by Ian Hamilton
“Wing must have known that as well, so why did he try to kill Xu?”
“You would have to ask Sammy that question.”
“Maybe he thought if he lopped off the head, the body would obey.”
“Ask Sammy.”
“I did. He said the attack on Xu was for the benefit of Li.”
Lam smiled, but his eyes narrowed. “Ms. Lee —”
“Call me Ava.”
He nodded. “And I’m Ban. Ava, I don’t believe Wing said anything of the sort.”
“And if he did it was a lie?”
“If you wish to insist that he said it was for Li, well then, yes, it was a lie.”
“So how do you explain Ko?” she said.
His immediate response was to speak, but he caught his words before they were fully formed. Slowly he sat back in the chair, his eyes not leaving her face.
“He tried to kill me in London, more than a year ago now. I recognized him, of course, when I saw him at the restaurant in Shenzhen,” she said. “You never quite forget the face of a man who’s tried to kill you. Sammy Wing told me Ko was freelancing, but when I pushed him, he admitted that Ko was still working for Li, and so was at least one of the other men who tried to kill Xu and me. So, you know, that’s twice your boss has tried to kill me. I have no idea what I’ve done to offend him.”
Lam poured himself another glass of water. As he drank, his eyes wandered to the Pearl River below. “I know you don’t remember me, but do you remember meeting Li at Uncle’s funeral?”
“No.”
“He was quite taken with you. He told me that in London you fended off Ko and another one of our men even though you were unarmed. He was convinced that Uncle was sleeping with you. He thought he might take a run at you himself if the opportunity came.”
“Instead he tried to kill me.”
He smiled. “Tell me, if you and Xu have assumed that Li was somehow involved in the attack in Shenzhen, why did you only go after Sammy Wing?”
“It’s early days.”
“Bullshit,” he said. “And speaking of bullshit, it’s just occurred to me that I’m sitting here talking to you based on the assumption that you speak for Xu. The only backing for that claim is Uncle Fong.”
“Do you know Suen?” Ava said.
“Of course.”
“And Lop?”
“No, though I’ve heard of him.”
“Do you have a phone number for either of them?”
“Suen.”
“I’ll leave the room and you can call him. When I come back, I want an apology.”
He shook his head and smiled again. “What do you want from me?”
“I want you to help me avoid a war.”
“What makes you think there’s going to be one?”
“As things stand, it’s inevitable.”
“Why?”
“Li has tried to kill Xu at least once, and I think more than once. In any event, once is enough, wouldn’t you agree?”
“I would if you could prove it.”
“Let’s not do that dance again.”
“Okay, we’ll leave it alone.”
“Then we have the fact that Wing was fighting to get Li the chairmanship and was willing to participate in the killing of Xu to make it happen. Even between friends, that’s a bit excessive. So our view is that Wing and Li are partners, not just friends.”
“I’m told that Sammy has paid a price for what he did.”
“Do you know to what extent?”
“No.”
“About a third of his men were killed and Xu has taken control of Wanchai. Sammy is alive, but he’ll do what he’s told. So now Li finds his enemy parked on his doorstep, less than two hours away by car from Guangzhou. How long will it be before Xu decides to seek his revenge here?”
“It would be suicidal if he tried.”
“I couldn’t agree more. But as things stand, he will try, if for no other reason than to prevent Li from trying to kill him again.”
“That will never happen.”
“Explain that to Xu,” Ava said. She leaned forward. “Or better still, explain it to Suen and Lop.”
“This isn’t Wanchai.”
“I know. From everything I’ve heard, you’re probably as strong as Shanghai. It would be an even match, which in this game means everyone would lose something, and they would keep losing until there was a winner. And what would the winner have when it was over? Not much of anything, I suspect.”
“So why do it when the outcome is so uncertain?”
“Because right now there isn’t any other choice on the table.”
“And you’re going to put one there?”
“Yes, because in addition to everything else, I’m also rather tired of Li trying to kill me.”
Lam stared hard at her. “You obviously have something in mind.”
“I do, something that I think is reasonable.”
“It sounds like you want to deal.”
“Why else would I be here?”
“You have my undivided attention,” Lam said.
( 36 )
It was close to nine o’clock when they reached the outskirts of Kowloon. Ava sat in the back of the car alone. Uncle Fong slept next to Sonny in the front, his head collapsed against the window. There hadn’t been much conversation since they’d left the Pearl Dreams. Ava was exhausted from her meeting with Lam — not as physically tired as Fong but drained mentally and in no mood to talk.
Both Sonny and Uncle Fong had waited in the lobby. When she came down, they almost ran towards her as she exited the elevator.
“It went well enough. At least it’s a start,” she said before they could ask. “Lam and I agreed we’ll keep this between the two of us until we get a chance to talk to Xu and Li. So please, let’s leave it at that.”
When she got into the car, she turned on the reading light. In her notebook she recorded the train of her conversation with Lam. It hadn’t run in a straight line, which was predictable, given the nature of what they were discussing, but it was even more complicated than she had anticipated. Lam was subtle and incredibly intelligent, and he preferred asking questions to providing answers. Since Ava shared that last quality, finding common ground proved to be a tortuous exercise. But she hadn’t lost her patience. She’d prodded him and fended off his probes with increasing confidence as she began to realize that, despite being abstruse, they were of the same mind on most matters.
“Do you want me to take you directly to the Mandarin?” Sonny asked.
The question caught her by surprise. Ava had lost track of time as she worked on her notes and shuffled scenarios. “Where are we?”
“In Kowloon.”
“Let me make one phone call and I’ll tell you,” she said, taking her cell from her bag. She called the clinic. “This is Ava Lee. Can I speak to Doctor Lui?”
“He’s gone,” a female voice said.
“How about Mr. Xu?”
“He’s sleeping.”
“Mr. Xu’s friend, Mr. Suen?”
“Just a minute.”
“Yeah, who is this?” Suen snapped.
“Ava.”
“Oh. Sorry if I sounded rude.”
“How is Xu?”
“Better. He ate something tonight and walked around for about five minutes.”
“Do you think he might be up for a meeting outside the clinic sometime tomorrow?”
“I’m no doctor but I’d be surprised if he could handle that.”
“I see. But just in case, does he have a change of clothes?”
“No.”
“Then tomorrow I want you to buy him a new jacket, white shirt, and tie. Take his old jacket with you so you get the size right.”
“Okay.”
&nbs
p; “And when he wakes up, tell him I called and that I’ll be at the clinic by midmorning,” she said. “How are things going in Wanchai? Are Wing and Tan under control?”
“Lop has them.”
“I guess that says it all.”
“I’ll tell the boss that you called and you’ll be by tomorrow,” Suen said. “I already told him how the meeting with Wing went. He couldn’t have been happier. He’ll be pleased to see you.”
I wonder how pleased he’ll be after I tell him about Guangzhou, she thought.
( 37 )
She slept fitfully, her mind churning over the conversation she’d had with Lam and preparing for the one she was about to have with Xu. At six she gave up and slid out of bed. After a quick coffee, she put on her running gear and headed for the MTR and the short ride to Victoria Park.
The night before, she’d ordered room service when she got back to the hotel. While she waited for the food, she started up her computer. There was an email from May Ling saying she’d talked to Bowlby and that the law firm was working on the Beijing agreement. Another from Amanda said she’d finally contacted Gillian. Their conversation had been brief and lacking in detail, but Gillian had promised to respond to their offer within forty-eight hours.
There was one message on Ava’s phone. Jennie Lee wanted her to call her father and arrange a dinner. Her father would have to wait until things were more settled, Ava thought. He tended to interrogate her, and she didn’t fancy either lying or being evasive.
The park was almost quiet when she got there. The jogging track was busier than its perimeter, where the exercise clubs and tai chi groups were just beginning to set up, but she was able to get in five quick laps before it got congested. She did three more laps, starting and stopping, before she became frustrated and walked back to the Causeway Bay station.
She made another coffee when she got back to the room and sat down at the desk with the South China Morning Post. She read the front-page stories and then skimmed her way through the rest, almost missing a headline that riveted her. “Gang War in Wanchai,” it read. The short article was buried near the back. It reported that a gun battle had broken out in Wanchai two nights before and several people had been killed or wounded. A spokesperson for the Hong Kong Police Special Investigations Unit was quoted as saying that two rival Triad gangs were involved and that the SIU was in the process of identifying and arresting suspects. Ava had no idea how much truth there was in that claim, but the fact that the SIU had gone public was bad. She was sure the story had made the front pages of the local Chinese papers; the only thing they loved more than a sex scandal was anything Triad-related.
She put down the paper and phoned the clinic. Dr. Lui came on the line almost at once.
“It’s Ava Lee. I’m calling to see how Mr. Xu is doing this morning.”
“Much better.”
“So he can speak to me if I come over?”
“Yes.”
“How about his mobility?”
“What do you mean?”
“How soon do you think he can leave the clinic?”
“I think he needs at least another twenty-four hours of rest and care. And frankly, that won’t be soon enough.”
“Doctor, did something unpleasant happen?” Ava asked, surprised by his tone.
“My nurse brought me a fistful of newspapers this morning. They’re full of stories about a Triad gang war. In two of them Mr. Xu is mentioned by name.”
“I see.”
“You do understand that I did this for Sonny? Actually, for my sister.”
“Well, your help has been much appreciated. The last thing anyone, especially Mr. Xu, would want is for his presence to cause you any problems. I’ll be at the clinic in about an hour. We’ll start organizing his departure, and the moment you say he can leave, we’ll take him home.”
“Thank you.”
“Now, could you let him know that I’m on the way?”
“I will.”
Ava hung up. The election was two days away. If the doctor’s prognosis was correct, it seemed that Xu would be in good enough condition to attend. What she had to ensure was that, whether he attended or not, the outcome would be the same.
Ava jumped in and out of the shower, dressed, quickly applied some makeup, and left the room with her bag in hand. She waved off the doorman’s offer of a taxi and headed for the Star Ferry terminal. Rush hour was in full flow, and the ferries to Hong Kong Island were jammed with commuters. She had her choice of seats going to Tsim Sha Tsui and took one that gave her a view of the receding Hong Kong skyline. She took out her notebook and began to review the notes she’d made the night before.
When the ferry docked, she went over to the taxi stand. The driver hesitated when she gave him the clinic’s Mong Kok address. She passed him an HK hundred-dollar bill. “That’s your tip in advance,” she said.
They crawled through Kowloon, and Ava felt her patience beginning to fray. She knew it was her eagerness to talk to Xu rather than the traffic that was the cause, but that didn’t stop her silently cursing the motorists around them. When the cab stopped again about a hundred metres from the clinic, Ava had had enough. She passed the fare to the driver and climbed out.
The sidewalk was crowded, and she was almost at the clinic door before she saw the two men standing on either side of it. They were trying to appear casual, but as she moved towards the entrance, both stepped directly in front of her.
“I’m Ava Lee. I’m here to see Xu. Call Suen,” she said sharply.
“Oh, you’re Ms. Lee. Sorry, I didn’t actually know your face,” one of them said, and leaned forward to open the door for her.
She started up the narrow wooden stairway, which smelled of disinfectant even before she got to the door. The clinic had the same smell as every hospital she’d ever been in, and she hated it. In Ava’s mind these were places where people went to die. She knew it was illogical, but it was a visceral response she’d never been able to get rid of. And spending months with Uncle at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kowloon hadn’t helped.
The door opened into a small reception area with about ten chairs surrounding a large coffee table stacked with Chinese magazines. Ava walked to the reception desk.
“My name is Ava Lee and I’m here to see Mr. Xu. Doctor Lui knew I was coming.”
“Just one second,” the nurse said, reaching for her phone.
There was a woman with a small child and an elderly couple in the waiting room. She heard the older woman say something curt to her husband. Ava turned to her. “I’m not here to see the doctor, so I’m not cutting in front of anyone.” The woman looked embarrassed, and Ava felt ashamed for having spoken that way to an elder.
Before she could apologize, she was greeted by Dr. Lui. “Pleased to meet you, and thank you again for everything you’ve done,” she said.
“Come inside,” he said, standing back so she could pass. “Mr. Xu is in a private room at the end of the hall. Go left — you can’t miss it.”
She walked down the hall to a closed door and knocked.
“Who is it?” Suen said.
“Ava.”
“Come in.”
“You should know that your man downstairs let me in because I said I was Ava Lee. I might not have been,” she said.
“I’ll talk to him,” Suen snapped.
Xu was propped up in bed with an IV in his arm. Suen sat near him in a blue leather chair.
“You look good,” Ava said.
Xu shrugged, and then grimaced from the effort. “Well, I am twice as good as I was yesterday and ten times better than the day before. I have some energy back and my head feels less like mush.”
“Are you up for a talk?”
“Sure.”
“I think it might be best if it’s just between the two of us for now.”
&nb
sp; Suen turned and looked at his boss, who nodded. “I was about to go buy you some clothes anyway,” he said. He slid by Ava and left the room.
She stood near the door, fidgeting, shifting her weight from foot to foot. “I should tell you I’m very uncomfortable in hospitals.”
“This is a clinic.”
“Not much different.”
“Come and sit down,” he said.
She settled into Suen’s chair, her head at the same level as Xu’s. “I have to say you look better than I expected. The doctor sounded rather gloomy, but you have colour in your face and your eyes are alive.”
“You should see what is under the gown. I have never seen so many bandages. I feel like a mummy.”
“Well, he’s done a hell of a job.”
“I think so, although when he saw me this morning, he was quite nervous. I wondered if something had gone wrong with me.”
Ava shook her head. “He was reacting to the local Chinese newspapers. The police have been talking up the Wanchai attack. They say it was a Triad gang war, and you were named in a couple of papers. I guess Sonny didn’t tell the doctor everything when he brought you here.”
“I hate publicity,” Xu said. “In all my years in Shanghai I have never been mentioned in any of the media.”
“Hong Kong is a different place. But the good thing is that when something new comes along, they’ll forget about you soon enough.”
“I hope it is not too late. Some of the brothers may see it as well, and they do not like publicity either. You know that the vote is in two days. I do not need to give them a reason not to support me.”
“I doubt that a couple of small news stories in local Chinese papers would upset anyone.”
“You do not know these guys.”
“That’s true.”
Xu pulled himself up, groaning from the effort. Then he looked at Ava and smiled. “Suen and Lop were impressed with the way you handled Sammy Wing and Jimmy Tan. I owe you thanks for that. I meant to say it the moment I saw you, and then we got sidetracked.”
