A beat later, an HKP tactical unit flooded the bar, and I continued toward Jo. Leslie and I had already agreed ahead of our arrival that our best approach would be to haul everyone over to headquarters and interrogate them.
“Agent Kane, you have no jurisdiction here,” Jo said as he straightened up.
“I don’t, but Inspector Choi does,” I said, approaching his table.
Another one of his men stood to intercept me, but he waved him off.
“Excellent move. Wouldn’t want to have to hurt more of your men.”
“You always did have a smart mouth. So unsuitable for a woman.”
“Always happy to disappoint you, Jo. Now tell me where she is?”
“Tell you where who is?”
I leaned forward and rested both hands on his booth’s Formica table. “Where’s my mother-in-law?”
Jo pulled his head back and a look of confusion overcame his face. “How would I know?”
“Your men took her.”
“Is that so? I find that hard to believe since my men don’t do anything without my permission.”
“She was staying with a friend when two men burst into the apartment, grabbed her, and shoved her into a car.”
Jo shrugged and continued to play dumb. I removed my cell phone and pulled up the picture of Fai. “Her friend positively ID’d him as one of the men who took my mother-in-law.”
He leaned forward and squinted. “Hmmm, yes. I believe he’s new. Perhaps he’s unaware of the protocol. I’ll be sure to have him undergo further training.”
“You think this is a game? You think you run this town? You’re pathetic. You’re a scrawny little nothing. I know how you got this position. You kissed the most influential puckered eye.”
Jo’s nostril’s widened as his gaze narrowed into dark slits.
“You think I’m afraid of you?” I continued. “I’m unarmed. I dropped one of your men. I’m doing whatever I please inside your crappy little bar. You don’t scare me one bit.”
Behind me, I could hear HKP handcuffing Jo’s men.
“You’re making a big mistake,” Jo said evenly. I saw no signs of emotion on his face—solid rock.
An hour and a half later, Jo and Leslie were in an interrogation room at HKP. Leslie sat on a plastic chair with skinny stainless steel legs. Jo sat opposite her on the other side of a small, rectangular wooden table. I stood on the other side of the glass partition inside the viewing room.
Leslie leaned forward and rested an arm on the table. “We have surveillance footage that shows Fai assaulting Dr. Fang and leaving the building with the bones we pulled out of the building. We also have a witness that positively ID’d him as one of the men who took Ethel Yee. It’s very simple, Jo. Tell us where we can find Fai.”
“As I told you both before, I have nothing to say.” He shrugged.
“Did you order Fai to kidnap Ethel?”
“No.”
“Did you order him to steal the bones from the Medical Examiners Office?”
“No.”
“Tell me why I don’t believe you.”
“How could I know the answer to that question?”
“We have footage of your guy taking the bones and an eyewitness to him kidnapping Ethel Yee,” Leslie said. “Don’t play stupid. We all know your protocol. You not answering our questions is nothing more than an admission of guilt.”
“You can call it whatever you want until my lawyer arrives. At that point, we’ll say goodbye because you have no reason to hold me here and I’m clearly not under arrest.”
“You’re here to answer questions to help us to understand better why we should let you go,” Leslie said.
“You will let me go because you have to, not because of anything I have to say.”
Leslie went around in circles with Jo. He knew his rights and that he didn’t have to say anything, even with Leslie threatening to come down on his crew. Eventually she looked in my direction and, with her head, motioned for me to come inside.
A smug smile stretched across Jo’s face when I entered the room. His hands were clasped, and he rested his arms on the table. “Ah, Agent Kane. I was wondering when you would appear again.”
I pointed to the keloid scar on the top of his right hand. “Didn’t your old boss use the end of a cigar to burn that reminder into your flesh?” I prodded. “Means ‘obey,’ right? Something you should be doing right now.”
The smile on Jo’s face disappeared, and his dark brown eyes shot upward, nearly disappearing under his eye socket. He didn’t move his head, but the rippling in his jaw told me my words had gotten to him.
“I had already left Hong Kong, but I heard through the grapevine what Chan Liu had done to you. I knew Chan when he was the top enforcer, way before you came along. It surprises me that you succeeded him.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” Jo snapped.
“Oh, is that so? Then why don’t you enlighten me?”
“It is not my place to provide those answers.” His words slipped out through his gritted teeth.
“Jo, HKP has already identified Fai as the one who that attacked Dr. Fang and also kidnapped my mother-in-law. Where is he?”
Jo took a deep breath. His facial features relaxed, and he sat back up. He appeared to have his emotions back under control. “As I said, I don’t know anything about it. If you find him, please let me know, as I too am interested in why he took those bones. Maybe they have monetary value if sold to a museum. Who knows? He’s a peculiar man.”
We continued to question him for another thirty minutes, receiving only riddled answers in return. When his lawyer arrived, Jo’s smugness grew.
“Don’t think you’re off the hook,” Leslie said to him as he stood and hefted his designer jeans. “If I find out you were lying to us, you won’t be able to make another move in this city without having my foot up your ass.”
“This is all a misunderstanding. You’ll see,” Jo said as he turned toward the door. He stopped mid-pivot and looked back at us “And to prove that I harbor no hard feelings, I won’t demand an apology.”
Chapter 54
It was clear to Leslie and me that Jo had something to do with Po Po’s abduction and the theft of the remains, but the fact of the matter was we couldn’t tie him to it. We knew only he could order the men in his crew to do something like that, but our suspicions and knowledge of the Triad inner workings simply wasn’t enough to keep him detained—and that smarmy little shit knew it. After Jo left, we stayed put in the interrogation room to figure out a plan.
“We’ll put every man we can afford on Jo’s crew,” Leslie said. “Sooner or later, one of them will lead us to Fai. Hong Kong isn’t that big. We’ll find him, Abby.”
“I know the force will make this a priority, but I still can’t help but worry. She’s an old woman. I’m afraid that all this trauma might—” I stopped, not wanting to verbalize what I had been thinking.
“Abby, don’t forget who we’re talking about here. This is Po Po. That woman is solid as steel. It wouldn’t surprise me if she becomes a big pain in their butts.”
I couldn’t argue with that. Po Po wasn’t one to take a back seat to anything. Not even me. Since I’d first met her, we tangled for control—two alpha-females jockeying for position. It was hard in the beginning when Peng and I married. I struggled to find my place. I should have been the dominant female in our home, but that was easier said than done. Eventually Po Po and I worked out an understanding. Sure, we still passively fought for control of the household to this day, but in the end she was family and I loved her—even if she was driving me to pluck more gray hairs from my head. The day one appeared in the pubic region, I’d be putting my foot down.
“I hear the wheels in your head spinning,” Leslie said.
“I’m thinking the Triads took Po Po because she knows something or has information. I honestly don’t think she’s in danger. They wouldn’t whack an old lady anyhow. She hasn’t t
old us everything she knows, and it’s clear the bodies are connected to the Triads.”
“Perhaps they strong-armed Peng into letting them bury the bodies in his building.”
“Possible, but…”
“But you’re wondering if they took it a step further and did away with Peng?”
I shrugged. “My answer is the same as before. Why wait until later to kill him if they wanted him to remain quiet. It’s not like them. They would have done it at that time.”
“So they didn’t kill Peng, but why take Po Po?” Leslie shook her head. “I’m trying to make sense of all this, but it’s hard. Every time I try to take Po Po and Peng out of the equation or to figure out a rational reason for their involvement, it doesn’t work. Abby, I—”
“I know. They’re still somehow involved.”
I glanced at my watch; it was nearly six in the evening. Before heading over to the Bullet earlier in the day, we dropped Liu off at the hotel to watch the kids after their classes. They still had no idea their grandmother was missing. I had given Liu explicit instructions to not tell the children until we had more information. Besides, I wanted to be the one to tell them. I called them to see how they were doing.
“Where’s Po Po?” Lucy blurted into the phone, her voice filled with panic.
Of course, Liu had ignored everything I said.
“Why did those men take her?” she continued.
“Calm down, sweetie. Mommy and Aunt Leslie are looking for her.”
I heard a struggle over the phone and then Ryan’s voice. “Abby, what’s going on? Why was Po Po kidnapped?”
I had to wonder if Liu had told the kids the minute she got there. “She hasn’t been kidnapped,” I lied. Technically, we hadn’t officially deemed it a kidnapping, and I didn’t want to escalate the situation with the children. “We think someone needed to speak with her about something important. Don’t worry. Everything is okay. Have you guys eaten yet?”
“Yes, we ordered room service. I ate three grilled cheese sandwiches, and Lucy had cereal.”
“Cereal? That’s it?”
“No, she also had a brownie sundae.”
Sheesh, it’s like the kids were left alone to their own devices. “What’s Liu doing?”
“Watching TV.”
“Okay, listen to me. No more grilled cheese sandwiches and ice cream or cereal for food. In fact, no more room service until I come back to the hotel. Got that?”
“Yes. When are you coming back?”
“Shortly.”
“What if we get hungry before you come back?”
The truth was, I wasn’t sure when I would return. “You can order the stir-fried veggies or the wonton noodles. Nothing else. That goes for both you and your sister.”
There was nothing but silence on the other end of the line—possibly a mind at work.
“Don’t test me, Ryan. I can easily find out what you two ordered.”
“Okay, vegetables and noodles,” he said.
No sooner had I pocketed my cell phone it rang again. I didn’t recognize the number.
“Abby, it’s Ethel.”
I frowned. She never, ever, used her real name with me. “Where are you? Are you okay?” I mouthed to Leslie that it was Po Po.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry. You come get me.”
“Where? I can come right now.”
“I’m at 219 Cheung Sha Wan Road.”
I wasn’t familiar with the address. I covered the phone with my hand and relayed the information to Leslie.
“Are you sure?” she said with a quizzical look.
I nodded. “Why?
“I know that address. It’s a building in the Sham Shui Po district. The top three floors are where the Dragon Head of the Wo Shing Wo moved his headquarters. The six other floors are occupied by prostitutes working for the gang.”
My jaw dropped.
“You know him, Abby: Jack Woo,” Leslie continued. “He assumed the position a few years ago.”
“He’s the Dragon Head now?”
Jack Woo was the younger brother of Tony Woo, the Dragon Head while I worked for HKP and the man responsible for bringing the Wo Shing Wo into the forefront. Jack had been a deputy inside the organization at the time, but he always stood in the shadow of his older brother. While I’d had my run-ins with him, we had a cordial relationship with mutual respect. He wasn’t as hot-tempered as his brother. He understood that talking could accomplish results similar to those achieved by violence.
“What happened to Tony?”
“Died in a plane crash. The wreckage was never found.”
What could the head of the Wo Shing Wo possibly want with my mother-in-law? I removed my hand from the cell phone’s receiver. “Po Po are you still there?”
“Yes. You know the address?”
“I do. We’re coming right now.”
I heard a ruffling and muffled conversation on Po Po’s end. A few seconds later, another voice came on the line.
“Hello, Abby. It’s been a long time.”
I hadn’t spoken to Jack in years, but I recognized his voice as if our last conversation were yesterday.
“It has been, Jack.” I widened my eyes at Leslie. “It’s a shame we’re meeting again under these circumstances.”
“Oh, let’s not be so negative. The situation isn’t as dire as you think,” he said, his voice smooth.
“You kidnapped my mother-in-law.”
“We needed to talk.”
“What, did you misplace your own phone? No wait, I know. You misinterpreted the phrase ‘sweep a woman off her feet.’ Have I got it right?”
He chuckled. “Still feisty, I see. Ethel is fine. She hasn’t been hurt.”
“If everything is fine, then why are you still holding her captive?”
Leslie punched my arm for an update. I shook my head.
“Captive. Kidnap. Those words are so aggressive. I prefer ‘guest’ or ‘visitor.’”
“Jack, this small talk is annoying me. What do you want for her release?”
“It’s not so much of a want but more of an assurance.”
“Of what?”
“Not over the phone. Come to the address that Ethel provided at nine p.m. sharp. Tell Inspector Choi that she and her men are not allowed to accompany you. You will come alone. If you bring a weapon or wear a wire, we’ll remove it from your body, so don’t bother. Is that clear?”
I agreed and ended the call with Jack before relaying the details to Leslie. “I need to be there at nine. Alone. No weapon.”
“You actually agreed to that? Why? I mean I know you and Jack have some history, but it’s not like you’re best buds. This guy is a cold-blooded criminal. He’s not to be trusted.”
“How could I not? He has Po Po.”
“Well, you’re not walking in there alone. We’ll figure out a plan in the event this jackhole does something stupid.”
“I know you will, but you know what makes me think I don’t have anything to be worried about?”
“What’s that?”
“When I spoke with Po Po, she seemed calm and unaffected by the situation. It’s as if she went there of her own accord. And when I answered, she called herself Ethel and not Po Po. Something is strange about this whole thing. I just don’t know what it is.”
Chapter 55
When I returned to the hotel, Liu and the kids were sitting at the table eating. A cursory glance showed me that Ryan had obeyed my orders. Either that or Liu had a say in ordering room service. They were dining on stir-fried veggies, rice, and steamed fish. No soda, only green tea and iced water.
“Mommy,” Lucy shouted as she scooted off her chair and ran toward me. I bent at the knees with my arms open, bracing myself for the impact. I scooped her up into a hug while planting kisses all over her face. “Oh, you’re getting too heavy for this.”
I lowered Lucy and walked over to Ryan, ruffling his hair as he chewed on a large mouthful. “How’s the fish?”
/> He nodded and flashed me the okay sign as he swallowed.
“Liu, how are you doing?”
“I’m okay. Where’s Ethel?”
“I spoke with her on the phone—nothing to worry about. I’m picking her up tonight at nine.”
Liu’s nose crinkled at my casualness of the situation. I really didn’t want to divulge anymore of what had happened with the kids around. It was bad enough that Liu had already let the cat out of the bag.
“She’s fine, Liu. I’m sure she’ll tell you all about it when you see her again.”
I took a seat at the table, picked up Lucy’s chopsticks, and helped myself to the fish. “Would you mind staying with the kids until I bring her back? I asked
She nodded before taking a sip of her tea.
“Abby, can I go with you? You know, in case you need back up.” Ryan interlocked his fingers together and stretched them out away from his body, cracking his knuckles.
“I think I’ve got everything under control, but I appreciate the offer, kiddo.”
“Okay. Just so you know. I’m ready to help out.” He brought his bowl of rice to his lips and used his chopsticks as a shovel.
He surprised me with his offer to help, and I felt pride wash over me. He was growing up and becoming more independent, more mature. He had been studying judo and kung fu for a few years. The discipline of both martial arts had done wonders for his confidence. He was no longer the shy, meek boy I had first encountered.
When I was a little girl, my father cut me no slack, and he treated me like his son. No, really he did. My mother, the one who gave me my Chinese heritage, didn’t like any of it. She did her best to teach me the domestic duties she believed all Chinese daughters should master. Not much of it stuck. Probably explained my inferiority to Po Po in the kitchen.
Anyway, my father taught me at a young age to fend for myself, to problem-solve, and to never, ever give up on a task. That tenacity had helped me throughout my career in law enforcement and much of my life in general. I liked to think I was instilling a lot of those virtues into Ryan. I may be a single mother, but I’m pretty sure I’m rocking the dad thing pretty darn well.
Kowloon Bay (Abby Kane FBI Thriller Book 3) Page 17