“Lily is in far more danger than I am right now.”
Lam picked up the thread.
“If she’s a triad member, then she’s a new one. Probably enrolled for her expertise in engineering and computers. Ghost Face is old school. We’ve seen his type before. He will stop at nothing to complete a task. He’ll have powerful allies and friends that he can call upon. He’ll be able to threaten and bribe his way out of anything.” She said, disappointed at the thought of losing this fish.
“I need you to try and contact Lily. She’s our only link with Ghost Face.”
Ryan nodded. “Unless he has managed to get to her first.” He said.
Lam walked back to her office and sat down heavily in her chair. She needed a lead, just something small that would give her the break she needed. Something to sink her teeth into.
Just then her ancient computer did it’s usual sound as the screen came on bringing it out of it’s hibernation. An icon flashed in the top corner of her screen telling her that there was a message on the internal intranet. Lam clicked on the icon and entered her six-digit password to allow her to gain access to the site. Once in, she saw a message waiting for her from Detective Wong, who she knew was trying to crack the prostitute murders. It was normal for detectives to share information about cases and also to cross-reference between departments. In this instance it was relating to footage just in of the serial murderer. Detective Wong was asking all departments to review the footage and to brief their Detectives that if they come across this man, then they would need to bring him in. Lam clicked on the large play icon, and the short thirty-second footage began to play. It was black and white and grainy and she had to squint to make out what she was looking at. Eventually it became clear that a street CTTV camera was positioned towards a shuttered shop front, which then lead into a narrow side street. The first few seconds played and there was nothing to see. The top right hand side of the video displayed the date and time in green. Just when Lam was wondering why Detective Wong had sent her the footage a figure emerged into the streetlight. It was momentary, and fleeting. But it was clear. A man dressed in a dark suit walked down the alleyway toward the shop front. Lam felt the hairs on her arms stand up. She quickly rewound the footage. She pressed play again. This time she leaned in closer to try to get a better look, but there was no mistaking the face, she would have recognized it anywhere. She watched as the smooth white-faced man walked down the alleyway again. His skin so pale against the dark night, that he could have been a ghost.
Breathless Lam grabbed her desk phone and punched in the Chief’s number, tapping her fingers impatiently on the desk.
“Chief Inspector’s Office”, the female voice spoke politely on the other end of the phone.
“Where’s the Chief”, Lam barked, more forcefully than she meant.
“He’s in a meeting this afternoon. Is that Detective Lam?” The voice purred, knowing full well that it was.
“Yes, yes. Please ask him to call me the second he comes out of his meeting. It’s urgent.” Without waiting for a reply Lam had replaced the receiver and tried to gather he thoughts. She had been waiting for this moment for a long time. She knew that she would recognize his face again if she saw it. She had dreamt about what she would do if she ever found herself face to face with the man that killed her partner and left her for dead. More than anything she wanted Wong to find this man. Not for the number of women that he had murdered, not for the safety and protection of others, but for her. Her own selfish vengeance in its purest form.
Lam dialed Wong’s extension number and was tapped through to his voice mail. She left him a message to call her, and leaving her cell number replaced the receiver again. This time she was calmer. Needing a distraction, she stood and grabbed her jacket and car keys. She decided that it was time to pay Jimmy Luk a visit and see whether he was out of his anesthetic and ready to talk to her.
Chapter 35
Ryan held the mobile phone to his ear and listened to the ring tone, this was the fifth time that he had tried Lily’s number in the last two hours, but with no answer. It didn’t click on to voice mail, it just rang out, until a recorded message asked him to try and call again later. Thinking that perhaps Lily would be screening her calls, he tried to text her.
Lily, it’s Ryan, I really need to talk to you, please call me or text me. Thanks Ryan.
He didn’t expect a response. She was probably long gone now, probably not even in the Country. The phone disregarded or destroyed, her traces well covered. If he were in Lily’s shoes, he would probably do the same, so he couldn’t really blame her. He somehow didn’t see her as the big villain anymore. Ghost Face had filled that position quite well, and made anything that Lily had done look positively minor. His feelings right now were not as he had expected and he wanted nothing more than to see her again. To sit with her and listen to her side of the story, learn what had driven her down this path, and why things ended as they had. He knew, the second that Lily came within distance of Sarah Lam or the police, that she would be arrested immediately. She would be charged with masterminding the bank robbery, kidnapping, manslaughter on two counts, then there would be charges of extortion and money laundering and black mail. The list would go on and on. If she was loyal, then she would be the one to shoulder all of the responsibility. He didn’t put her down as the type that would allow other people to take the blame. She wouldn’t negotiate a lighter sentence, he thought, she would just accept it all.
Suddenly he didn’t want her to get caught. He wanted to warn her and protect her. But he didn’t know what he could do or offer.
He grabbed his phone again and started typing.
Lily, I have some information about Ghost Face, you really need to call me.
He hoped that if she did read her messages, that she would be curious enough to contact him.
Lily sat on the edge of her couch looking at her mobile phone. She kept it switched off most of the time, she didn’t want her location tracing, and tried to keep the time short. It had been a few hours since she had last checked her messages. She pressed the black on button at the top of her phone, and waited patiently for it to go through its start up sequence. Eventually the phone was on, and she had a good signal. Within seconds her phone started beeping as messages began to come in. She scanned the small screen. She had two from the same number and one from a number that she didn’t recognize.
The first two she read were from Ryan. She knew that he’d been picked up by the police and suspected that he had been interviewed already. They would have a good description of her by now and would have done their homework on her business activities and past history. There would be a warrant for her arrest, so getting out of the Country would be more difficult that her Grandmother had perhaps anticipated. She didn’t even know if the messages were really from Ryan, or whether they were simply from his phone, and the police were trying to catch her out by typing on his behalf.
The third message confused her. She read it again for a second time.
I need your help to catch Ghost Face. We can do a deal.
Lily switched the phone off again and sat back on the couch. That’s strange, she thought. If the third message is from the police, then the first two messages must be from Ryan. She thought through her options. Lily needed Ryan to get close to Ghost Face. She would have to take a few risks, she knew that, but if she was arrested before she had the opportunity, then for sure there would be a triad war, and she would have failed her Grandmother.
She switched the phone on again, and waited for the signal to show. As soon as the seven signal bars were showing on the screen, she pressed the call button and held her breath whilst the call connected and the dial tone rang in her ear.
She didn’t have to wait long. By the second ring, Ryan had picked up the call.
“Lily, is that you?” He said, a little surprised that she had called.
“Yes, it’s me. Where are you?” She asked quickly, not wanting to stay on
the line too long.
“I’m at the station. Lily, they want me to help to get Ghost Face, and I need you to help me. But the second you come anywhere near they’ll arrest you. You can’t come in. The police are corrupt too Lily. One of the Detectives was working with the triads, no one can be trusted.” He was talking quickly now, his voice staying low, so that his conversation could be private.
“OK, I understand, but I also need Ghost Face. He is a traitor and he killed my friend. I will find him.” She said, sounding more courageous than she felt.
“You don’t need to call me again. I’ll call you if I need anything.”
“Watch your back Lily”. Ryan said.
“I will.” With that she finished the call and switched off the phone. The call had lasted thirty-five seconds. She didn’t know exactly how long it took to trace a call. Landlines were instantaneous these days, since the telecom world had switched to digital, so when she renovated her house she had decided to keep everything remote, including her phone. For cell phones, she knew that the speed of a trace varied greatly depending on the phone unit, as well as the location where the call was coming from. Even though her home was remote, her signal was strong which meant that it was easier to trace her calls, and quicker. She estimated that it would take well under a minute, and she would need to keep calls under forty seconds to protect herself.
She switched her phone on again, this time to call whoever had offered her a deal. She would need the help of the police to get Ghost Face, and maybe this person would be able to help.
She dialed the number and waited. This time the call rang through for a long time, until eventually the call connected and a womans voice answered.
“Detective Lam”, was the response. Lam sounded impatient as though she didn’t have time to be taking unimportant calls.
“This is Lily, you sent me a text message.” Lily said simply.
There was a moment of silence whilst Lam scrambled to her feet and signaled through the glass to her colleague to trace the call. She took in a deep breath and sat down in her chair.
“Lily, thanks for calling me. I’d like to talk to you for a moment about Ryan Harper.” She said, thinking of ways to keep the call going until she had the green light from the other room.
“Please keep it quick, you have twenty seconds.” Lily responded.
Lam rolled her eyes and signaled for the team to speed up the trace.
“Do you think I can persuade you to some into the station? We need your help to catch Ghost Face and I’m prepared to cut you a deal. You know him better than anyone, and we need inside information to catch him.” Lam’s voice was genuine.
Lily looked at her watch, just five seconds to go.
“We can switch to email.” Lily said.
“[email protected], that’s Lily with a y.” Lily clicked the off button and closed down her phone.
Sarah sat for a moment with her mobile still against her ear. Clever girl, she thought. There were so many untraceable emails these days that even leading FBI and CIA agents had been unable to hack into these sites. Their security was so tight and so complicated that they had become favourites within criminal networks.
This website was one of the big ones. Given that a member didn’t need to offer any information and that it was an internet site, it made the whole process utterly remote. Lily could be in a café, at the airport or out of the Country and feel safe corresponding by email.
She turned in her chair and pulled up her email.
Her colleague leaned in through the door. “Sorry Lam, we were five seconds short of getting her location. She’s still in Hong Kong, that’s all we know.”
“OK” Lam said indicating that there was nothing more to say as she started to type to Lily.
Lily.
We know that Ghost Face is responsible for all of the murders. We know that your involvement was purely to rob the bank, and that you had no intention for Robert Black to be killed. I know he was a good friend of yours.
If you come in and help us catch him, we can reduce your sentence and cut you a deal. We can remove the manslaughter charges. But you will have to face the bank robbery charges. With good behaviour, you’ll serve ten years at the very most.
If you don’t come in we will find and arrest you. Then you’ll be charged for the whole thing, and it’s likely that once the judge is done, that you’ll be looking at life.
Think it over.
Detective Sarah Lam
Lam signed off and kept the screen open. Within seconds a reply came through.
Lam,
No deal, but I’ll help you to get Ghost Face. I need Harper. Ghost Face wants him dead, he can identify him. We’ll set up a meeting place with Harper. Ghost Face will come, and then he’s yours.
You should know something, if you haven’t worked it out already. He murdered the three prostitutes. You’ll never get anything else to stick with triad related charges, he knows that and can implicate too many influential people, but for the prostitutes, you may have a chance.
Trust no one.
L
Lam stared at the screen and read the message again. She could see his face so clearly. His pale skin, his cold dark eyes and his cruel twisted mouth. He had haunted her dreams for so many years, and now in the space of a day, he had been thrust upon her a second time.
Lam had spent the last two hours with Jimmy Luk in the hospital pushing him for information. At first he was reluctant, frightened even. He didn’t trust anyone, even her. But slowly he had started to talk. He was in so deep now. It had started innocently enough, years before. Lam believed that as a member of the police force there would be a time in everyone’s career, where you could be compromised, and you would be forced to make a decision and to choose a path. Maybe it would be something minor; using your status for some form of gain, a better seat at a restaurant or a free bottle of wine. Perhaps accepting a bribe that should rather be disclosed. Everyone has a choice to either allow oneself to be drawn in, or be the bigger person and do what’s right. She had always felt that the hardest path to follow is the righteous one and she didn’t want to judge Luk too harshly, but he had come to that fork in the path, and instead of standing up to what was right, informing his Chief of what was happening, he had submitted to fear and greed allowing himself to be corrupted. Lam had listened in silence as Luk told her his story.
He had been sent down to a Wan Chai brothel after reports that a triad gang was harassing a woman in the street. It was just at the time when the Government had changed their laws and had banned whorehouses, only allowing one-woman brothels in the City. This had left triad-run organizations in a difficult position and the women, now seeing that they could legally sell sex and from their own homes, were starting to leave their ‘illegal’ employment. Even with the triads threatening their workers, it didn’t seem to make a real difference and the Government was praised with its new policy and control of sex workers. When Luk got to the scene, the woman was still shouting in the street at three men. She had been badly beaten, her hair crazy and knotted, her dress ripped and Luk could see bruises fresh across her chest and legs where she had been kicked and punched. One of the men was yelling back to her.
“You are so ugly, no one would pay for you now. Look at you, you are nothing but trash.” The man shouting was laughing as he taunted the woman. “You will starve on your own, how will you feed yourself? “ he jeered, “And when you come back begging for us to help you, to take you in when you are at your lowest, the door will be closed in your face.” He spat on the floor in front of her.
Luk didn’t like the scene that was unfolding. He and his colleague stepped out from the shadows and Luk pulled out his badge. The sudden movement made the men turn. Seeing Luk immediately resulting in the men fleeing in different directions. Shouting orders to his colleague, Luk targeted the man that had been doing all the talking. He made chase, following him down back streets and between restaurants, over garbage bags and bin
s, dodging people and cars. The chase led Luk towards the Wan Chai playground. An open area in the middle of the city surrounded by high rises, where kids could play soccer or basketball on hard grey tarmac. It was a known area to the police for drugs and gangs. The walkways surrounding the playground had pillars and high metal fences, making it hard for Luk to see clearly in front of him. He slowed down to a fast walk and discreetly pulled out his gun, keeping it at his side to avoid any panic from the public. He scanned the playground and the people walking past him, looking at their faces. He walked towards the top corner of the playground. As he drew close he felt the sharp point of a knife in his back and a hiss in his ear.
“You and I are going to become good friends, unless of course you prefer it otherwise”, the voice said as the knife was pushed a little harder, causing Luk to suck in some air as the pain started to register. He was relieved of his gun as it was expertly slipped from his hand and placed into the man’s jacket pocket.
Luk nodded silently as he was guided down a narrow side street between two high rises, to a hidden doorway. His attacker opened the door, still keeping the knife pressed against his side, and opened it ushering Luk to go ahead. Once inside it took Luk a while to adjust his eyes. The room was dark and dingy with a strong smell of mould and an acrid smell of urine. There was a dripping noise to his left where he could make out the entrance to a toilet. In the middle of the room was a small table and two chairs and in the corner a stained mattress on the floor. It was clearly a drug house, the place where people came to shoot up in privacy. The urine stench was so overpowering that it made Luk gag and he covered his mouth.
“Cozy isn’t it”, his attacker said pushing Luk toward one of the chairs.
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