Death in Hong Kong

by Martha Fischer

  Finally he looked up and whispered almost gently, ‘You remember the rules, don’t you?’

  ‘We know we’ve failed.’ The first man broke down.

  ‘Please show mercy, boss. We’ll find her, we’ll bring her to you, I swear! Only give us one more day, boss. That’s all we need,’ the second wailed.

  The man in the yellow polo shirt closed his eyes as if their pleading and high-pitched voices caused him pain.

  ‘Enough.’ He jumped up and shouted. ‘You’ve disgraced the organisation. There’s no excuse. Take them!’

  The howling men were dragged out of the room. As soon as the doors had closed behind them and silence was restored the man who had waited patiently in the shadows spoke up. ‘You’re right, boss, an example must be set. These idiots screwed up, like greenhorns. Our rules must be obeyed.’

  ‘I’m always right, never forget. It’s not only that they failed to get rid of this woman, that’s annoying enough. But if we’re not careful we’ll have the police breathing down our necks in no time. We pay them handsomely, but you never know. There’s too much publicity already. The organisation must operate and strike in silence and obscurity. We’re very close to a situation where things may get nasty. It was a great risk to shoot David Li in public.’

  ‘Yes, it was, a great risk indeed,’ the other man agreed, looking around him nervously. This statement could be interpreted as a criticism, or worse – an expression of disloyalty.

  The man in yellow polo shirt closed the discussion. ‘The big boss took the decision and we’re not supposed to reason but to act. What’s your plan now? How do we move on?’

  ‘The moment Amanda Lipton goes back to her hotel we’ll be alerted. We have waiters’ and bellboys’ uniforms ready. Our men will enter her room, she’ll be drugged and bundled into a car waiting in the car park. In addition I have my men alerted and waiting at all ferry and railway stations and we’re watching the airport in case she panics and tries to get out.’

  ‘Good, thorough as always. What about this bloke Geoffrey, she’s not with him?’

  ‘No, he left his flat, alone.’

  ‘We must have caught her at the latest by tonight.’

  ‘No chance of escaping us, boss!’

  ‘David Li was a fat fish to catch, but we got him. The head of the dragon is a master of the game.’

  ‘Yes, a true master. My men won’t fail like these simpletons. I swear.’

  ‘I apologize, I can see I’m disturbing you,’ Geoffrey uttered in a glacial tone. ‘Don’t bother, I only spent the last six hours or so searching for you all over Hong Kong…’

  Amanda drew out of Daniel’s embrace as if she had been electrocuted, face burning. Why didn’t the earth open here and now and swallow her? Why did such awkward things always happen to her?

  ‘Ahem, it’s not what you might think, Geoffrey.’ Susan took over – apparently well aware that Amanda had the wits of a paralysed rabbit at the moment.

  ‘Not a lot to think, it’s quite obvious, actually,’ he replied belligerently, far from being mollified by her interjection.

  ‘Don’t be daft, Geoffrey. Let’s leave the two of you to talk alone. Come on, Neil, Daniel, move.’ Susan took over command. Daniel looked as if he wanted to object but she took his arm and dragged him out of the kitchen.

  Seconds later the door closed behind them. A long and very awkward silence ensued.

  At last Geoffrey spoke up. ‘I’m sorry, Amanda, I’m an ass. I had no right to speak like that. It was just… how can I explain… I was worried stiff that something might have happened to you. In my mind I imagined one potential disaster after the other – it was a total nightmare. I was totally crazy and worked up by the time I came back – and then I see you there… kissing Daniel as if you’d spent the whole afternoon having fun with your old boyfriend. I felt sick and jealous – please forgive me. Stupid confession to make now, but I fell in love with you. Stupid me, I know now that I never stood a chance compared to this bloke and I know I should keep my bloody mouth shut.’

  Amanda wiped her eyes.

  ‘Are you crying?’

  ‘I’m not,’ she sobbed. ‘I’m the stupid one, Geoffrey.’ Furiously she wiped another treacherous tear away. ‘I’ve never heard a nicer declaration of love in my life. It’s over between Daniel and me, at least for me, please believe that. I went through a nightmare today, not having any kind of fun at all, trust me. Daniel took advantage of my relief to be back and safe when he kissed me. It meant nothing to me.’

  Amanda looked at Geoffrey. Even through her tears she could see the love in his eyes. He moved towards her, but hesitant, unsure how she’d react.

  ‘But to tell you the truth, Geoffrey, I was scared to fall in love again. I still am, if I’m honest. I came to Hong Kong to get over Daniel. I tried hard not to fall in love with you, but as it’s confession time: I’m afraid I failed… again.’

  Geoffrey grinned at her while he dabbed her face tenderly with his handkerchief. ‘You mean you’re an ass as well when it comes to relationships?’

  ‘A total failure, Geoffrey. Lots of heart and emotions – but no wits.’ She smiled back.

  Geoffrey took this as an invitation to kiss her, first timidly, but as she kissed back he drew her into his arms. ‘I’ve been longing to do this since Christmas. Why did I wait so long?’ He sighed.

  ‘Because we shouldn’t – it’s crazy! A teacher from Europe and a businessman from Hong Kong. It’ll never work out.’ Amanda sighed but made no effort to escape his embrace. It simply felt too good.

  ‘Doesn’t it feel good to be a bit crazy?’ he murmured back.

  ‘It does, but…’ Amanda couldn’t finish her sentence as Geoffrey kissed her again.

  Suddenly the door flew open and Susan appeared.

  ‘Time is up for our lovebirds.’ She grinned. ‘You two have smelled of roses since Christmas. I took the liberty of putting Daniel very reluctantly into a taxi, but three is one too many. He finally agreed.’

  ‘What would I do without you?’ Amanda sighed. ‘Thank you, Susan, it would have been too embarrassing to face Daniel now.’

  ‘Another Scotch?’ Neil looked quite animated, the half-empty bottle in his hand.

  ‘Yep, that’s a great idea. Now tell me, Amanda, what the hell happened to you today? I know that someone left you a message pretending to be me, but you disappeared without trace. I was so worried!’

  Amanda repeated her story, not minding at all when Geoffrey kept his arm around her; it just felt right.

  ‘You’re such a brave girl, Amanda.’ Geoffrey was all admiration. ‘I can’t imagine many people in such a situation having the guts and the wits to sneak out like you did. Those guys were after your skin – you escaped by a whisker.’

  ‘I didn’t have time to think about possible consequences, luckily. But I knew that I needed to get out. I didn’t think any further. Now of course I see what a great risk I took.’

  ‘I don’t even want to imagine what might have happened to you if they’d caught you, pet.’ Susan squeezed Amanda’s hands.

  ‘That calls for another drink!’ Neil said, his pronunciation already a bit slurred.

  ‘How much have you had, darling?’ Susan asked suspiciously.

  ‘Just a drink or two, my love, no reason to worry!’

  ‘I don’t believe a word of it.’

  ‘Trust me, darling, cheers!’ Neil emptied his glass in one go.

  ‘Sharing means caring, Neil,’ Geoffrey reminded him.

  Neil hiccupped and poured a generous portion into each glass and they shared a glass in silence.

  Susan spoke. ‘Did you find out something important today? Where have you been? I just found your cryptic note before we set out to search for Amanda.’

  ‘Well, I can’t tell you every detail but I can share so much. I spent my time with a special squadron of the police chasing the person we suspected to be the killer.’

  Amanda frowned. ‘You mean Jacky?
That sounds frightfully dangerous. How come that they let you join?’

  ‘That’s my little secret. Well, I suppose I’m entitled to tell you now what we found out,’ Geoffrey said. ‘Jacky’s out, it wasn’t him.’

  ‘Are you sure?’ Susan cried out. ‘I could have sworn it was him.’

  ‘Yep, one hundred per cent sure. We found Jacky dead as a dodo in his bedroom. It was supposed to look like suicide – but I’m sure he was murdered.’

  ‘That’s a pity. I mean, I don’t care about Jacky at all, I always thought he was a strange customer, but he was my absolute favourite villain. Well, that leaves only…’

  ‘Wu Junior…?’ Amanda asked. ‘That seems obvious enough. And I never was a particular friend of the Wu family – Junior actually threatened to have me removed, as he politely put it, you remember?’

  ‘As a scientist, I’m always reluctant to believe in things that seem a bit too obvious at first glance. They often cover something more intricate. I remember a case where we were all convinced that the patient had died of…’

  ‘Neil, it’s not science but murder we’re talking about,’ Susan cried out, exasperated.

  ‘Of course, darling, I know – and yet science and life are related, aren’t they?’

  ‘You’ve got a point there,’ Susan conceded. ‘But back to Wu Junior, what could be his motive?’

  ‘Money, shedloads of money,’ Geoffrey said. ‘We’re not talking about millions, we’re talking billions…’

  ‘A powerful motive, indeed.’ Neil nodded. ‘I once read that the vast majority of murders have a financial background. Sobering, somehow.’

  ‘Wu certainly had ample motive then,’ Geoffrey said. ‘But what about some food? I’m starving – I didn’t have time for lunch.’

  ‘Excellent idea!’ Neil beamed. ‘I’m hungry as well. I guess it’s the whisky, it tends to make me hungry.’

  ‘I spotted some eggs and bacon in the fridge. I suggest frying them up,’ Susan said.

  ‘Sounds like a plan. Let me take care of the salad and the toast. My toasting skills and my salads have won stars and praise in the Michelin guide.’ Geoffrey opened the fridge and examined the ingredients.

  ‘That leaves me setting the table. I wouldn’t dare disturb a celebrity chef when he’s preparing one of his famous salad creations,’ Amanda said with a smile.

  ‘And me looking after the drinks. I don’t want to sound conceited but I’m good at this,’ Neil stated with satisfaction.

  It was an animated dinner despite the ordeals they had endured that day, ending with lots of giggles. Their hilarious mood might have been attributed to Geoffrey having willingly sacrificed two bottles of his best Bordeaux.

  ‘Surprising how well a premier cru can go down with bacon and eggs…’ Neil mused, looking dreamingly at his empty glass.

  ‘It must be the Michelin guide starred salad.’ Amanda winked at Geoffrey. ‘The subtle and balanced blending of mustard and vinegar, a true work of art.’

  Geoffrey grinned back. ‘I’m not supposed to share my secrets. A true master keeps his art hidden from the public eye.’

  ‘Marks & Spencer’s salad dressing – I saw you cheating.’ Susan laughed.

  ‘I saw him adding something.’ Neil came to his defence. ‘It’s really an excellent salad dressing.’

  ‘Time to go to bed, I suppose,’ Susan said. ‘Amanda will be sleeping here, if you don’t mind, Geoffrey. I’d loathe seeing her going back to the hotel. It would be far too dangerous.’

  ‘I agree – consider my bed yours.’ Geoffrey beamed. ‘I’ll make sure Amanda is safe.’

  ‘Only if you sleep in the living room.’ Susan was firm. ‘Never rush things.’

  Geoffrey looked disappointed but Amanda gave him a quick kiss and whispered, ‘She’s right, Geoff, good things need time. I need time…’

  Amanda woke up abruptly after midnight. She hadn’t had a nightmare as might have been expected after her adventure, but although her body was tired, her brain couldn’t get any rest, refusing to grant her the benefit of the sleep her body craved. She tried all the tricks – counting sheep, thinking about pleasant things – but nothing worked. Deep in her mind a machine had been switched on, spinning relentlessly around the question of who might be the mastermind behind the spate of murders she had witnessed lately. They had discussed Jacky; well, he was out. Then Wu Junior – but what about Lewis? Suave Lewis who – if Neil was right (and she was certain he was) – must be a cocaine addict. He’d profit most from David’s inheritance as his only surviving relative.

  Exasperated by her inability to find sleep she finally got up and tiptoed to the kitchen. She hated warm milk but Amanda had heard that it worked wonders. She had just grabbed the milk bottle from the fridge when she heard a voice behind her.

  ‘No use. Have a whisky, it’s better if you want to get some sleep.’

  ‘Geoffrey, why are you still awake?’

  ‘Same reason why you’re still awake, I guess,’ he replied. He was wearing only boxer shorts and a t-shirt and Amanda couldn’t help noticing that he looked quite attractive with the shadow of a beard.

  ‘No whisky. I’ve had enough alcohol. Ah, there’s some orange juice left. Let’s try some vitamins instead. What about you?’

  Geoffrey eyed the juice bottle suspiciously and shook his head. ‘I’ll opt for a beer. Can I invite you to join me in the living room?’

  Amanda frowned. ‘Can I trust you?’

  ‘Not really, but I’ll do my best. A kiss isn’t asking too much, is it?’

  ‘A kiss is ok. Maybe I’ll throw in a second if you’re a good boy.’

  Geoffrey sank into the sofa and patted the cushion next to him for Amanda to join him but she wandered along the bookshelves of the large closet and studied the titles.

  ‘Hmm, I can see you like crime stories, a bit of history, and there’s the inevitable Harry Potter.’ She smiled. ‘It’s a great series. I adore it as well, amazing plot.’

  ‘Not a very sophisticated taste, I admit,’ Geoffrey replied. ‘I’d rather tell you I’m a fan of modern literature but it’s not my cup of tea at all.’

  Amanda shrugged. ‘Mine neither. Oh, what’s that? What a beautiful cover, genuine leather with gilt edging, isn’t it?’

  She pulled the book out of the shelf and touched it lovingly. ‘A Holy Bible. What a wonderful copy, nineteenth century? Look at the family tree – see the neat writing?’

  ‘Yes, that’s our family Bible. My mother gave it to me when I moved to Hong Kong – so I remember home whenever I see it.’

  ‘A smart woman, your mother. My father was a teacher of religion and he always told us that in his eyes the Bible is the most underrated book of this century. It’s almost forgotten. Most people have one but almost nobody will ever read it. He thought that was a shame as the Bible contains everything people search for nowadays in those fancy TV series: sex, crime, hate, love, humiliation, trust and faith. You name it, it’s in there.’

  ‘A clever man, your father.’

  ‘Yes, he’s clever. He told me that mankind started with deceit and moved on with murder to Cain and Abel – so what should we expect? We should be quite humble in our anticipations.’

  ‘If you look at it like that, it’s quite amazing actually. Mankind stemming from murder and deceit… quite a brutal start. I never gave it a lot of thought. But if you think about, the story of Cain and Abel seems quite weird. Did your father ever explain, it was sheer jealousy?’

  Amanda stood there transfixed. ‘Cain and Abel. I should have thought about it ages ago!’

  ‘I’m afraid I don’t follow,’ Geoffrey looked at her, surprised.

  ‘Geoffrey, Jacky is dead, right?’

  ‘Right.’

  ‘What about David? Everybody is talking as if he was killed, but is he really dead?’

  Geoffrey looked ill at ease. ‘It was supposed to remain a secret. In truth David escaped almost unscathed, but the police thought it wiser to sp
read the news that he was dead. They wanted to provoke the killer to come forward and show his face.’

  ‘Geoffrey, maybe I’m being preposterous, but what if…?’ and then she explained her thoughts.

  The final encounter

  The sprawling hospital building was situated in a lush green valley, well hidden from the eyes of the curious public by dense vegetation that gave it the appearance of a luxurious jungle resort. It catered primarily for those wealthy patients who needed to hide for a certain period of time – either to reappear weeks later looking miraculously youthful and less wrinkled or sobered from the abuse of booze or drugs.

  The middle-aged female dragon at the entrance was not willing to grant access to Hong Kong’s most famous tycoon, but relented as soon as the officer from Beijing produced his credentials.

  Flustered, she explained. ‘I’m sorry, officer, but I was under the strictest orders to guard the safety and privacy of our patient.’

  ‘We know and we appreciate this.’ Geoffrey quickly intervened to stem another deluge of excuses. ‘Can you show us the way, please? We must talk to Mr Li urgently.’

  ‘Nurse Mary will show you. Just a second please.’

  She pushed a button on her switchboard and true to her word a dashing young nurse clad in an immaculate white uniform appeared almost immediately. Amanda saw Geoffrey’s look of satisfaction as his eyes lingered a little too long on the nurse’s uniform, which was a little too tight ending above her knees whilst exposing her shapely legs to their best advantage. Her shoes were white – as expected in a hospital – but had remarkably high heels. The patients here might be deprived of the pleasures of drugs and alcohol, but there was no frugality applied apparently when it came to matters of staff.

  She winked at Geoffrey. ‘She’s a stunner, isn’t she? She could be working on a movie set,’ she whispered.

  ‘She could. My only explanation is that the pay here is much better…’ he whispered back.

  ‘Or she’s fishing for a rich husband – this must be a fabulous hunting ground,’ Amanda replied in her mind. Nurse Mary gave the impression that she knew what she wanted out of life.