Hong Kong

by Luke Richardson

  Thinking about it made him uncomfortable; why did it have to be her?

  He had been ready to palm it off as timewasters until he saw the attachments. One, a photograph of a UK tabloid newspaper showing a story about a missing woman, presumed to have been murdered by a jealous lover. The other, a grainy picture of his new member of staff entering the office. He had to admit they did look very similar.

  This was a worry. He didn’t need the bad publicity.

  “Your ten o’clock appointment is here Mr Yee,” came the voice of his receptionist from the door.

  Yee ruffled his fingers through his hair again, roughing it at the sides then stroking it back into place.

  It really was a worry.

  * * *

  The first thing that struck Leo, entering Yee’s office, was the view. It was impressive.

  Pulling his eyes from it, Leo watched the architect walk from behind his large desk to greet them. Despite a smile, Leo could see worry twitching at the sides of his mouth.

  “Please take a seat,” Yee said, guiding Leo and Alissa towards the chairs in the corner and then sitting with his back to the window. Leo wondered if Yee had directed them to the informal chairs as a conscious attempt to relax the situation. Conversations like this were as much about power as information.

  Although small in stature, Yee’s expensive suit and glinting watch hinted at power beyond the physical. Dropping into the seat, Leo realised he had to squint to see the architect clearly against the thick morning light which poured through the window. Yee was clearly a clever and manipulative man.

  “Thank you for agreeing to see us, Mr Yee,” Allissa said, undeterred.

  “Would you like a drink before we begin?” Yee said.

  Leo and Allissa had bought two cups of coffee and a pastry each in the coffee shop opposite as they waited for Yee’s reply to their e-mail. Leo already had a headache from the caffeine.

  “No, thank you,” he said.

  “In short,” Allissa continued, “we’ve come here to avoid you having some kind of public scandal.”

  “We’re on your side,” Leo said. “We just need this to be sorted out.”

  Yee didn’t reply but rubbed his short, quick fingers through the back of his hair.

  “Our client,” Leo began, leaning forward, “is a man called Jamie Price.”

  Yee nodded.

  “He should be working for you here now, but instead he’s in prison in London charged with murder.”

  There was a moment of silence, Leo let the words hang.

  “Well, I don’t see how…” Yee started before a thought caught up with him, “I don’t know this Jamie Price. I’ve never met him.”

  “The problem is,” Allissa asserted, “Jamie Price has come to work for you.”

  “Yes, she started last week,” Yee said. “There must be more than one in the world?”

  “Of course,” Allissa said. Yee looked confident. “But I’m afraid it’s not that simple.”

  “Mr Yee,” Leo got his phone from his pocket and leaned forward, “let me show you something that’ll make this very clear. As you saw in the e-mail we sent you this morning, this is the person you believe to be Jamie Price. We know she is working for you right now as this was taken this morning.”

  Yee nodded.

  “And this,” Leo scrolled to the picture of the newspaper article, “is a woman in the UK who is believed to have been murdered.”

  “Yes, I’ve seen these,” Yee said. “They just look similar, it doesn’t prove anything.”

  “This is the man who is in prison,” Leo scrolled to the picture of Jamie. “He was supposed to be here working for you now. And here,” Leo flicked to the picture of Isobel they had found online, “is the woman he is supposed to have murdered. The woman who you know as Jamie Price is actually Isobel Clark. She’s been missing for a number of weeks and a man is in prison charged with her murder.”

  Leo thought he saw understanding fall over the architect’s face.

  “Feel free to do your own research into this when we’ve gone,” Allissa said, “but we’re here to help you, not accuse you.”

  “You’re sure?” Yee asked. “There’s no mistake?”

  “No mistake,” Allissa said. “Isobel has framed an innocent man for murder and is now working for you. She’s a very manipulative woman.”

  Yee exhaled slowly.

  “The way we see this,” Allissa reassured, “this is not your fault. You’ve been conned by this woman as much as everyone else.”

  “I’m not sure the press will see it that way,” Leo interjected.

  “Our concern is the innocent man in prison, not Isobel or whatever you call her,” Allissa said.

  “But it wouldn’t look good if it did come out,” Leo reminded him.

  “What do you need from me?” Yee asked.

  “We need a timestamped CCTV image of her in this office. She needs to be in it clearly so the judge can see it’s her. A statement from you saying when she started at your company and any other information you might hold on her. UK address, bank details etc.”

  “Then you’ll make this go away?” Yee asked. “And nothing will come of it?”

  “If we have those things today,” Allissa said, “this goes no further.”

  “You could even be praised as the people who finally caught up with her,” Leo added. “Not the company who hid someone illegally.”

  Yee thought for a few moments. Leo noticed him look behind them at something on the wall. Turning, he saw the painting, some modern orange swirly thing.

  Seeming to wake, Yee pulled his phone from the inside pocket of his jacket. Pressing it a few times, he held it to his ear and barked some commands. Seconds later, a stocky Chinese man came through the door, a strong physique showing through his dark suit. Leo thought he looked familiar but wasn’t sure how.

  “This is Jiao,” Yee said. “He sorts things out for me.”

  The two men spoke in what Leo assumed must be Cantonese for a minute.

  “The picture please,” Yee said, holding his hand out to Leo. Leo pulled it up onto the screen of his phone and passed it over.

  The conversation restarted with more animated gestures, then there was a silence. The two men smiled at each other. Leo wished he could understand what they were saying.

  “Jiao will prepare the video for you now,” Yee said, as the burly man walked from the room. “Leave your contact details and we will send it over later today along with the other things you need.”

  Allissa and Leo stood.

  “I am glad you have come to me on this matter, we will sort this out,” Yee said, bowing slightly and smiling.

  “Thank you for your help,” Leo said. “All we want is to see an innocent man go free.”

  Walking to the door, Allissa paused. “What will you do about Isobel?”

  Leo shot a look towards her. This was not part of their plan.

  “She will no longer be working with us – I can assure you of that.”

  “You’ve done the right thing,” Leo interjected. “It could have been pretty messy if your clients had found out.”

  “Yes, indeed, I want to avoid that at all costs. If there is anything you need while in Hong Kong, please let me know,” Yee said, his smile broadening. “Perhaps dinner, or a nice hotel?”

  Allissa sighed. Leo knew she was thinking of their tiny room in the high-rise village.

  “We don’t need anything,” Leo said. “Just what we have discussed. Thank you.”

  “Yes, of course,” Yee said, bowing again and indicating the door.

  “Ohh, Kandinski,” Allissa said, looking towards the painting. “Composition VII, one of my favourites; everything will come to an end, and then be reborn.”

  As Allissa and Leo crossed the open plan office, Yee watched them in silent surprise. How had the girl interpreted that from the painting? How had she seen what every single member of his team had failed to?

  Shaking his head to regai
n focus, Yee turned and shut the door. He now had a problem, but with that had come a solution. A solution he looked forward to very much. From destruction would come rebirth. From chaos, Yee was going to bring order. Order where he was in charge.

  Chapter 44

  O’Leary’s Irish Bar was dark as Leo and Allissa walked in. The brightness of the city swamped the room for a few seconds as they opened the door and then died as it closed behind them. Leo always wondered why Irish bars seemed to have a uniform style across the globe, dark wood panelling adorned with paintings of horses and landscapes. The dozen or so beer pumps and the back-bar mirror glimmered dreamily.

  “What was that about the painting in Yee’s office?” Leo asked as they stood at the bar. The place was empty, it was still before midday, but as far as Leo was concerned their work was done. He intended to sort flights home later that afternoon.

  “Kandinski’s composition VII. All about making order from chaos, apparently. Did a module in modern art at college.”

  “Do you think it’s the real one?” Leo asked.

  “It’s possible. It wouldn’t be cheap, but Yee clearly is a guy who has some money to spend.”

  “Yeah,” Leo said thoughtfully as the barman approached. The sleeves of his grey shirt were rolled up and a dish cloth was draped across his shoulder.

  “You’re here early,” he said in a lilting Irish accent. “What can I get you?”

  Allissa ordered breakfast and beer.

  “It’ll be five o’clock at home,” she said, looking at the reflection of a clock in the mirror.

  “They’re not pints,” Leo said, watching the barman fill two glasses.

  “500ml,” the barman said, putting the glasses on fresh beer mats.

  “George Orwell predicted this,” Leo said grumpily, “and look how that turned out.”

  “Beer is beer,” Allissa said, raising it to her lips, “and this one’s good, thank you.”

  Sitting in a booth at the back of the bar and tasting the first sip of beer, Leo felt himself relax.

  “Well, we did it,” he said, lifting his pint to toast Allissa’s. “Well done.”

  Allissa didn’t look so sure as they clinked glasses.

  “Well, yeah, as soon as we get the stuff from Yee we’ve got enough to get Jamie off. But it doesn’t feel finished to me. Why did Isobel do it and what’s she going to do now?”

  “Don’t worry about that,” Leo said. “We’ve done the job we’ve been paid for. We can enjoy being in the city for a couple of days and then go home.”

  Privately Leo hoped they would be back sooner than that. The episode with his sister before they left, and their other cases made him want to be at home as soon as possible.

  “But who really is Isobel and what caused her to do what she has?”

  “We really don’t need to worry about her,” Leo said. “She decided to do the wrong thing and now that’s come back to bite her. She clearly wasn’t that worried about other people. An innocent guy has spent weeks in prison because of her.”

  “Well yes, true,” Allissa said. “But we all make bad decisions sometimes. I really think we should…”

  Allissa stopped as her phone bleeped from the tabletop. The e-mail received icon glowed on the screen. Picking up and unlocking the phone, she saw it was from Yee.

  Putting the drink down, Allissa opened the e-mail and read it aloud. As requested, it gave the dates Jamie or Isobel had worked at the firm, her previous address, passport information and some other details. A video file was also attached.

  “They’re presumably just the details of the real Jamie Price,” Allissa said. “Just no one thought to check.”

  Tapping the video file, an image of the office’s reception area filled the screen. In the corner the date and time were displayed. Allissa recognised it as 7:45 on the day Isobel started at the firm.

  Watching closely, Allissa saw Isobel appear in the reception area. The receptionist must have been on the phone as Isobel stood for a few seconds and looked around the office.

  “That’ll do it,” Allissa said, saving a screenshot of Isobel as she turned to face the camera. “We’ll get that straight over to the lawyer. We will send the whole video as well, but that shot just says it all.”

  “Yep,” Leo said. “Date and time, there she is, signed and sealed.”

  On the screen the receptionist finished her call and started to talk to Isobel. After exchanging a few words, Isobel sat on one of the chairs still in view of the camera. She crossed her legs and looked at something inside her bag.

  “She looks a bit nervous, don’t you think?” Leo said.

  “Yeah. You would be though. Wouldn’t you? I just don’t understand,” Allissa said, wondering out loud. “Surely she knew she wouldn’t get away with it?”

  As Allissa spoke, Yee walked into the shot. With no sound on the video, Leo and Allissa could only guess what they were saying. Nothing looked unusual.

  “Well that’s that done anyway,” Leo said getting to his feet. “I’m going to sort out our next pressing issue.” Allissa looked up at him.

  “These glasses need filling,” Leo held up the empty glasses. “We’re celebrating. A job well done.”

  As Leo walked to the bar, Allissa turned back to the video. She had a rising sense of unease about this. Did anyone else even know Isobel was here? That put here in a very vulnerable position.

  On the screen, Yee had taken a step towards Isobel who was now standing. Allissa watched as Yee pointed Isobel in the direction of his office. As Isobel began to walk, Yee turned to look at her, his face contorted into a smile as his eyes scanned her body. As the video cut out, the look on Yee’s face stayed in Allissa’s mind. It took her a few moments to realise where she had seen that face before, that look of smug entitlement. Then she realised, it was the look of someone who thought they could do what they like and not get caught. At that, Allissa’s sense of unease grew further still.

  Chapter 45

  Yee stood behind his desk looking out at the city. This afternoon, the view brought him no pleasure. He poured another strong measure of single malt into a glass and sipped it greedily. As the hours had passed his anger had risen. How could someone think they would get away with that? Get away with cheating him, with playing him?

  He was going to show Isobel how he treated liars. This was his city. People here played by his rules. And those that didn’t? Jiao had a skill for those very effectively.

  He picked up his phone and made two calls. The first to Jiao, the second to the receptionist telling her to call Jamie into his office.

  Jamie or Isobel or whatever your name actually is.

  Things like this weren’t supposed to happen. Jamie had a great CV, the ideal qualifications, excellent experience. Yee had thought the recruitment agency did well securing her at a good price. They’d done the interview and the checks, all he had to do was pay. That he’d done gladly knowing the experience that would be joining his firm. Yee had felt lucky to get her.

  And then she’d arrived, efficient, hardworking, and, well he had to admit it, beautiful. Yee shook his head, trying to remove the thought of how good her body had felt last night. Looking down at the screen of his laptop, he saw her picture displayed as part of a newspaper article. It was a good picture, her hair was swept over one shoulder as she looked into the camera, her lips a deep red.

  He’d noticed her figure on that first day, from a distance to start with. Thinking back, Yee pictured her. She knew what she was doing. She knew the effect she was having.

  Turning to look at the Kandinsky, Yee grew irritated. Had he gone soft? Had he let standards slip? No. He wouldn’t let standards slip. Not for her, not for anyone. It didn’t matter how beautiful she was. How good her warm skin felt under his touch. How young and fragrant and keen…

  Yee was shaken from his thoughts by the sound door opening.

  Turning, he saw that figure. Isobel. She smiled at him. She had no idea.

  “You ask
ed for me?” Isobel said, walking confidently towards him.

  Yee stole a glance at her before turning back towards the window. There would be plenty of time for that body to be his.

  Looking out at the whispering city, Yee took a sip of the whiskey. Isobel wouldn’t be having any this time.

  “You know Isobel, I never get bored of this view.”

  For a moment there was silence. The traffic below seeped through the city and somewhere an air conditioner murmured.

  “You’re right, it’s very beautiful,” Isobel replied.

  Yee stood still, his back to Isobel as a grin spread across his face.

  As Yee turned, Isobel realised her mistake.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear what you just said. What did you mean? I…”

  Yee held up a hand to stop her. Her complexion betrayed any credibility. Her eyes darted left and right.

  Slowly, Yee took a swallow of the spirit and drew a deep breath. Control regained. Order from chaos.

  “This gives me a problem,” Yee said, fixing Isobel with a stare. “I know you’re not the person you’re supposed to be.”

  “I… I…” Isobel stuttered, but again Yee silenced her with a look.

  “Someone brought this to my attention,” Yee said, turning the laptop.

  Isobel looked down at the screen and seemed to pale in recognition of her own face staring back at her beneath the headline Man Arrested for Murder.

  “It’s a shame you’re so… how shall I say… pleasing to the eye.”

  Yee didn’t bother to hide his eyes roaming her body now.

  Isobel stood still, gulping back panic.

  “If you’d been more, say, plain, I bet they wouldn’t have bothered with your picture.”

  Isobel gripped the desk for support, her knuckles draining of colour.

  “It’s funny though,” Yee continued, “how you thought you could get away with it. How long did you think it would take people to notice? I suppose,” he took a sip of the drink, “I’m a little disappointed. Especially after last night. But…”