Chapter 52

 

Hong Kong - Friday December 27th, 1996

��

 

Connie Wu was in the police station canteen with a couple of her friends. Tommy Chen came in, made a move towards their table, then walked over to the counter.

��������� The other WPCs giggled. One of them said, �There�s the big man himself. He�s mad at you, Connie.�

��������� �He�s sulking,� the other said shrewdly. �You certainly cut him down to size. About time.�

��������� Connie shushed them, her eyes twinkling. She watched Tommy carry his tea to another table then rose and walked casually past, seeming to notice him for the first time. �Constable Chen! Fancy seeing you. Not helping Inspector BJ solve the case?�

��������� �Very funny,� he growled. �So you got all the luck.�

��������� �You got me the job, watching Carol,� she said, �so she asked me to go with her, that�s all.�

��������� He eyed her suspiciously. �You were laughing at me just now.�

��������� �Not me, Tommy, I�m grateful to you.� She sat beside him. �Look, I know you were just showing off what a big man you were. But you got me noticed and it�ll be good for my career.�

��������� �I wanted to impress you,� he admitted awkwardly. �You treat me like dirt, think I�m not good enough for you. What�s Sergeant Ng and his friends got that I haven�t, anyway?�

��������� She grinned. �They don�t have such big mouths, for one, and they know when a girl�s interested in them.�

��������� He brightened. �You�re interested in me?�

��������� �I might be.� She smiled mischievously.

��������� �Why now, when you�ve really gained face, got yourself noticed upstairs?�

��������� �Perhaps that�s why,� she retorted softly. �You don�t know much about women, do you, for all your talk.�

��������� Tommy swallowed and pushed back his chair. �Well, there�s a dance tonight. We could go, and afterwards ...�

��������� �Afterwards, we�ll see.� Connie laughed. �Come on, Tommy Chen, I feel like celebrating.�

��������� He jumped to his feet and they went out together.

��������� Her friends watched them go. �Well!� one said. �Well, I never!�

 

Daphne knocked on her brother�s door and opened it.

��������� Jon looked up from the sofa. �Come in, Daph.�

��������� Her large brown eyes were filled with distress. �Jon! I�ve just heard. Guy�s been arrested. And Wanda.�

��������� �What?� Jon stared at her in disbelief.

��������� �Wanda. She�s not dead at all,� Daphne exclaimed. �She was on Lantau, in Guy�s bungalow.�

��������� His face paled. �Guy knew she was alive all along? And he let me go on thinking ..?�

��������� �I know.� She sat beside him and patted his shoulder. �Wanda didn�t hate him at all, Jon,� she said gently. �They�ve always been lovers.�

��������� �The bastard!� Jon�s voice shook. �The cold-blooded bastard.�

���� �����Daphne�s look was sympathetic. �Dick Forrest wants to see us,� she said. �The police say Wanda killed Pat and Guy helped her conceal it, but they don�t have any evidence. Dick wants to brief us in case we�re interviewed.�

��������� Jon scowled. �He wants me to stand by that lying ...�

��������� �For the company, Jon,� Daphne urged, �we have to stand together. I told you all along, Wanda was no good for you. Don�t use her as an excuse to destroy Langford-Price. We have to think of our face.�

 

Tommy took his jacket from his locker and went to the mirror to comb his hair. A couple of uniformed constables were changing into their street clothes.

��������� One of them said, �Did you see who was downstairs earlier, waiting for an interview with Inspector BJ?�

��������� �Ho Chung.� his friend confirmed. �His father�s junk was blown up. That�ll be why they want to see him.�

��������� The other said slowly, �Funny thing, I saw Chung on Christmas Eve. I was on patrol and I saw him near the Langford-Price number two warehouse. He wasn�t half in a hurry. Went off as if a dragon was on his tail.�

��������� �Wasn�t that the night of the warehouse murder?�

��������� �Yeah. Until I saw him today, I�d forgotten. Think it�s important?�

��������� �Not enough to miss our dates. C�mon, can�t keep the girls waiting.�

��������� Tommy hesitated. Connie was also waiting, but ... He turned reluctantly. �Sorry, guys, it�s very important, Sergeant Lee�s still in the station, isn�t he? You�ll have to report this to him, right away.�

 

It was midnight when the phone rang. Carol groaned and buried her face in the pillow. BJ leaned over her and picked up the receiver.

��������� �We�ve got a witness who can put Ho Chung at the Langford-Price warehouse on Christmas Eve, at the time of Ben Price�s murder,� Bob crowed.

��������� Carol turned and asked drowsily, �What is it?�

��������� BJ bent swiftly and kissed her, pulling her close to him. �A reliable witness?� he asked Bob.

��������� �A PC. He was on patrol.�

��������� �I�m on my way. Pull Chung in again.� He rolled from the bed.

��������� �When will you be back?� Carol asked resignedly.

��������� BJ was pulling on his trousers. �Sorry, love, can�t say. There�s been a breakthrough at last.�

��������� �Can you tell me?�

��������� He buttoned his shirt and combed his hair back with his fingers. �If we�re lucky, a direct connection to the guns, Ben�s murder, the Triad, Captain Ho�s death - and Guy.�

��������� �Be careful, then,� she said gravely.

��������� He leaned over her again. �If I don�t get back tonight, I�ll pick you up in the morning.�

��������� She clung to him. He kissed her hair, then her mouth, then pulled the covers around her and left the room.

 

 

Return to China Wind Home Page