Death in Hong Kong: (Amanda Lipton Mysteries Book 3)

by Martha Fischer

  ‘I guess the “friend” will have made his cut?’

  ‘Exactly. You get it. Invariably she blames her brother for her own misfortunes. She’s convinced that he’s decided to ruin her.’

  ‘And logically both of them will hate the youngest brother?’

  ‘Strangely not – he’s a bag of slime if you ask me, a clever bag of slime though. He plays his cards very well and seems to be supportive to both of them. I wonder how he gets away with it. He should be rolling in money as well, but I meet him very rarely, he travels a lot.’

  ‘Oh dear, I’ll try to stay clear of them. I certainly did not fly to Hong Kong to end up in the middle of a family feud.’

  ‘It’s been going on for years – no reason why things should get any worse now. I’ll ask David to invite us for a trip on his yacht around the island – it’s a memorable experience even if it’s a bit cold at the moment. But with a bit of sunshine Hong Kong can be really beautiful.’

  Geoffrey’s remarks reminded Amanda of her trip with Daniel to the Bahamas last summer. She suddenly remembered every detail: Daniel’s wonderful yacht, the balmy night. They had danced and kissed under the star-studded velvet sky…

  ‘Are you crying?’ Geoffrey’s worried voice brought her back to reality.

  ‘I’m so sorry – of course not. I think it must have been the aircon in the plane and the jet lag – suddenly my contact lenses are itching. It’s nothing, please don’t worry.’

  ‘I’m sorry, Amanda, I totally forgot that you only arrived last night. And here I am, dragging you through all the shops of Kowloon and gossiping like a madman. No wonder – you must be dead tired. Let’s skip the Ladies’ Market and let me bring you back to your hotel for a rest, tonight we’ll have ample time to continue talking.’

  The idea of taking an extensive nap in her hotel room was just too seductive. Amanda readily agreed; after all, she had been able to buy all the gifts she’d need. It had been a very cheerful day – until Geoffrey had mentioned the yacht…

  ‘You’re far too sentimental,’ her inner voice chided her, ‘time to get over it.’

  Well, it probably was.

  ‘Thanks, Geoffrey, I accept with pleasure. I suddenly do feel tired. Maybe a sign of advancing age?’

  ‘If you tell me your age is advanced, I don’t even want to know about my own. It’s the jet lag, nothing else.’

  Chatting comfortably once again like old friends they walked back to the hotel, and Amanda was agreeably surprised that they didn’t need to walk far. Wandering along the meandering aisles of the malls and the narrow streets with Geoffrey she had completely lost her sense of orientation and had been convinced that they must have ended up miles away from her hotel. But all they needed to do was to cross three streets and she could already spot the elegant marble façade.

  Crossing the streets proved tricky, though, as the streets were packed with locals, tourists, pedlars of all sorts, Indian tailors and the unavoidable dealers of fake watches and other unsavoury items. Here in the bustling heart of the city the streets were lined with whatever kind of shops, restaurants and beauty parlours one could imagine. But what surprised Amanda most was the mix of cheap, old, expensive and glossy. The most expensive jewellery shops with diamonds as large as pigeon eggs, guarded by fierce-looking armed sentries, were located only yards away from rundown and outright sleazy garment and souvenir shops, the kind of shabby places that would make great settings for a crime story. A luxurious hotel could be found a few yards away from a grimy boarding house.

  Distracted and wrapped up in fascination Amanda was almost run over by a taxi. Not only had she forgotten that traffic in Hong Kong still abided by the old colonial rule of right-hand driving, but some of the local taxi drivers must have won their driving licences in a sweepstake. Their driving skills were questionable – bordering on kamikaze driving. Luckily Geoffrey prevented her from walking right into the taxi, which was turning at neck-braking speed into one of the smaller streets.

  ‘You’re my saviour!’ Amanda exclaimed as a strong arm restrained her.

  ‘And that’s only one side of me.’ He grinned

  She laughed. ‘That’s true.’

  ‘Let me pick you up, let’s say, sixish tonight. Ok?’

  ‘What about Susan and Neil?’ Amanda asked. ‘Will they join us?’

  ‘Scared to be alone with me?’ Geoffrey was clearly teasing her, pretending to be a bit miffed.

  ‘Come on, Geoffrey. Of course I wouldn’t mind accompanying you alone, but I’m worried that I’d be standing there in a crowd of locals – knowing nobody. I’d pretend to be having a good time, but it would be so much better to have Susan next to me…’

  He finished her sentence. ‘Whispering malicious remarks about the other guests to each other, dissecting every other female in the room?’

  ‘I’ll have to be careful, you’re getting to know me far too well!’ She laughed. ‘But to be honest that’s only part of the fun. We’ll ruthlessly size up the male guests and gossip, so better take care. And don’t tell me that you guys never do this.’

  ‘Of course we don’t. Never. We just talk business, maybe about fishing and most certainly about horse racing and sport. That’s it. We’d never mention girls. No way, trust me.’ He winked.

  Amanda gave him a quick goodbye kiss on his cheek and she walked through the large doors that were opened by the ever-so-alert pageboys in their white uniforms.

  Geoffrey watched Amanda as she disappeared through the glass doors into the lavish hotel lobby:

  ‘Geoffrey, mate, take care,’ Geoffrey muttered and shook his head.

  But although he tried very hard to think about some business matters to divert his mind from Amanda, he found himself humming a merry tune as he entered the nearby car park.

  High society

  Geoffrey was waiting for Amanda at six o’clock sharp in the lobby – exactly as he had promised. He had changed his faded jeans and polo shirt to a smart casual outfit with a dark blue linen jacket. Amanda thought this was a good choice, a perfect match to his blue eyes.

  They exchanged appraising glances, which made her laugh.

  ‘I hope you like my dress,’ Amanda asked.

  ‘The dress and all that comes with it,’ he answered.

  ‘Thanks, that’s a very nice compliment. May I return it? You look very handsome. I really like the colour of your jacket.’

  ‘Either you’re a born diplomat or the jacket does wonders for my looks, Amanda. I hope I do have some accomplishments but being handsome is not precisely one of the attributes I’d use for myself. But if you say so, I have no choice – I must buy at least a dozen.’ He was obviously trying hard not to look flattered and failing miserably.

  ‘By the way, we’ll meet Susan and Neil at David’s place. Neil sent me a message – the ambassador let them go… finally.’

  The bellboy waved for a taxi and together they headed for Hong Kong Island. But after leaving the driveway the taxi could only creep at snail’s pace, and a decidedly tired snail at that. Consequently it was a considerable time before they were able to pull into one of the lanes that led into the tunnel linking Kowloon with Hong Kong Island. As the lanes merged, cars, lorries and buses were battling for a space to fit in. From time to time Amanda closed her eyes as she simply couldn’t stomach the reckless manoeuvrings of the taxi driver who would stop, then accelerate and jerk forwards whenever he thought he had detected the tiniest space he could squeeze into.

  Soon she was resigned to the fact that they must bump into another car any second. She just prayed that it wouldn’t be the big bus on her right side as the bus would surely win. But by ways of some divine miracle, the chaos gave way to a slow and gentle flow of traffic and they crossed the harbour without incident.

  ‘I’m not sure if I like driving in this tunnel, knowing that billions and billions of gallons of water is above us. Does it always take so much time to cross the harbour?’ Amanda asked nervously.

 
‘Yes, one tends to forget. It’s weird knowing that a whole ocean is floating above us. It’s the worst time to cross the tunnel: it’s rush hour now – combined with early holiday traffic setting in. There are two more crossings further away but as we have to go in the direction of Victoria Peak just opposite us, this is still the fastest way.’

  The taxi suddenly bolted out of the tunnel like a wasp that had been set free as the driver pushed down the accelerator. The car sped along a maze of flyovers linking the tunnel exit with the major roads at different levels like the tentacles of an octopus.

  Driving now high above the harbour they had an excellent view. The Kowloon skyline might not be as impressive as the skyline of Hong Kong Island but it still was a very memorable vista with its high-rise buildings blazing their coloured lights into the night sky.

  ‘See your hotel there, on the right-hand side?’ Geoffrey pointed to mainland. ‘The one with the fat Santa that looks almost like a bunny.’

  ‘It looks so small!’

  ‘It certainly is – compared to the latest buildings that have sprung up. Every square foot is worth more than pure gold, and the new buildings seem to know no limits.’

  Slowly the taxi left the downtown area of Wanchai and the buildings – although still rising tall – became more scattered. The island was a huge rock rising from the sea covered by a carpet of abundant tropical vegetation – wherever the buildings left some space.

  ‘Are these still office buildings? I miss the lights and those immensely tasteful Christmas decorations,’ Amanda wondered.

  ‘No, this is a residential area, it’s all flats or condos as they say in America. They may not look it, but each of them costs a fortune. We’re firmly on millionaire’s territory here. If ever you plan to chase a rich husband that’s the place to hunt. For some reason living close to the Peak is a sign of outstanding wealth, so everybody who’s made it must have a flat or, even better, a house here… and is prepared to pay dearly for the privilege.’

  ‘What do you suggest, Geoffrey? Should I ring door to door and ask if any eligible bachelor is looking for a future wife freshly imported from Europe? Perhaps that approach lacks subtlety, though.’ She laughed. ‘But luckily I’m not that desperate. What about you, there must be plenty of filthy rich women hunting for a husband?’

  ‘Fair enough, but there’s an obstacle. Money and beauty – to say nothing of character – hardly ever match. I’m picky, I have my standards.’

  ‘Well, you’ve made a point there. Same goes for the rich bachelors I’ve met so far, most were no match. So let’s forget about chasing a rich spouse. Tell me, what would be the cost of a modest-sized flat, let’s say two bedrooms, a kitchen and a living room?’

  Geoffrey named the price and Amanda fell silent. After a long pause she replied in small voice, ‘Are you sure that you got those figures right? I could buy at least fifteen luxury flats at home for that price.’

  ‘Sure, Amanda, and they rise every year. The figures I mentioned are six months old. The Hong Kong economy is built on speculation and real estate. Compare it to a casino. From time to time there’s a crash and then it all starts afresh.’

  Amanda grinned, full of mischief. ‘But that changes everything, Geoffrey! Let’s forget about principles and silly things like moral standards and reconsider ringing the doors here – talking about so much money you simply can’t demand a decent character, youth or good looks, one needs to be pragmatic.’

  Geoffrey roared with laughter. ‘You’re impossible, Amanda. I can already feel that you’ll talk me into considering some very shameless kind of match. But tell me, how will I ever explain to my bewildered parents how I ended up marrying an older woman with a doubtful character, who’s been on the shelf for decades?’

  ‘Show her statement of account – that might change their minds very fast. If you choose an old enough wife, consider the marriage a sort of transitory solution.’

  ‘Do you always have an answer to every question?’

  Amanda sat very erect in her seat. ‘Of course, sir, I’m a teacher!’

  ‘Can I confess something?’

  ‘Go ahead, Geoffrey. It’s confession time.’

  ‘I was never very good at school – maybe because I never had a teacher like you.’

  ‘I’ll take that a compliment, but don’t even try telling me that you had a hard time at school. I’m pretty sure that you probably sneaked your way through school and now make a better living than any of your teachers could ever have dreamed of.’

  Geoffrey grinned. ‘I’m beaten, are you in the CIA? To be truthful, that sums it up pretty well. I did the same in college eventually… I was quite creative when it came to cheating in my exams. Does that shock you?’

  ‘Not really, but you were lucky that you didn’t have me as a teacher.’

  ‘I’d never cheat you, Amanda, that’s a promise.’

  Amanda didn’t know how to reply. Was he flirting? But Geoffrey dropped the subject smoothly and pointed to a row of houses above them.

  ‘See those houses there? One of the bigger ones belongs to David Li – we’re almost there. Are you feeling tired?’

  ‘Not at all, I’m quite excited, actually. I love visiting houses. I love to imagine how I’d decorate them, no constraints on budget, of course. I think I could spend a fortune if ever I owned a house. At home I have only a small flat, but I change the decoration quite often. What a fabulous view they must enjoy from there.’

  ‘They do. Actually, David bought the house when he had made his first couple of million by investing in telecommunication shares during one of the real estate crises that was rocking the island at that time. It was expensive then, but today you’d need to dish out hundreds of millions of Hong Kong dollars to buy it.’

  ‘His sister probably loved him dearly when she heard about the deal.’

  ‘Sure she did, especially as she had lost a lot of her own money during the same crisis. But then came a typical Chinese move.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘They may hate each other, but as she’s his sister he felt obliged to offer for her to move into his old house, a wonderful property as well. He never mentions it, but I’d be surprised if she’d ever paid a penny to live there. Now as real estate prices are sky high again, she must be a very wealthy woman in her own right once more, but she stays on and prefers spending her money on shopping and a succession of dubious boyfriends…’

  ‘How nice – and I guess she hates David even more for having been generous?’

  ‘Who knows? I’ve been living in Asia more than fifteen years but I’ll never fully understand their way of thinking. One thing is clear though, the Confucian values of respect for the family and the obedience you owe to the family have never been given up, even during communism. They rule everything in China and we tend to underestimate that bond.’

  The long road had been winding upwards the Peak and the Central district was lying like a shimmering mirage at their feet now. The view was stunning, breathtaking. The taxi slowed down and they finally stopped at a whitewashed, brightly lit villa.

  At a first glance the villa looked as if it was only of a modest size but soon Amanda realized that it extended several levels downwards, following the steep slope of the rocky mountain. The roof was flat and had been converted into a large terrace with a view that stretched from the brightly city beneath across the harbour with its small islands further to the Pearl River delta. Given the breathtaking view Amanda didn’t doubt any longer the price tag that Geoffrey had mentioned. Outstanding beauty carried a corresponding price in Hong Kong; she had learned so much by now.

  Subtle music and the noise of conversation greeted them as soon as they alighted from the taxi. Bright torches were burning at the entrance gate, flames dancing in the wind, lightening the way to the house where Geoffrey and Amanda were soon to be greeted by their host, David.

  David was a handsome man in his early forties, but could have passed easily for thirty with
his lithe body, immaculate black hair without a streak of grey and his lively dark eyes. He had a suave voice and his English sounded well-bred, a sure sign that he must have attended college or university in Britain.

  Geoffrey greeted his friend. ‘May I introduce you to Amanda – she’s become a great friend of mine. Ah, yes, by the way, she’s also a friend of Professor Hopkins and his fiancée. She’ll spend Christmas with us in Hong Kong.’

  To Amanda’s surprise David greeted her with a kiss on her cheeks, French style. Had he lived in France at some point?

  ‘Nice to meet you, Amanda! I’m David. Geoffrey’s friends are my friends too.’ He smiled.

  ‘Thank you so much for inviting me,’ Amanda replied. ‘Your house is amazing – the view is simply wonderful.’

  David laughed, visibly pleased by Amanda’s eulogy.

  ‘I’m happy that you like it. If you want, Geoffrey can show you around, he’s been here often enough, he knows my house probably better than I do.’

  ‘That’s a bit thick!’ Geoffrey protested. ‘Although I do concede that I probably know better what kind of treasures you hide in your wine cellar than you’d ever be aware of.’

  ‘You do, I fully agree!’ David joked. ‘But whenever I ask the butler to count the bottles after you’ve left, they never seem to add up right.’

  ‘You should change the butler then,’ Geoffrey replied, unruffled. ‘That reminds me – we haven’t killed a bottle or two for some time. I’ll give you a call after Christmas. For a change I’ll bring a bottle with me – a rare find I made in France when I passed through Paris in the autumn.’