the shock of meeting Xu for the first time.

  She hadn’t even known Xu existed until a few days before, when had he sent some of his Shanghai Triad crew to Borneo and saved her life. He had appeared at her side as she was walking behind Uncle’s casket to the graveyard in Fanling, and after the burial he walked back with her to the funeral home. On the way there, he told her that Uncle had been mentoring him for years, and that one of Uncle’s last wishes was for the two of them to forge a relationship. Despite her initial doubts they had done exactly that, and now she considered him the most important man in her life, her ge ge — big brother.

  Would Xu know Chang? she wondered. He must, she reasoned. His father, like Chang, was from Wuhan and had been a lifelong friend of Uncle’s. But had Chang and Xu’s father stayed in contact? Ava reached for the phone and called Shanghai.

  “Wei,” a woman’s voice replied.

  “Auntie Grace, it’s Ava.”

  “Hello, my dear, how are you? Xu said you will be visiting Shanghai in the next day or so. I know he’s meeting you for dinner, but will you be coming to the house?”

  “I’ve had to change my plans,” Ava said to Xu’s elderly housekeeper, who had once been his nanny. “That’s one reason I’m calling. Is Xu available to chat?”

  “He’s sitting outside by the pond with a glass of whisky and his cigarettes,” she said, disapproval in her voice. “I’ll take the phone to him.”

  There was silence, then Ava heard a door opening and Auntie Grace say, “A call for you. And don’t shake your head — it’s Ava.”

  “Mei mei,” he said a few seconds later. “Are you in Shanghai already?”

  “I’m still in Kunming and I’ve decided not to go to Shanghai. May and I have just talked, and we feel it’s better for Amanda and Chi-Tze to manage the meetings with the Pos.”

  “Things are still on track?”

  “Absolutely. VLG has followed through on all of the commitments they made.”

  “That’s good to hear. And even though you don’t think you’re needed at the meetings, you do know that you don’t need a reason to come to Shanghai. Come and stay here for a few days. Auntie Grace would be thrilled.”

  “As tempting as that is, I have another offer that I’m considering, and I want to discuss it with you,” she said.

  “Offer?”

  “Yes. Do you know Chang Wang?”

  “For more than thirty years. He and my father were friends and I’ve met him many times.”

  “Was he a member of the Heaven and Earth Society?” she said, referring to the formal name the Triads used for their organization.

  “I’ve heard that he took the thirty-six oaths, but I don’t believe he was ever active. Why do you ask?”

  “I was just wondering, given his association with Uncle and your father.”

  “I assume he’s the person who made you the offer?”

  “Yes. He phoned to ask me to go to Manila to look into a problem he and Tommy Ordonez have,” Ava said.

  “What kind of problem?”

  Ava related her conversation with Chang, including his reluctance to give her any details.

  “He’s consistent — the most close-mouthed person I’ve ever met,” Xu said when Ava finished. “Information is power and power gives you control. That’s how he and Ordonez have always operated. If they can’t completely control a project, they’re usually not interested in it.”

  “This is a problem, not a project.”

  “That won’t change the way they think and act.”

  “You sound as if you’ve had some unpleasant experiences with him…with them.”

  “My father tried to do some business deals with them, but nothing was ever finalized. There was always that problem of who had control. And then, of course, their idea of a fair profit split was ninety-nine percent for them and one for us.”

  “Why did your father bother?”

  “On a personal level, he and Chang were close. They grew up together with Uncle in Wuhan. They escaped China together and they helped each other over the years. The main problem with doing business with him is Ordonez. On his own, Chang can be reasonable. But when he’s with Tommy, he takes on Tommy’s personality.”

  “I saw some of that when I was chasing money that had been stolen from them,” Ava said. “When Chang was alone with Uncle, he was more considerate, almost gentle.”

  “He had tremendous respect for Uncle, and from the sound of what you’re telling me, it’s a respect he may have transferred to you.”

  “I don’t know how you can make that inference.”

  “He may be closed-mouthed, but when he does talk, he doesn’t dissemble. When he said that he and Ordonez trust you, I’m sure he meant it.”

  “Except he doesn’t trust me enough to tell me specifically why he wants me to go to Manila.”

  “He told you enough to tempt you, though, didn’t he.”

  “He did, and May thinks that if I take it on and it works out, it could help our business prospects in the Philippines and in China.”

  “They’re heavily invested in both places, and you can’t overestimate their guanxi, their influence, especially in the Philippines. May’s correct that having them on your side and owing you favours could open many doors for you. Their guanxi is the benefit you want, rather than any attempts at a business partnership.”

  “Is it substantial enough to justify my going to Manila?”

  “I think so,” Xu said, and then he paused. “But Ava, I don’t recommend that you go unless Chang is more forthcoming up front. Remember what I said about information, power, and control. You need to let him know that if you go, it will be on your terms and not his. As a first step, I think you should demand more information.”

  “I like that idea, although I have to say they already know I work on my own terms. We butted heads a few times when I did that job for them. They know they can’t push me around.”

  “Then you already have the advantage.”

  ( 3 )

  After her conversation with Xu, Ava thought about calling Amanda, and then she decided there was no point in putting off Chang.

  “Ava, I’m so pleased to hear back from you so quickly,” he said.

  “I’ve rearranged my schedule,” she said. “So I can come to Manila if I d
ecide to.”

  “If you decide to…You still haven’t made a decision?”

  “No. Before I do, I want more information about the problem you’re facing.”

  He paused. “I explained to you that I don’t want to do that over the phone. It’s best done here in person.”

  “You mentioned that it would be someone other than you who would be briefing me. Who is it?”

  “The name wouldn’t mean anything to you.”

  “Uncle Chang, in case I’m not being clear, let me be very specific. You need to tell me a lot more than you have, or I’m not coming to Manila. And I apologize if you think I’m being rude.”

  “Your candour is appreciated.”

  “Appreciated enough to have it returned?”

  He hesitated long enough that Ava began thinking about where she would go when she left Kunming. Hong Kong? Toronto?

  “His name is Miguel Ramirez,” Chang said. “He’s a Philippine senator, and he’s our partner in a business that we think might be at risk. I’m sure if you go online you’ll find a substantial amount of information about him, but nothing about our business partnership. We all thought it best to keep his involvement private.”

  “I’ll do a search, and thank you for disclosing his relationship with you,” Ava said. “Now this business, this problem — is it in Manila?”

  “The business and the potential problem are not directly connected. As I told you, this is a complicated matter that goes far beyond our normal commercial concerns. The senator can outline it in detail.”

  “But you haven’t answered my question. Is the problem in Manila?”

  “That is very difficult to answer.”

  “Uncle Chang —”

  “Ava, don’t be annoyed,” he said quickly. “I’m not being evasive. I’m just trying to accurately represent the potential complexity of this problem. While the simple answer to your question is that it has its source in Tawi-Tawi, its impact could be far more widespread.”