The Analyst (Emily Lee Series Book 1)

by K. A. Bragonje

  Emily kept a constant eye on her side mirror, watching for any suspicious movement from the vehicles behind them. Nothing. Not of any importance, anyway.

  “Here we go, ma’am,” the driver announced as he pulled his truck into a parking spot marked as a loading zone.

  Emily looked out her window. An illuminated sign positioned above glass sliding doors read “201 Park Tower.” A modest entrance. Nothing screaming ‘look at me’. Hudsons Coffee next door.

  I could really do with a coffee, Emily thought.

  She looked out the driver’s window and saw what closely resembled a Chinese garden. Well, the city’s attempt at replicating an oriental garden.

  Looking around the garden, she noticed it occupied the small space between the two sections of streets.

  “Thank you.” She shook the driver’s hand and disembarked from his truck.

  He drove off while she stood on the side of the road, coughing through his black exhaust fumes again.

  As the fumes disappeared, she stood there and admired the Chinese lions sitting there looking grand and guarding the steps leading into the gardens. It’d been a long time since she’d seen a Chinese garden. Last time would’ve been when her step father, Tao, had taken her and her family to his home town to meet his family.

  The smell of freshly brewed coffee filtered across from the coffee shop and distracted her from the garden and her memories of China.

  She closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths in.

  “Aussie coffee. How I’ve missed you,” she said to herself.

  She received a few strange looks as people busily walked past her, but she didn’t care. No one knew her here.

  She stepped inside Hudsons Coffee; the overpowering smell of coffee filled the shop and the sound of coffee machines brewing the next elixir made her smile wide.

  Emily looked around. A few couples and some business people were seated there. They were either making small talk in between sips or reading newspapers.

  A handsome barista stood at the counter, complete with an Aussie tan complexion and a few days’ stubble growth, but looking well maintained and with a pleasant smile that fitted perfectly his buff-looking body.

  Emily felt her cheeks begin to burn. She returned the smile and stepped over to the counter.

  To his side was a smorgasbord of various sandwiches, wraps, savories and sweets.

  “Er...,” she said, flustered, “espresso, please. Double if you can.”

  “One of those days?” He nodded to her bloody shoulder.

  “You won’t believe me.”

  “Take away or in here?”

  Emily looked around the shop then out the front door.

  “Take away. Please.”

  “Can I tempt you with a muffin?” he asked.

  Her mouth watered at the sight of all the decadent food.

  “Why not? It’ll probably be the only thing I’ll get to eat for a while. How about a chicken wrap, too, please?”

  She handed over a twenty-dollar note and he punched the sale through the till. He held out her change.

  “Keep the change.” She folded her arms and raised her eyebrow at him.

  He placed the change in their tip jar.

  “Won’t be long,” the barista advised, winking as he turned to prepare the order.

  Emily glanced outside the shop then back inside.

  “I’ll be just out the front on one of your tables,” she called out to him.

  He waved his hand, acknowledging her.

  She stepped outside, pulled out a metal outdoor chair and tried to get comfortable. Legs crossed, she kept an eye on her surroundings.

  Her phone rang.

  She glanced at the caller ID.

  “Schultz,” she said.

  She pressed the accept button.

  “Yeah,” she said, placing the phone on speaker.

  “Emily, where are you?”

  “I’m safe. For now. Think I’ve lost them.”

  “I need to see you. Now. There’s some questions I need to ask you.”

  “You’re talking to me now. Ask away.”

  “In person. It’s serious.” His voice was stern.

  She sat up and took the phone off speaker.

  “How serious? I haven’t done anything.”

  “No, you haven’t. Not directly. If I don’t talk to you, uniforms will be hunting you down.”

  “That serious?”

  Emily thought for a moment.

  “Meet me...” She looked at her watch before continuing. “Ten minutes. Tianjin Gardens. Alone. No plainclothes, no uniforms. Only you. Understood?”

  Chapter 19

  Today was not a normal day at Fu’s newly acquired warehouse. He’d been overseeing the refurbishment, turning it from a run-down, musty old warehouse to a state of the art fish processing plant.

  The warehouse had to go through a complete re-vamp over the last week due to a new production line needing to be installed. Plans were in place for a cosmetic makeover of the factory floor and walls to commence next week, after giving his construction workers a well-deserved couple of days off.

  It had been many years since the family business had implemented changes like this one. Usually Fu would be signing off on permit applications to tear buildings down and build bigger and newer high-rise buildings in their place, with international investors lining up for a piece of the action before the soil was broken.

  Fu was now expanding his family’s empire, which would soon be his own, into the south-western areas of Melbourne. With his financial backing, he had the manpower and money to push all other syndicates out of there. In a few short months this whole area would be all his to oversee.

  Today, Fu had company in his modest refurbished office. It was cozy, with just enough room for a couple of desks, and it now felt cramped with everyone in here.

  Sitting opposite him, his two guards towered over a barely conscious Tao, who was slumped in an office chair. Fu watched on as Tao struggled to hold his head up. His eyes flickered before they focused on Fu.

  “What do you want with me?” Tao asked.

  “Strength. Willpower. You know. A warrior.” Fu circled around his brother, looking down at him like he was a rodent.

  “You know I’m a fighter. I used to beat you in battles.”

  “Are you? Still?”

  Tao bowed his head. “No. No, you’re the younger and stronger one.”

  “We cannot have weak people in the company.”

  “What are you saying?” Tao looked up to his brother.

  “Your daughter. That thing you adopted. She’s been interfering in our business dealings.”

  “I... I highly doubt it. She learnt her lesson after Sydney.”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  Tao didn’t reply; instead, he looked at Fu in disbelief.

  “Brian?” Fu turned to the other desk.

  Brian poked his head above the numerous screens that lined that desk.

  “Pull up the video of her with Andrew. From, I believe, last fortnight... or was it a month ago? You know the one I’m talking about.”

  Brian lowered his head behind the screens and tapped away at the keyboard. After a few clicks, Brian turned one of the screens around.

  Fu nodded his head to Brian, who clicked the play button.

  Fu watched Tao, waiting.

  The video started, without sound.

  It showed Andrew working on his computer. He looked towards a door, and a young woman, nicely dressed in a suit, walked in. Andrew raised his eyebrow and a mischievous smile appeared on his face. The woman sat down on the chair opposite him and angled her body to the side. Her face was now side-on to the camera. She flung her hair back from her face, tucking the stray pieces behind her ear.

  Fu noticed Tao’s face drop the moment he recognized the woman.

  “Emily.” His eyes welled up. “My baby.”

  “That’s right. Andrew informed me your baby was investigat
ing the speed of some recent land transfers.”

  Tao’s eyes were stuck to the screen, his eyes swelling with tears.

  “I made some inquiries. She isn’t currently assigned to any active cases. No one I spoke to knew she was back in the country.”

  Fu turned the screen back around.

  “Why? What has she got herself into?” Tao asked.

  “She’s brought unwanted attention to our recent acquisitions. The syndicate are not happy. After today, she’s no longer going to be causing us any trouble.”

  “What do you mean?” The wrinkles on his face deepened. “You’re not going to hurt her. Are you?”

  “She asked for it. It’s about time she learnt the ultimate price for meddling in other people’s business.”

  “No, Fu. No, you can’t.”

  “I’m sorry. Well. No, I’m not,” he chuckled. “But orders are already in place. I can’t stop now that the wheels are in motion. And by the way, didn’t you disown her back in Sydney?”

  Tao stood up to look his brother in the eye. Fu stood a little higher than his older brother.

  “One phone call,” Tao pleaded. “And this can be all called off.”

  “Unlike you, to beg. I don’t go back on my orders.”

  “I don’t know who you are anymore. This,” he moved his hand up and down Fu, “is not how we were brought up. Father would be disgusted by what you’re becoming.”

  Fu nodded his head to his guards. They pulled Tao back into his chair and secured his arms to the armrests and his feet to the chair legs.

  “It’s a good thing he isn’t here.” Fu spat at Tao’s feet.

  Tao wriggled in his chair but he wasn’t going anywhere.

  Fu’s phone rang.

  “Yeah,” he answered.

  “Sorry, boss. She... She... uh... got away,” a deep male voice spoke on the other end of the line.

  “Do I have to come out there and do your job for you? You had one simple task, and you cannot even do that.”

  There was silence on the other end.

  “You’d better find her,” Fu continued. “Before I do.”

  He ended the call and turned to Brian. “Find her.”

  Brian nodded and stared at the computer screen as his fingers flew over the keyboard.

  Tao laughed. “She’s too good for your men?”

  Fu nodded to his men. They moved in. Their fists flung into Tao’s already frail body. Kicks hammered up and down Tao’s legs. One kick landed in his stomach and the chair tilted over and fell back with a loud thud. They continued to lay punches into his now unresponsive and bloodied body.

  Fu walked past the brawling men. “Play nice with him. I’ll be back. With her.”

  Chapter 20

  Emily sipped her coffee while leaning against a mid-height concrete wall positioned at the north end of the garden.

  From here she had a full view, from the neighboring balconies to the entire oriental garden, including the steps leading down to Parliament Station.

  She checked her watch.

  “One more minute and I’m outta here,” she murmured.

  Looking up, she saw Schultz walking through the garden from the Nicholson Street entrance.

  Moving around behind the wall, she stopped behind a tree. Its low hanging branches hid her from view. His rigid posture dominated the relaxed postures of those around him.

  Stopping at the steps in between the two lion guards, he faced the one-lane Spring Street.

  Emily scanned her surroundings. A few more people were hovering around the gardens now. Many were by themselves, admiring the statues or reading newspapers.

  She watched Schultz while he looked around, following his gaze, ensuring he was alone.

  He looked at his wrist. His watch glistened in the sun. As he turned his back to her, she saw him hold his suit sleeve up to his mouth for a few seconds.

  Emily noticed a few men respond in. Well they’re not here for the beauty of the gardens. She unlocked her phone and pulled up her recent call list, dialing Schultz’ number.

  It rang a couple of times. Schultz moved his leg but kept alert. The call rang out. Emily dialed it again.

  “Where are you?” Schultz answered, frustration in his voice.

  “I said alone.”

  “I am.”

  “You sure? How about the man standing behind you, admiring the pond? Or the one reading the newspaper on the concrete border?”

  “Where are you?” He looked around, high and low, searching. “We need to talk. If we don’t, these men are the least of your worries.”

  “With what I’ve faced today, these boys will be a walk in the park.”

  Still on the line, she stepped out from behind the concrete wall and under the oriental pergola.

  “Slowly, turn around. No sudden movements.”

  “You’re directing orders at an AFP agent?” Yet Schultz slowly turned around.

  “You want to talk to me? Yeah? Well, I’m here.”

  Schultz’s gaze swept right over her, his eyes shifting to the traffic over her shoulder. Then his head slowly moved towards her.

  He squinted when he first saw her, and then a flash of recognition appeared on his face.

  Emily didn’t blame him for not recognizing her straight away; after all, she was battered and bruised, wearing her second set of torn clothing and sporting bird’s nest hair.

  She hung up the phone while Schultz approached but kept her eyes on the other men. Clearly, they were with him. They avoided eye contact and stepped closer, ensuring Schultz was maintaining the same distance from them.

  “Emily,” Schultz said as he stepped up the concrete steps leading to the pergola Emily was standing under.

  She extended her arms for their usual friendly embrace.

  “Seat.” He pointed to a nearby concrete seat.

  Confused, she dropped her arms and sat down.

  “This is business,” Schultz told her, taking a seat alongside her.

  “I... I understand. Sorry. It’s just been one of those days.”

  She looked out to the gardens, trying to forget the humiliating feeling of rejection.

  “Do you know this man?” Schultz asked, nudging her shoulder.

  Emily turned to see a photo on his cell phone screen. A deceased man. She assumed it was a morgue photo because of the metallic background.

  She turned away, to the beauty of the garden.

  “Do you recognize him?” Schultz asked again.

  Emily cleared a large knot in her throat.

  “No. No, I don’t. Sorry I can’t help you.” Emily stood up.

  “Not. So. Quick.” He tugged her back down to the seat.

  “Oi,” she snapped, pulling her arm back. “If this is business, I’m outta here.”

  “Take another look.” He shoved the phone in front of her. “Are you positive you don’t know him?”

  She sat there, staring at the screen, her stomach churning. One side of his head was mangled, like it had connected with something hard.

  “I’d hate to have to take you in to complete our questioning.”

  No, it couldn’t be. I can’t have lost him and my sister both on the same day. No one can know.

  “Um, yeah... that’s by brother in law. Tom.”

  Her eyes welled up. My sister’s little family. The one she’d longed for since she and Tom were high school sweethearts. All gone. In one day. Life sucks today.

  She wiped her eyes. Schultz sat in silence. Out of the corner of her eye she could see him watching her. She shuffled on the seat, avoiding eye contact with him.

  “Where was he found?”

  “In the alleyway. Behind your apartment.”

  “My apartment?” Emily asked.

  “Where your sister and niece were found. Deceased.”

  She fought back the tears.

  “Where were you?”

  “With her. I know this looks bad.” She placed her hand on his knee but he pushed it away. Emil
y was taken aback but quickly continued, “That apartment was shot at.”

  “How come you didn’t report it? Or call me?”

  “I tried. The phone was blocked. I couldn’t call out.”

  “Right. I think you need to come with me.”

  “I’m telling you the truth. You know me. I can’t lie.”

  “Your phone has been working since. Why didn’t you tell me on any of the phone calls we’ve had since?”

  “I kinda was trying to save my own life.”

  “Very well.” Schultz paused, thinking. “The ammunition found in your apartment matches the ammunition that was found in his gun.”

  A gun. Since when did he have a gun? He hadn’t had one since he’d been discharged from the Army.

  Schultz continued. “Is there any reason why he would want to kill his wife? Your sister?”

  Emily shrugged her shoulders. Her mind drifted to the last time she was with him. In his arms, their naked bodies barely touching. His gentle touch, his embrace.

  “He loved Soph very much.”

  “Was your sister happy in her marriage?”

  “Of course she was. Yeah, she was tired, looking after her daughter and our father. But she doted over Tom.”

  “Was Tom aware you were back in town?”

  “No. Only you and Soph knew.”

  Schultz studied her before continuing. “Any reason why you’d be a target, then?”

  Emily shook her head.

  “Any disgruntled clients? Death threats?”

  Emily thought. She was always hopping between locations, relocating to wherever the next client was.

  “No. No, there haven’t been any. All my mail gets redirected into my email inbox. There’s been nothing come through on that, or my cell.”

  Emily thought for a moment. There could be multiple reasons why someone would target her. It could even be repercussions from her informant situation in Sydney last month. Or even one of her many assignments where she’d been employed by companies to uncover dodgy members of staff who were money laundering their bosses’ turnover.”

  “What’s your current project?”

  “Ugh, what’s that got to do with anything?”

  “We need to get a full picture of what on earth is going on here. Melbourne has never seen so much mayhem. Let alone all on the same day.”