by Matt Lincoln
My phone vibrated with a text notification, and a glance showed me that it was from Diane. I read it and then showed Holm.
Michael James passed away an hour ago.
I wasn’t surprised, but the irony of a health and environment fanatic dying of lung cancer unsettled the hell out of me. It seemed like the world was upside down, and I wanted nothing more than to make it right.
The rest of the interview with Patrone took all of ten minutes. His description of events matched with what we’d heard so far, and I decided there wasn’t much more to get out of him.
“This paints Mei Liu in a bad light,” Holm commented as we made our way back to the car. “I can’t see her placing explosives, but she has the resources to have made that happen.”
“She’s used to running the show behind Ken’s name.” I unlocked the Charger and frowned. “I feel like we’re missing something. Why would Mei destroy Zhu’s signature attraction? She doesn’t like the man, but I don’t see her as stooping to that level of petty.”
“Don’t forget the explosive that destabilized the building.” Holm opened the car door. “Her daughter was inside.” He made a sour face. “Then again, her daughter was inside.”
I snorted and climbed into the driver’s seat. “Yeah, Mei isn’t the nicest mother who ever existed. Still, I gotta wonder if she really planned for the hotel to collapse.”
“It depends on how badly she wanted that leadership through her husband.” Holm got in the car as I started the engine. “If she thinks there’s the remotest possibility that Alice could take the leadership position, she might not care that Alice is her daughter.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of, buddy. That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.”
CHAPTER 26
Mei Liu stalked into Alice’s dining room two mornings after Yéyé’s wake. The cremation and memorial were planned for the next day, and Alice had an opportunity to work on her current project.
“We are leaving at the end of the week,” she announced.
Alice looked up from her sketchbook and frowned. “What about the investigation? Don’t you want to wait until they find who’s responsible?” Mei rolled her eyes and walked away with a wave. “Seriously, Ma, we need to figure this out before you go home. What if they’re waiting at home to get at you or Bàba?”
Mei stopped. She turned on the ball of her foot like she would have during her dancing days. A memory flashed through Alice’s mind from when she was a small child. Her mother, full of zest, flew across the ballet floor in a way Alice could never approach. Mei’s favorite practice pointe shoes had more scuffs than little Alice knew how to count, but Mei wouldn’t let anyone buy her a new pair. The joy she exuded was one of Alice’s earliest and most bittersweet memories, as a bad lift resulted in a fall that ended her mother’s career. After that, Mei threw herself into her husband’s business and never looked back.
“The family will protect us at home.” Mei planted her fists on her hips. “There are too many projects for us to pull security from New York.”
Alice sighed and rubbed her temples. “Projects” was code for “illegal dealings.” She bit back the urge to make a snarky remark about drugs and weapons flowing into the city, courtesy of the Bamboo Dragon.
“MBLIS has people coming in today to help keep everyone safe,” Alice promised. A shudder passed through her shoulders and down her back, and she looked away from Mei. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea for her mother to be far, far away.
“You made me aware of this after that agent, what was her name?” Mei closed her eyes until it came to her. “Yes, that Agent Muñoz woman called you last night.” Mei scowled. “If you don’t think our people are enough, you are welcome to stay at a hotel.”
Alice took a few breaths between clenched teeth. “Mother.” She took another breath. “You do not get to disinvite me from my own home. I have bent over backward to accommodate you and Bàba. At least he appreciates the lengths I have gone over the past few days.” Alice stood. “If you can’t do the same, you can leave.”
Mei’s face darkened to a reddish-brown. Alice cringed, as that had always been a precursor to flying objects and bruises.
“I am…” Mei huffed, took three steps in Alice’s direction, and stopped. “I am going outside. When I return, we will not speak of this again. I will tolerate your official protectors, but do not expect me to embrace their presence.”
Mei stomped, literally stomped, out of the house and to the lanai before slamming the sliding patio door shut. Bàba wandered out of the family room where he’d been sitting with his ever-present newspaper.
“I will never understand that woman,” Ken admitted as he set the newspaper on a small table next to one of the few design awards Alice chose to display. He caressed the curve of the etched-glass globe she’d won for her favorite green project. “One thing I do know is that she’s jealous of you.”
Alice set down the pencil she’d clutched since her mother began her little tirade.
“Jealous?” A hollow laugh escaped her, and her voice rose. “Bàba, Ma hates what I do. She’s angry that I left to become my own woman. How in the world did you come to that conclusion?” Her parents’ on-duty guard half rose and then froze when Alice pinned him with a fierce glare. “Don’t you dare get out of that seat. As if I’d hurt either of my parents.”
She flinched as she said the last words. The mere suspicion that her mother could have been involved in a plot to kill Yéyé and maybe even Alice shook her each time it crossed her mind.
“He knows you won’t do anything to me.” Bàba walked over and put a hand on Alice’s shoulder. “Furthermore, he wouldn’t do anything without my say so. Therefore, he has to trust that you won’t do more than yell at me. That is my order. You are valuable to the family, even with your choice to live apart from us.”
Ken spoke the words to comfort her, she knew, but those words were a reminder of the ties she could never shed, no matter how far she displaced herself from the tong’s activities and people. That was hardly comforting.
“Dad, Bàba, I just want to be left alone,” she told him. “Your visit was supposed to be short and sweet, but all of this happened, and now everyone knows where I live. I don’t feel safe anymore, and Ma isn’t helping.”
Bàba quirked a brow. “You want to know why she’s jealous?”
“Sure. Explain how Ma is jealous of the one person she can’t control.”
Ken winced as the point hit home. However, he moved on. “She is jealous because you live on your own terms. You’re independent and successful, and you choose to chase your dreams. Mei took on my dreams when she gave up the dancing world.”
“Why didn’t she choose to teach dance instead of doing something she didn’t like?” Alice shook her head and tapped her heel against her chair leg.
“Two reasons.” Ken held up a finger. “First, she did try. It reminded her every day of what she lost.” He put up the next finger. “Second, when parents found out who she was, they threatened to pull their children from the studio if she didn’t quit.”
The family business had struck again. It was no wonder Mei turned bitter over the years.
“She should’ve left you,” Alice said in a low voice barely above a whisper. It was a thought she’d held quiet for most of her life. She waited for the backlash, but it didn’t come.
“You’re right.” Ken clasped his hands behind his back and paced between Alice and the dining room windows. “I’m not a good man. You know that.”
Alice nodded. “Not many people in our family are good people, and yet, I still love you.” She looked to the sketch she’d been working on for a client. It looked like no more than a collection of unrelated lines. “I left because I wanted to keep my soul intact. I still do.”
“I know, and I would never ask you to rejoin us,” Bàba told her. He took a seat, turned it to face her, and sat. “Stay away from it, like your grandfather wanted. Fight for your beliefs for as long as you
can. These are the things that make you stronger than any of us.”
Yéyé’s plea for her to take his lead crowded her mind. She’d promised herself not to tell anyone outside of the investigation team, and yet she wanted to soothe her father’s fears.
“Bàba, I don’t—”
Her phone launched into the jaunty little ringtone. It was the same number from the night before, that of Special Agent Sylvia Muñoz. Alice held up a silencing finger, something few people got to do to her father. He nodded and walked back over to the dining room window.
“Hello, Sylvia.”
“Hi, Alice.” Sylvia’s voice echoed in the background, and Alice heard a car pass near the agent. “I called the first shift with you. Do you still plan to be home this morning?”
“As far as I know.” She looked at the forlorn sketch and sighed. “I’m behind on my work, so I may as well stay in.”
“I’m a taskmaster.” Sylvia chuckled. “Don’t worry. I got your back. I’ll be there in an hour with another agent.”
“I don’t know whether to be excited or scared,” Alice told Sylvia. She winked at her father and was surprised at the relief that spread through her tense muscles. “I appreciate it. See you soon.”
“These are highly trained people, yes?” Bàba asked after Alice ended the call. “I’m not familiar with MBLIS. What does it even stand for?”
Alice had to look it up on her phone. She hadn’t thought to ask beyond getting the lowdown on their scope. There weren’t many hits on Google, but she found the agency’s government webpage.
“Military Border Liaison Investigative Services,” she recited.
Bàba chuckled. “That’s quite the mouthful. I wonder how this case fell under their jurisdiction if they’re military-oriented.”
Alice skimmed through the information on the website. What she saw unsettled her. She wasn’t sure she wanted to share with her father, but it was public information and easily found. Any of Ken’s people could find it with a minimum of skill.
“Not all of their cases directly involve the military.” She skimmed a few paragraphs. “They have access to military resources and work with the Navy because they investigate cases that happen along coasts and open water where more than one nation is involved.”
“Ah.” Ken’s eyes narrowed, and at that moment, he wasn’t her father so much as he was the heir apparent for Bamboo Dragon. “Be careful, daughter of mine. These people may not be as interested in protecting you as you might think. They may try to get to our business interests through you.”
Alice slapped her hand on the table. “Dammit, Bàba, this is your fault, and Yéyé’s. All of you. Why couldn’t you have left me out of this?”
“Because I had no intention of sending you away to live with relatives you didn’t know in China.” He marched over to her. “Don’t you think for one moment that any of those agents have your best interests in mind. To them, you are no more than a stool pigeon waiting to sing.”
“Which is why I’ve kept away from you and Ma and everyone else in the family.” Alice got to her feet and stared her father in the eye. “If they have questions, I’ll answer them. They will catch who did this to Yéyé and Mr. Zhu.”
Alice’s father broke eye contact, snagged his newspaper from the kitchen counter, and returned to the family room. As a child, she’d learned that was his way of presuming his will would be done. It was also how he handled all the delegations he assigned when he had work.
Alice settled in to try again on the preliminary sketch for the new project, but her mind was as blank as the new page of the sketchbook. Too much stress and anxiety had fried her creativity. She needed a diversion. That meant leaving the house which meant making sure she had adequate protection from whoever MBLIS felt was after her.
She grabbed her phone and hesitated before opening the texting app. It probably wasn’t appropriate, but she deserved to have fun with someone who could also keep her safe. Alice typed a message.
Bored af. Help me get out of the house? Thx.
Her chest tightened, but she hit SEND anyway. She also sent a little prayer to the universe at large that Ethan Marston would agree to take her out for a ride.
CHAPTER 27
The team met at the office an hour earlier than usual. Holm had elected to drive his little blue Lancer to work the morning after Patrone’s interview. Given each special agent had solo shifts to protect Alice at home, it was easier than me picking him up in the department car I drove.
“The schedule for Alice Liu’s protection is on the shared calendar,” Muñoz informed us. “The sooner we wrap this up, the better. We’re getting behind on the less urgent cases. If her parents leave town before we’re ready, the case will take that much longer to conclude.”
As Muñoz went over the schedule, I received a text from Alice that made me glad I hadn’t picked Holm up at his condo that morning.
Bored af. Help me get out of the house? Thx.
“Alice wants to get away from the house for the day.” I held up my phone to show the text.
“And she texted you,” Muñoz muttered. “Of course she did. Fine, you take the first shift.” She pointed at Birn. “While they’re out, you and I will go have a word with that bodyguard who showed his mug at the protest.”
Birn cracked his knuckles and grinned. “Happy to.”
Diane had ceded the morning briefing to Muñoz, but she now straightened in her seat. “Are we all in agreement that Alice Liu is a target rather than a suspect?”
“She doesn’t have a motive or apparent interest in taking the reins of the tong,” Holm answered. “I’m not feeling it.”
Muñoz leveled her gaze at me. “I agree, but let’s face it, we all know Ethan has a thing for her. We don’t know how she feels, but I got the same vibe from her when we spoke about you. Use your common sense.”
“Why can’t we get someone else to cover for him?” Birn asked with a frown. “If she’s called as a witness to the case, a relationship with Ethan will complicate things.”
“Take me off the case,” I blurted out. Everyone stared at me, and I couldn’t believe what I’d said. Somehow, I kept talking. “If… if she feels the same, I’ll be around her, anyway. Take me off the case, and I’ll take a few PTO days.”
Diane frowned and shook her head. “We can’t afford that.” She gestured to Muñoz. “I’ll go pick Alice up and bring her into the office. Ethan, you and Robbie go interview Bellows. He’s expecting you at nine-thirty.”
“Good to know,” I said in a snippy voice that Diane overlooked.
“After you’re done with Bellows, get back here,” she continued. “It’s clear that Miss Liu prefers your company. I’m going to have a little conversation with her before you take her anywhere today.”
At a loss for words, I nodded. This wasn’t the usual situation. I’d seen women from other cases before, but those lines were more blurred. Tessa was only a small part of a case the first time we saw each other, and the second time, she was documenting the case. Emily was a short fling and more of a consultant who got put into a dangerous situation. Sadie was someone who ended up joining MBLIS in Honolulu and not otherwise part of the case.
Alice, however, was different. She was at the center of the case, both a witness and a potential victim. Diane needed me to back off. The court case could be blown apart if I had a thing with her during the investigation. I got it, but it didn’t sit well, not well at all.
“Everyone, you all know your jobs for today.” Diane stood. “Get to it. Let’s get answers today.”
We had half an hour before we had to leave. Holm and I made our way back to our desks when my phone chimed with a text from an unknown number.
Will call you in ten. -Old Man
I stopped in the hall. The message was from Farr. Holm halted behind me. “What’s that?”
He craned around for a look, but I blocked his view. “I have to take a call about something personal,” I told him in as casual a way
as I could.
“You’re going to see her later,” he said with an eye roll.
“It’s not that.” I pocketed my phone. “I’ll be outside and meet you at the Charger by the time we have to leave.”
Holm quirked a brow. I hoped I’d be able to talk with him about the funding investigation soon. Farr was retired from the Navy, but he maintained a level of involvement that defied the outward appearance of retirement. The man was more complex than a hedge maze.
Nine minutes after I left Holm in the hall, I parked my ass on a wooden bench beneath a bald cypress tree at the far end of MBLIS’s office property. It was as private as I was going to get for a while that day.
My ringtone began playing its little tune.
“Yeah?” We didn’t use names on the encrypted line he employed. “What do you need?”
“I have a lead.” Farr’s rough voice lacked its usual boisterous quality. “It’s not good.” He coughed away from the phone. “Damn cold viruses can hit anywhere and with no warning,” he complained.
“Just lay it on me, sir,” I told him. “I’ll take care of things while you take care of yourself.”
“Fair enough.” He cleared his throat. “Orders on funding cuts came down from somewhere in the Senate. I can’t tell if it’s one person or more. It’s disturbing as hell, I tell you. We have legislative processes for a reason, and bullshit like this is that reason.”
“Everyone up there trades in favors,” I mused. “These cuts are helping someone, and that someone is helping whoever pushes those cuts.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I’m getting a headache.”
“You and me both,” Farr agreed in a somber tone.
“I want to bring my partner in on this,” I insisted. “You know he’s as clean as it gets.”
“I do, and that’s why you need to keep him out of it for now. Let him have deniability if shit hits the turbine. Don’t you believe for one second that you wouldn’t be painted a rogue for going after a senator. That’s how they’d spin this, and you know it.”