by Ian Hamilton
“Hello, ladies,” Richard Bowlby said. “What an interesting day and night this has been.”
“Sorry to take you away from your sports,” Ava said.
“Not at all. It was nice to get a break from rugby. My team has been doing badly and I couldn’t stand much more of it.”
“Richard, none of us really wants to hear about your rugby team,” Brenda said.
“Are you still upset over my love of the game?” he said.
“No, I’m just trying to conduct business, since our client is here and the clock is running.”
“Then turn off the clock, because we’ve created a bit of a stir here and we need to take time to digest it.”
“With David Katz?” Brenda asked, her voice rising.
“Yes, to a degree, but more with Michael Dillman at the Economic Herald. Our quick drink turned into a three-hour meeting. He left with copies of all the documents that you sent. Two hours later he called me back and we met for dinner and several nightcaps.”
“What generated so much interest?” Brenda asked.
“Dennis Calhoun.”
“I don’t know of anyone by that name. Can I assume he is involved in Calhoun Metals?” Ava asked.
“He’s the company founder, long-time CEO, and currently its chairman,” Richard said. “He also happens to be the chairman of the Conservative Party in the U.K.”
“Oh,” Ava said.
“‘Oh’ indeed. He’s a man of considerable power and influence with friends in high places. Luckily, he has also made as many, if not more, enemies, and they aren’t without their own clout. The bottom line is that he’s a man who a great many people know and have an interest in.”
“Richard, as I remember, party chairmen are internal appointments and not elected,” Brenda said.
“That’s true.”
“And the position is almost honorary.”
“Also true.”
“So while Calhoun’s political affiliation is interesting, I can’t see its having any direct bearing on the business practices or the success of his company.”
“That was my initial reaction, and it’s essentially true, but according to Michael Dillman — and hence his interest — Dennis Calhoun has muddied the waters. Apparently, he’s been a relentless self-promoter for many years, and since assuming the party chairmanship nine months ago, that’s only intensified.”
“Self-promotion is not an unusual trait in a businessman or a quasi-politician,” Ava said.
“Except that Calhoun presents himself as the man who has shown the U.K. business community how to successfully do business with the Chinese.”
“How interesting,” Ava said, a large smile breaking across her face.
“According to Dillman, Calhoun maxed out his growth potential here years ago. He was evidently quite the terror, a real predator. I have a list of companies he destroyed and lawsuits he fought off. With the U.K. market saturated, he turned his attention to Asia. He had a few bumps along the road in Singapore and Malaysia, but then he discovered China. He has been bragging about Mega Metals for years. He says it’s the ideal model for other U.K. companies to emulate if they want to succeed in China. Dillman said that Calhoun has been a regular contributor to the business press and a guest on a horde of TV and radio shows. Dillman thinks that high profile helped him get the chairmanship.”
“Mega Metals as a model — how hypocritical is that?” Vanessa said.
“And the Calhoun message has only been getting stronger,” Richard said. “Since he’s become chairman of the party, the government has been trying to turn him into a poster boy.”
“A what?” Brenda said.
“He was the leader of the last major trade mission that the government organized to go to China. Then they organized a series of seminars aimed at educating small to medium-sized firms on how to do business in China. Calhoun doesn’t conduct them, but his name is attached to them.”
“So Calhoun and his business are linked with the government?” Ava asked.
“Exactly.”
“That’s fascinating,” she said.
“Dillman thinks so too.”
“Is he going to do a story?”
“Well, he was spouting possible headlines as he left the bar. One was ‘Calhoun’s Secret Key to Success in China — Bribe the Buggers.’ My favourite was ‘Chairman Calhoun Pays Chairman Mao.’ Although knowing the Economic Herald, I’m sure if they do a piece, the headline will be less tabloid and far more serious.”
“If they do a piece?” Ava said. “Is there any doubt they will?”
“Dillman still has to talk to his editor. If he gets the green light, then they’ll obviously have to confirm the information we’ve given them, and he said they would have to speak to Calhoun. It could take several days, maybe longer.”
“I know the Herald has a tremendous reputation, but how many readers does it have?” Brenda asked.
“There are about a million and a half subscribers, but the total readership is larger than that,” Richard said. “And you are correct about it being a very serious and respected publication. Anything it publishes will have instant credibility worldwide, and you can expect that other media will pick up the story and run it as well.”
“I have to confess that this is more than I ever hoped for,” Ava said softly.
“It isn’t a sure thing yet,” Richard said.
“I understand that, but it’s a very large leap forward from where I was twenty-four hours ago,” she said.
“Richard, did you make any promises to Mr. Dillman?” Brenda asked.
“Like what?”
“An exclusive.”
“No, although he asked me who else I was talking to and I told him no one.”
“Vanessa has spoken to a friend who works at the Wall Street Tribune. They might have an interest as well, although I imagine it might be more focused on the Tsai family and their American interests.”
“Given its English roots, I expect the Herald would be all over the Calhoun–government angle.”
“We wouldn’t want them to downplay the Tsais,” Brenda said.
“That’s not a thing we can control. It’s Calhoun’s stature and position that are most important here.”
“I just want the story published,” Ava said. “It can be ninety-nine percent about Calhoun and one percent about the Tsais. It doesn’t matter. I’ll still find a way to make it work.”
“That’s the right approach to take,” Richard said.
“It’s the only approach, but there is one thing I am concerned about,” Ava said, turning to Vanessa. “I don’t want us to lose the chance to have the Tribune run the story as well. I would hate it if the Herald got it out first and your friend felt blindsided. I think it might be wise if you gave him a heads-up.”
“I think Ava is right,” Brenda said.
“And Richard,” Ava continued, “is there any chance that the Herald might run the chart we’ve been assembling?”
“Truthfully, Dillman didn’t have much interest in it.”
“Well, when you speak to Sam Curry,” Ava said to Vanessa, “make sure you tell him that. It might encourage him to use it.”
( 28 )
The Dragonair flight left Hong Kong fifteen minutes late and was parked on the runway at Lukou International Airport in Nanjing for another fifteen while it waited for another plane to vacate the arrivals gate. Ava phoned Xu from the plane.
“I’ve landed, but it will be past seven o’clock by the time I get out of the terminal.”
“I’m glad you’re here, but we’re cutting it really close. The restaurant is in the Yihe Mansions, and that’s a fifty-kilometre drive from the airport. Even in good traffic it will take close to an hour to get there. I’m still at the InterContinental, which is close to the Mansions, so I’ll go dire
ctly to the restaurant and wait for you there.”
“Who’s meeting me here?”
“Suen is already in the arrivals hall. We brought our driver from Shanghai with us, so the car will be at the curb when the two of you leave the terminal. With any luck you’ll make it on time for eight.”
“Did you find out why Tsai Men wants to see us?”
“No.”
“Well, I have a hunch.”
“What?”
“I had a friend from a Canadian bank making bank-to-bank inquiries about several Tsai businesses, and I had our Hong Kong law firm doing the same. It appears that the Chinese banks may have become suspicious about the interest being shown. They may have said something to Tsai Men.”
“The bank and the lawyers were discreet?”
“Completely. All of the communication was of a normal commercial variety.”
“And no names were mentioned?”
“If you mean mine and yours, absolutely not.”
“Then we should have nothing to worry about.”
“I felt the same until Pang Fai called me.”
“What did she want?”
“To tell me that Tsai Men had contacted her to ask about me. He wanted to know if I was a kept woman, and when she said no, he grilled her about my business and where I was from.”
“I think it’s because he’s attracted to you. That’s the impression I got when he spoke to me the day after the dinner.”
“I have trouble believing that.”
“I think you’re being overly modest,” Xu said.
“Maybe, but I had hoped that dinner in Shanghai was the last time I would have to meet the man.”
“We’ll get past it,” he said. “Did the bank and law firm inquiries provide any useful information?”
“Lots, but I don’t want to discuss it over the phone. It’s quite complicated,” Ava said. “I spent the morning with the lawyers and then two hours on the plane making notes. My notebook is filling up, and I can’t remember the last time that happened.”
“Then I’ll wait until we can really talk.”
“That’s best. And now my plane is finally moving towards the terminal,” Ava said. “See you in about an hour.”
Ten minutes after reaching the gate, Ava walked into the arrivals hall and saw Suen. He gave a respectful nod and reached for her bag.
“I’m told I have to hurry,” she said.
“The car is waiting for us outside.”
When Ava walked through the exit, she was immediately assaulted by a wall of thick, odorous steam. She stopped and looked for the Mercedes. It was parked about fifty metres away.
“What’s that smell?” she said to Suen.
“They tell me it’s a bad pollution day. They closed all the city schools, but luckily they let the highways stay open. Last year, they had to shut down almost the entire city for close to a week.”
“And it’s so humid.”
“That’s typical for Nanjing — hot and muggy in the summer, cold and damp in the winter. We’re lucky it isn’t monsoon season.”
“I don’t feel that lucky,” Ava said, putting a hand over her mouth and nose.
“He’s seen us,” Suen said, pointing to the car that was crawling towards them.
Ava climbed into the back seat as Suen put her bag in the trunk. He then sat next to the driver and reached for his phone.
“I have to call the boss,” he said.
“Be my guest.”
He punched in a number. “It’s me. Ava is in the car and we’re headed for Yihe Mansions,” he said, and then paused. “Okay, I’ll do that.”
He put his phone away and sat staring straight ahead. The car pulled onto a highway signed S55 North.
“What does he want you to do?” Ava asked.
Suen turned halfway towards her. “Nothing to do with your dinner,” he said.
Ava thought she saw some tension in his shoulders.
“I’ve never been to Nanjing,” she said, looking out at the hilly terrain.
“It’s the ancient capital.”
“That much I do know.”
“I grew up in a village close by,” Suen said. “When I was a child, we came here every summer to visit Xuanwu Lake, which is in the middle of the city. I always found it strange that a lake was there.”
“How big is it?”
Suen shrugged. “All I remember is that there were five islands in it, all interconnected by bridges, and it used to take us more than half the day to walk from one to another around the water. My mother was religious and stopped at various temples. My father was more interested in the teahouses and restaurants.”
“It sounds lovely. I’d like to see it.”
“The Yihe Mansions are just to the west of it, but it will be dark by the time we get there.”
“Maybe tomorrow.”
“Maybe,” Suen said.
Ava closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the seat. She had worn black linen slacks and a plain white button-down shirt to the meeting with the lawyers in Hong Kong and hadn’t had a chance to change. If there were other women at the dinner and it was anything like Shanghai, she was decidedly underdressed.
“I might nap,” she said to Suen. “If I do, wake me at least ten minutes before we reach our destination.”
She did sleep, and woke with a start when Suen’s hand gently pushed her knee.
“Almost there,” he said.
She sat upright. Her lips were dry and her hair was mussed. She reached into her bag for a brush and lipstick. By the time she was finished with them, the car was pulling into what looked like a complex of townhouses.
“Xu said you are to join them in a private dining room in the Yuanxia-Dongyin Restaurant. You can get there through the hotel entrance,” Suen said. “We can’t leave the car here. There’s a lot about fifty metres away. Someone should call me when you’re ready to leave.”
She stepped out of the car and climbed five levels into the lobby. She walked across a thick, richly coloured rug towards a young woman who sat at a large antique desk.
“I’m meeting Mr. Tsai and Mr. Xu for dinner,” she said.
The young woman leapt to her feet. “They’ve been waiting for you. Let me show you the way.”
She led Ava through a long corridor lined with traditional paintings of dragons and waterfalls, and then cut right and left before stopping before a door. She knocked.
“Come in,” the familiar voice of Tsai Men said.
The woman opened the door and stepped to one side.
Ava walked into a room that had a single empty table with sixteen chairs. Only three were occupied. Xu stood and walked over to Ava. He held out his arms and she stepped into them. Then he pulled back and turned towards the table.
“You know Tsai Men,” he said. “And I’m pleased to say that his wife, Lau Ai, has joined us.”
Ava smiled at Tsai, who was dressed in a grey suit, and Lau Ai, who was heavily made up and had a grim look on her face. She was probably in her forties, Ava guessed, and was thin, with delicate features. She was wearing a powder-blue Chanel jacket with pink trim over a white silk blouse, her neck adorned with a string of pearls. One hand rested on the table, showing off a five-carat diamond ring and a diamond-encrusted bracelet.
“You look quite different from the last time I saw you,” Tsai said.
Ava glanced down at her white cotton button-down shirt and black linen slacks. “Is this inappropriate?”
“Not at all. Have a seat.”
She took the chair to the right of Xu. Tsai sat across from him and Lau Ai was to her husband’s left.
“We’ve ordered wine and tea,” Tsai said.
“We won’t be staying for dinner,” Xu said. “I misunderstood the initial invitation. Men and Ai hav
e a function that they have to attend elsewhere.” He said it deliberately, and Ava thought she heard some tension in his voice.
“I’m sure we can find food somewhere in Nanjing,” she said, and smiled.
Tsai shifted in his chair, his eyes drifting upward. Lau continued to glare at her.
“Xu said you weren’t in Shanghai when we asked you to meet us here,” Tsai said. “Where were you?”
“I was in Hong Kong,” Ava said, surprised at his rudeness.
“And what took you to Hong Kong?”
“I have family there. I was visiting my father and brothers.”
“And you came all the way from Hong Kong to Nanjing for what you thought was a dinner?”
“Xu asked me to come as a favour.”
“A favour?”
“He’s a friend.”
“Still . . .”
“He’s a special friend.”
There was a knock at the door and then it swung open. A server stood in the entrance with a large tray held chest high. Tsai motioned for him to come in. The room went quiet as he placed the tray on the table and then set a cup and glass in front of each of them.
“We’ll pour,” Tsai said to the server as he took a bottle of white burgundy from an ice bucket. He offered it to Ava, who shook her head. So did Xu and Lau Ai. Tsai shrugged and filled his glass.
Lau lifted the teapot and reached over the table to pour the pale gold liquid into Xu and Ava’s cups.
Ava tapped the table with her middle finger.
“Xie xie,” Xu said.
“To friends, old and new,” Tsai said, lifting his glass.
“To your health,” Xu responded.
As Ava sipped her tea she felt Lau’s eyes on her. She raised her head and offered the older woman a tentative smile.
“What do you do for a living?” Lau asked in a tone so soft it was almost a whisper. “My husband was quite vague about it.”
“I’m an accountant by training, and I’m a partner in an investment business with two other women.”
“That’s not what I expected,” she said.