The Couturier of Milan

by Ian Hamilton

  “I saw you’d called but couldn’t listen to your message. I thought I should call you back anyway.”

  “I’m glad you did, but you should know that I didn’t phone to talk about us,” Maria said quickly. “Or at least not about changing my mind.”

  “I didn’t assume that was the case,” Ava lied. “So that leaves me curious as to why you did phone.”

  “Well, I thought I should,” Maria said. “I don’t know what you’re doing in Asia this time, but there are some strange things going on here, and I’m wondering if there might be a connection.”

  “What do you mean?” Ava said, her stomach turning.

  Maria paused, and Ava could imagine her running her fingers through her hair, the way she did when she was gathering her thoughts. “I went to your condo earlier this morning,” she finally said. “I wanted to pick up my things. I couldn’t leave the key in the apartment so I went to talk to Bernard, the concierge on duty, about whether I should leave it with him or mail it to you. He said I should mail it and then asked me if you were out of town. I thought that was a strange question and I asked him why he wanted to know. He said that two men had been at the building about half an hour before looking for you.”

  “Two men? This morning?”

  “I was there at about eight-fifteen, so it was before eight. And yes, two men. According to Bernard, they came into the lobby and buzzed your apartment, and when there was no answer they came to his desk and talked to him. He found them rather odd.”

  “In what way?”

  “They said they were business acquaintances and had an appointment with you at eight, but Bernard said they didn’t look or act like businesspeople. And I told him that I’ve never known you to have a business meeting at the condo.”

  “What did they look like?”

  “He wasn’t specific and I didn’t press him,” Maria said. “I also told him that it would be better if he talks directly to you and that I’d pass the message along.”

  “Which is what you’ve done, so thanks.”

  “Ava, these two men —they aren’t a problem, are they?”

  “No, of course not,” she said quickly. “But I’ll call Bernard just the same in case he has concerns.”

  “Yes, I think that’s the best thing to do,” Maria said. She paused, then added, “And I should tell you that I did mail your key back to you.”

  “That was considerate,” Ava said, gathering her breath. Before she could say anything else, the phone went dead. Well, I guess that’s goodbye, she thought, slumping back in the chair.

  She reached for her regular phone, turned it on, and scrolled down until she found the number for the front desk of her condo. Then she used the phone Xu had given her to make the call.

  “Bernard here. How may I help you?”

  “This is Ava Lee. I understand from my friend Maria that I had some visitors this morning.”

  “Hello, Ms. Lee. Yes, you did. I hope you don’t mind my mentioning it to Ms. Gonzalez.”

  “I’m glad you did,” Ava said. “They claimed they had a business appointment with me at eight?”

  “They did, and they said you weren’t answering your buzzer or your phone. I told them that you probably weren’t home. They asked if you were travelling, if you were out of the country. I said I didn’t know and that it isn’t my place to keep track of the whereabouts of our residents,” he said. “Then they asked if you left any forwarding number or contact information. At that point I told them it wasn’t information I had, and even if I did have it, I wouldn’t have been allowed to share it with them.”

  “What were the men like?”

  “Rather rude and rough-spoken.”

  “What did they look like?

  “One was large and muscular and the other was short and sturdy. They were dressed casually, jeans and leather jackets.”

  “Were they white, Asian, black?”

  “They were white, maybe Greek.”

  “Did they leave their names?”

  “No.”

  “Well, Bernard, if they come back, I want you to be sure to get their names.”

  “I’ll certainly ask. And if I get them?”

  “Call me on my cell,” Ava said, and recited the new number.

  She stood and walked to the window. She looked out at Victoria Harbour and the splendour of its skyline, but none of it registered. Her mind was on Toronto and the two men at her condo. They had to be connected to the Camorra, who obviously hadn’t believed Lam. One phone call from Italy to Toronto had sent them to her door. That concerned her less than the thought that they wouldn’t stop there. Who else would they contact? She knew that, given enough time, they’d locate Maria and perhaps even her mother. And if they did, then what? Would they use them as leverage, as a means to get to her? I need to buy some time, Ava thought, and then shook her head. I’m overthinking this, I’m overreacting. They were most likely just trying to find out if I was in Toronto, and we should have things resolved within the next twenty-four hours. Why stress out my mother or Maria?

  She unpacked her bags and went into the bathroom to get ready for bed. When she came back, she took a bottle of Chardonnay from the bar, poured a glass, and settled onto the bed to watch television. She wanted to find something funny, so she accessed the channel menu. There was a variety show on Pearl, but just as she was about to press the remote button she saw that Jade had scheduled a Pang Fai movie. Almost without thinking, Ava’s hand reached for her phone and she went to Fai’s message. What the hell, she thought, and then listened to Fai say, “Ava, this is Fai again. Call me when you can.”

  Ava picked up the new phone and entered the number. It went to voicemail. “Fai, this is Ava. I’m sorry I haven’t called you sooner, but I’ve been involved in a rather complicated project. I’m not in Toronto; I’m in Hong Kong. Tomorrow is going to be a bit crazy for me, so if you try to reach me and can’t, keep trying. I’ve also been using a new cell. Here’s the number in case it doesn’t appear on your phone.”

  She ended the call and looked at the television. The film listed in the guide was one of the dramatic, heart-wrenching films that Fai had made with Lau Lau. Can I handle that tonight? Ava thought. “No,” she said out loud, and selected the variety show on Pearl.

  ( 42 )

  The morning flew by. An early run in Victoria Park was followed by a long shower, half an hour on the computer, fifteen minutes getting dressed, and then a leisurely dim sum lunch with May and Amanda. All the while, Ava was checking her phones for texts and messages. Despite her decision the night before not to overreact, she found herself becoming increasingly concerned about the two men who had visited her condo. Had they returned? Had they gone to Jennie Lee’s home in Richmond Hill? Were they following Maria? But there wasn’t a word from either of them, or Bernard.

  Xu had phoned from the Shanghai airport to say he was on schedule. If she didn’t hear otherwise, she was to go as planned to the TurboJet gate at the Hong Kong–Macau Terminal.

  “Have you heard anything from Lop?” she asked.

  “Not yet, but he left for Macau last night. He had a couple of meetings scheduled. He’ll meet us when we arrive, and I imagine he’ll have information for us then.”

  Ava contacted Sonny and told him to meet her at the hotel at two.

  Lam called as she was on the way downstairs to Man Wah for lunch. “We’re about an hour away from Macau,” he said. “I spoke to Xu. He said you’ll come directly to my hotel when you arrive.”

  “Have you heard from the Italians?”

  “Bianchi called about an hour ago to confirm the meeting place and time.”

  “So they’re in Macau already?”

  “Evidently.”

  “Did you ask if Ventola is with them?”

  “No, and for the same reason that I didn’t force the issue yesterday.”

  Ava started to argue that point and then stopped. Lam knew them better than she did and was astute when it came to managing his
relationships. “How did he sound?”

  “Businesslike.”

  “Did he mention me?”

  “No. Why do you ask?”

  “I think they sent some men to my condo in Toronto yesterday.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “If they didn’t, then the two rough-looking men who showed up are a coincidence that I can’t explain.”

  “What were they told?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Still, I can understand your concern.”

  “If they decide to bring my friends and family into the picture, I’m going to be more than concerned. I’m going to be furious.”

  “By the end of today there will be no reason to involve anyone else.”

  “I guess not.”

  “You sound less than convinced.”

  “I’m going to be demanding a lot of Ventola —assuming he’s there. And if he’s not, I’m not sure where that will leave us.”

  “If nothing else, there will be a clear understanding of where each side stands.”

  “I need more than an understanding. I need them to reverse course.”

  “I’m doing all I can.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry if I seem ungrateful. I’m just worried,” Ava said. “I have so many people relying on me. I don’t want to disappoint them.”

  “Xu and I have just one person relying on us. That’s you, and we’re just as keen not to disappoint,” Lam said, laughing.

  Ava ended the conversation feeling only a bit better than when she’d started it. She walked into Man Wah and saw Amanda and May Ling sitting at a table next to the window.

  “We’re set,” Ava said, taking a seat. “Unless I hear that Xu is going to be late, I’ll leave here at two and meet him at the ferry terminal.”

  May and Amanda didn’t speak and Ava sensed some tension. “What were you two talking about?” she asked.

  May pursed her lips and looked across the table at Amanda.

  “We were talking about Macau,” Amanda said. “We were remembering the last time you were there, when you rescued Simon To.”

  “It’s when we became friends,” May said. “It was an important time in my life.”

  “And we started our friendship then,” Amanda said. “I like to think it’s one we would have maintained even if I hadn’t married your brother.”

  “It’s a time I don’t think of very often, and when I do, I don’t remember it that fondly,” Ava said.

  “I don’t blame you. You did get shot in the leg,” May said.

  Ava shook her head. “No, it isn’t that. I shot a man in the head. I executed him. I can see his face, but now I can’t even think of his name . . .”

  “His name was Kao Lok,” Amanda said. “And I’ll never forget him. He was going to kill Simon.”

  May sighed and the table fell silent.

  “We should order our food,” Ava finally said.

  The dim sum menu at Man Wah wasn’t extensive, but it made up in quality what it lacked in choice. Ava had a particular fondness for the beef tenderloin puff with black pepper sauce and the dumpling stuffed with shrimp, crab, and coriander. She ordered double servings of both.

  “Did you talk to Pudong this morning?” she asked Amanda as the server poured them jasmine tea.

  “Chi-Tze phoned to make sure we’d arrived safely, but also to tell me that things are calm with Gillian and Clark, although they are wondering why we’re in Hong Kong. She said they are convinced it has something to do with Lane Crawford,” Amanda said. “I said that it does —indirectly. I guess it wasn’t a complete lie.”

  The server came to the table with the puffs and an order of siu mai. Before Ava could reach for anything, her phone rang.

  “It’s Xu.”

  “Is there a problem with the flight?”

  “No, I’m still on schedule, but I just spoke to Lop and there may be a problem with the Italians,” Xu said. “He told me that a private plane from Milan landed in Macau around nine this morning, and then two hours later so did another. We were told there would be only one.”

  “Both flights originated in Milan?”

  “Yes. Lop sent me the manifests and I went over them with Lam. Ventola, Pandolfo, Ricci, Moretti, and Bianchi were listed on the first flight. There were seven other names we didn’t recognize, although at least two of them must be crew members. There were eight men listed on the second flight and we knew none of them,” Xu said. “I’ve asked Lop to forward both manifests to you. Have a look and see if any names look familiar. Our hope is that they will include more people from VLG.”

  “And you and Lop are certain that the second flight is connected to us?”

  “It’s the most logical assumption.”

  “Shit.”

  “So either most of the executive team from VLG is in Macau or it’s a small army of Camorra.”

  “I’ll go through the manifests as soon as I get them,” Ava said.

  “Better news is that Lop has met with the heads of the two Macanese Chinese gangs that are still fully operating. They said they’ve had no contact with the Italians and won’t have anything to do with them if they are contacted. They’re also sending word to the freelance groups that they should keep out of any entanglements involving them.”

  “And the locals will listen?”

  “Lop made it quite clear that he was issuing an order, not a request, and they all know who he is and what he’s capable of doing,” Xu said.

  “That still leaves us enough to worry about with the Italians.”

  “Believe me, Lop isn’t taking them lightly, and even more so after checking out the restaurant where they want to meet. He doesn’t like it,” Xu said. “It’s surrounded by a spider’s web of streets and alleys. It’s an area that’s hard to secure.”

  “What does he suggest?”

  “He’d like to change the meeting venue. There’s an executive boardroom at the Grand Hyatt, where Lam’s staying, that he thinks would be perfect. It’s off by itself, nowhere near the casino, and it’s easy to monitor,” Xu said.

  “Why would the Italians agree to that?”

  “Why would they object? It’s neutral and it’s private,” Xu said.

  “I’m not arguing with you. I just don’t want to do anything that would put the meeting at risk.”

  “It’s a suggestion. If the Italians aren’t agreeable, we’ll deal with it.”

  In the background Ava could hear a voice telling passengers to fasten their seat belts. “You should go,” she said. “We’ll see you at the ferry terminal.”

  “What was that about?” May said from across the table, a dumpling suspended in her chopsticks.

  “Ventola and Pandolfo are in Macau,” Ava said, and then looked at her phone as it sounded again. It was an email from Lop with the Milan manifests attached. She quickly scanned the names and didn’t see any —other than those Xu had mentioned —that were familiar.

  ( 43 )

  Sonny’s Mercedes was parked at the front door of the Mandarin Oriental. He stood off to one side talking to a doorman, who was nodding enthusiastically.

  “Sonny,” Ava said. He glanced in her direction and then hurried to the car.

  “Sorry. That guy was asking me about Uncle Fong.” He opened the back door for her. “They used to go to Macau together to gamble. He said he hasn’t seen Uncle Fong in months. I told him that he’s given up gambling. He said that’s a good thing, because Uncle had more bad luck than anyone he’s ever known.”

  Ava waited until Sonny was behind the wheel before she said, “How did the doorman know you and Uncle Fong are acquainted?”

  “He saw us together when we came here to pick you up for dinner.”

  “And what you said about Uncle Fong, is it really true?” Ava asked as the car eased onto Connaught Road.

  “That’s what he tells me, and I believe him, because he hasn’t hit me up for money in a while.”

  Uncle Fong was an old colleague of Uncle’s. He had
no family and had squandered his entire life’s earnings on the gaming tables in Macau. Uncle had left him some money, and Ava, out of loyalty and affection, augmented it with a monthly allowance.

  “That’s so nice to hear,” she said.

  Sonny drove west for a couple of minutes and then turned right into the Hong Kong–Macau Ferry Terminal. He stopped the car at the entrance and Ava climbed out. “I’ll be about five minutes parking the car. I’ll meet you at the gate,” he said.

  Ava took the escalator to the second floor, found the TurboJet counter, and bought first-class tickets for herself, Sonny, Xu, Suen, and the two other men. Xu had phoned before they left the hotel to say he had landed, and he immediately asked her about the manifests.

  “I didn’t recognize any names from VLG except for Pandolfo and Ventola,” she said.

  “That’s unfortunate.”

  “Mind you, I didn’t meet that many people when I was in Milan.”

  “We’ll have to assume the worst,” Xu said. “I should be at the terminal just after two o’clock. See you then.”

  Ava took a seat in the departures area to wait. Xu’s tone had been calm, but his spare use of words told her he was concerned. She shuddered, and then told herself the Italians wouldn’t be crazy enough to start something in a place that was virtually next door to Lam’s territory and less than an hour away from Hong Kong.

  Sonny’s arrival provided a distraction. He smiled at her and then stood against a wall that gave him a clear view of the surroundings. Ava was going to tell him that wasn’t necessary, but he had been a bodyguard for so many years that the habit was engrained.

  About ten minutes later he stood at attention. She saw Xu approaching with two men in front of him, each carrying two bags. Suen trailed a few steps behind.

  Sonny moved to Ava’s side. The two men in front of Xu and Suen stopped to let them pass.

  “Perfect timing,” Ava said, as a voice came over the intercom to announce that the jetfoil was now boarding. “Here are everyone’s tickets.”

  Xu and Ava hugged while Suen and Sonny shook hands. “These are Gui and Zhang,” Suen said, nodding at the men who’d accompanied them. Sonny shook their hands as well, but Ava had already started down the jetfoil’s ramp with Xu.