The Goddess of Yantai

by Ian Hamilton

  “It’s kind of silly. I mean, obviously I knew he’d been with men, but that video is so impersonal, so dirty, that it almost removes the human element from what they were doing.”

  “Are you up to watching more?”

  “Yes. I just want to get it over with.”

  “Before you go back, can you remember when you made Peasant Dreams?”

  “Just over seven years ago.”

  “Mak Guang told us that Bai stopped taping around the same time, after doing it for about a year.”

  “We must have been two of his last performers.”

  “Are there any dates or credits on the disks you’ve watched? Are there any clues to when they might have been made, or who’s in them?”

  “Nothing.”

  “I’m surprised there aren’t more movie people in them.”

  “There might be. I just haven’t recognized them if they are. Besides, Ren Lan was as much a party girl as an actress. She had a wide circle of acquaintances outside the business,” Fai said, and then pointed at the paper. “How are you doing with all of that?”

  “I’ve just finished getting it organized. Now I have to start going through it in some detail.”

  “What are you hoping to find?”

  “I won’t know until I see it,” Ava said, and then realized that might have sounded condescending. “I’m going to start eight years ago, which is when the taping began, and then work forward until Bak died, three years ago. That’s five years of paperwork. I’ll begin with his bank statements and see if I can figure out who was paying him and who he was paying. Some of the statements have cancelled cheques attached, which is a very good thing. When I say I won’t know what I’ll find until I see it, what I mean is that there could be a name or a company or some weird payment that triggers questions. You can tell a lot about a person from their bank statements, and from the other pieces of paper — such as receipts — that they choose to keep.”

  “Sounds complicated.”

  “It’s like doing a jigsaw puzzle, except you’re working with numbers and not images.”

  “I’m not much good with jigsaw puzzles either,” Fai said. “Now I’d better get back to those disks if I want to finish them tonight.”

  Ava waited until Fai left before taking out her notebook. She turned to the section she’d designated for Pang Fai and wrote Lau Lau ten seconds? Regardless of what she found in Bai’s paperwork, Lau Lau was now at the top of her list of people to question. But she pushed that thought aside as she turned her focus back to the paperwork, starting with the bank statements. That eighth year was crucial. It was the year that all the taping was supposedly done, and if she was going find out who Bai Lok was doing business with, it should appear in those statements, unless he was operating on a strictly cash basis. Her assumption was that Bai was simply doing the recording and then selling the product, an assumption based partly on necessity and partly on wishful thinking, although there was nothing in his past to indicate that he had the ability or the willingness to get into mass production and distribution.

  As she scanned the bank statements, Ava realized he hadn’t kept them all. Four months were missing from that year, but as she read the ones he’d hung on to, she wondered if that would make a difference. Could it be this easy? she thought as she noticed the name “Tiger Paw Video” on virtually every statement. Over eight months, Tiger Paw had sent ten wire transfers to Bai Lok, each transfer for thirty thousand renminbi. She turned to the statements for year number seven. One transfer had been made in January and there were none after that. She looked at year six and found no mention of Tiger Paw. Years five and four were equally barren.

  She reached for her phone, brought up a search engine, and entered “Tiger Paw Video.” There was no result. She grabbed the bills and receipts from year eight to see if any paper had been exchanged between Bai and Tiger Paw. She couldn’t find any.

  She went into the living room to talk to Fai, arriving just in time to see a large man penetrate a woman with a vibrator.

  “Gross,” she said.

  Fai turned towards her. “There’s worse, but the good news is I haven’t recognized anyone else.”

  “What about the disk that was sent to you?”

  “I haven’t seen it yet.”

  “Good. Now, could you turn that off for a minute, please?”

  Fai hit the remote. “What’s going on?”

  “I’ve found something worth pursuing. Have you ever heard of Tiger Paw Video?”

  “No.”

  “Could you search for it on those websites you use?”

  “Do you want me to do it right now?”

  “Please. I’m going to phone Bai Jing.”

  Ava went back to the kitchen and stood at the window while she called. It was still raining, and the brick courtyard looked slick and dangerous under the glare of lights from the neighbours’ homes.

  “Bai Jing,” he answered.

  “It’s Ava Lee. I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

  “Actually, I’ve been disturbed all evening. I’ve been having second thoughts about letting you take those boxes. I feel a bit guilty, like maybe I’ve betrayed the trust my brother placed in me to look after them.”

  “If it makes you feel better, you’ll get them back,” Ava said, wondering what had spurred Bai’s feelings.

  “Are you finished with them?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Have you found anything useful?”

  “We might have, and truthfully there are some disks we might want to keep. We’ll buy them from you, of course,” she said, seeing no point in mentioning the bank statements, since she doubted he even knew they existed.

  “What price are you prepared to pay?”

  Ava smiled. Bai’s concern about his brother’s trust had passed quickly enough the second that money entered their conversation. “Let’s wait and see how many we want. But that isn’t the reason I’m calling,” Ava said. “Have you ever heard of a company called Tiger Paw Video?”

  “It doesn’t ring a bell.”

  “Your brother might have done some work for them seven or eight years ago. Did he ever mention them?”

  “It’s possible, I guess, but I can’t remember hearing that name. What is it he was supposed to have done?”

  “If you don’t know them, it doesn’t matter. But there’s something else I’d like to know,” Ava said. “You mentioned that your brother met with Lau Lau shortly before he died. Do you know how that meeting came about?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Did Lau Lau contact him or did your brother reach out? Or did they simply bump into each other somewhere?”

  “Don’t hold me to this, but I think my brother called Lau Lau,” Bai Jing said slowly. “He called a lot of people after he found out he was going to die. He needed to say his goodbyes, and there were some people he needed to ask for forgiveness.”

  “Forgiveness for what?”

  “He hurt a lot of people.”

  “Could Lau Lau have been one of them?”

  “I wouldn’t think that was possible. The two of them were equally insensitive to other people’s feelings.”

  “So why did he reach out to him?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “They worked together. Did that create a bond?”

  “I doubt it, but even if there was one, my brother never mentioned it.”

  “One more thing,” Ava said. “After your brother met with Lau Lau, did his financial position change?”

  “Change?”

  “Did he have more money?”

  “I don’t know, although I do have a vague memory from around that time of Lok saying he had the money to look after his funeral. But I don’t know if that had anything to do with Lau Lau or if he had just sold more cameras,” Bai said. �
�If I have to guess, I’d say he sold cameras. Lau Lau doesn’t have a reputation for being generous, even where sick and dying former colleagues are concerned.”

  “You obviously don’t like him very much.”

  “I’ve never made a secret of my sexuality. Given the job I was doing, it didn’t matter much, and most people were respectful. But not Lau Lau,” Bai said. “When I worked on one of his films, he mocked me, he treated me with contempt. The thing is, there were lots of rumours going around about his own sexuality, and later I heard stuff from people I trust that made it clear he’s at least bisexual.”

  “You didn’t say or do anything?”

  “On a film set, directors are gods. I would have been fired on the spot, or maybe even worse. I mean, I imagine he was lashing out at me as a way of coping with his own self-loathing. I hate to think what he would have done if I had suggested that.”

  “I might have to meet with him,” Ava said. “You don’t make it sound like something I’d enjoy.”

  “Maybe hard times have mellowed him?”

  “Yes, let’s hope so . . . And now, about your boxes,” she said. “I’ll call you when I’ve finished going through them and then we can finalize our accounts.”

  “There’s no rush. You know where I am.”

  Ava ended the call. She was still standing at the window looking out onto the courtyard, but her mind was occupied by things other than the rain. She turned and walked into the living room. Fai was sitting on the sofa with her tablet on her lap.

  “I found Tiger Paw Video,” she said, looking up.

  “Where?”

  “They used to operate in Beijing.”

  “Used to?”

  “They’ve been out of business for at least two years.”

  “What did they do?”

  “Make and distribute adult films,” Fai said. “Are you thinking that Bai Lok sold his recordings to them?”

  “I’m almost certain of it.”

  “Oh shit.”

  “Why do you sound so surprised?”

  “I’m not surprised. I’m disappointed.”

  “Why?”

  “One of the names associated with Tiger Paw is Ding Fa. I’ve known him for years and I think of him as a friend. He’s one of the film editors I would have called tomorrow about viewing the films that are on reels.”

  “Now you have even more reason to call him,” Ava said.

  ( 33 )

  They lay face to face, their arms wrapped around each other, Fai’s breath hot on Ava’s neck. The sun was up and they’d been awake for a while, but neither of them felt impelled to move. It had been a late night as Fai viewed the rest of the disks and Ava finished going through Bai Lok’s papers. The disks didn’t reveal anyone else Fai knew, and a disk with her and Mak Guang wasn’t in either box. There were also no further sightings of Lau Lau. Ava’s paper chase was equally unproductive, but at least when they went to bed, they did it knowing they’d done everything they could with the box’s contents.

  “We need to get up,” Ava said finally. “We’ve a busy day ahead of us.”

  “What are you planning?”

  “I have to call Hong Kong. Xu thinks he might have a problem there that he’s asked me to look into. I need to talk to Sonny and get him started on it,” Ava said. “Then Suki and I have an appointment with Mr. and Mrs. Sun at eleven to sign the purchase agreement for their business. They want to have lunch afterwards. I really don’t want to go, but I can’t be rude to them and Suki. That will keep me occupied until at least one.”

  “What do you want me to do?”

  “Call Ding Fa and arrange for him to meet with us later this afternoon.”

  “What excuse do I use for wanting to see him?”

  “Tell him the truth, or at least part of the truth — that someone sent you some film reels and we want to confirm what’s on them. You said Ding is a friend. Will he need more of a reason than that?”

  “No, that should do.”

  Ava swung her legs over the side of the bed. “I need to start getting organized. Do you mind if I shower first?”

  “Go ahead. I’ll phone Ding while you do.”

  Ava came out of the bathroom twenty minutes later. She went to the bedroom and quickly put on a white button-down shirt and black slacks. She grabbed her phone, notebook, and bag and headed downstairs.

  Fai sat at the kitchen table with a pot of tea in front of her. Ava sat in the chair across from her and poured a cup.

  “Ding will see us whenever we can get there, early or late,” Fai said. “Our timing was good. He’s supposed to start editing a film the day after tomorrow and won’t be seeing anyone until he’s finished, which could take weeks.”

  “Did he ask many questions?”

  “No, he took my excuse at face value.”

  “How well do you really know him?”

  “I’ve worked on four or five films with him. We socialized a bit off the set with the rest of the crew, but nothing too personal. He’s a really good editor, and he always makes my performance look better than it was. After I saw the final cut of the first film with me in it that he edited, I sent him a very expensive pen as a thank-you gift. He appreciated it, so I made a habit of doing that after every film.”

  “Clever you. Let’s hope that Ding still values your gratitude.”

  “When we talk to him, are we going to be direct?”

  “Do you mean are we going to ask him if he knows that you and Lau Lau appear in two of the nasty little videos Bai Lok made and sold to Tiger Paw?”

  “Yes.”

  “I think we have to play it by ear, but it’s a hard subject to slide around, given that our objective is to get clear answers. Would it bother you if I was direct?” Ava said.

  “Not with him.”

  “That’s good to know.”

  Fai stood, walked around the table, and kissed Ava gently on the lips. “I’d better start getting ready myself,” she said.

  “Where does Ding live?”

  “In a hutong about ten streets west of here.”

  “Then I’ll come back here after my meeting and we can go there together.”

  Ava waited until Fai left the kitchen before picking up her phone to call Sonny in Hong Kong. Of all the men in her life, no one was more absolutely and unquestioningly loyal. She’d first met him when she went to work with Uncle. Sonny was his driver and bodyguard. Uncle had recruited him from his gang in Fanling, in the New Territories, where Sonny had cut a violent — and sometimes out-of-control — swath. Uncle had calmed him down and taught him how to control and focus his ferocity.

  He was large man, about six foot four, and over the years Ava had known him, his weight had varied between 250 and 300 pounds. Despite having a body that looked bulky and soft, he moved with incredible speed and could unleash bone-breaking power. He was one of the few men Ava had met whom she doubted she could best in hand-to-hand combat.

  Sonny had no friends that Ava was aware of. Women came and went, but none lasted long. He had some male acquaintances, nearly all Triads, whom he’d meet occasionally for dinner and drinks or a night at Happy Valley Racetrack. When Uncle was alive, Sonny’s sole purpose on earth was to serve and protect him, a commitment that was extended to Ava when the bond between her and Uncle became clear. And when Uncle died, among the bequests he left to Ava was Sonny. “If Sonny is left to his own devices, if he has no purpose, if he has no boss he respects, he is going to get into trouble, and the kind of trouble he can get into is beyond most imaginations,” Uncle had told Ava. “You need to keep him. You need to employ him. He has to know he has a home with you.”

  The problem was, of course, that Ava lived in Toronto while Sonny lived in Hong Kong and wasn’t suited to living anywhere else. The arrangement they came to was simple enough. When Ava was in Hong Kong, she had
one hundred percent of Sonny’s time and attention. When she was in Toronto, he drove for Amanda, Ava’s brother Michael, and her father, Marcus, with the understanding that if Ava needed something done in Hong Kong — or anywhere else in Asia — that would take immediate priority.

  It turned out that Ava had needed Sonny often, and he had shown her the same kind of dedication he’d shown Uncle. He was well known and respected within the Triad community, and Ava didn’t doubt he could have held a senior position in any number of gangs. But she knew he’d never voluntarily leave her, and she would never as much as hint that he work for anyone else. They were joined; Uncle had seen to that, and Ava didn’t doubt his wisdom.

  “Sonny, it’s Ava,” she said when he answered the phone with a brisk “Wei.”

  “Hey, boss.”

  “I’m in Beijing, but I have a job for you in Hong Kong. How’s your schedule?”

  “I was supposed to drive your father to a meeting in Tai Wai New Village later this morning, but I can cancel.”

  “No, this isn’t that urgent. Drive my father, but don’t take on anything else for the next day or two.”

  “What’s the job?”

  “Xu is worried about Lop.”

  “Lop is a rock.”

  “I know, but Sammy Wing may not be,” she said. “Lop seems to think Sammy is going behind his back with a gang in Sha Tin.”

  “Sammy’s nephew just took over that gang.”

  “So I’ve been told by Xu, and that’s Lop’s concern. He thinks Sammy and the nephew are trying to find a way to reclaim Wanchai.”

  “That fat old fuck never knows when to quit.”

  “You’ve heard something?”

  “No. I just hate the guy.”

  “Sonny, you have to forget the history between me and Sammy. You can’t make this personal. What Xu and I want to know is if there’s any truth at all to Lop’s suspicions,” Ava said. “Can you pay some visits and make some calls?”

  “Quiet, right?”

  “Very. We don’t want Lop to know we’re asking questions.”

  “I can keep it tight.”

  “And Sonny, this has nothing to do with not trusting Lop,” Ava said. “You know Xu has complete faith in him. It’s just that sometimes Lop gets a bit suspicious. Xu doesn’t want him doing anything that isn’t warranted and could get him into trouble. He wants some objective eyes looking at the situation.”