Back in her room she opened the large window that separated her room from the balcony. Now the Island of Hong Kong lay almost at her feet, a beautiful gem, glittering mysteriously. But this façade of beauty was hiding something evil: somewhere in this city a killer was on the run – probably ready to strike again at any moment.
She had the nagging suspicion that with the Wu clan involved, danger could come from anywhere. The old Mr Wu had picked up a great number of enemies during his long and ruthless career as he had never been very delicate in his choice of means to achieve his goals. He might have overplayed his cards – for once.
Amanda could only hope that the Hong Kong police would do their job and find the true culprit as fast as possible. She stood on the terrace, watching the blinking lights and inhaling the fresh air. At last she calmed down; didn’t her mother always say in times of crisis that things could only get better? On this optimistic note she returned inside, undressed and sank into her bed.
The bed was labelled king size, but this must have been a deliberate understatement: it would easily fit a whole family. But the hotel brochure hadn’t lied: this was probably the most comfortable bed she had ever slept in.
The next morning Susan came over for a lazy breakfast as promised and, as the two friends sat on the sunny private terrace, all gloom was gone. They thoroughly enjoyed the luxury of a late and intimate private breakfast.
‘It’s no use sitting brooding over this mess,’ Susan said cheerfully as she heartily bit into a crispy pain au chocolat. ‘David is influential enough to make the Hong Kong police work in highest gear – and we all know that Jacky will be the answer, so why bother? I’m really thrilled to see this jewellery shop! Just imagine: we’ll walk in it, choose whatever we fancy and we won’t even need to bother so much as to look at the price.’
‘Billionaire or not, I bet David will still have a look at the price, it’s in his blood. But I agree, David lives in a different world. But I’m not sure I’d like to live in his world, it reminds me of a gilded cage. You’re never really free to do what you want.’
‘That’s true enough, but what about living for one day like a truly rich woman? That would be fun!’
They departed in the best of moods after a long and calorie-loaded breakfast with the pleasurable anticipation of doing some window shopping before joining David. Time passed quickly and soon it was time to meet David at the famous Larry’s shop – a jewellery shop that was easily recognized, in fact, not only by its impressive window displays but also as armed guards were placed prominently at the entrance to deter potential visitors who might have the idea of using a gun instead of their credit card to pay for their shopping.
David hadn’t yet arrived but he must have told the shop to expect them as Susan and Amanda were treated like royalty and led into the shop’s inner sanctum, to sit on plush Louis XV-style chairs amidst a display of jewellery that might have rendered an Indian Maharishi if not jealous, at least outright thoughtful.
‘Have you seen this emerald?’ Susan whispered. ‘It’s beautiful, but why is it set into a cluster of coloured gems of all sorts? It’s looks…’
‘Vulgar.’ Amanda finished the sentence. ‘There’s no other word for it. It’s as expensive as it’s tasteless.’
‘But this ring, isn’t it beautiful?’ Susan sighed with delight as she tried the sparkling sapphire on.
‘If you want to condemn Neil to a life of eternal poverty, just go ahead!’ Amanda laughed. ‘Did you see the price tag?’
‘I did, darling…’ Reluctantly Susan took the ring off. ‘But one can always dream… I have a dress that would be just the perfect match. We’d save on that, no need to buy a new one.’
They were still browsing the displays with the help of a tireless shop assistant when David arrived.
‘You look as if you’re having a great time!’ he stated rather than asked.
‘We are! I could spend hours here!’ Susan sighed, close to ecstasy.
‘What kind of budget do you have in mind?’ Amanda asked in a low voice. ‘We’ve seen some beautiful pieces, but as we have no clue what you want to spend…’
‘It’s not a special occasion, so let’s say a hundred to two hundred thousand…’ he replied in a calm voice.
‘Hong Kong dollars?’ Amanda asked, not sure if she had heard correctly.
‘US dollars, of course.’ He noticed her surprise. ‘Do you think I should be looking for something more expensive? You don’t seem sure.’
Amanda swallowed. ‘No, that should be more than enough. I’ve seen plenty of beautiful things, genuine works of art most of them. It’s unbelievable, this shop must be hoarding treasures by the millions!’
‘Yes, it does. There’s even more stored in the vaults downstairs. Let’s have a look now…’ he winked at Susan, ‘before Susan gets totally ecstatic. I hope Neil will forgive me…’
Susan didn’t reply; she was sitting in front of a mirror trying on a diamond necklace, lost to the world. ‘Isn’t this wonderful,’ she muttered again and again, totally oblivious to her environment.
Amanda smiled at her indulgently and took over the task of tactfully guiding David away from the biggest and most dazzling items on display to those that were still very valuable, but – at least – were tasteful and couldn’t be mistaken for flashy costume jewellery.
They settled for an elegant bracelet studded with white and yellow diamonds, a rarity as the assistant explained in awe. David was so intrigued that he looked right away at a matching pair of earrings. But to Amanda’s surprise the deal wasn’t sealed immediately; David now started haggling about the price as if he was dealing with a street vendor. It was quite some time until a satisfying compromise could be reached.
This mission successfully accomplished, David looked at his watch. ‘Time to go. Thanks a lot, both of you. I tend to get lost in this shop, I guess you understand why. There’s simply too much choice.’
‘It is a dream…’ sighed Susan, still in the grips of her shopping high. ‘You can count on me any time, David. One word and I’m all yours.’
David laughed. ‘I’m very happy indeed with my little gift. I’m sure that my girlfriend will love it. But now I have to leave. I’m expecting a business friend to meet me for a casual lunch in the Peninsula Hotel around the corner.’ He hesitated for a second and smiled. ‘What about joining us? That would be lovely.’
‘Why not, a tea or coffee would be just perfect, but are you sure that we won’t disturb your meeting?’ Amanda was concerned.
‘Don’t worry – on the contrary, knowing my guest, I’m sure he’ll appreciate it if I come accompanied by two ladies as attractive as you two. It’s really just a casual lunch meeting, we’ll discuss business later tonight in my office.’
‘I’ll take that as a compliment for both of us!’ Susan appeared delighted.
‘You sure may.’ David smiled. ‘Geoffrey and Neil are lucky guys.’
Before Amanda had time to put things right, David was distracted by the shop assistant who asked him to sign the sales slip. ‘Send it to my home, please. You know Peggy, she’ll take care of the details.’
They were guided out of the shop by the sales manager. He bowed so deep that he almost touched the floor; apparently the deal had made his day.
Out of the shop, they joined hundreds, if not thousands of people who were roaming the bustling sidewalks on both sides. It was unbelievably noisy as double-decker buses roared along, cars raced down the broad street and brakes screamed at the red lights. People were chatting, laughing and shouting while loudspeakers from all sides blared sentimental Chinese and Indian pop songs in a never-ending cacophony of sounds. As they walked on, they were continuously harassed by pedlars, beggars, or suave Indian gentlemen dressed in slightly shabby suits with the inevitable question: ‘Copy watch for the lady?’
Amanda had learned to ignore all of this during the past days; on the contrary, by now she rather enjoyed the lively atmosphere. She had even g
ot used to the strange smells mingling with the fumes of the buses and cars that engulfed the streets – they were a part of this amazing city.
Amanda fell behind Susan and David who had taken the lead – not only as she kept looking at the amazing array of shops but also as her right foot suddenly started to hurt. Something must have slipped into her shoe. There was no way she could go on walking like that; she’d need to take it out. Maybe it was a small stone that would turn out to be minuscule but it felt like a rock – far too irritating to be ignored.
‘Stop and wait for me for a second please!’ she called.
Susan and David obliged and waited for Amanda to catch up. Susan was gesticulating and looked very animated – no doubt she was still under the spell of her visit to the jewellery shop. Amanda removed her right shoe and balanced precariously on her left leg.
‘You look hilarious.’ Susan grinned as she watched her friend swaying like a ship.
‘With a best friend like you, I don’t need any enemies. Why don’t you help me?’
‘Says the woman who pays a fortune to do the same moves during her yoga lessons. Treat it as an exercise. It’s free of charge.’
‘Thanks, Susan, remind me to hate you!’
Trying hard to keep her balance and not get run over by the wave of pedestrians, Amanda turned around. She realized she was standing only a few yards away from the subway MTR entrance, an ideal support to lean on to put her shoe back on. No more yoga moves! As she moved closer she noticed a white Toyota car coming closer, driving far too fast and picking up even more speed now as the traffic lights changed to yellow. The driver must really be in a hurry.
Not believing her own eyes, Amanda saw the car suddenly change direction and head straight towards the sidewalk where David and Susan were waiting, blissfully unaware of the danger as they were still looking in the other direction. Without thinking about what she was doing, Amanda lurched forward and pushed David and Susan to the safety of the wall behind the MTR subway entrance. The car grazed the subway fencing, metal hitting metal with a screeching sound that filled the air, then accelerated again and sped away, creating havoc among the pedestrians who were crossing the street and were a hair’s breadth from being run over by the escaping car.
‘What was he doing? Is the guy crazy?’ Susan shouted, trying to scramble back to her feet.
‘Not crazy – he was aiming for me,’ David replied. He tried to appear calm, but looked very pale. ‘Thanks, Amanda, I think you just saved my life.’
‘Well, this guy meant business, that’s for sure. Did anybody see his face?’
‘I didn’t,’ said David. ‘It all was too fast.’
‘Eight seven eight,’ Susan said.
‘Eight seven eight?’ Amanda repeated, bewildered.
‘Yes, I noticed a part of his number plate. A strange combination – Neil told me that eight stands for luck and fortune in Cantonese but seven may symbolize death.’
David looked at Susan with admiration. ‘That’s brilliant. We should be able to locate the owner of the car fast enough then.’
Quickly he retrieved his mobile from his ruined trouser pocket and spoke in rapid Cantonese. Knowing David quite well by now, Amanda was sure that the capable Peggy would be expected to deal with everything. Then David spoke in a reassuring tone to the people who had gathered around them, gaping, as soon the crowd dissolved.
‘Are we going to wait for the police to arrive?’
David shook his head. ‘No, nothing in fact happened. Only we know what the real intention was. Let’s leave. Peggy will deal with everything.’
Amanda was still in shock but realized how strange they must look to the curious onlookers: she had lost her right shoe, David’s pants were torn and his white shirt smeared with greasy dirt. Susan didn’t look any better – her polo shirt was ruined, as were her jeans.
David followed her glance and commented with a crooked smile, ‘No chance of going to the Peninsula dressed like this. Not even through the servants’ entrance. There’s only one solution: follow me!’
Still dazed and trying to come to terms with what had happened, they followed David into one of the many fashionable boutiques that lined the street. He must have been a well-known customer in this shop as he was recognized immediately. In no time they were surrounded by a haughty-looking elderly lady and her entire army of shop assistant slaves. Half an hour later Susan and Amanda found themselves leaving the shop clad from head to toe in top-notch designer clothes.
‘You’re mad, David, we could have gone to Zara or H&M – this must have cost a fortune!’
‘I owe you my life, don’t forget. But, as you mention those names, I remember I bought some of their shares last year. I must admit though, I’ve never even put a foot into one of their shops. Maybe one day I should. Their shares are performing exceedingly well.’ David shrugged.
‘I don’t really mind wearing Armani for a change…’ Susan looked at her new outfit with approval.
‘Who would? At least we’re fit for your business meeting now and I really need a coffee. It’s been quite an experience,’ Amanda said.
‘A tea,’ Susan insisted. ‘A cup of good strong English tea with a dash of milk and you can face any given situation in life, my mother used to say.’
‘Your wish is my command,’ David replied gallantly. ‘See the building over there, that’s the Peninsula. Your coffee or tea is – so to speak – in sight already.’
As they entered the lobby of the legendary hotel, the outside world paled into oblivion. The Peninsula was a planet of its own, a planet reserved for the rich and the beautiful. The hotel had weathered world wars and the communist revolution, gone from British colonial to Chinese rule, but it had always remained a haven of calm, taste and sophistication. Most importantly, the Peninsula had never yielded to the temptations of short-lived trendiness or the quick buck. Amanda didn’t want to imagine the room prices in a hotel that considered the only suitable means of transport for its guests to be a Bentley or a Rolls Royce – unless you chose to fly in by helicopter.
David had reserved a table in the Verandah, a sunlight flooded, casual restaurant on the mezzanine. It was the Peninsula’s idea of casual dining. Amanda had problems walking straight as her heels sank into a carpet thick as a lawn. She swayed like a frigate in high seas as she made her way between the tables, which were dressed in white starched linen and laid with shining silver cutlery.
The head waiter recognized David immediately (Amanda started to wonder if there was anyone in Hong Kong who wouldn’t) and led them to a table where Geoffrey was waiting for them.
‘Is this your business appointment?’ Amanda asked David with a wink before leaning forward to greet Geoffrey with a kiss.
‘No, that was my special surprise!’ He beamed, clearly happy that his ruse had worked out.
‘He dragged me away from work,’ Geoffrey complained good-humouredly. ‘David always forgets that some people still need to work for their daily bread.’
‘Stop complaining and listen to what just happened to us,’ David said.
But before David could go on, the waiter returned, announcing David’s guest.
Amanda had taken a seat with her back to the entrance as David had insisted the ladies must enjoy the beautiful harbour vista. Now as the guest approached the table she rose to greet him. But as she turned around she froze; she must be imagining it – there could be no other explanation.
‘I hope you don’t mind that I invited some friends for lunch?’ David addressed the guest with a smile. ‘Amanda, Susan, may I introduce Daniel Greenfield? He’s a good friend and business partner from the States.’
‘Of course I don’t mind,’ answered the guest gallantly, ‘but there’s no need to introduce me, David. Believe it or not, we know each other quite well, one could almost say we’re intimate friends, aren’t we, Amanda?’
Amanda thought for a moment that she was trapped in a sort of nightmare – surely she must be dreaming a
nd would soon wake up and come back to reality. But as nothing happened and she noticed Susan’s eyes were almost glazing over, she understood that this was no nightmare: this was reality.
‘We do happen to know each other very well indeed,’ she finally managed to croak rather than speak. ‘Hello, Daniel, nice to see you here… I mean… what a surprise – I thought you’d be in New York for the holidays?’
‘That was my intention, Amanda. But my holiday was cancelled at the last minute, not really sure why, so I decided I should focus on my work instead.’
A long pause ensued as Amanda feverishly tried to come up with a suitable answer. She heard Geoffrey murmuring next to her, ‘So this is the famous Daniel that Susan mentioned. Well, that’s what I’d call a situation!’
Behind the scenes – and beyond
‘Did you succeed?’
‘Almost. I frightened them to death. That chick with the reddish hair, she really has guts.’
The man raised his eyebrows – ever so slightly – and looked at the demolished door of the Toyota.
‘All you succeeded in doing, then… was to frighten them… and ruin the car. Congratulations. Look at me when you speak!’ He didn’t raise his voice but his anger was palpable.
The other man lifted his head, looking guilty yet recalcitrant while he nervously fingered the long strand of hair that was protruding from the mole on his chin.
‘I didn’t blow it – next time I’ll succeed.’
‘You better had,’ replied the soft, menacing voice. ‘Sooner or later I’ll have to report our progress to the head of the dragon… actually, rather sooner than later.’
The man with the mole went pale. A silence ensued while he lit a cigarette, fingers shaking. Inhaling deeply he replied, ‘I’ll deliver next time, I know what’s at stake.’
The older man looked over the waters of Hong Kong harbour, glistening peacefully in the December sun. ‘We all know what’s at stake. So much better to be standing here than to be fed to the fish in the harbour. The Dragon Head does not joke, neither does he like to listen to explanations. He expects results.’
Death in Hong Kong: (Amanda Lipton Mysteries Book 3) Page 12
