Death in Hong Kong

by Martha Fischer

  ‘May I present you to my sister, Cynthia.’ David’s attitude changed ever so slightly; there was no more warmth in his voice, although he remained the model of politeness.

  His sister approached them, a cocktail glass in her hand. ‘Geoffrey, darling, it has been ages since I’ve seen you. Is this your latest girlfriend? Isn’t she pretty.’

  She turned towards Amanda. ‘He’s a bad boy, I can only warn you. He looks so innocent, like a baby, but… better take care.’

  Amanda was a bit surprised by this strange welcome but she didn’t show it. ‘Nice meeting you, Cynthia. I’m Amanda – and actually I’m not Geoffrey’s latest girlfriend. But you must tell me more about him, he always pretends to be a model of propriety.’ She laughed.

  ‘Come on, Cynthia, don’t exaggerate,’ Geoffrey groaned.

  ‘He’s such a bad boy, I don’t know how he gets away with. And yet everybody will swear that he’s such a nice guy,’ Cynthia replied with a playful slap on his wrist. Then she emptied her glass and giggled. ‘I’ll tell you more with pleasure, Amanda. Look at his innocent eyes, a very helpful gift from Mother Nature. Most people tend to underestimate him. But he knows every trick in the book when it came to matters of business. Anyhow, you can’t be careful enough with men, trust me. I have a lot of experience.’

  Before Cynthia could go into any salacious details, Geoffrey intervened. ‘Look, Susan and Neil are waving at us. Cynthia, David, I apologize but we must go and greet them.’

  ‘I didn’t see them waving,’ Amanda commented in a low voice as they walked over. ‘You seemed to be pretty hurried to leave Cynthia, just as our conversation started to become… sort of interesting…’

  ‘Stop teasing me, Amanda, she makes it all up!’ Geoffrey managed to look as innocent as a baby.

  Amanda had to laugh. ‘Of course she does, it must be all fiction. I never doubted for a second that you’d been living like a celibate monk since the day you arrived in Hong Kong.’

  ‘That’s a bit of an exaggeration. I might have strayed from the path of virtue from time to time, but…’ But whatever else he might have added remained unsaid as Susan had now noticed their arrival and drew Amanda to her side.

  ‘Darling, you look absolutely fabulous! I’ve never seen you in that dress – daring neckline, if I may say so, but very nice! But look at those people over there, doesn’t that woman look horrid, like a dried prune. Look how she’s tarted herself up. She must be way over sixty and dresses like a teenager.’

  Susan rambled on and kept Amanda busy for a considerable amount of time; there was so much to be discovered and discussed. Talking animatedly, they strolled around the numerous rooms that had been opened for the guests. But then Susan was called away by Neil; he wanted to present her to some fellow professors from a local university. Amanda had no desire at all to participate in a conversation that would probably lead to a very dry and protracted scientific discussion and quickly ducked away. Curious to discover more about David’s house she followed a staircase leading downwards. Here the noise of the party became more subdued and she ended up in a library where only a few guests had gathered.

  It was a striking room, not so much because of its size but rather owing to its style and decoration. The mahogany shelves were of traditional British style and the furniture a mix of old colonial and ancient Chinese – probably worth a fortune by themselves as they were made from solid ancient wood, not Ikea style spruced up with cheap veneer. But the whole room had clearly been built and decorated with one aim in mind: to accommodate and put into the limelight the ancient statue of a Buddha that dominated the room –a unique work of art.

  Amanda had never seen such a beautiful sculpture of Buddha before in her life.

  It was impossible to stay in Hong Kong and not encounter plenty of cheap prints, paintings or golden statues of any kind and style of Buddha. Most of these were of doubtful taste and quality but they were present everywhere in the city. Very often they depicted a joyful, simpering Buddha with a large belly – very different from the ascetic and charismatic young prince he must have been in truth before he had been enlightened and adopted his new name.

  But here, in the centre of the library, gleaming under warm spotlights, the ancient statue had been placed. A wooden carving of a squatting ascetic, almost ethereal Buddha. The sculpture was covered all over with gold leaf and had the most remarkable green eyes. This Buddha was young, lean and radiated a majestic dignity. Those disconcerting eyes were staring at something that most human beings would never be able to understand or behold, ignoring the noisy intrusion of mortal humans. The style of the carving, the patina on the gold leaf said it all: this statue must be hundreds of years old. Amanda stopped, spellbound. She couldn’t define what kept her staring at the Buddha – but she couldn’t tear herself away from it.

  ‘Admiring the Li family Buddha?’ asked a young, amused voice behind her.

  Amanda turned around, blushing as if she had been trapped stealing cookies from the larder.

  ‘Oh yes, isn’t it an amazing piece of art? It radiates calm and divine dignity. Has it been in the family long?’

  ‘Yes, almost forever. We have no idea actually how long. Basically from before any written record existed, handed down from every head of the family to his successor. When my grandfather was forced to flee from Shanghai to Hong Kong, he left everything behind. This was the only thing he rescued from his very considerable fortune. For generations every male Li had only one goal: to own this statue.’ The young man chuckled. ‘Rumour has it that grandfather even left his five concubines behind when he had to choose – not a true gentleman by today’s standards.’

  ‘It must have been difficult enough to flee with his wife – I understand they were rich and from the upper class, so your grandmother’s feet must have been bound. She would barely have been able to walk at all.’

  ‘I never thought about that, but you’re right. It must have been sheer hell for her. You seem to know our history quite well, Mrs…?’

  ‘Call me Amanda, please. I’m a history teacher so please excuse me falling into the bad habit of lecturing people. I haven’t had the pleasure…?’

  ‘I’m Lewis Li, the brother of the host. I can see that you’re really interested in our traditions.’

  ‘Absolutely – I find it fascinating!’ Amanda was full of enthusiasm. ‘Here in Hong Kong I’ve discovered a rare mix of living traditions, yet embracing a modern lifestyle. It’s really intriguing.’

  ‘It is. People won’t leave their home without their smartphone and yet they believe in horoscopes and feng shui for their daily lives. My father only had his home built and decorated after a master of feng shui had laid out the plans.’

  ‘So you believe in horoscopes?’

  ‘I’m a typical goat.’ He smiled. ‘In China we don’t believe in monthly signs of the zodiac, we have twelve yearly signs. The typical goat is pleasant, gentle and calm.’ He grinned. ‘That’s me. By the way, did you meet my sister? She’s a rat.’ He laughed. ‘But it’s only her zodiac sign, she’s very kind.’

  ‘What about your brother’s sign, to complete the family?’ Amanda asked.

  ‘David’s a goat as well, but some would say he’s a monkey in disguise.’ A strange smile was playing on his lips.

  ‘A monkey?’

  ‘Yes, the monkey is reputed to be sly and, whatever people might say, David is an excellent businessman.’

  Amanda smiled back, a bit unsure; she had detected a note of bitterness in his voice. Quickly she changed the subject. ‘Your sister, Cynthia? Yes, I did. She’s charming.’

  ‘Who’s calling me charming?’ came a voice from behind.

  ‘I did.’ Amanda smiled. ‘Your brother Lewis was kind enough to show me the Li family Buddha.’

  ‘The male Li family Buddha!’ Cynthia snorted. ‘I guess you forgot to mention that, Lewis?’

  Lewis shrugged. ‘Is it really important? I told Amanda that the statue has been handed down for
hundreds of years from each head of the family to the next generation.’

  Cynthia laughed, but it was not a very joyful sound. ‘Well, that’s part of the story, but not all. See the Buddha’s right hand, Amanda?’

  ‘Yes, I do. The gold leaf is worn, I can see the wood through it.’

  ‘All the male members of the family are supposed to kiss the Buddha’s hand at Chinese New Year. If they fail to do so, the coming year will bring bad luck. As you can see he’s been kissed thousands of times already.’

  ‘And the women?’

  ‘We’re Chinese, Amanda, women don’t count. Who cares about us?’

  ‘I do, darling. You should know that. I was looking for you. I asked the butler to prepare your favourite cocktail. I thought that you might like one, it’s so hot in here.’

  Amanda turned around and spotted a very attractive man of surprising height; only his greying temples betrayed the fact that he must be beyond forty. And yet he looked younger than Cynthia. She took the glass and looked into his eyes. ‘Oh, Jacky, what would I do without you? You’re such a darling!’ Then she turned around. ‘May I present my fiancé, Amanda. Jacky and I plan to get married next year.’

  ‘As soon as possible, my love.’ Jacky kissed her hand and addressed Amanda. ‘You like the Buddha?’

  ‘I adore it, it’s a unique piece of art. Was it sculpted in China?’

  ‘Nobody knows its origins but David told me it appears more probable that the statue had been brought by a daring ancestor from Thailand or Burma. Only later in Beijing the eyes have been replaced with jade stones. Do you know anything about jade?’

  ‘It’s a green semi-precious stone?’ Amanda answered.

  Jacky chuckled. ‘That’s what most people think. For us Chinese, jade is an imperial stone, a link to heaven, and we’re prepared to pay a fortune if the jade is pure. These stones are priceless, not only because of their beauty. They have a special history.’

  Amanda was spellbound. ‘Tell me more, please.’

  ‘These stones were removed from the crown of a celestial emperor dating back to the Ming dynasty. The story goes that a Li ancestor serving as a magistrate at that time saved the life of the emperor in battle and was rewarded by this unique gift.’

  Amanda looked at the Buddha. ‘A fascinating story, Mr…’

  ‘Call me Jacky, everybody here does. Yes, it’s a fascinating story. No wonder the Li family has never been separated from this statue. It’s now in David’s line of the family – those are the rules.’

  Lewis only shrugged and repeated, ‘Those are the rules, we all know. There can only be one head of the family and life cannot function without rules.’

  Cynthia interrupted the conversation. ‘I’d prefer that it went to Lewis than to my odious brother David. You look shocked, Amanda. You were taken in by David’s looks and his suave speech? You think he’s a nice man?’ She snorted and continued. ‘Most do. They’re all so damn blind.’

  Before Amanda had a chance to answer or could even try to stem the flow, Cynthia launched a torrent of hatred, demeaning her brother and citing examples of his cruelty towards herself and Lewis. Jacky was apparently used to this kind of outburst and didn’t look especially distressed. He let Cynthia complain until he gently interfered. ‘Darling, we all know how much David made you suffer. But be a good hostess and look after Amanda, she doesn’t even have a drink.’

  Luckily, Geoffrey chose that moment to turn up. He approached Cynthia without hesitation, having apparently taken only a second to understand that Cynthia had gone into one of her famous tantrums.

  ‘I’m sorry to interrupt you, but Susan is looking for her friend. Did I tell you that your dress looks fabulous? Dior… or should I say Armani?’

  Cynthia was immediately distracted. ‘Thank you, Geoffrey. Do you really like it? It’s my own design. I bought it from Dior but I thought it looked a bit boring – everything looks so sober nowadays. I had the idea of adding the mink trimmings.’

  ‘You should become a designer, Cynthia, you’d be a great success. It looks simply stunning.’

  Cynthia was still bathing in the glory of his compliments while Geoffrey used her silence to manoeuvre Amanda out of the library.

  ‘Thank you so much for saving me!’ Amanda said as soon as they had left the library. ‘I didn’t know what to say. As soon as we mentioned David, she became outright vitriolic.’

  ‘Yes, that’s always the case. The funny thing is that we’ve got used to it. I don’t even listen anymore.’

  ‘What about her fiancé, how does he fit in?’

  ‘Jacky?’ Geoffrey frowned. ‘Not a clean customer, if you ask me. He glued himself to Cynthia more than a year ago. Lately I heard from David that he’s very concerned – Jacky is now involved in managing her fortune.’

  They looked at each other in deep understanding.

  ‘A story of pure love then…’ Amanda finally said.

  ‘You may call it like that…’ Geoffrey replied. ‘A very rewarding one at least. He’s pushing for marriage. She always says “soon”, but somehow she doesn’t seem to be one hundred per cent convinced either. She’s been keeping him on tenterhooks since summer.’

  ‘How lucky that I don’t possess a huge fortune, nobody is hunting me…’ Amanda commented. ‘I’m starting to discover the positive aspects of that now.’

  ‘That makes two of us then.’ Geoffrey laughed and took her arm to lead her up to the top floor where they stepped out onto the marble-tiled roof terrace, screened from the road by a row of dense yew shrubs. The shrubs had been planted in glazed clay pots adorned with fierce-looking dragons, each of them a work of art in its own right. The setting would have worked for any Hollywood romance: torches were burning, subtle music was playing in the background and the city lay at their feet like a glittering carpet woven from threads of light.

  For a moment neither of them spoke. They simply took in the beautiful view of the harbour and the gleaming city below them.

  Amanda sighed. ‘Amazing, wonderful.’

  ‘Yes, it doesn’t need many words to describe it. It’s my favourite place in this house – apart from the wine cellar of course.’ He chuckled. ‘When we can, David and I sit here to kill a bottle of wine together.’

  They spent some minutes in silence taking in the view before Geoffrey put his arm around her. ‘It’s a bit chilly out here, let’s go inside again.’

  As he was behaving more like a considerate brother than a lover Amanda didn’t mind. She was wearing a decorative stole; the thin tissue with its golden threads might be very elegant, but it did not really help keep her warm.

  ‘Excellent idea, let’s go back inside. What a pity the people who live in such beautiful surroundings don’t appreciate what life offers them – and have no other use for it than to be at each other’s throats.’

  ‘I’ve see this often. The more people have, the more they want – but isn’t it human to be greedy?’

  Amanda gave this a thought and conceded. ‘I’m afraid you’re right. Once I have a piece of cake, I mostly want a second one – essentially it’s the same instinct, isn’t it?’

  ‘That’s one of the wisest remarks I’ve heard for a long time. I’m really hungry – didn’t I notice a delicious smell of food when we came in?’

  ‘You should have,’ a voice exclaimed behind their backs. ‘Am I disturbing you?’

  ‘Not at all,’ Amanda and Geoffrey replied in unison to David, who winked at them.

  ‘I wouldn’t mind some food either. I’ve had two cocktails already – it’s time to eat something or I’ll start singing,’ Amanda added.

  ‘I’m very tempted to deprive you of food… just to hear you singing.’ Geoffrey laughed.

  ‘You’d regret it instantly!’

  ‘All right, let’s go for something to eat then.’

  At the buffet they bumped into Susan and Neil who didn’t hesitate to introduce Amanda to other guests who had also attended the convention.

>   David’s Christmas party, a highlight for Hong Kong socialites, always attracted a mix of fascinating people: the beauties and the beasts, the overdressed locals, the noisy expats and the unavoidable starved artist or two who couldn’t find their way fast enough to the champagne stand and the buffet.

  The friends left way after midnight, agreeing that it had been a great party. Neil was condemned to sitting in the front seat next to taxi driver (meaning he was ready to sacrifice his life) whereas Geoffrey sat in the back squeezed between the two ladies, apparently enjoying every minute of the ride.

  ‘Did you enjoy the party?’ he asked.

  ‘Of course we did,’ Susan replied. ‘You’re just fishing for compliments because you arranged the invitation.’

  ‘Maybe, but nothing is forthcoming…’ Geoffrey replied sadly.

  ‘Thanks, Geoffrey, it was kind of you to get us invited. The house alone is fabulous. I think we owe you,’ Amanda said.

  ‘Amanda, you ruin it all. Let Geoffrey wait a bit before you shower him with compliments, he might get conceited.’ Susan winked.

  ‘You’re cruel! Neil, pay attention, you can still call off the wedding,’ Geoffrey warned his friend.

  ‘Ehh?’ Neil’s mind had apparently been elsewhere.

  ‘Don’t bother, love. Geoffrey is talking nonsense – not the first time, by the way…’

  ‘He does that quite often, doesn’t he?’ Neil beamed. ‘But he’s a nice chap all the same.’

  Geoffrey made faces at him from the back seat and Amanda burst out laughing.

  ‘Let’s change the subject,’ Susan decreed. ‘Did you like David?’

  ‘Oh yes, a charming man – and very handsome. Why isn’t he married?’

  ‘No idea, Amanda, maybe he’s waiting for someone like you. How did you like his sister?’

  ‘Cynthia was first of all charming, then suddenly she became vitriolic. Very unbalanced, if you ask me. I noticed that she had very bright eyes.’