Yong nodded.
“I want you to keep watch on Agent Kane. I want to know her every move. Discuss this with no one but me. Is that clear?”
Yong nodded after a split second’s hesitation.
Jo clamped down on Yong’s hand and prevented him from exiting the booth. “It is not your place to question my orders—only to do as I say.”
Yong glanced at Jo’s hand. Scarred tissue in the shape of a Chinese character marked the top of it. In English, it translated to obey. He had never asked Jo why or how the character ended up on his hand, but he had heard from the other men that Jo had once questioned his own boss’s orders. The mark was his answer.
Chapter 29
It was a little after ten p.m. when I returned to the hotel. Ryan was asleep on his bed, and the door that connected our suites was open, as we always kept it. I peeked inside. Po Po and Lucy were both tucked under the covers of their own beds.
Po Po stirred as I exited their room. “Everything okay?” she asked softly.
“Yes.”
The truth was, everything wasn’t. I wanted nothing more than to start asking her questions. I had so many, and the taxi ride back to the hotel had me answering them myself, which usually resulted in worst-case scenarios. As usual, Po Po’s sixth sense picked up on something in my voice, even though I did my best to answer her with an even tone. “What wrong?” she asked as she sat up.
“Well, seeing that you’re up, I need to discuss something with you. Better now than tomorrow.”
Before I finished my sentence, she had slipped her legs over the side of the bed and into her slippers. She wore a nightgown but added one of the hotel robes before shuffling over to my suite.
“We’ll talk on the balcony so we don’t wake Ryan,” I whispered.
I didn’t see the point skirting the issue, so once we were settled, I told her what Leslie had revealed to me.
“Do you know anything about Peng’s involvement in Lotus Development?”
Po Po took a tiny breath. “I don’t know. His business was Peng Yee Development.”
I knew of two office towers Peng had built under that company. He had partnered with a local bank. Both buildings were still standing, and one had the bank’s logo plastered across the top, so the bank was apparently still the owner.
“Somehow his name is on a contract that states he was the developer and owner of the building that body was found in. You know the one that’s been in the news?”
Po Po nodded. “I see this on TV. Leslie think Peng kill this man?”
There was no hiding the irritation in Po Po’s voice. I wasn’t bothered by it. It was a lot to take in, and I was still trying to wrap my head around it myself.
“Look, nobody is accusing Peng of anything. We’re just trying to gather more information. I didn’t believe Leslie at first, but she showed me the contract. I saw his signature on it. Did he ever mention anything to you about Lotus Development? Maybe he provided financing for another project or partnered up with another firm. I know Peng wouldn’t hurt anyone, let alone kill someone. This is more about clearing his name rather than finding out if he was responsible for that body.”
“Don’t you think I know if Peng have other business? He tell me everything.”
“Well, in lieu of other recent discoveries, maybe he had a deal with Mei’s parents. They had money, and he knew you didn’t get along with them. Could he have done something with them and kept it from you?”
“No,” Po Po said, brushing off my suggestion with both of her hands.
I wasn’t so sure I agreed with her. There could have very well have been something between Peng and the in-laws. Could this be the real reason for their decision to cut themselves out of their daughter’s life—a business deal that went sour? I didn’t like that suggestion; it only continued to tie Peng to the building, and I was hoping to find an explanation other than a criminal one.
“Po Po, Leslie will want to talk to you.”
“Why?”
“As I explained earlier, that body was most likely placed in the building during construction. She’s been trying to find out who built it. That’s how she came across the contract with Peng’s name. Don’t worry; she’s on our side. She doesn’t believe Peng is responsible, but she needs to ask you a few questions. I don’t think they’ll be any different than what I’ve asked you.”
Po Po’s posture deflated a bit after hearing what I said. I took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Everything will be fine. I promise.”
Chapter 30
Leslie knocked on my hotel door right on time: eight thirty a.m. When we talked on the phone earlier that morning, she had agreed it was unnecessary for Po Po to come to HKP Headquarters and opted to swing by the hotel.
“Who’s hungry?” she asked, holding a box. “I brought steamed rice cakes. They’re the best in the city, hands down.”
The kids popped up off their butts and rushed toward her. She placed the box on the dresser and opened it. Ryan and Lucy each took a slice of the spongy cake and stuffed their mouths. Leslie placed a cake on a napkin and brought it over to Po Po, who sat quietly on the balcony, sipping her tea. I followed while shoveling a large cake into my mouth.
“This is delicious,” I managed between bites. “It’s got the right amount of sweet… and… stickiness.” I grabbed Po Po’s teacup and took a sip to help wash down my last bite. I was about to take a seat when I remembered my manners. “Leslie, do you want a cup of tea? It’s the good stuff.”
“Well, in that case, how can I refuse?” She smiled and settled herself in the seat next to Po Po.
I quickly poured some hot water into a cup, added a pinch of tea leaves, and stepped out onto the balcony. “Let it steep for a bit,” I said, placing the cup beside her.
“Po Po, I know Abby already explained everything to you, but I want to show you a copy of the contract with Peng’s name on it,” Leslie said, unfolding a piece of paper.
Po Po took the paper.
“At the bottom.” Leslie pointed.
Both Leslie and I watched Po Po, looking for any response, even the slightest, but there wasn’t any. She took a moment to study the signature before handing it back to Leslie silently.
“Can you confirm that is Peng’s signature?”
Po Po nodded.
“I know this isn’t an easy conversation to have, but if there’s anything you can tell us, even if you don’t think it’s something that will help, please tell us. Better to hear everything and then decide if it’s relevant or not.”
Leslie asked Po Po a few standard questions but got the same answers Po Po had given me the night before. I had relayed all of this to Leslie during our earlier phone call.
“I don’t believe Peng have secret. We very close. I would know.”
“Okay, I believe you. All these questions are just an attempt to learn more about the company. Perhaps someone else was the owner and hired Peng as a consultant.”
“Maybe,” Po Po said.
“Mei’s parents—I understand they’re alive. I’m wondering whether they might know something,” Leslie said.
When I told Leslie about this last night, we agreed the couple needed to be questioned. No doubt about that. I felt it was better if the suggestion came from her instead of me. It wouldn’t sound as if I were prying.
“Po Po, you wouldn’t happen to have their address would you?”
“I don’t think they know anything.”
“Well, you’re probably right but I still think it couldn’t hurt to ask them a few questions. Remember, this isn’t about pinning blame on Peng, it’s about the company. Because we can’t talk to Peng, we need to talk to others who might have interacted with the company.”
“I still don’t think they know. Peng never like them. I not talk with them since we made agreement.” Po Po’s last words were literally spat out of her mouth. It was safe to say her feeling toward them hadn’t changed over the years.
“If it
helps, I’ll leave your name out of the conversation. They don’t have to know you’re here in Hong Kong or that we spoke.”
Eventually, with a bit more prodding, Po Po relented and gave up the last known address for Mei’s parents.
Chapter 31
I walked Leslie down to the lobby so we could talk without the kids hearing us.
“Unless Mei’s parents can shed some light on the subject, I’m running out of leads,” she said as we stepped inside the elevator. “We’re still working on identifying the body, but if we hit a dead end with the dental records, we’ve hit a dead end on identifying the body for the time being.”
I watched the LED floor numbers count down. “And Peng’s not around to ask the question that everyone is dying to ask: ‘Why is your name on this contract?’”
Leslie nodded. “You got that right. But honestly, I’m really sorry this has happened. It’s ruining your holiday.”
“Don’t be silly. The kids are having a blast, and Po Po’s fine.”
“Yes, I know that. I’m talking about you, my friend.”
“What do you mean? I’m fine.”
“Fine, my ass.” Leslie leaned back against the elevator with her arms folded across her chest. “I know you, Abby. I know what Peng’s death did to you. I know how investigating his death turned your life upside down. All this does is resurrect the past. I’m worried about you. I don’t want to see you go through such pain again.”
“I appreciate your concern. Really. I’m okay, though.”
“I’m not kidding. This tough-as-nails act may work with others, but it’s not working with me.”
The elevator slowed and then came to a stop. On our way toward the lobby, Leslie grabbed my arm and pulled me into a small hall that led to the restrooms. She grabbed hold of both of my arms and stared into my eyes. “Don’t look away,” she said.
I rolled my eyes. “Is this really necessary?”
Leslie lowered her voice. “If you can look at me without rolling your eyes, I’ll believe you,” she said with a concerned voice.
Our eyes remained locked onto one another while I did my best to temper any emotion from appearing on my face. My breaths were of normal lengths. My blinking was neither fast nor slow. No lumps in my throat to swallow, and I had no reason for my eyes to dart up to the left or down at the floor. I had become the ultimate example of calm and collected. At any moment, I expected Leslie to release her grip, but that was not what happened.
A crack in my façade appeared.
It splintered and grew with lightning speed, shattering the image I was trying so hard to convey. A second later, my left eye twitched, a tear welled, and the damn broke. I tried to hold it back and keep my breathing even, but I lost my grip.
“I knew it,” Leslie whispered as she threw her arms around me and I used my friend as a large tissue. “Oh, Abby. Everything will be okay. I’m here for you. I’m not going anywhere.”
The feelings that I had been brushing off had become too much. I buried my head in Leslie’s shoulder. It had taken so much to move forward from Peng’s murder. Yet in a span of two days, I had suddenly found myself back in it and knee deep.
“Why is this happening to me?” I sobbed.
“Abby, nothing is happening to you. You are still in control.”
“It doesn’t feel like it. I’m worried that I’ll go back to being that person, the selfish person who ignored her family, the one consumed with work. I don’t want that. I’ve come so far with the kids and Po Po.”
“You’re not. Your family won’t let you. I won’t let you.” Leslie held my face with her hands. “You’re still the best detective I’ve ever worked with. Not solving Peng’s murder is not your fault.”
“I know but…”
“But what? You’re Abby Kane—the single best inspector the HKP has ever seen, and I’ll bet you’re one hell of an FBI agent. The Abby I know is strong enough to get through this, okay? We’re done with the whole blaming-yourself thing. No more. Pull yourself together and handle this.”
“But I can’t help but think, there’s an opportunity here to—”
Leslie jerked her head back. “To what, solve Peng’s murder?”
I nodded.
“I hate to burst your bubble, but you’re no longer employed by HKP,” Leslie said. A big grin appeared on her face. “You may be FBI, but you have no jurisdiction here. Comprende, mi amiga?”
I couldn’t help but laugh a little at Leslie’s goofy grin when she said that. She was right. This wasn’t my case to solve. It was hers. It was her battle to fight, not mine.
“I do have a favor to ask, though.” I wiped my nose with the back of my hand.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“I want you to keep me informed of your findings,” I said firmly.
Leslie tilted her head to the side. “Must I remind you that you’re no longer my boss?”
“No, you’re right. I’m not. I’m something much more important. I’m your friend.”
Chapter 32
After saying goodbye to Leslie, I took a moment to compose myself in the women’s restroom. When I did finally return to the room, I found Po Po sitting on the edge of the bed with her small carry-on near her feet. The kids were already dressed and ready for the day.
“Abby, today I see my friend Liu. Okay?”
“Um, okay. Do you need a ride?”
“No, I can go by myself. I will stay two days.”
“That’s fine. I’ll hold down the fort.”
Po Po gave me an inquisitive look, and I started explaining the phrase, but I didn’t finish as I could clearly see that she had stopped listening to me. She stood up, gave each of the kids a hug and a kiss, and headed toward the door with her bag in tow.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to arrange a taxi or something?” I asked as I eyed the small roller bag.
“I sure.”
“Okay, well, you have my cell phone number. Call me if you need anything.” She knew this, but I felt like I had to say it. Her departure seemed a little abrupt, but I figured with all that happened the last two days, she needed time away with her best friend. I could understand that.
She nodded as she opened the door.
“Okay. Bye. Have fun.”
The kids also shouted their goodbyes as the door closed.
I turned to Ryan and Lucy. “So, today I thought we could take a tour of the bay on a junk and then do some shopping on Hong Kong Island.”
Lucy struck a pose with both hands resting firmly on her hips. She scrunched her brow. “What’s a junk?”
“A junk is an old-fashioned Chinese sailboat. It has red sails.”
“I can be a fireman,” she shouted before marching off to the bathroom.
I don’t quite know how she came up with the idea that riding on a junk meant she would be a fireman, but lately Lucy said a lot of fantastical and nonsensical stuff. I didn’t remember Ryan being quite so random at this age, but Lucy had always been my free spirit.
“I like the boat ride idea,” Ryan said as he unfolded his notes along with a few brochures he had picked up in the hotel lobby. “But I know a better place to shop—Nong Ping.”
“I never heard of that,” I said.
“It’s on Lantau Island, and the cool thing is you can get to the island by riding these gondola lifts.” He said as he pointed to a picture of cable cars traveling above the bay. “Look at the floor. It’s a window, so you can see right down.”
“Where’s the shopping?” I asked.
“It’s on the island.”
“What’s a gondola lift?” Lucy shouted from the toilet. She had left the bathroom door open.
Note to self: work on social graces. “It’s kind of like the cable cars we have back home, but these ones travel in the sky.”
“Ooooooo,” she said, her voice echoing in the bathroom.
The tour around the bay was thirty minutes—long enough to allow my mind to wander back to Peng. I tr
ied hard to push those thoughts from my mind after my breakdown with Leslie that morning, but it proved to be damn near impossible. I couldn’t stop worrying about what revisiting the past would do to me. I was so lost when Peng died, so single minded and focused on the investigation and on feeling in control of my life again, that it had turned me into a stranger to Po Po and the kids. Not that we were that close yet anyway, with him dying only six months into our marriage. Since our move to San Francisco, I’ve worked hard to strengthen the bond between Po Po and the kids and me, to be an honest-to-goodness mom to Ryan and Lucy. I didn’t want to jeopardize that.
But is there anything really wrong with thinking about the case? That’s all I’m doing.
I had somehow convinced myself it wasn’t a problem. I kept telling myself that I was smarter now. I could handle it. I could control myself. Anyone in my position would do the same.
Finding out that Mei’s parents were still alive and that Peng was listed as the developer of that building…well, talk about giving me an itch just out of reach. They were the only people I didn’t question during my investigation. Could they have information that would lead to solving Peng’s murder?
I watched Ryan and Lucy lean against the railing of the boat while choppy water passed by. They have no idea they have another pair of grandparents, and they never will.
It pained me to think that. I had already agreed with Po Po that I wouldn’t tell them, but did they deserve to know at some point? Was that point while we were in Hong Kong or later when they were full-grown adults? Po Po felt the answer was never. She said telling the children would bring no good into their lives. Mei’s parents wanted nothing to do with them. What was the point? I struggled to come up with one.
The other thought that continued to bob around in my head was the discovery of Peng’s signature on the contract. Was he really the owner of Lotus Development? I thought I had a pretty good idea about his past; surely owning another company would be something he might have mentioned. At least I thought it was. Also, why wouldn’t Po Po know about it? She was around him during that time. If he could easily keep the secret about Mei’s parents from me, I wondered what else had he kept quiet about? Was Po Po hiding other things as well? More than anything, one thought weighed heaviest on me—the big bad elephant in the room. Could Peng really be responsible for that body ending up in his building? Was he a cold-blooded killer?
Kowloon Bay (Abby Kane FBI Thriller Book 3) Page 10