White Ginger

by Thatcher Robinson

  Suppressing the smile that would have been unkind, Bai sipped her coffee. “‘Do not insult the crocodile until you’ve crossed the river.’”

  “What’s that?”

  “It’s an old proverb, like saying ‘Don’t burn your bridges.’”

  He smiled warmly. “I’ll have to remember that. As a matter of fact, I might suggest Charlotte put it on her business card as a reminder.”

  By the time Bai’s coffee cup was empty, Doug had the papers ready for her to sign. She walked with him to the portico. He assisted Lee into the passenger seat then shook her hand. She dumped the garbage bags into the backseat of the car and drove away. As luck would have it, just in time for rush hour traffic.

  “Are you hungry?” asked Lee. The car sat in stand-still traffic on a main thoroughfare that the GPS system insisted was a direct route back to the freeway.

  “I hadn’t thought about it.” She suddenly realized she was famished.

  He pointed across the street. “There’s an IHOP. I like pancakes. I don’t know why. I just do.”

  His confession sounded heartfelt.

  “I didn’t know you liked pancakes.”

  “I didn’t either.” He sounded surprised.

  “Well, pancakes sound good to me. And we’re certainly dressed for IHOP.” She turned to him with a grin. “Maybe we can get them to make whipped-cream faces on our pancakes.”

  “Now you’re talking,” asserted Lee, his face beaming with pleasure.

  Lee slept. He appeared to be happily adrift on a cloud of pancakes and painkillers. Bai returned calls to Elizabeth and Dan as she sailed down the freeway. The evening traffic was light; the weather clear.

  “Jia’s doing much better,” Elizabeth assured her. “The doctors say she’ll be released sometime around the end of the week.”

  Bai realized that was only four days away. She worried that her current state of affairs might not be resolved before Elizabeth insisted on returning. With a target on her back, she didn’t want her family anywhere near her.

  “That’s good news,” she responded, keeping her voice light.

  “Are you in trouble, Bai?” Elizabeth’s question was blunt and to the point, as usual.

  “Of course not.” Which was true, if one discounted the loss of a small fortune and multiple attempts on her life. “I’ve just been busy clearing up some real estate deals. I didn’t have the chance to mention it, but I’ve traded the Hong Kong estate for the Businessmen’s Association Building here in Chinatown. A lot of details require my input.”

  Her lie had enough truth to it to be bulletproof. Tommy’s corroboration of the real estate trade would serve to alleviate any misgivings Elizabeth might have.

  Bai ended the call after saying a loving good-night to her daughter.

  “Four days,” she said quietly to herself. It wasn’t much time to bring closure to the mess she’d unearthed. But time enough, she hoped, to take the fight to the enemy. She was tired of being a target.

  “It’s time to dance,” she uttered cryptically.

  Lee roused himself. “Good,” he mumbled. “I love to dance. Let’s boogie.”

  She looked at him and smiled. “Are you back?”

  “I think so. My arm hurts, and I ache all over.”

  “Getting blown up will do that to you.”

  “Who were you talking to?” he asked, sitting up straight and rubbing his face with his good hand.

  “Myself.”

  “How sad,” he observed, turning to smile at her.

  Her voice became serious as she changed the subject. “We took a beating today, Lee.”

  “We certainly did,” he admitted, “but things have changed. We’ll know who ‘they’ are as soon as we find out who owned ‘Golden Heights.’ I think a little payback is owed us.”

  He nodded his head in satisfaction.

  “I get the feeling the FBI knows exactly what’s going on but won’t intervene,” she replied. “If that’s true, we’re up against a person or an organization big enough to give the FBI pause.”

  “It’s always questionable what the FBI knows, if anything. But I will give Race credit. He probably saved your life.”

  “‘Ranse,’” she said, correcting him. “His name is John Ranse.”

  He looked at her, his face serious for a change. “John Ranse is infatuated with you.”

  Her reply was testy. “He doesn’t even know me.”

  “That’s why he’s smitten with you,” he teased.

  She smiled, remembering Ranse’s semiconscious flirtation. “If I brought a Fed home to meet the family, there’d be total chaos,” she said mockingly. “What would the neighbors think?”

  “I’d be more concerned with what Jason might think,” insisted Lee. “I’m not sure Ranse would survive his introduction to Jason. He left a message last night to call him, by the way. Jason, that is.”

  “I know. I’m not ready to talk to him. I don’t want to have to lie to him. He’ll interrogate me worse than the FBI. You know how he is.”

  “Yeah, it’s probably wise to avoid him for the time being. I don’t think he’ll find out about Benny and the exploding car for a while—unless, of course, he’s tapped somebody inside the FBI.”

  He looked at her speculatively. She felt uncomfortable with the thought of Jason’s finding out about the day’s events. She pushed the thought aside.

  “Do me a favor. Dial Robert for me?”

  Lee brought up the Bluetooth display and tapped in the number. Robert picked up the call.

  “Robert, it’s Bai. Are you available to meet at my place at nine tonight?” She didn’t want to break the news of Benny’s apparent demise over the phone.

  “Sure, Bai.” He sounded reluctant. “Also, I have some research on the property you asked for. The bank loaned the development company nearly fifty million for improvements. It should provide a good return on your investment if you want to flip the property quickly and get your money back.”

  “We can discuss that tonight when I see you. Be sure to bring all of the paperwork with you,” she replied. She didn’t want to have to tell him the land was raw, the improvements a bank scam. She ended the call before he could ask any more questions.

  Lee looked aside at her. “I could tell him about Benny if you don’t feel up to it.”

  “Thanks.” She shook her head in refusal. “It’s nice of you to offer, but Benny is my responsibility, not yours. He died while in my employ. Honoring those who serve is something my grandfather taught me. I owe Benny.”

  He nodded in acceptance and grew silent. Having to tell someone a friend or loved one is dead isn’t a job you’d wish on a friend. News of a death is a blow that can’t be softened. It strikes at the most vulnerable part of the body, the heart.

  Pulling into the alley behind her house, they passed the now-familiar black sedan guarding the rear of her home. Bai found the triad presence oddly comforting. Chinatown, and her building in particular, was the only place she still felt safe. Sun Yee On had made a mess of her life, but she was indebted to them for protecting her. It was a debt that Tommy would in time, no doubt, collect.

  Parting company in the lobby, Lee retreated to his own apartment while she went to the third floor to get cleaned up. He would rejoin her upstairs when Robert arrived. But first, she needed a hot bath and a drink. She smelled like frog poop, and there was grit in places she didn’t even want to think about.

  She walked into her apartment and headed straight for the kitchen to get a highball glass out of the cupboard and fill it with ice before topping it off with Glenlivet. She adjourned to the bathroom to draw a hot bath. She put her phone and her drink on the edge of the tub and dropped her FBI sweats to the floor before slipping into the hot, steaming water. She closed her eyes to luxuriate in the heat.

  When she opened her eyes, Jason sat on the edge of the tub staring down at her, the highball glass in his hand.

  She bolted upright, her heart beating in her chest. Wa
ter sloshed over the side of the tub, but not before he stood to avoid the chopping water.

  He looked her over appreciatively as he berated her in a soft voice. “Don’t you ever return calls? And, if you’re trying to think up a good story to tell me, I already know about the exploding car. I like your FBI sweats, by the way.” He toed the blue sweats on the bathroom floor with his shiny black shoes. “And you bought the wrong model BMW,” he added, “not that my mother would ever know.”

  “What are you doing here?” She was too shocked to be angry.

  “Tommy doesn’t need me in Vancouver right now. He’s trying to patch things up with some of our dissident brothers and thought my presence would only add to their rancor. He’s acting very conciliatory these days. Did you have a talk with him? Peacemaking seems out of character for him though I have to admit his tactics seem to be working. His detractors have been caught completely off-guard by his appeasing attitude. They’re wary and nervous but are back at the bargaining table. It seems odd, but a nice Tommy is more frightening than a menacing one.”

  “I might have said something to him about how to cook a small fish,” she replied vaguely. She eased back down into the tub. “But that doesn’t answer my question. I didn’t mean, what are you doing in San Francisco? I meant, what are you doing in my bathroom?”

  “I’m admiring your outfit.”

  She shook her head in exasperation. “I’m not wearing anything.”

  “Which just happens to be my favorite outfit.” He wore a sly smile on his face. “And since you’ve decided you’re moving on, I find the sight even more arousing. There’s a saying about forbidden fruit, but it escapes me at the moment. It’s hard to think while being distracted by such lovely melons.”

  She laughed. She should have been furious with him for invading the privacy of her home, but she couldn’t work up the effort. “You’re a shit for sneaking into my bathroom and scaring me.”

  She tried to look annoyed. He didn’t appear to be fooled. He dangled his fingers in the water. “I could join you. We could play submarine.”

  “I don’t have the time. And besides, we’re through. Remember?”

  “I seem to forget that every time I see you naked.” He looked at her and smiled. “What’s on your schedule that you’re in such a hurry?”

  “Robert and Lee are meeting me here at nine. I have to tell Robert that Benny is likely dead. It’s a conversation I’m not looking forward to.”

  “Likely dead?” he asked, an amused look on his face.

  “All I saw was a singed hand with his class ring.”

  He gave the remark a moment’s thought. “I’d go with very likely dead.”

  “You’re probably right. I’m pretty sure the car was Benny’s. It seems anybody connected to the purchase of Golden Heights is marked for death, including me.”

  He let out a long breath. “‘When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter.’”

  “What are you trying to tell me?”

  “They’re scrambling to cover their asses. Their haste has made them careless. Tell me about the property.” He took a sip of her drink.

  “Any chance you might share my drink with me?”

  He handed her the highball glass. She took a gulp and let the cold scotch swirl in her mouth and warm up before swallowing. “I don’t have all the facts yet,” she confided. “Robert’s bringing over the particulars tonight. Loans were secured for improvements, but the land is still raw and untouched.”

  He tilted his head back in thought. “So somebody pocketed the money and doesn’t want it made public. Seems like sufficient motivation for murder.”

  “That’s the theory I’ve been working on. But so far, it’s only a theory.”

  “Maybe I’ll stick around for your meeting.”

  He studied her for a reaction.

  “I wish you wouldn’t,” she replied. “You’ll make Robert nervous, and the news I’m delivering will already place enough stress on him. It would be better if you let me handle this.”

  He thought a moment, closing his eyes and tilting his head to the side. When he opened his eyes, he smiled. “Perhaps you’re right. But I’ll want to know the particulars on the financing of the property. You’ll call me after you’ve met with him?”

  She knew the only way to get rid of him was to agree to his conditions. “Fine,” she said, capitulating without a fight. “I’ll call you tonight and let you know what I’ve learned.”

  He stood. She could tell he was reluctant to leave, but she was serious about moving on with her life. Her determination must have shown on her face because he smiled and shrugged before turning to walk away.

  She watched him go and felt a twinge of longing. Not enough to call him back but enough to make her want to.

  At five minutes past nine, the elevator door opened. Robert stepped out of the lift with Lee at his side. The past few days had taken a toll on the normally stodgy lawyer. Rumpled clothes and dark circles under his eyes testified to his distress. His head jerked up to nod at her as he stepped into the foyer.

  She tried to set him at ease by greeting him warmly. “Welcome, Robert. I’m sorry to take you away from home at this late hour.”

  “I don’t mind, really,” he quickly replied. “Did you know men are watching your house?”

  “Yes, they’re friends. Why don’t we have a seat in the living room where we can talk?”

  She escorted both men into the living room where Robert took a seat on the sofa and Lee settled into a comfortable side chair. Robert set a manila folder carefully down on the glass coffee table and perched on the edge of the leather cushions, as if he might bolt at the first sign of danger. He pulled papers out of the folder to arrange them neatly in piles on the table. His hands trembled.

  Bai took a seat across from him in an overstuffed chair to watch with interest as he sorted the papers—straightening and rearranging them until he had them precisely the way he wanted. When he’d finished, he looked up expectantly.

  She glanced at Lee, who nodded his head in encouragement.

  She turned back to face Robert with her face composed. “There’s no easy way to say this, Robert,” she said reluctantly, “so I’ll just come out with it. Benjamin is very likely dead. I’m sorry.”

  He sat very still. His head shook and he looked confused. “What do you mean by ‘very likely’? He’s either dead or he isn’t. I wasn’t aware there was a middle ground.”

  She looked at Lee, who shrugged to let her know she was on her own.

  She took a deep breath before replying. “Let me start at the beginning.” She ran a hand through her bristly hair as she gathered her thoughts. “Benny somehow got wind of a secret bank auction—I’m assuming an invitation-only auction. When he purchased property at this auction, he became a threat to people who’d embezzled money in an elaborate money scheme. The fifty million dollars in loans for Golden Heights was never used for improvements. The property is still raw land. The money was siphoned off.”

  “That doesn’t explain what happened to him.” Robert looked nervously from Bai to Lee then back again.

  She continued. “I think he went to look at the land the day of the auction. When Lee and I went to see the property today, a car, which appeared to be Benny’s Mercedes, exploded. It isn’t confirmed yet that he was in the car, but there was a hand with his class ring in the debris. I think it’s safe to say Benny was in the car.”

  His face caved in. He looked crestfallen. “So there’s no subdivision, no roads, no sewers, no utilities, and no Benny?”

  Lee intervened gently, his voice soft. “They haven’t done anything to the property. He stepped into the middle of a swindle. The people who killed him thought they could recover the property if they killed Bai as well.”

  Robert was silent a moment. “Who are these people?” He sounded incredulous. “What kind of person commits murder over real estate?”

  “That’s what you’re about to tell us,” she said, pointing to
the table covered with papers. “Who owned the property? Who made the loans? There had to be collusion to carry off the theft of millions of dollars. Banks have safeguards, so whoever’s involved had to have been someone high enough in management to subvert the rules.”

  Robert reached for the papers on the coffee table. His hands trembled so badly he pulled them back to clasp them together.

  “Could I trouble you for a drink, Bai?” He stared up at her, a distracted look on his face as tears started to roll down his cheeks. He seemed to be suffering from shock. “I don’t normally drink,” he said automatically, then seemed to reconsider. “But I think I could use a drink right now.”

  She retrieved a brandy. When she handed him the snifter, he hesitated, looking at the glass before downing the contents in a single swallow. He took a deep breath, exhaled, wiped the tears from his face with the sleeve of his jacket and shook his head. Then he carefully put the glass down and continued sifting through the papers while he cried silent tears.

  When he was ready, he took a deep breath. “Here is what you’re looking for, I believe.”

  He handed her two sheets of paper.

  While she read, Robert spoke. “The first sheet lists the directors of the bank. All large loans would have gone before them for approval. A loan officer wouldn’t have had the authority to handle such a large expenditure. One or more of them had to have been involved.”

  Looking over the list, she wasn’t too surprised to see a familiar name. “John Romano is serving as president of the board,” she said aloud for Lee’s benefit.

  He got out of his chair to stand behind her and read over her shoulder. His broken arm dangled in a sling made from a silk scarf with a pink flamingo emblazoned on it.

  Robert continued. “The other sheet is a list of the principals in the development firm. You’ll notice Ray Martinez Junior and Oscar Martinez are the primaries in this firm. Ray, or rather, Raimundo Martinez, the old man, is not listed. Ray Senior is a major player in the real estate market and very much a political insider. His sons are reputed to act as his proxies. They’re all set to inherit his empire, or, at least, that’s the story. There hasn’t been any official announcement as such.”