by Kevin Kwan
“Oh no! Poor Mario!” Astrid clasped her hands to her face in horror.
“Thank God Mrs. Shi was standing nearby. She knew exactly what to do—she grabbed the can of baking soda and immediately emptied it onto Mario’s head. She saved his life!”
“I’m so glad Mario’s all right.” Astrid sighed in relief.
“So what happened after that?” Nick asked.
“The fight pretty much ended the party, and I managed to drag Carlton back to the hotel, but as I was trying to help him clean up his wounds, we got into the biggest row we’ve ever had. Oh Rachel, I know he was drunk, but he started spewing such hurtful things…he accused me of playing him against Richie…he said I had no one to blame for this whole fiasco but myself, and then he stormed out of the room.”
Rachel thought her brother’s accusations weren’t actually that far off the mark, but she tried to be sympathetic. “You probably need to just let him cool down a bit. Things will be better by the morning.”
“But we can’t wait until morning! After Carlton left, I got a call from Honey Chai the gossip columnist. She’s in Shanghai, but she had already heard all about Richie and Carlton’s fight. Then she told me something even more alarming—apparently several months ago, Richie challenged Carlton to a drag race, and it’s happening tonight!”
“Drag race? You must be joking,” Rachel said.
“Do I look like I’m joking?” Colette frowned.
“Aren’t they a little old for this?” Rachel asked. Drag racing sounded so juvenile to her, like something out of Rebel Without a Cause.
“Hiyah, you don’t understand! This isn’t some kiddie race—they’ll be driving these super-fast cars through the streets at night, evading police all the way. It’s going to be so dangerous! Honey Chai heard that Richie and Carlton are staking ten million dollars against each other, and people all over Asia are betting on this race—that’s why so many of Richie’s friends are here in Paris! Almost every guy I know is obsessed with racing these days.”
Nick chimed in, “Actually, I read an article about this in the paper. All these Chinese kids from rich families are taking part in illegal drag races around the world—Toronto, Hong Kong, Sydney—getting into huge wrecks and damaging millions of dollars in property along the way. Now I know why Carlton was doing so many test laps around the track at Bugatti the other day!”
Colette nodded grimly. “Yes, I thought he was just buying cars for his side business, but now we know the real reason. And he’s been so emotionally erratic these past few days—the disappearing act, the drinking, the fighting—it’s all because of this goddamn race! I feel so stupid, I should have seen this coming from a mile away.”
“Come on, none of us suspected either,” Rachel said.
Colette looked around the room uneasily, trying to decide how much of the story she wanted to tell. “You know, this isn’t the first time Richie and Carlton have tried this. This happened before in London.”
“That’s how Carlton got into that car wreck, wasn’t it?” Nick asked.
Colette nodded sadly. “He was racing Richie down Sloane Street, and his car”—her voice was suddenly cracking—“his car spun out of control and crashed into a building.”
“Wait a minute, I think I read about this…wasn’t it a Ferrari that smashed into the Jimmy Choo boutique?” Astrid piped in.
“That was it! But that’s not the whole story. There were other passengers with Carlton. Two girls were inside the car—a British girl who will never walk again and a Chinese girl who…who died. It was a horrible tragedy, all covered up by the Baos.”
Rachel’s face went pale. “Carlton told you all this?”
“I was there, Rachel. I was in the other car—the Lamborghini that Richie was driving. The girl who died was a friend of mine who went to LSE,” Colette tearfully revealed.
Everyone stared in shock at Colette.
“It’s all beginning to make sense now,” Nick said in a hushed tone, thinking back to what his mother had told him about the accident.
Colette continued. “Carlton hasn’t been the same since the crash. He’s never been able to get over it—he blames himself and he blames Richie. I think he feels like he can somehow redeem himself by winning this race. But we can’t let him get into any car tonight. He’s in no condition—not physically and especially not mentally. Rachel, can you please talk some sense into him? I’ve been calling him nonstop, and of course he isn’t picking up my calls. But I think he’ll listen to you.”
With the full gravity of the situation finally sinking in, Rachel picked up her phone and dialed Carlton’s number. “It’s gone straight to voice mail.”
“I was hoping he’d pick up if he saw your number.” Colette sighed.
“We’ll just have to go to him. Where’s this race taking place?” Nick asked.
“That’s the thing—I have no idea. Everyone’s just disappeared. Roxanne’s off with my security team trying to track them down, but she hasn’t had any luck so far.”
Astrid suddenly spoke up. “What’s Carlton’s phone number?”
“It’s 86 135 8580 9999.”
Taking out her phone, Astrid began dialing Charlie Wu’s private line. “Hey you! No, no, everything’s fine, thank you. Um, hope you don’t mind, but I have a big favor to ask. Does that security whiz still work for you?” She paused, lowering her voice. “The one who tracked youknowwho down with just a mobile-phone number a couple of years ago? Great. Could you help me track down the location of this phone? No, really, I’m absolutely fine. I’m just trying to help some friends out—I’ll tell you the whole story later.”
A few minutes later, Astrid’s phone buzzed back with a text message. “Found him,” she said with a grin. “Right now, it looks like Carlton’s at a commercial garage on avenue de Malakoff, right next to Porte Maillot.”
PARIS—2:45 A.M.
Rachel, Nick, and Colette huddled in the backseat of the Range Rover as it sped toward Carlton’s location. Sitting in silence, Rachel gazed out at the mostly empty boulevards of the Sixteenth Arrondissement, the streetlamps illuminating the elegant façades with that particular golden hue only to be found in Paris. She thought about how best to handle Carlton in his current state and wondered whether they would even get to him in time.
Suddenly they had arrived at avenue de Malakoff, and the chauffeur gestured toward the lone garage that seemed to be a hive of activity. Rachel stared in astonishment as the full extent of the race operation that had been months in the planning finally became clear to her. Through the partially raised garage door, a team of mechanics bustled around a carbon blue Bugatti Veyron Super Sport*3 as if it were being prepared for the Formula One final, and several guys she recognized from the party stood outside the garage smoking. Rachel whispered to Nick, “Can you believe this? I had no idea it would be this much of a production!”
“You’ve seen how the women in this crowd spend their money; this is how the guys spend it,” Nick commented discreetly.
“Look, look! There’s Carlton standing over there with Harry Wentworth-Davies. Ugh, I should have known that wanker was part of all this!” Colette said.
Rachel took a deep breath. “I think it’s best that I try to talk to Carlton on my own. He might be more receptive if the three of us aren’t ganging up on him.”
“Yes, yes, we’ll just stay in the car,” Colette anxiously agreed.
Rachel got out of the car and approached the garage, and Carlton suddenly looked up and noticed them. Grimacing, he staggered out to the middle of the street and blocked Rachel from coming any farther. “You guys shouldn’t be here. How did you even find me in the first place?”
“Does it really matter?” Rachel said, studying her brother with concern. His left eye was blackened, he had a bruise on his jaw, a nasty cut on his bottom lip, and God knows what other injuries under his racing
overalls. “Carlton, please don’t go through with this—you know you’re not in any condition to race tonight.”
“I’ve sobered up—I know what I’m doing.”
Like hell you have, Rachel thought. Knowing it was useless arguing with someone who had clearly had too much to drink, she tried a different tactic. “Carlton, I know what happened tonight. I can totally understand your anger, I really can.”
“I don’t know how you could possibly understand at all.”
Rachel grasped his arm encouragingly. “Look, you have nothing to prove to Richie anymore! Can’t you see that he’s already lost? He’s been totally humiliated by Colette. Can’t you see how much she loves you? Be the bigger man and walk away from this race now.”
Jerking his arm away, Carlton said gruffly, “This isn’t the time to big sister me. Just get out of here, please.”
“Carlton, I know about London,” Rachel said, looking him in the eyes. “Colette told me the whole story…I know what you’re feeling.”
Carlton looked taken aback for a moment, but then his eyes narrowed in anger. “You think you know everything, don’t you? You come to China for two weeks and you think you’re the expert on all of us. Well, you don’t know a thing! You have no idea how I really feel. You have no clue how much trouble you’ve caused me, caused my family!”
“What do you mean?” Rachel looked at him in surprise.
“You don’t even know the damage you’ve done to my father just by coming to China! Can’t you get the hint that he’s been avoiding you like the plague? Haven’t you figured out why you’re staying at the Peninsula? It’s because my mother would rather die than let you set foot in her house! Do you know I’ve been spending time with you just to piss her off? Why can’t you mind your own business and leave us alone?”
His words hit her like a ton of bricks, and she took a few steps back, feeling momentarily winded. Colette sprang out of the car, stomped over to Carlton in her black-and-gold Walter Steiger Unicorn heels, and began yelling right in his face. “How dare you talk like that to your sister! Do you know how lucky you are to have someone like her looking out for you? No, you don’t. You take everyone for granted and only love feeling sorry for yourself. What happened in London was a tragedy, but it wasn’t just your fault. It was my fault, it was Richie’s fault—we were all to blame. Winning this race isn’t going to bring anyone back from the dead, and it’s not going to make you feel any better. But go ahead, get into your car. Go and race Richie. The both of you can go measure your dicks and crash your million-dollar sports cars into the Arc de Triomphe for all I care!”
Carlton stood stock-still for a moment, not looking at either of them. Then he yelled, “Fuck you! Fuck all of you!” before heading back toward the garage.
Colette threw up her hands in resignation and started to walk back to the SUV. Unexpectedly, Carlton sank down onto the curb, clasping his head as if it were about to explode. Rachel turned and looked at him for a moment. All of a sudden, he seemed like a lost little boy. She sat down on the curb next to him and put her hand on his back. “Carlton, I’m sorry for causing your family so much pain. I had no idea about any of this. All I ever wanted was to get to know you, and to get to know your father and mother better. I won’t go back to China if it’s been that hurtful to you. I promise you I’ll go straight home to New York. But please, please don’t get in that car. I don’t want to see you get hurt again. You’re my brother, goddamit, you’re the only brother I’ve got.”
Carlton’s eyes brimmed with tears, and bowing his head, he said in a muffled voice, “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s come over me. I didn’t mean to say those things.”
“I know, I know,” Rachel said softly as she patted his back.
Seeing that things had calmed down, Colette approached the two of them gingerly. “Carlton, I called off Richie’s proposal. Will you please call off this stupid race?”
Carlton nodded wearily, and the women glanced at each other in relief.
* * *
*1 Mandarin for “prick.”
*2 Shanghainese for “bastard with shrunken testicles.”
*3 The Veyron, also proclaimed “the fastest street-legal production car in the world,” set a top speed of 267.856 mph. Park one in your garage today for $2.7 million.
PART THREE
Behind every fortune lies a great crime.
—HONORÉ DE BALZAC
1
SHEK O
HONG KONG
“Oh good, you’re early,” Corinna said, as Kitty was shown outside to the table by the butler.
“My God! The view! I don’t even feel like I’m in Hong Kong anymore,” Kitty exclaimed as she stared at the sparkling azure waters of the South China Sea from the dramatic cliffside terrace of the Ko-Tung villa at Shek O, a peninsula on the southern coast of Hong Kong Island.
“Yes, that’s what everyone always says.” Corinna nodded, glad to see that Kitty was duly impressed. She had arranged the lunch here today specifically because she knew she needed to do something special to make up for the whole Stratosphere Church debacle.
“This is the most beautiful house I’ve ever been to in all of Hong Kong! Does your mother live here?” Kitty asked, taking her appointed seat beneath the arch at the outdoor dining table.
“No. No one lives here full-time. This was originally my grandfather’s weekend retreat, and when he died he very cleverly left it to the Ko-Tung Corporation so that his children couldn’t fight over it. It’s shared among the whole family—we use it like our own private club, and the company also uses it for very special functions.”
“So this is where your mother hosted the ball for the Duchess of Oxbridge a few months ago?”
“Not just the duchess. My mother threw a dinner party here for Princess Margaret when she came with Lord Snowdon in 1966, and Princess Alexandra has visited too.”
“Where are those princesses from?”
Corinna had to refrain from rolling her eyes. “Princess Margaret is the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II, and Princess Alexandra of Kent is a cousin of the queen.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize there were so many princesses in England. I just thought there was Princess Diana and Princess Kate.”
“Actually, her name is Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, and she is not officially a princess of the blood royal. As consort to Prince Will…oh never mind,” Corinna said dismissively. “Now, Ada and Fiona will be here in a few minutes. Remember to be extra gracious to Fiona, because she was the one who convinced Ada to come today.”
“Why is Fiona Tung-Cheng being so nice to me?” Kitty asked.
“Well, for one thing, unlike some of the members of Stratosphere, Fiona is a true Christian who believes in the power of redemption, and she’s also my cousin, so I could twist her arm into helping me. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Ada’s been dying to see this house for years.”
“I don’t blame her. I thought only Repulse Bay and Deep Water Bay had a few big mansions—I didn’t know big houses on the water still existed in Hong Kong.”
“That’s how we prefer it. Shek O is where all the old families have their houses tucked away on the secluded headlands.”
“I should get a place here, shouldn’t I? You’ve been telling me to move out of Optus Towers. This would be like having a place in Hawaii!”
Corinna gave her a patronizing smile. “You can’t just buy a house here, Kitty. First of all, there are only a handful of houses, and most have been in families for generations and will always remain that way. In the rare instance that a property does come on the market, new residents need to be approved by Shek O Development, which controls most of the land around here. Living here is like being accepted into a very exclusive club—in fact, I would say that Shek O homeowners are part of the most exclusive club in Hong Kong.”
“Well, can’t
you help me get in? Isn’t that the whole point of our working together?” And my paying you so goddamn much money every month, Kitty thought.
“We’ll see how things go. This is why it is so important to rehabilitate your image—in time, perhaps your grandchildren might be allowed to buy here.”
Kitty absorbed all this in a sulky silence. My grandchildren? I want to live here now, when I can still sunbathe in the nude on a private terrace like this one.
“Now, do you have the apology to Ada memorized by heart?” Corinna asked.
“I do. I was practicing it all morning with my maids. They thought it was very convincing.”
“Good. I really want this to come from the heart, Kitty. You need to deliver it like this is your one and only chance to win an Oscar. I don’t expect Ada and you to become instant best friends, but I do hope that this gesture will soften her and mark a turning point. Her forgiveness will go a long way toward your being accepted into society again.”
“I will try my best. I even wore exactly what you told me to.” Kitty sighed. She felt like a lamb being led to the slaughter in the muted floral Jenny Packham dress and peach Pringle cardigan that Corinna had chosen for her.
“I’m glad you listened. Just do me a favor and button one more button on that cardigan. Now it’s perfect!”
A few minutes later, the butler announced, “Madame—Lady Poon and Mrs. Tung-Cheng.” The ladies stepped onto the terrace, Fiona giving polite air-kisses to both Corinna and Kitty, while Ada barely looked in Kitty’s direction and hugged Corinna extravagantly. “My goodness, Corinna, what a place! It’s just like the Hotel du Cap out here!”
After the Niçoise salads had been served and a few pleasantries had been exchanged, Kitty took a deep breath and gazed earnestly at Ada. “Lady Poon, there’s no easy way to say this, but I so regret what happened at the Pinnacle Ball. I haven’t been able to forgive myself for my actions ever since. It was so terribly foolish of me to dash up on stage like that when Sir Francis was receiving his award, but you see—I was just so overcome with emotion. I have to tell you something that I’ve never told anyone before…” Kitty paused, looking the ladies in the eye one by one before she continued. “You see, when Sir Francis started talking about all those children in Africa that have been getting tuberculosis, I couldn’t help but remember my own childhood. I know everyone thinks I am from Taiwan, but the truth is, I grew up in a tiny village in Qinghai, China. We were the poorest peasants…we didn’t even have enough money to stay in the village—I lived in a little hut made out of metal and cardboard scraps beside the river with my grandmother. My grandmother raised me all by herself, you see, because my parents were working at a clothing factory in Guangzhou. We grew vegetables in the marshes by the river’s edge. That’s how we fed ourselves and earned a meager existence. But then when I was twelve, my grandmother…” Kitty paused again, as tears welled up in her eyes. “My grandmother contracted TB…and…”
