by Graeme Hall
She dressed lightly. There was no point worrying about the weather. The rain was warm and her skin would dry faster than any clothes. Although she was no great lover of shops, Emma thought that even on a Monday morning the best place to find other people was a shopping mall so she headed to Pacific Place. Mid-morning it wasn’t as crowded and busy as she had hoped and now that she was there she had no idea of what to do; there was nothing that she wanted or needed and she wondered how Alice managed to spend whole days in these places. Anyway, she could scarcely afford most of the shops, which catered exclusively to the well-heeled. Emma had a momentary image of a future life when Sam was a partner and she would be an expat wife: lunching with other expat wives and gossiping about who was sleeping with who before a little retail therapy or perhaps an afternoon at a spa. She laughed at the image; not so much a fantasy as a nightmare.
Emma saw him while she was half-heartedly trying on a pair of tennis shoes. While Emma tried to ignore the brusque entreaties of the salesgirl, she noticed Liang-bao looking into the shop and trying to catch her attention. She wondered why she seemed to keep bumping into him. Emma wasn’t in the mood to talk to Liang-bao. Their conversation at Queen’s Pier still troubled her, but she was trapped in the shop with no way of escape that would avoid him. Besides, she had to be civil to him for Alice’s sake. She decided that she might as well get it over with, and to the ill-disguised disgust of the shop assistant Emma abandoned any pretence of being interested in the shoes and left the shop.
‘Small world,’ she said to Liang-bao.
‘Sorry?’
‘It’s a small world. A surprise … seeing you here … a colloquialism.’
‘Ah, I see. That’s a new one for me. I must remember it.’
They stood to one side, keeping out of the way of the shoppers.
‘What brings you here? Apart from keeping out of the rain, that is,’ asked Emma.
‘Looking for a present for Alice,’ he replied.
Alice’s birthday was on Friday. She must get something herself.
‘Have you found anything yet?’
‘I saw some earrings that I think are her sort of thing. I may go back later and get them. How’s Sam?’
Emma started to walk towards a stylish boutique and looked in the window. She hoped that Liang-bao might get the message. She wondered what she might wear to the dinner with Sam’s client.
‘Good, thanks,’ she said eventually. Liang-bao failed to take the hint and suggested that they sit on a bench.
‘Have you made plans for the handover yet?’ he asked. This was a major topic of conversation as the date approached. What are you doing? Where will you be? Many of the best restaurants and clubs had been booked up months ago. People seemed more concerned about dining options than history.
‘We found a restaurant in Causeway Bay that still had places. Sam, me and a couple of his friends from work.’
‘Sam’s doing well at work, isn’t he?’
‘Yes, I guess so. There’s talk of partnership.’
‘Wow. That is good. So, he is staying on after the handover?’
‘That’s the plan.’
‘And you too, I guess?’
‘So it seems.’ In truth Emma didn’t know. She and Sam hadn’t discussed it much. They were going to have to sometime though. She would need a job that gave her a visa, and without any special skills it wasn’t obvious how she would get one. Unless of course they were married, but then she didn’t want to get married just to be able to stay in Hong Kong, and she certainly didn’t want to pressure Sam into some kind of immigration-related shotgun marriage. If they were ever to get married it had to be for the right reason, not just to solve some bureaucratic problem.
‘Of course, whether we like it or not things are going to be different. Even for Sam. Perhaps especially for Sam.’
‘In what way?’ Emma was puzzled as to what Liang-bao was getting at.
‘In the future more and more of his work is going to involve China. Chinese companies, Chinese investors. Even the Chinese government sometimes. There will be times when he has to be discreet. Careful with his words.’
‘I’m sure he knows that.’
‘I expect he does, Emma. Of course, he will also need people around him that he can trust. People he can rely on not to let him down.’
Emma wondered if she’d heard correctly. ‘Sorry?’
‘Sam doesn’t need people who might embarrass him.’
‘Embarrass him? What are you talking about?’ Emma suspected that she knew exactly what Liang-bao was talking about but she had no idea how he knew. She tried to read him. How much did he know? Did he know about Gao Zhihua and Peter? Emma couldn’t see any way that he could. She certainly hadn’t told Alice. Had Yannie said something? It seemed unlikely. It was months ago that Emma had talked about Peter to Yannie and Eric.
‘Emma, I like you. You’re a friend and I hope you think of me as a friend as well. I’m just saying that if you want what’s best for Sam, then be careful what you say and who you say it in front of.’
‘I’m sorry, Liang-bao, my hearing is playing up today. I’ve no idea what you’re talking about. Perhaps I’d better be going.’ Flustered, Emma started to gather her things.
‘Forgive me if I’ve upset you, Emma, but think about what I said will you?’
Emma spent the rest of the day thinking about little else. She replayed the conversation in her head repeatedly as if on a loop. How can Liang-bao know about Gao Zhihua, and why did she keeping meeting him unexpectedly? Outside the library might have been coincidence – but again? Getting nowhere with this chain of thinking, Emma tried to put it out of her mind when another thought came in its place: what was Liang-bao doing in Pacific Place in the middle of the day anyway? Okay, he said that he was looking for a present for Alice, and it was true that her birthday was soon, but surely he would have had classes or something at the university? And how would he afford jewellery from one of those shops? But if he wasn’t there by coincidence, buying a present for Alice, why was he there? Emma realised that the only other explanation was that he was hoping to meet her, to talk to her. But then Emma was hardly a regular visitor to Pacific Place, she didn’t even know herself that morning that she would be going there. Which left only one possibility. That she had been followed. More than that, he had been watching the flat.
A ridiculous idea. Emma told herself to stop being so stupid. She was starting to obsess about Peter and Gao Zhihua so much that she seemed to be losing the power of rational thought. All this speculating about cover-ups was turning her into some crazed conspiracy theorist. Coincidences did happen, that’s why the word existed. After all, wasn’t it just a coincidence that a few months ago she’d seen someone who looked a bit like Liang-bao come out of the Xinhua building?
Chapter 21
Susan looked at her ticket again. A Cathay Pacific flight to Los Angeles leaving Saturday, 21st June 1997. Tomorrow night. The plan was for her to have some R & R with her parents in California before flying to Langley and returning to duty. She was looking forward to seeing Mom and Dad and spending some time just chilling. She’d telephoned them from Hong Kong to let them know where she was. Not that they knew exactly what she did. They thought that she worked for the State Department on international aid projects, so they were used to her turning up in unlikely places. The whole idea of being back in California was very tempting, so why was she thinking of staying on?
Her hotel had been prepaid by the Consulate until tomorrow. She had a little money of her own, the Consulate had given her an advance on her salary, so if she could change the ticket and find somewhere cheaper to stay there wasn’t really an immediate need to leave Hong Kong, was there?
Why did she want to stay? Susan wasn’t really sure herself. Unfinished business perhaps? She remembered Emma Janssen. She hadn’t followed that up. If it was the same person, they’d become quite close in a short period of time. It was a couple of years ago but it would be goo
d to see her again, have a few drinks and catch up, and if it was the same Emma Janssen and she was a friend of Alice Chan, then who knew? She might be useful. Susan figured that if she was a temp dating a lawyer there was a chance that she was working for the same firm. A call to McShane Adams quickly revealed that she wasn’t but that she had been, and the receptionist was more than happy to give Susan the name of the employment agency that they used for temporary secretaries. In turn the agency didn’t need much persuading to tell her where Emma was currently working. One more phone call and old friends were reunited and a reunion arranged.
Finding Emma was a distraction from thinking about Kwok-wah. She was undecided on whether she should see him again. Certainly it was against the rules, against all standard best practice, but then she’d been breaking the rules for some time now and she was unhappy with the way she had treated him. Used him. She was also worried that Kwok-wah himself might be in danger. They might have thought that Kwok-wah and Susan were working together. Would it be safe for him back in Shanghai? Was it even safe for him in Hong Kong? Should she at least try and warn him or was contacting him only putting him in even more danger? Perhaps she wasn’t really cut out for this business, she thought. Not hard enough. Not cold enough.
First though she had to find him in this city of six million. She couldn’t ask the Consulate for help – as far as they were concerned she was going to be out of their hair tomorrow. The only lead she had was Alice Chan. She called her at work:
‘This is Susan Khoo. We met the other day … about Kwok-wah …’
‘I remember.’ Susan thought Alice seemed cold. Distant.
‘You said that he was going to be back in Hong Kong. Is he back now? I was wondering if it would be possible to talk to Kwok-wah, to see him again, but I don’t have his address or number.’ Susan paused, hoping for a reply from Alice. When none came, she continued. ‘I was thinking you might be able to help?’ Another pause. ‘I’m quite close to your office. I could easily come round.’ Silence. Susan wondered if there was a problem with the phone.
‘I don’t know,’ Alice finally spoke. ‘Do you know how upset he is? How much you’ve hurt him? Is there anything you can say or do that will make up for that? Or are you going to raise his hopes just to dump him again?’
‘Sorry, I don’t know what to say. You don’t know how much I’m going out on a limb by wanting to see him again.’
‘Who are you anyway? I’ve seen the papers you gave Kwok-wah. Where did you get them from? And why have you been playing with Kwok-wah? What’s he done to deserve all this? I just think it would be better if he didn’t see you again.’
‘Please. Will you just think about it?’ Susan was running out of arguments. There was another long pause. ‘Hello?’
‘I’ll think about it. Call me again on Monday.’
Susan was indeed close to Alice’s work. In fact she was calling from a phone in a dai po dong on the other side of the road from where Alice worked. It was late in the afternoon so she decided to order some food to keep the owner happy, and then she’d wait and watch to see when Alice left. Not that she knew what she was going to do then. Perhaps follow Alice to see where she went. Where she lived. Perhaps to see if she would lead her to Kwok-wah. Anyway, it was something to do. She could just see what developed naturally.
Thirty minutes later and a man arrived at the entrance to the building, but rather than going in he simply stood outside. Tall for a Chinese man was Susan’s first thought. Certainly not Cantonese, perhaps from somewhere in the north. She watched him for a while. He was alert to everything around him. It was something that civilians probably wouldn’t notice, it certainly wasn’t obvious, but Susan could see the way he was taking in his surroundings. Watching people. He probably wasn’t even doing it consciously. No doubt it was second nature to him. There was something about him that only a fellow professional would recognise. The more she watched him, the more Susan admired his technique. But what was he doing there? Watching someone himself? Following someone? Waiting for someone?
Later Susan was cross with herself for not realising the truth straightaway. After all, she had been warned that Hong Kong activists were being watched, but it was only when Alice left the building that she put two and two together. Even then she was surprised when Alice put her arms round the man and they kissed. Once Susan had got over her initial shock, she found herself laughing. The irony. This guy was playing Alice in much the same way that she had been using Kwok-wah, the only difference being that in her case Kwok-wah was only a means to an end. Susan thought for a moment about following them before thinking better of it. She wasn’t really supposed to be in Hong Kong and there’d be hell to pay if she was spotted by the other side.
***
Alice had been disturbed by Susan’s call and genuinely didn’t know what to do. She was confused as to whether to give her Kwok-wah’s number or not. Was there a chance of some kind of reconciliation or would it just make things worse? What was it people talked about … closure? Or would a clean break be better all round? Alice was completely undecided and hoped to take advantage of the evening to try and judge Kwok-wah’s mood before Susan rang her again. Either way, she was pleased to see Liang-bao waiting for her when she left the office and threw her arms around him as they kissed.
‘Tell me,’ Alice asked Liang-bao, ‘if I was to disappear tomorrow without warning, what would you think?’
‘Do you think you’re likely to?’
Alice explained the story of Kwok-wah and Susan.
‘But, God, whatever you do don’t let on tonight that I told you any of this. Okay? Promise? I shouldn’t have told you really but … I don’t know … I just don’t know what’s for the best.’
‘I think I’d prefer the clean break. What’s the saying in English? More fish …?’
‘… in the sea. Yes, you probably would, wouldn’t you?’ Alice poked Liang-bao in the ribs. ‘Just move on to your next conquest? But seriously, I don’t know what to do. I just hope I’ll know what to say when she rings on Monday. Perhaps I’ll get a better idea after tonight.’ Alice had been insistent that Kwok-wah should join her birthday bash. (‘Come and join us. It will stop you from moping. You know Queen’s Building? Meet us in the lobby there at seven.’) The plan was to join up with Emma and Sam at his office and then to go on from there. A few drinks, dinner and who knows where the evening might lead. Anything to get Kwok-wah out of his room. Even his parents were starting to worry and they were complicit in Alice’s attempts to get him out of their apartment. In the end Kwok-wah had given in.
Alice looked at her watch. ‘We’ve got plenty of time to kill before we meet the others. Let’s go get a beer.’
***
Kwok-wah had spent the day writing up some of the results from his research. He should really have still been in Shanghai – term hadn’t finished – but after Susan had disappeared he’d asked permission to come back to Hong Kong a couple of weeks early. He had been surprised, and perhaps in a way a little disconcerted, at how quickly Professor Ye had agreed. Although the memory of being shouted at was still vivid, he had imagined that he was becoming invaluable and yet it was almost as if the professor was glad to be rid of him for a while.
He didn’t want to go out with Alice and her friends, but it was her birthday so he hadn’t been able to put up much of an argument. In his heart he would much prefer just to stay in and watch TV rather than spend time with people he had never met before. Two of them gweilos as well. Not that he had a problem with gweilos, he just didn’t really connect with them. Not the way Alice did. He’d always thought that Alice would end up with a Western boyfriend and he was more than a little surprised that she was seeing a mainlander. Still, at least that meant he would have something to talk about and somebody who would understand some of his experiences.
He was in plenty of time when he got to Queen’s Building. Too early to expect any of the others to be there. There were a number of chairs in the lobby so he
took one and watched the comings and goings. A security guard eyed him suspiciously. Wearing just jeans and a Star Wars T-shirt, he saw how well-dressed everyone else was and wished that perhaps he had made more of an effort. Was there still time to cry off? Perhaps say that he wasn’t feeling well and just go home? McShane Adams had their own dedicated lift, which he kept an eye on in particular; not that he knew why as he had never met Alice’s friends before and had no idea what they looked like.
He wondered where Susan was, and what she was doing. He imagined that she was back home in California. Back with her family and friends. Did she think about him at all or was he just somebody she had toyed with? And who was she anyway? How did she get those papers about Shu-ming? He still had no idea of whether he was going to tell Granny Sun when he got back to Shanghai. Assuming he went back. He felt that it wasn’t really working out as he’d hoped, but then he didn’t want to admit that to Alice, his parents and the rest of the world who had all told him to go to the States or somewhere like that. Anywhere but China. All those thoughts and more were chasing each other around his head while he sat and waited for the others when the lift door opened and two men appeared. One was quite old and indeed old-fashioned, with his heavily-dyed hair parted in the middle of his forehead. He reminded Kwok-wah a little of his history teacher at school. The other man was younger, middle-aged anyway in spite of thinning hair, smartly dressed in what even Kwok-wah could see was an expensive suit. For a moment Kwok-wah was confused; the context was so different that at first he almost failed to recognise the younger man. But there really wasn’t any doubt about it. Swap the designer suit for a military uniform and this was undoubtedly the professor’s army contact.
Absorbed in watching the two men as they walked across the lobby and out into the street, Kwok-wah failed to see Alice and Liang-bao approaching from another direction and he almost jumped with shock when Alice tapped him on the shoulder.