The Goddess of Yantai

by Ian Hamilton

  “I’ll be careful.”

  “Thank you. Phone me when you have some sense of what’s going on — or not going on.”

  “Will I be seeing you on this trip?”

  “Yes, but I don’t know when yet. Once the schedule is set, you’ll be the first to know.”

  “Okay. Do you want me to say hello to your father for you?”

  “That would be wonderful, but don’t mention that I might be coming to Hong Kong. I love to see him when I’m there, but if he knows ahead of time that I’m coming, he’ll try to program me.”

  “I won’t. I’ll be in touch.”

  Ava ended that call and then immediately phoned Xu. Four rings later she was in his voicemail. “I’ve spoken to Sonny. He’ll start working on the Hong Kong project this afternoon.”

  She checked the time and saw that it was getting tight in terms of getting to the Suns’ office by eleven. She hated being late for anything. Her mother had preached that being late was rude and disrespectful, and though Ava often rolled her eyes when her mother said it, the message had stuck.

  She could hear the shower running upstairs and knew she was going to have to leave before Fai finished in the bathroom. She tore a page from her notebook and wrote: I had to leave. I should be back here around 1:30. Love, Me.

  The overnight rain had stopped but Ava took an umbrella from the entrance anyway. She had developed a mistrust of Beijing weather that was verging on a fixation, and she was almost surprised when she made it across the courtyard, down the hutong, and into a taxi without getting wet. As the cab pulled away from the stand, her phone rang.

  “Good morning, Suki. I’m on my way,” she said.

  “I hope you haven’t gone too far, because our meeting has been postponed.”

  “Why?”

  “It isn’t anything that will affect the deal,” Suki said. “The Suns’ lawyer is ill. He was supposed to meet with them last night to finalize some of the arrangements with their banks, but he had to call it off. They thought they’d see him early this morning, but he’s still under the weather. They want to reschedule for tomorrow. Same time, same place.”

  “And you’re sure there is no other problem?”

  “Completely.”

  “Okay, then tomorrow it is. I’ll see you then,” Ava said, and then leaned towards the cab driver. “Take me back to the hutong please.”

  Five minutes later she exited the cab at the exact spot where she’d gotten in and then retraced her steps to Fai’s. She expected that Fai would still be upstairs, but when she entered the house she saw her standing in the living room staring at the television. Bai Lok’s video of Fai with Mak Guang was playing.

  Fai turned towards her with tears in her eyes. “I know that anyone who sees this will recognize me, but when I look at that woman, I don’t know who she is.”

  ( 34 )

  They left Fai’s house just past noon. They could have walked to Ding Fa’s if they hadn’t been carrying the box of film reels. As it was, a two-minute cab ride followed by a big tip left them at the entrance of a hutong that was almost identical to Fai’s.

  Ava hadn’t bothered to change her clothes. Walking next to Fai, who was wearing jeans and a thick sweater, she felt a bit overdressed. When she mentioned this, Fai said, “You look professional, and believe me, so will Ding. He dresses formally every day.”

  “Are we going to his home?” Ava asked.

  “His office.”

  “Is it in his home?”

  “No, it’s right over there,” Fai said after they’d walked no more than twenty metres.

  Ava looked at a storefront whose front window was completely black except for the words ding fa, film editor painted in white.

  “It was a herbalist’s store. He bought it and converted it.”

  Ava paused. “Do you still think there’s any point in fooling around with the story about the films?” she said, reactivating the conversation they’d had before leaving the house.

  “Ding is a very structured and precise man. He may not react well if we jump right into the Tiger Paw business. Let him view a few reels and then we’ll find a way to ease into it.”

  “Easing in is not my style.”

  “I know Ding. It’s the best way.”

  “Then that’s how we’ll do it,” Ava said.

  Fai knocked lightly on a solid black door and then tried the handle. The door was locked. She knocked with more force. The door opened onto a wall of bright light.

  “So good to see you,” Ding Fa said, smiling at Fai.

  “Thanks for this,” Fai said, moving to one side so Ava was clearly visible. “I brought my friend Ava Lee with me. I hope that’s okay.”

  “Why not?” Ding said. “Come in.”

  Ava guessed he was in his late forties or early fifties. He was of medium height, rather thin, and bald with a hint of fashionable stubble on his head and face. Ding was immaculately dressed in grey wool slacks, a light blue dress shirt, and a red Hermès tie. He squinted slightly when he looked at her.

  She half expected to see some remnants of the space’s former life when she stepped inside. Instead she was engulfed by equipment and films. The space wasn’t that large — maybe ten by fifteen metres — and every wall was covered from floor to ceiling with racks filled with film cans, each of them carefully labelled. Two workstations were set up side by side, with projectors and other equipment she couldn’t identify sitting on them. The only bit of wall without racks contained a door that Ava assumed led to a washroom and maybe a small kitchen.

  Fai held out the box. “These are the reels I mentioned.”

  Ding opened it. “I recognize some of these titles. In fact, I edited a couple of them.”

  “I just want to confirm they are what they claim to be.”

  “How did you come by them?”

  “I’ve started collecting Chinese films. My agent, Chen, sent me this lot. I’d like to know if they’re worth keeping.”

  “Then let’s take a look, shall we?” Ding said. “Why don’t you two ladies sit over there at that workstation? We can look through the viewfinder or, if you want, I can project the film onto the window.”

  “It would be clearer if you project it,” Fai said. “But all we have to watch is enough to make sure they’re real films.”

  “If you want to watch more, that’s not a problem. I’ve blocked off the entire afternoon for you, Fai.”

  “That’s very kind.”

  “It’s the least I can do for someone who’s been so kind to me.”

  Ava saw Fai flinch ever so slightly, and wondered if she was feeling a touch of guilt for lying to Ding.

  He took out the first reel, loaded it into a projector, and then dimmed the lights. Five minutes later he loaded another and then did the same four more times. When the last film in the series moved past its credits and into the first scene, Ding said, “Do you know what all of these films have in common?”

  “No,” Fai said.

  “Bai Lok was the assistant director on all of them. They must come from his collection. He died, you know, about three years ago.”

  “Yes, we do know,” Ava said. “Actually, we know a lot more about him and his work than we’ve let on.”

  Ding glanced at Fai, who looked uncomfortable but nodded. “We’re here because of him. It’s good to know he worked on these films, but there are others we’re more interested in. If you don’t mind, I’d like Ava to explain it to you.”

  “All this mystery,” Ding said calmly.

  “We’re here because of Tiger Paw Video and the movies they distributed. Our understanding is that Bai Lok contributed a large number to their catalogue,” Ava said.

  “Ahh.”

  “We tried to find Tiger Paw but it appears to have gone out of business. When we looked at who was involved, your
s was the only name that Fai recognized. So here we are.”

  “Yes. So here you are.”

  “Did Bai Lok sell tapes, films, or whatever you want to call them to Tiger Paw?”

  “Why on earth do you want to know that?” Ding said, his tone hardening.

  Fai reached for his hand and took it in hers. “I’m being blackmailed,” she said. “Someone sent me a DVD that had been copied from a tape we think Bai Lok made. It’s a sex tape. I’m in it with a partner.”

  “I don’t believe that,” Ding said, shaking his head. “Or maybe I should say I don’t get it.”

  “You don’t get what?”

  “I’ve never seen a video with you in it.”

  “It’s real enough,” Ava said.

  Ding shrugged. “In this day and age, who isn’t in a sex tape? If I were you I’d tell the blackmailer to fuck off and take my chances that the public won’t care.”

  “The movie syndicate wouldn’t be so blasé,” Ava said.

  “Ding, the partner in the tape is another woman,” Fai said.

  He closed his eyes for a few seconds, blew some air through his lips, and shook his head again. “That does make a bit of a difference.”

  “Yes, I know it does,” Fai said.

  “Can we back up for a second before we explore the possible consequences?” Ava said. “Are you being truthful about never seeing a tape with Fai in it?”

  “Absolutely, and I edited all the tapes that Bai sold to Tiger Paw.”

  “So he did sell them?” Ava said.

  “He did.”

  “And you edited them?” Fai said.

  “Don’t look so startled,” Ding said to her. “I’m an editor. I don’t get paid unless I’m editing. Movie work, as you know, can be sporadic. Tiger Paw provided a regular stream of income.”

  “But it’s such crap,” Fai said.

  “That opinion is not shared by everyone. Tiger Paw had a large customer base and was doing very nicely until the two major shareholders and executive officers got caught importing drugs and were shot,” Ding said. “And although my finished product wasn’t to everyone’s taste, it was raw and natural and action-packed. And, I have to say, a massive improvement over the hours of footage that Lok supplied.”

  “What happened to the original tapes?”

  “After I finished editing them and made a digital transfer, they were destroyed.”

  “And how many of Lok’s tapes did you edit?”

  “I’d have to check my records.”

  “Could you, please?”

  “Give me ten minutes,” he said, standing up. He looked down at Fai and Ava. “There’s a coffee shop a couple of doors down from here. Why don’t you two ladies get me a latte and a scone while I’m looking.”

  “You’re not going to lock the door on us while we’re gone, are you?” Ava asked.

  “I’ve told you, I set the afternoon aside for Fai. That hasn’t changed.”

  The two women stood up and walked towards the door. As they reached it, Ding called out. “One more thing,” he said. “I’ve been in love with Fai for so long that if I’d seen a tape with her in it, it would have been burned into my memory. So don’t believe it’s possible that I could have overlooked one.”

  “What do you think?” Fai said as they walked out into the hutong.

  “I think he’s being honest, but you know him better than I do.”

  “I think he’s being honest too.”

  “The only problem with that is it doesn’t get us any closer to the origin of the DVD,” Ava said as they reached the coffee shop, which was actually a stall with two tables. One had urns of coffee on it, the other several platters of baked goods covered with plastic lids.

  “What do you want?” Ava asked Fai.

  “I’ll have a latte and a scone as well.”

  Ava ordered three lattes from the elderly woman sitting on a chair between the tables, who turned and yelled the order to someone behind a curtain. “And three scones,” Ava said.

  The woman nodded at the platters. Ava looked for something she could use to pick up the scones. There wasn’t even a paper napkin in sight. “Oh well, we’ll have to use our fingers,” she said.

  They carried the large paper cups of coffee back to Ding’s. Ava hesitated at the door, afraid he might have had a change of heart. But it opened and they took their seats at the workstation. Ava figured they’d been gone ten minutes, and another ten passed before Ding emerged carrying an accounting ledger. He sat at the other workstation, took a bite of the scone, had a couple of sips of coffee, and then said, “It looks like I edited twelve tapes in one year, plus one more early in the following year.”

  “How many did you watch?” Ava asked Fai.

  “Fourteen.”

  “You have that many? How in hell did you get your hands on them?” Ding asked.

  “I paid Lok’s brother for them and the film copies we just watched. They were in a box in his closet. They were all Lok left behind,” Ava said.

  “And you actually watched them?”

  “I did. It was painful,” Fai said.

  “Ding, if you edited thirteen, one is missing,” Ava said. “And Fai, are you counting the one that you were in?”

  “No.”

  “Then two are missing,” Ava said to Ding.

  “My records are accurate.”

  “I don’t doubt you, but we do have an inconsistency here,” Ava said. “Is there any way we can correlate what we have on disks and what you know you edited?”

  Ding turned around the ledger and passed it to Ava. “I’ve marked all the tapes I did for Tiger Paw in yellow. Those descriptions are all I have to go on. My memory isn’t good enough to remember anything in detail.”

  Ava scanned the ledger. “These are descriptions of sex acts, with the scantiest of information about the participants. They all read about the same.”

  “Sorry. I was making notes as I went, as a way of recording what I was owed. I didn’t realize that one day you’d want to catalogue them.”

  “Is it possible there were more than thirteen?”

  “I edited every one that Tiger Paw bought. That was the deal, and despite the nature of their business, they were honourable enough when it came to keeping an agreement.”

  “Is it possible that Bai Lok made two that he didn’t sell to Tiger Paw?”

  “Sure.”

  “Was he capable of doing his own editing?”

  “He knew enough that he could probably give it a go.”

  “Fai, I know this is a strange question, but did you notice any difference in editing quality between the disk you’re on and the others?”

  “It wasn’t exactly something I was comparing.”

  “Maybe we should.”

  Fai nodded but didn’t look particularly pleased with the idea.

  “One last thing,” Ava said to Ding Fa. “Was there anyone at all on those tapes whom you recognized?”

  “I told you, I didn’t see Fai, or anyone else I knew.”

  “How about Lau Lau?”

  “Is that a joke?”

  “No.”

  “I most definitely did not see Lau Lau on any of those tapes.”

  Ava turned to Fai. “If you don’t have any more questions, I think we’re done here.”

  Fai stood up and went over to Ding Fa, who stood to meet her. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged. “I can’t thank you enough for your friendship and support,” she said.

  “Friends are hard to come by. Whenever I’ve found one, I’ve tried to hang on to them,” Ding said, and then looked at Ava. “You don’t have to worry about what was said here today. No one else will ever hear about it.”

  “Thank you,” Ava said.

  “Are you going to take your box with you?”
Ding asked.

  “I guess we should,” Ava said.

  It took a few minutes to pack it and then another for Ava and Fai to make their way to the doorway. As soon as they reached the lane and the door had closed behind them, Ava said, “We need to talk to Lau Lau.”

  “What does he have to do with this?”

  “Something. Exactly what, I don’t know. But I have a feeling he’s in the middle of whatever is going on.”

  ( 35 )

  They sat in the warmth of the Hai Wan Canteen with a large bowl of hot and sour soup in the centre of the table and the box of films sitting on the floor. The short cab ride from Ding Fa’s had been quiet as each of them filtered thoughts about what they’d been told and what it might mean. Fai had seemed shaken when Ava mentioned Lau Lau, but it was a subject that Ava couldn’t let go. She knew, sooner rather than later, they would have to talk to him.

  The soup had no duck meat and it didn’t pack as much of a kick as the one they’d had two days before. But it did have more pearl-sized scallops, the vinegar flavor was slightly tarter, and Ava thought it was equally as good. She’d begun on her second bowl before she said, “I think I need something to drink. How about you?”

  “What are you going to have?”

  “I want something strong, and all they have is cognac.”

  “I’ll order two,” Fai said.

  When the drinks arrived, Ava raised her glass. “Friendship.”

  “And love,” Fai added.

  Ava sipped her cognac and felt its warm glow. “I was thinking when we were in the taxi that I really don’t know much about Lau Lau,” she said. “I know you’ve talked about him a bit, and I know him by reputation, but could you tell me more?”

  “What do you want to know?”

  “Well, how did he get into the film business, and what was it that inspired him to make those great early films? I read somewhere that the story of Lau Lau is the story of modern Chinese film — both the best and the worst of it.”