The Couturier of Milan

by Ian Hamilton

  “Would Lop be okay if Sonny had equal responsibility?”

  “I don’t see why not. I’ll tell him to treat Sonny as a partner.”

  “Let me talk to Sonny first and make sure he’s okay with this,” Ava said. “He’s rather territorial when it comes to anything involving me. If he found out about the job from anyone else he’d be offended.”

  “I understand. Lop and Suen are the same where I’m concerned. Let me know when you’ve had your conversation.”

  Ava nodded. “So where does this leave us?”

  “I believe I have a lot of phone calls to make, while you go off to dream up new ways to make Dominic Ventola’s life as miserable as possible.”

  ( 24 )

  Xu and Suen were sitting by the fishpond making plans when Ava left the house to go back to the Peninsula. Despite Xu’s support, she had no sense of how successful they might be. It was one thing to think that Xu could bring the full weight of his organization down on the businesses in Chongqing, but another to expect those businesses to follow through. She had the same reservations about Lam and Huidong, but absolutely none about what Lop and Sonny could accomplish in Shenzhen. Who would have the nerve to say no to them?

  Despite being only a wiry five foot nine, Lop Ying was one of the most terrifying men she’d ever met. It was his manner that people found alarming. His eyes didn’t focus on any one thing for long and his body was constantly moving. He seemed permanently on edge, always poised to strike. But in Ava’s mind, Lop paled in comparison to Sonny. Maybe that was because she knew him better and had seen him in action more often. But even if she hadn’t, there was no denying Sonny’s physical threat at six foot four and 260 pounds. Despite his size, Sonny had the agility of an acrobat, was a skilled martial artist, and had a cold, dispassionate, and —when aroused —vicious temperament. Sonny had been Uncle’s bodyguard and driver. When Uncle died, Ava inherited his loyalty and his willingness to do absolutely anything to defend his boss, a trait he shared with Lop.

  Ava didn’t need Sonny in Toronto, which was just as well, because he would never have adjusted. Their understanding was that he would drive for her brother and Amanda when Ava wasn’t in Hong Kong or if she didn’t need him elsewhere in Asia. But when she was there, she got one hundred percent of his dedication and attention.

  She waited until she got back to her room at the hotel before calling him. He answered immediately with a loud, “Hey, boss!”

  “Are you in Hong Kong?”

  “I’m in Tai Wai New Village. I drove your brother and Simon To to the grand opening of another of their noodle restaurants.”

  “Are you free to talk?”

  “Sure. I’m standing outside by the car.”

  “I have a job for you,” she said.

  “Where?”

  “Shenzhen.”

  “Are you going to be there?”

  “No, I’m in Shanghai and I think I’ll be here for at least a few more days, if not longer,” Ava said. “This is a job that’s really important to me and my business, and I need you to handle it in my absence.”

  “Whatever you want.”

  “It isn’t something you can do alone, though, and Xu is going to ask Lop to help. Do you have any objections to working with him as a partner?”

  “None. We get along fine.”

  “Good. And I was told that your and Uncle’s old gang in Fanling has some strong contacts in Shenzhen. Do you stay in touch with that crew?”

  “Yeah.”

  “It might be smart to talk to them about what you’re going to do. If there are any local gangs involved with the people I want you to meet, then at least you can give them a heads-up. And who knows, they might actually be able to help.”

  “What is it you want me to do? If it’s important enough to involve Lop and bring the Fanling gang into the loop, then I’m obviously not delivering gifts for you.”

  “Sonny, an Italian company called VLG is trying to put us out of business. We need to retaliate. They’re buying leather from three companies in Shenzhen. That has to stop, and stop now. I don’t want them doing any more production for VLG. Whatever they have on hand that’s earmarked for VLG can’t be shipped. If they have products in transit, I want to see if we can pull them back.”

  “Okay,” he said without hesitation.

  “If we can work out an accommodation with the Italians, this won’t be a permanent situation. It might last a week or two and then the companies can go back to business as usual. But they don’t go back until we tell them they can.”

  “Do you want us to shut them down entirely or just stop that one part?”

  “Just their VLG production and shipments. And hopefully they have other business to pick up the slack.”

  “I get it.”

  “Now, I don’t mind paying them a bit of money to co-operate. And I’ll certainly look after any costs associated with having goods shipped back or put into storage.”

  “What if we arrange it so you don’t have to pay?”

  “I understand what you’re saying and we may end up there, but why don’t you start by making a goodwill offer.”

  “Lop isn’t so keen on goodwill. He thinks it wastes time.”

  “Convince him to make it anyway.”

  “I’ll try.”

  “And I have no doubt you’ll succeed,” Ava said. “Now I’m going to call Xu and tell him you’re onside when it comes to working with Lop, and then I’ll send you the names and addresses of the companies.”

  “I’ll wait to hear from you before I contact him, and after I get those names I’ll contact some of the guys in Fanling and see if they know any of the companies.”

  “What are the chances?”

  “If they don’t know them, it’s more than likely they know someone in Shenzhen who does. The triads have made serious inroads in that city in recent years.”

  “Sonny, I’d like to make this happen quickly.”

  “Yes, boss.”

  “That doesn’t mean taking chances or being so aggressive that outside authorities get involved.”

  “Lop can be smooth when he needs to be, and after watching Uncle operate for so many years, I’m not so bad myself.”

  Smooth was the last word that came to mind when Ava thought about Lop or Sonny, but she said, “I’m sure you both can be.”

  “But the bottom line is that you want these shipments stopped, right?”

  “That’s the bottom line.”

  “We’ll get it done.”

  “I’m sure you will,” Ava said. “Now, what’s the best way for me to send you the information?”

  “Phone me, and if for some reason you can’t get me, then send a text.”

  “Until then,” Ava said.

  She turned on her computer to check emails and saw nothing of any importance. She picked up her phone and sent a text to Xu that said, Sonny is onside. He’ll be happy to work with Lop. Please set it up on your end. I’m sending the contact information to Sonny, so you can do the same with Lop if you want.

  Sonny’s phone went directly to voicemail. Ava texted him the factory information and added, You should call Lop tonight and organize your Shenzhen visit.

  It was almost five o’clock when she had finished. She yawned as her adrenalin ebbed and jet lag rushed in to fill the space. She imagined she’d be having dinner with May and whoever else wanted to join them, but normally May ate quite late and Ava knew it would be a struggle to stay alert for that long. A nap would help, she thought, and then discarded the idea. She’d tough it out, she decided, and that meant staying active. She went to the window and looked outside. The rain had stopped and the wind seemed to have settled. She figured there was about forty-five minutes of daylight left. Ten minutes later she had left the hotel in her tracksuit and cap and was walking along the promenade.

  She worked her way around the slower pedestrians. The wind had abated, but not to the extent she’d imagined while standing by the window in her room. It s
till blew in bitterly cold gusts that made her eyes water and her nose run. As annoying and uncomfortable as that was, it did provide enough of a distraction that she hardly noticed when the sun set and the street lamps came on.

  Back in the hotel, she stepped into the shower for the second time that day. When she emerged, she felt refreshed. She put on a clean shirt and slacks and sat down in a green leather chair by the window. She looked at her mobile phone and saw she’d missed calls from Gillian and May. They’d left messages simply saying to phone them back. Ava tried May first.

  “I called an hour ago,” May said.

  “Sorry, I went out for a walk.”

  “Suki wanted to be here when I told you how we’ve done, but she just left to have dinner with her husband’s cousin, the customs officer.”

  “I remember who he is. Let’s hope she has some luck with him.”

  “Well, after hearing her sweet talk and/or browbeat freight and shipping agents for most of the day, I don’t think luck or even the money we spend has anything to do with it,” May said. “She’s an unstoppable force of nature.”

  “So you did well?”

  “There are now four inbound containers filled with VLG products misplaced in the Port of Shanghai. And when I say ‘misplaced,’ I mean they aren’t going to be found until we decide they are.”

  “Is it that easy to lose them?”

  “I knew the port was busy, but the actual numbers are beyond anything I imagined. As it turns out, the equivalent of more than thirty-five million twenty-foot containers go in and out of the port every year. That’s three million a month. One hundred thousand on any given day.”

  “Then I guess it is.”

  “She’s also arranged for three air shipments to go astray. The warehouses are smaller and the goods are harder to hide, so they’ve put them into trucks and parked offsite.”

  “That sounds a bit like theft.”

  “Only if they’re not returned, and that’s the plan . . . eventually.”

  “Do you have the container numbers and the air waybill numbers?”

  “Are we having dinner?”

  “I’d like to.”

  “Then I’ll bring them with me.”

  “Will Suki join us?”

  “I don’t know how long she’ll be with the cousin. She said she’d phone when she was done.”

  “Have you asked the girls and Clark?” Ava said.

  “I haven’t spoken to them.”

  “I’ll call Gillian and invite them.”

  “I’m holding a table at Mercato. Again. It’s at No. 3, The Bund. I can meet you at the hotel and we can walk over there together.”

  “What time?”

  “Eight, so let’s say we hook up at seven forty-five in the hotel lobby.”

  “Perfect.”

  “Wait, don’t go yet,” May said. “You haven’t told me what kind of day you had.”

  “Things are in motion. I met with Xu and, as I thought, he’s happy to help, but it’s going to be a day or two before we know the outcome.”

  “You’re optimistic?”

  “He plans to send Suen and some men to Chongqing if that’s necessary.”

  “Oh.”

  “We also think that Lam —the guy who runs the triads in Guangzhou —will help us in Huidong and Huadu.”

  “I see.”

  “And in all likelihood, Sonny and Lop will be paying a personal visit to the leather manufacturers in Shenzhen.”

  “Who in their right mind would say no to any request from those two?”

  “That’s exactly what I thought when I asked them to do it,” Ava said. “And, in answer to your question about me being optimistic, let’s just say that I’m cautiously so.”

  ( 25 )

  Ava phoned Gillian Po and found her sounding much happier than the last time they’d spoken. Gillian’s team had not only found the names of the two factories in Huadu that were making luggage and handbags for VLG, they had actually spoken to senior marketing people at those companies and had a list of the specific brands they were manufacturing in part or in whole.

  “I talked to the one making handbags, told them we were thinking of launching our own line of PÖ bags, and asked if they thought they could meet our quality requirements,” Gillian said. “The marketing guy immediately began to talk about the brands they’re already making. It’s quite a few more than just VLG, but he really stressed their VLG production as an indicator of how good their quality is.”

  “It’s good to know they’re producing for more than one customer. It means they should be able to stop making products for VLG and still maintain a solid business.”

  “And what a strange business it seems to be.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “Well, when I mentioned the possibility of the factory’s manufacturing the PÖ line, his first question was whether I would want our bags to be identified as a product of China.”

  “What did you say?”

  “I asked him what the other companies did,” Gillian said. “He laughed and said they typically want them identified as products of Italy or France.”

  “How is that possible unless they’re deliberately mislabelling the bags?”

  “Maybe some of them are, but he said that as long as part of the production is done in, for example, Italy, the ‘Made in Italy’ label is legal.”

  “Part of the production?”

  “He said the most common thing is for them to send the bags without the handles attached.”

  “The handles are made in Italy?”

  “No, they’re made in China and sent with the bags. They’re simply attached in Italy.”

  “What a joke.”

  “It gets worse,” Gillian said. “Some companies want the bags sent completely assembled except for the ‘Made in’ label. Evidently putting it on counts as part of the manufacturing process.”

  “How long has this been going on?”

  “They’ve been making leather for years, but he said it’s only over the past year that they’ve starting making finished goods for the brands.”

  “Does the luggage manufacturer operate the same way?”

  “Identically. And that’s not surprising, because the two companies are connected.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  “Towards the end of our conversation, the marketing guy said they have so much business that unless we move quickly there might not be any production capacity left in his factory. I then asked if there were any other options he could recommend. He said they have a sister company that’s making luggage but is starting to diversify into handbags. It’s the company making luggage for VLG. I asked him if they operate in the same way when it comes to labelling. He said they do and then warned me again about production capacity. He said that both factories are going to be facing that challenge.”

  “When we get them to stop manufacturing for VLG, that will free up some capacity,” Ava said, and laughed. “Now I don’t feel quite so bad about leaning on them.”

  “Do you think we can actually get them to stop?”

  “We have friends who are going to persuade them that it’s the best thing to do. And what you just told me should make it easier for them to say yes.”

  Gillian paused. “Amanda told me not to ask too many questions about how you intend to put pressure on VLG,” she said hesitantly.

  “Amanda was right.”

  There was another silence before Gillian said, “Do you want me to email you the information?”

  “Please.”

  The younger woman sighed. “It’s been a long day. Everyone here is very tired.”

  “It should be a satisfied tired —you did terrific work,” Ava said. “Do you and the others want to join May and me for dinner tonight?”

  “I don’t know about Amanda, but I think the rest of us are ready to crash.”

  “Okay, go and get a good night’s sleep. And tell Amanda that if she wants to join us we’re le
aving the hotel at seven forty-five.”

  “I will, right after I send you the information on Huadu.”

  Ava sprawled in the chair, a wave of relaxation washing over her. Twenty-four hours earlier they’d been a dispirited, almost depressed lot. Now they’d turned a corner and could be at least hopeful. They’d accomplished a lot in one day. Not enough to change the reality of their position, but maybe enough to start changing VLG’s perception of theirs.

  She walked over to the desk and checked the computer. Gillian’s email had arrived. Ava opened it and copied the essential information into her notebook. When that was done, she forwarded the message to Xu with a note that read: 1. Here is the information that Lam needs for Huadu. Of interest is the fact that the factories are making products for multiple customers, so giving up VLG short-term shouldn’t hurt their businesses that much. 2. Do you know if Lop and Sonny have talked? 3. Is Suen going to Chongqing? If so, when? 4. Did you talk to Lam about Huidong? 5. What did your perfumers have to say about the VLG brands I mentioned to you? Warmest, mei mei.

  She looked at the bedside clock. It was already past seven. Maria would be up now, standing in her T-shirt and underwear at the kitchen counter as she made coffee. She had long, slim legs with a perpetual golden hue, and firm breasts. “Shit. What brought that into my head?” Ava murmured.

  She stood, went back to the green chair, and thought instead about VLG’s containers in the Port of Shanghai. What were they worth? Certainly millions, but how many? She ran some numbers, calculating how many cases of booze or perfume you could pack into a twenty-foot container, and then multiplied that number by an estimated cost and came up . . . confused. All she knew for certain was that if it was a number she couldn’t figure, it was a number that would hurt VLG.

  At seven-thirty she looked at her emails to see if Xu had replied. He hadn’t. She had told Gillian that “friends” were going to persuade the factories in Huidong and Huadu to co-operate, but what if Lam wouldn’t or couldn’t help? She doubted that Xu would send his men into a territory controlled by the Guangzhou gang. Could she send Sonny with some of his friends? She felt a surge of impatience and reached for her phone to call Xu, but then stopped. He wouldn’t leave her dangling. He was probably still working through her list of requests and she was certain he’d call when he had answers.