by Larry Darter
"Boy, have you!" Jackie said. "It's so obvious that you had it bad for him." We laughed.
"Yep, I sure did," I said. "And one thing I found so attractive about Malone was that he never acted like he thought I needed protecting. He treated me like a mate, an equal. I always appreciated that about him."
"Are you really over old Malone?" Jackie said.
"I am. I mean, the schoolgirl crush part, anyway. But, if I'm honest, I still have love for him. If things didn't work out with Malone and his partner Sara, I'd be happy to have a go."
"But, nothing ever happened between you two?" Jackie said. "I've always been curious if it did, and maybe that's why you moved here."
"No, nothing happened," I said. "Sadly, nothing happened." We laughed again. "Not because I didn't try my best to make something happen. That reminds me. I never told you about this. Once I stripped in front of Malone, and while standing there, starkers, asked him if he fancied having sex."
"Oh, my God! You did not!"
"Yep, sadly I did."
"Details! I want details!"
"We were out of town together on a case. We were staying at a hotel together, in separate rooms mind you. But, the rooms were next to each other, and there was a connecting door between them. We'd been out to dinner and had drinks. A lot of drinks. I already felt an attraction for Malone and to be honest, in the mood to shag. I thought Malone was onto it, too. Fuck, was I wrong."
"What happened?"
"When we got back to the hotel, I invited Malone into my room, suggesting he use the connecting door to get into his room. We were chatting. I felt so sure we were thinking the same thing. So, I took off my clothes. Malone said nothing, so I thought he was all good with it. Once my undies were off, I blurted it out, and asked him if he fancied having sex?"
"Oh my God! What did he say?"
"Malone just looked at me, like he couldn't think of anything to say. Then, he told me he was in a committed relationship. Malone had mentioned at dinner he was seeing someone, only I hadn't picked up on it being serious."
"So, he turned you down flat?"
"Yep, just like that," I said. "Malone was nice about it, but yep, he turned me down standing there with all my gear off in front of him."
"Oh, fuck, I would have died of embarrassment," Jackie said.
"Funny thing, as I remember it, I felt a good bit more disappointed than embarrassed. Maybe I was even in a bit of shock, actually. No guy I'd ever offered to shag had ever said no."
"Guess that made things awkward between you two for a while," Jackie said.
"No, it was all good, actually," I said. "For sure, I felt rejected, on top of the self-loathing bit I felt for throwing myself at Malone like I had. But, we chatted about it the next day. Malone admitted my offer had tempted him, but he couldn't cheat on Sara. He said he would have had to tell her, and he couldn't hurt her like that. That just made me care for him more."
"Do you think Malone had feelings for you?"
"How the bloody hell would I know?" I said. "I'm the mad chick that takes her kit off in front of a guy and puts shagging on offer. I got that one so wrong, I'm not sure I could ever read Malone."
"Well, for what it's worth, I think Malone cared for you," Jackie said. "Maybe he still does. I think he turned you down because he cared as much about you and your feelings as he cared about his girlfriend's feelings."
"You reckon?"
"Yeah, at least that's what I think after hearing the story," Jackie said. "I like this Malone. I think you two would have been good together."
"Maybe, but no point in going there," I said. "Malone is unavailable, and that ship has sailed."
We were both quiet for a while. I'd finished packing. Jackie was still sitting on the floor, and I was sitting on the bed while we finished our beersies.
"One of us should shower before bed, so we aren't both trying to shower and get ready at the same time in the morning."
"Yes, a good idea," Jackie said. "You go ahead. I'm ready for bed. I'll shower in the morning."
"Cool," I said. "Then make yourself at home." I grabbed a tee-shirt I used to sleep in, and some clean undies, and left for the bathroom. After showering, I dressed for bed and went back to the bedroom. Jackie was already asleep. After switching off the lights, I climbed into bed beside her. For a long while, I tossed and turned unable to fall asleep.
Telling the story to Jackie had Malone back on my mind again. I couldn't believe it. I was so over it. Why did I torment myself by digging up the past? Did I still have feelings for the guy after all this time, I wondered. At some point, I drifted off to sleep, but it seemed I'd only slept a few minutes when the alarm sounded at five the next morning.
9
At ten minutes before six the next morning, Mike was knocking at the door. He helped load our luggage into his unmarked police car, and then we were off to Honolulu International. We said goodbye at the curb, and Jackie and I were at the ticket counter for check-in at six twenty-five. Bags checked and boarding passes in hand, we walked to the gate.
"That was some sexy story you told me last night," Jackie said. "I think I must have dreamt about it. I woke up a little hot and bothered this morning."
"How nice," I said. "Thanks so much for sharing that. I tell you things like that about me all the time. How is it you've never told me about any of the stupid shit you've done?"
Jackie burst out laughing. "To be honest, any stories I have would pale compared to the one you told last night."
"Yep, well I don't make it a habit of doing shit like that."
"So, you didn't use the same tactics with Mike?"
"Ah, no I sure didn't. With Mike, it happened more in the normal way those things usually go. After Mike surprised me with a lovely romantic sunset dinner cruise for our second date, we stopped off for drinks. He was charming and handsome. It was clear we both wanted the same thing, so we ended up spending the night in a hotel room. The rest as they say is history."
"I see," Jackie said.
We stopped off for coffee on the way to the gate. I got a long black. Jackie got a soy latte. At the gate, we found seats and settled in to wait for the boarding call.
"Helping you with another case is so exciting," Jackie said. "It's way more fun than flying around in a helicopter all day."
"Well, let's hope this time it is a bit more uneventful, and that we don't end up starkers again like last time."
"It wasn't so bad on Lanai that time," Jackie said. "I think sharing that nakie experience was when our friendship bonded."
We both burst out laughing. "Yep, well I plan on keeping my kit on this time around," I said. "I think we've bonded enough on that bit."
"Do you think Chan will have found Clements by the time we arrive?"
"He seemed confident," I said. "I hope so. That will make things simple for us."
The time passed quickly, and it didn't seem a long wait before we boarded our flight. The flight itself was a different story.
Flight time to Hong Kong was almost fourteen hours, including a stopover at Guam. Jackie was asleep with her face pressed against the window within minutes of takeoff. I supposed it was because she spent most of her life in the air. Good on her. I'd never been able to sleep on airplanes.
I did my best to get comfortable, assuming that was even possible when you're six feet tall and flying coach. Since we'd made the reservations last minute, the coach class was all that was available. I shifted about in my seat while reading the in-flight magazine until I became bored of it. I cursed myself for not remembering to bring a book to read.
Jackie woke up when the flight attendants started the lunch service. She told me more about Will, her mate from the army, while we ate. Minutes after the flight attendant collected our trays, she was back to sleep. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep but couldn't. Instead, my mind kept returning to Malone. I wished I hadn't dredged that all up again, as I believed I'd done a fair job of blocking him from my mind the past few months. Now
it was if I'd reopened an old wound.
Another thing was, thinking of Malone made me feel guilty. Mike was all in with our relationship, such as it was. I was the one dragging my feet. Now I admitted that my feelings for Malone were part of that. Mike was a great guy. He deserved better than I was giving him.
The rest of the flight went the way it had started, close to agony on more than one level. Finally at nine Wednesday evening, Honolulu time, we began our descent into Hong Kong. With the time difference, it was three o'clock Thursday afternoon there.
At three-thirty, according to a clock in the terminal, we had disembarked and were inside customs. It all went rather quickly, as clearing customs goes. We exited into the main terminal at just before four. I saw an Asian guy standing in a crowd of people holding up a sign with "T.J. O'Sullivan" printed on it.
"There's Chan," I said to Jackie. Chan looked to be in his forties. He was wearing a patterned shirt of brown, tan, and gray, worn over brown slacks. The shirt looked similar to an Aloha shirt, except instead of the familiar Hibiscus flower pattern, the pattern on Chan's shirt was of dragons. We walked toward him through the throng of people.
"Thank you for meeting us, Mr. Tsang Chun-wah – I mean, Chan," I said when we reached the man.
Chan smiled. "Yes, just Chan," he said. "Come, this way." Chan walked away. Jackie and I followed. We continued through the international terminal to the exits, and then across the road to a car park. Chan didn't speak until we reached the car park. Then he slowed his pace until I drew alongside him.
"Sorry," Chan said. "I wanted to exit the terminal quickly. We learned that someone in Honolulu alerted the Triads you were coming to Hong Kong. I'm sure they are in the terminal looking for you. Did you have previous contact with them in Honolulu?"
"Yep," I said. "While I was looking for Clements in Honolulu, I had a bit of a run-in with one bloke."
"It seems they believe you are an associate of Clements," Chan said. "The Triads know he is in Hong Kong, too, and they are looking for him. They believe you may be here to meet him."
"Well, I am," I said. "But, not for a friendly catch up between old mates. Have you located him, Chan?"
"My sincere apologies, T.J., but we have not yet located your target," Chan said. "He is far more clever than we had anticipated. However, we located a hotel where he registered as Bernard Clemens. But, we do not believe he is staying there. We believe he registered there as a ruse but is staying elsewhere."
"So, what are the chances of finding Clements?"
"We feel confident we will find him," Chan said. "There was over two hours between Clements' flight arrival and the time he registered at the hotel I spoke of. We are now trying to track down the ground transport he took from the airport when he arrived. That will take time. There are taxis, hire car agencies, buses, and shuttles to check. But, when we learn how he traveled from the airport to the city, we should also learn where he is staying in Hong Kong."
"Ahkay, I'm sure you've done your best, but I didn't reckon it would be easy to find Clements," I said. "We'll just keep looking."
"Yes, we will find him, unless the Triads find him first," Chan said.
"Yep, that's a worry isn't it?" I said.
Chan nodded and then stopped walking beside a black Mercedes E-class. "Let me put your luggage in the boot, then I will drive you and Jackie to your hotel."
After stowing our luggage, Jackie and I got in the backseat, and Chan got behind the wheel.
"Since the Triads are also looking for you, you should go to the police. I have friends who can help," Chan said.
"No police," I said. "I want to get my client's jewelry back, if Clements hasn't sold it already. If the police get involved, they will seize it. My client might never get it back."
"This can be a dangerous city," Chan said. "The Triads are bad men."
"How bad can they be?" I said.
"Compared to what?" Chan said. "They are bad. Very dangerous."
"I appreciate everything you've done, Chan. But, we're not going to the police. We'll be all right. Finding Clements ourselves is the only chance we have to recover my client's heirlooms."
"All right," Chan said.
"How far to the hotel?" Jackie said.
"Not far," Chan said. "About one-half hour."
"Cool," Jackie said.
"You said not too expensive. I booked Clements' decoy hotel for you. He could return there. The hotel is in Tsim Sha Tsui, a shopping and nightlife district in Kowloon. It is one of the two largest jewelry districts in Hong Kong. Clements may try to sell the jewelry there. Staying at the same hotel, you can watch for him there while we continue looking for Clements in the city."
"Good thinking," I said. "Can you show us his room, Chan?"
"Yes, I got a key from a hotel employee," Chan said. "But we have already searched it. Clements left nothing in the room. There was no jewelry, no clothing, and nothing to show where Clements is staying."
"I'd still like to have a squizz," I said.
"All right," Chan said.
I hoped I hadn't insulted Chan by making him believe I didn't think his agency had done an adequate job searching Clements' room. But, I needed to feel like I was earning my client's fee. I wanted to search the room myself.
Chan exited the motorway onto a wide road. After a few minutes, he turned onto a side street and stopped the car in front of a nondescript three-story building.
"This is it, inexpensive as you requested," Chan said.
The place looked a bit dodgy, actually. That wasn't what I meant when I had told Chan not too expensive. But, given the other reason Chan had chosen the place, there wasn't any choice about staying elsewhere.
"I'm sure it will be fine, thanks," I said.
Chan helped us inside with the luggage. He spoke to the clerk behind the desk in Cantonese, and I handed over my card and signed the register. The clerk handed me a key with a plastic tag attached with a number on it and said something in Cantonese.
"He said your room is on the second floor," Chan said. "I have arranged for you to be on the same floor as Clements' room, so you can watch out for him. Come, this way. We'll take the stairs. There is no lift here."
I nodded. "Lead the way," I said.
Chan carried Jackie's suitcase. I pulled mine up the stairs, the wheels bumping up one step and then the next until we arrived on the second floor.
"What number?" Chan said.
"Two-eleven," I said.
"Okay, right here," Chan said, stopping in front of a door painted in faded yellow with the number "211" on it.
I inserted the key into the lock and opened the door. "We'll just put the suitcases inside, then you can show us Clements' room," I said. Switching on the light, I rolled my suitcase into the room. Jackie followed me with hers. It was a small room with two single beds.
"At least it is clean... cleanish," I said.
"And cozy," Jackie said. "Why does it have to be one-star?"
"We aren't here on holiday, Jackie," I said. "Besides, we're staying here for a reason."
After tossing our suitcases on the beds, we joined Chan in the hallway.
"This way," Chan said, and we followed him down the hallway to room 231. Chan pulled a key like mine out of his pocket, then slipped it into the lock and opened the door. "This is it."
The room looked the same as the one Jackie and I were staying in. "You can leave us to have a look," I said. "I'm sure you have somewhere else to be."
"Okay, here is the key," Chan said, handing it to me. He reached into his pocket again and pulled out two mobiles. "Here are two local phones for you to use while you're here in Hong Kong." Chan handed one phone to me and the other to Jackie. "Each phone has only one number programmed into it – the number of the other mobile," he said.
"That's awesome of you, Chan," I said. "Thanks for that."
"You have my number if you need anything," Chan said. "Good luck, T.J. ─ Jackie. Remember what I said. This can be a dangerous
city. If you see anyone suspicious, call me right away. When I learn something, I'll call you."
"Right-oh, Chan, thanks." I pulled an envelope from my pocket. "Here's the retainer, by the way."
"Thank you," Chan said, taking the envelope and putting it unopened into his jacket pocket.
10
Once Chan left us alone, I closed the door and locked it.
"Ever done a search?" I said to Jackie.
"Once, in the army, I helped do a health and welfare check of the enlisted barracks," Jackie said.
"A health and welfare check? What's that?"
"It's what the army calls it when you're looking for weed," Jackie said.
"Got it. Let's start in here."
"What is it we're looking for again?" Jackie said.
"Dunno, something that might tell us where Clements has buggered off to. We'll know it when we find it."
Jackie went for the obvious places that no one would dare hide something they didn't want to be found. She checked the drawers and the top shelf of the wardrobe. I supposed she had got her search training watching crime dramas on television. There were cheap framed prints on the wall. I checked those first. Someone had screwed the frames to the wall. The top edges were dusty. I didn't reckon there was anything hidden behind them. I got down on my hands and knees and crawled along the baseboards looking for where someone might have pulled up the carpet edges to hide something underneath it. Jackie stripped the bedding off the twin beds, and then she tossed the mattresses over to look underneath.
It was a small room. In less than an hour, we had exhausted most of the possibilities for likely hiding spots. I asked Jackie to check the hems of the curtains. Sometimes people slit the threads in the hems of a curtain to hide something inside. While Jackie did that, I went to the bathroom.
I lifted the cover from the toilet tank. Nothing was inside but water and the flush mechanism. There was a cubbyhole with two shelves made of wood next to the sink for storing toiletries. It was empty, save a metal nail file I imagined a former guest had left behind. Someone had built the shelves into the wall, and the back seemed solid. A mirror over the sink had also been screwed to the wall. It didn't look as if anyone had tampered with the screws. All the floor tiles were intact. I pushed aside the shower curtain and checked the shower drain and then the showerhead. Both were tight, and I couldn't remove either by hand.