“No, wait. Bring her here,” I whispered. “It’ll be too much for her if you take her there.”
Leslie hesitated for a second before returning to her phone call. “Bring her to the Shangri-La Hotel—”
I waved for Leslie’s attention and told her to bring Liu as well.
“Bring both ladies. Yes, that’s right. I’ll meet you in the lobby.”
“Thank you,” I said.
While Leslie went downstairs to wait for Po Po, I changed into clothes and then checked on the kids. They were still sound asleep in the other suite, but I had a feeling it wouldn’t be long before they woke hungry. I could have used a bite to eat as well. I placed an order to room service for several club sandwiches and sliced fruit.
Leslie returned with Po Po and Liu right after the food had been delivered. I was right about the kids—they were awake—and I set them up with a plate of food in the other suite. “The adults need to talk. Stay in here,” I said. They managed a garbled okay.
I shut the door between the two suites. Po Po and Liu sat at a small table sharing a club sandwich. Neither woman appeared fazed from HKP picking them up and escorting them back to our hotel.
“Po Po, are you okay?” I asked, walking toward her.
She nodded as she swallowed a bite.
“I’m guessing the two of you know why you were brought here by the police and why Leslie is here,” I said.
Po Po placed her sandwich on the plate and brushed her hands. Liu continued to eat and avoided my gaze.
I looked at Leslie and she motioned for me to continue questioning Po Po. Earlier, I toiled over the best way to approach Po Po with the latest news. Delicate or blunt? Since it was Po Po, I knew the answer.
“Po Po, do you want to tell us about your other son, Rong?”
If she had been shocked by the fact that we knew about her secret, her facial expression gave us no indication. Liu on the other hand nearly choked on her sandwich.
“Po Po, we know about Rong. I’ve seen the birth certificate.”
She let out a breath. “Yes, I have another son.”
She told us about Rong’s bad behavior, leading her to ask him to leave and never to bother her or Peng again. Knowing how this woman ruled my house with an iron fist, I found it very hard to believe she couldn’t keep her son in line.
“And when he left, you never heard or saw him again?” I asked.
She nodded.
“What about Peng? Did he keep in contact with his brother?”
“No. They didn’t get along.”
“Liu? Did you have contact with Rong?”
She mumbled something and continued eating her sandwich.
I looked at Leslie. It was time to drop the other bombshell.
“Po Po, there’s no easy way to say what I’m about to say, so I’ll just say it. Leslie’s team has identified the first body they found in Peng’s building. It’s Rong.”
Po Po looked away briefly before dropping her head. This time her poker face didn’t show up for work. Liu gave Po Po’s thigh a gentle squeeze.
I placed a hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “I’m okay.”
“I know this is tough news to hear,” I said, giving her a hug. “I’m sorry to have to tell you this.”
Po Po sucked in a breath and composed herself. “I said I’m okay. I’m sad Rong is dead, but he was bad for us.”
“Did you have any idea that Rong might be the body in the building?”
She looked at me with glassy eyes. I couldn’t tell if it was because she was tired or sad. “I think it might be Rong.” Po Po then went on to tell us about his attempt to blackmail the Chans.
“Did they give in to the extortion?” Leslie broke in. “What happened?”
I knew exactly what Leslie was thinking. Po Po’s admission just gave the Chans motivation to kill Rong.
“They told me they would not pay, and I have to talk to Rong.”
“Did Peng know about this?”
Po Po nodded. “I tell him. He told Mei’s parents not to pay. He said he would take care of everything.”
“I think you know what my next question is.”
Po Po answered quickly. “Peng not kill Rong.”
“Okay, if that’s true, what happened to Rong?” I asked.
She shrugged. “He went away.”
“And you didn’t think to ask Peng what he said or did to make Rong disappear? What about the Chans? Do they know what took place?”
“They were happy he left. They don’t ask where.”
“Po Po how sure are you that Peng wasn’t responsible for Rong ending up buried in the building?” Leslie asked.
“My son is not killer. I know him. He never do something like that. He said he would find way to pay Rong.”
“And did he?”
“Not sure. I think so, because Rong never bother us again. We all think he go away until police find skeleton. We start to think it could be Rong.”
“So the Chans knew all about this?” Leslie asked, shaking her head. “They lied. You all lied from the very beginning.”
I could sense the irritation in Leslie’s voice. “So just to be clear, no one suspected that Rong was dead until the body was found?” I interjected.
“Yes. I speak the truth for everyone,” Po Po said.
Once again, it seemed as if Peng held the answers to our questions. What did he tell Rong? Did he pay him off? Did he pay someone else to take care him? Did he handle it himself?
Po Po yawned, which triggered Liu to do the same. I almost followed suit but resisted the urge.
“Why don’t the two of you go into the other room and rest,” I said. “Leslie and I have a few more things to discuss.”
I waited until Po Po and Liu disappeared behind the door before asking Leslie what she thought.
“If I’m being honest here,” she said, keeping her voice low, “this is one of those scenarios where the four of them stuck their heads in the sand until the problem went away. They purposely stayed out of it and didn’t ask questions because they didn’t want to know. I’m sorry for being blunt.”
“You’re fine. It doesn’t appear as if they were involved. They’re guilty of lying, and that’s about it. But this only makes Peng appear to be the person responsible for Rong’s death. The only thing that doesn’t fit neatly into this puzzle is the other body. Who is that and was that a person Peng knew?”
“You know Peng could have hired someone to take care of Rong. Maybe that other body is completely unrelated.”
“You mean Peng also played ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ with the person he hired?”
“Could be, and maybe that person took an opportunity to dump another unrelated body.”
“It’s plausible, but really, what are the odds of it working out that way, Leslie? Pretty slim. At this point, all we have are theories, and the main person we could hold responsible is dead.”
Leslie drew a deep breath and then exhaled. “What a cover-up, right? Almost too perfect to be pulled off by four senior citizens.”
“Also, we’re not even addressing Peng’s death. Clearly it’s tied in somehow. It has to be, right?”
Leslie shrugged. “If what Po Po said was true, then I think Peng must have farmed out the job of making Rong disappear.”
“And for one reason or another, this hired help later felt Peng was a liability and decided to get rid of him?” We pondered for a few moments before I broke the silence. “Eh, I’m not so sure I buy that. Peng would have had to do something to prompt this. A lot of time passed from the time the building had been constructed and his murder. Why wait so long?”
Leslie tilted her head. “I’m not sure.” Then her cell phone rang. “More bad news,” she said with a wry grin.
“Hey, don’t jinx it,” I said.
“Choi speaking. When? Dammit! I’ll be right there.” She disconnected the call. “They took them, Abby. The skeletons are gone.”
Chapter 48
“That was Lee on the phone,” Leslie said as she gathered her belongings. “A couple of men attacked Dr. Fang as he was leaving the office. They forced him back to the lab where the remains from the building were kept.”
“Who’s behind this?”
“Right now, we don’t know. Look, I need to get over there.”
I walked her to the door. “This is so strange. Why would someone want those remains?”
“No idea. Apparently they scooped all of it into a duffle bag and left.”
“How’s Dr. Fang? Is he hurt?” I asked.
“Lee said he’s got a cut above his left eye and facial contusions. Other than that, he’s okay.”
I shut the door quietly behind us, and we walked briskly to the elevator. “We must have stumbled across something meaningful, and we just don’t know it yet.”
Leslie tapped the call button for the elevator. “Clearly someone else is involved. Maybe we were wrong about Peng all along.”
Hearing Leslie say that felt good. Peng still might be a victim in all of this.
The elevator opened, and Leslie stepped inside.” She held her hand against the door, preventing it from closing. “You know, Rong’s remains were in that lab for close to a week. They could have taken it earlier. They also could have hit the construction site and taken the other skeleton. Why wait?”
“Maybe they tried, but with the CSI crew there day and night, they didn’t have an opportunity.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right, Abby. Either way—no body, no case. I’ll update you once I know more.”
I waited until the elevator doors closed before hurrying back to the room. Po Po and Liu were both lying on the bed, but their eyes opened when they heard me enter the suite. The kids were sitting on the other bed watching TV with the sound turned low.
“Where’s Aunt Leslie?” Ryan asked.
“She had to take care of some work.”
“When can I go back to my apartment?” Liu asked.
“Yes, when can we leave?” Po Po added.
Liu really didn’t need to stay, but I was on the fence with Po Po.
“I have something else I need to discuss with both of you. Let’s go into the other room.”
Without hesitation, both women sat up and slipped their legs over the side of the bed and walked over to my suite.
I turned to the kids. “More adult talk. Stay in here.” I shut the door connecting both rooms and joined Po Po and Liu at the small table.
“What happen?” Po Po asked.
“Some men broke into the Medical Examiners Office and stole the skeletons.”
Po Po’s expression was one of shock. “Why?”
“We aren’t exactly sure. Do either of you have an idea why someone would want to take those remains?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I don’t know,” Liu blurted.
“Why would we know?” Po Po responded quickly after.
“Well, someone besides you two and the Chans also has history with Rong.”
“Now you believe Peng not kill Rong?” Po Po asked.
“Right now, I don’t have all the facts, so I’m having a hard time making a judgment call.”
She tsked at me.
I wanted to glare at her, but I just couldn’t. “You have to understand how this all looks. When Leslie and I first spoke to you, you claimed to know nothing. Turns out that really wasn’t the case. So if you do know anything about that other body or why someone would want to steal it, then you need to tell me.”
Both women continued to claim they knew nothing more than what they’d already told me. They’d only had suspicions when they saw the news report, and it wasn’t until Leslie confirmed Rong’s identity that they knew for sure. It was apparent our conversation had stalled. And the continued questioning, even though most of it was directed at Po Po, was taking its toll on Liu.
“Can I go home now?” Liu asked once again.
“Yes, and I want to go with her,” Po Po chimed in.
“Both of you have to promise that you will go straight back to the apartment, and if you step out tomorrow, you have to phone me and let me know where. I’m saying this because I’m sure Leslie will want to talk to both of you again, based on what happened tonight with the skeletons. Are we clear on this?”
Both women nodded their heads.
“Do you want me to arrange transport?”
“It okay. Have many taxi outside,” Po Po said.
The women said goodbye to the kids, and I walked them downstairs. I still had many unanswered questions floating around in my head, but badgering Po Po and Liu any more that night wouldn’t get me anywhere.
Chapter 49
Lee greeted Leslie at the entrance to the Ho Man Tin government complex.
“How’s Dr. Fang?” she asked as she approached him.
“He’s bruised, but he’ll survive,” Lee said. They walked along the pathway that led to the medical examiner’s building. “The paramedics are looking him over right now.”
“And the guard?” Leslie asked as they entered the building and walked past the empty reception desk.
“He got it much worse—a blunt object to the back of the head knocked him out,” Lee tapped his head. “Gave him a concussion. He also sustained a shattered cheek and a broken nose. He’ll spend the night at the hospital. We can question him tomorrow.”
“What about security cam footage?”
“I’ve got a guy pulling it as we speak.”
They exited the elevator on the fourth floor and headed toward Fang’s personal office. They bumped into the paramedics on the way out. “He’s banged up, but he’ll be fine,” one of them said reassuringly.
Leslie nodded her thanks.
Inside the office, Fang sat behind his desk. He had a bandage over his right eye, the bruising below it fairly visible, and he held a cold compress in his hand.
“Keep that pressed against your cheek. It’ll help with the pain,” Leslie said.
“I took two Vicodin. I’m already managing it.”
“You okay to talk with us?” Lee asked as he rubbed his eyes.
Fang nodded. “If it helps to catch them.” He gave them a detailed account of what happened from the moment the men ambushed him until they left.
“At first I thought they wanted my money, but then they forced me back into the building. I was really confused as to what was happening. When we reached the lab where the remains are kept, that’s when I realized their true intentions. They knew exactly where to go and that they would need a security card to gain access. Someone on the inside gave them help.”
Lee jotted notes onto a small pad of paper.
“Did they call each other by a name or say anything?” Leslie asked.
“Aside from telling me to shut up and to move it, they only communicated when necessary. They’re voices sounded young. And their physical shape matched that of an able young man.”
“Even though they knew exactly what they were looking for, you said they didn’t handle the remains carefully,” Leslie said.
“That’s right. They simply shoved everything into the bags, destroying some of the bones in the process. One of them even had a small hand broom and swept up the table and floor. And that’s not all. They washed the tables with oxygenated bleach. It’s the surest way to destroy DNA.”
“But you must have some samples stored elsewhere, right?”
“I did, but they destroyed those as well.” Fang shook his head. “I’ll comb the table, the counters, and the floor to see if I can pick it up again, but I’m not hopeful.”
“So are you telling me that not only do we not have the remains, we have no DNA samples?”
“Yes and no. We have DNA profiles but the actual DNA is gone so if we ever wanted to test the samples again we wouldn’t be able to. But early this morning, I spoke to an agent with the FBI. He told me you had requested their help.”
Leslie quickly brought Fang up to speed on Abby’s invo
lvement.
“Well, that explains why I got the call. Anyway, we talked a bit about what tests I had conducted and how they might be able to assist me. I agreed to send them the DNA profiles I created from both sets of remains.”
“Tell me you did that already,” Leslie said.
“I did. But after informing the agent about the tests I had done, there’s not much more they can do except run the profiles through their database. The FBI has the largest DNA database in existence. There’s a chance for match there.”
“Dr. Fang, is there anything you can think of about any of the men that stood out as strange? Maybe the way one of them moved or spoke?” Lee asked.
“Wait, there is something.” He threw a hand up in the air. “I can’t believe I forgot about this. The one who seemed to be the leader—he had a tattoo on his left wrist.” He pointed at the location. “They all wore long-sleeved shirts, but that one man’s sleeve rode up his arm when he was pushing me around. He had a red and gold dragon tattoo.”
Leslie looked at Lee. “Let’s search the tattoo database for dragons and then have Dr. Fang look at them. We might get lucky.”
Lee nodded.
Fang stood up and quickly steadied himself by placing a hand on his desk.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital?” Leslie asked.
“I’ll be fine. I just want to go home, unless you have more questions.”
She shook her head. “If we do think of anything else, we’ll contact you. Can we at least arrange for someone to drive you home? Might not be smart for you to drive in your condition.”
“Yes, you’re right,” he agreed. “A ride would be nice.”
Leslie and Lee rode down the elevator with Fang and arranged for a patrol car to take him home. They then headed to the security office to view the footage.
A man stood when they entered. “I’m Peter Ching, director for building safety and security. I’ve already combed through the footage.”
“Tell us you got them,” Leslie said, taking a seat.
“We did.” He pressed a button on the control panel. “Look at this monitor,” he said pointing to a small screen. “Here they are entering the building with Dr. Fang.”
Kowloon Bay (Abby Kane FBI Thriller Book 3) Page 15