Chapter 99
Ng took the lift to the top floor of the Leung Corporation building and padded out onto the plush carpet, into the dark leather of the penthouse office suite. The PA greeted him with a low bow. Ng walked past him and into CK’s office.
The room was icy. CK sat behind his desk. He looked up as Ng approached, placed his pen carefully down on the writing block and sat back in his chair. In the corner of the room a young Chinese girl sat motionless in a straight-backed chair. At first Ng thought she was not real. She sat like a wax works manikin. Her face was white except for rouged cheeks. But then he saw her eyes follow him across the floor.
‘I am glad to see we remain old friends,’ CK greeted him.
‘I am no friend of yours. I have come to ask you what it is you want from Johnny Mann.’
CK lowered his chin, pressed his fingertips together. ‘You have shown your cards too early, Sergeant. Friends are hard to come by in this world and they make you vulnerable. We were friends once.’
‘I was doing my job. I made mistakes. I was young. I learnt that I was not strong enough to resist the lure of Triad money. I never took the promotion I earned through the undercover work. I always regretted it.’
‘Yes, I was disappointed to see that you did not rise up the ranks as others have done. But, as you know the account is never closed, sometimes it is dormant, other times it is ticking along but it can be fully operational again immediately. Is that what you desire?’
Ng sat in the same chair that Mann had done days before but he did not feel as comfortable, nor cradled. He felt suffocated by it. ‘I have come to ask for a favour.’
‘What favour is that?’
‘Let Johnny Mann be. Leave him alone. Give him time to decide his own fate.’
‘Ah…I am afraid I cannot do that, not even for an old friend. Johnny Mann has things that I need. I feel my time running out. His father was clever; he invested in things that, at the time, seemed worthless. Now, they are worth millions and I feel the years creeping up on me. I want everything now.’
‘Your daughter, Victoria. Is she the reason for all this?’
CK thought for a moment. ‘My daughter is another piece in the jigsaw of my life. She has her place in it, as do others. She will never be all of it. I recognize her failings. They are the same ones I had in my youth. She is greedy, she is hasty. She will learn a valuable lesson soon. She is also, unlike many other women of her type, ruled by the heartbeat between her legs. My daughter would make a good whore.’
CK leant back in his chair and touched his fingertips together in the air; they turned white at their tip. ‘My daughter is impatient. She has been planning this for a long time. She sees that the time is right to strike. With her new army of young Outcasts she intends to teach the world a lesson. She is still learning. She is ambitious.’
‘She is a murderer.’
CK looked momentarily astonished and then his eyes narrowed and a rare sound came out of his mouth, a peal of high-pitched laughter. ‘Yes…yes…perhaps.’ He placed his palms on the desk and leaned towards Ng. ‘My daughter is capable of anything.’ CK’s eyes shone clear green and glassy. He turned back to Ng. ‘I will grant you your request. But my deal is a favour in return for a favour.’
Chapter 100
Mann held his head in hands. He could still smell her scent on his fingers; feel her presence in the room. He was angry with himself. Despite knowing exactly what she was like he couldn’t help but find her attractive.
He knew he had a self-destructive side but he hadn’t known it was this bad. He knew he was lonely but he hadn’t called it that before. At least he knew now that he didn’t touch Lilly, that it had all been a set-up. He knew that he wasn’t going mad. He knew he had reached rock bottom and he had had enough of swimming in the shit. He was ready to fight back. He stacked the dishes in the sink, picked up the crap lying around and put the vodka bottle away. He called Daniel Lu.
‘Did you find anything that matched any DNA from the sheets to the head?’
‘I shouldn’t be talking to you. You’re suspended.’
‘Did you?’
‘No. And I can also tell you there was no other form of DNA on your sheets.’
‘Yes, thanks, Daniel. I worked that one out myself. I was set up.’
‘But what I did find was bone fragments in your jacket pocket.’
‘Bone? What kind of bone?’
‘Human. I am analysing it to see if belongs to anyone we know. But it’s only a tiny bit of dust. Any idea where you picked it up?’
‘None.’
‘I’ll be back to you when I know more.’
‘Thanks, Daniel.’ Mann hung up and rang Shrimp straight after.
‘Hello, Boss.’
‘How’s it going, Shrimp?’
‘It’s all right, Boss. You sound more like yourself.’
‘I have nothing left to lose now, Shrimp. I’m going to have to start playing CK and Victoria at their own game. Did you release Mahmud?’
‘Yes. He’s back at the Mansions now. Sheng is still missing. Mia Chou has taken over the investigation for now. It’s all been pretty shit for her, Boss. Things have come out about her and Sheng. Sheng’s family are kicking off. Sheng’s wife has accused her of running off with him. No one knows where he is.’
‘What about Ng? I can’t get hold of him.’
‘I don’t know. He’s not answering his phone either. We need you back here, Boss.’
‘Tell Mia, I’m un-suspending myself. I’ll go straight round to Ng’s. Keep me informed and you stay safe, Shrimp.’ Mann was worried. He didn’t much give a shit about Sheng but it wasn’t like Ng to not answer his phone. He grabbed his jacket and went round to Ng’s flat. He had been there many times before. They had played cards late into the night on many occasions and set the world to rights sat around Ng’s kitchen table. He knocked and then let himself in with the key Ng gave him for emergencies. He stood in the doorway and called out. No answer. There was a scratching noise from the kitchen. The monkey greeted him by jumping out at him and hanging around his neck.
Mann called out again. He stepped inside. The place was old style, comfy sofas, carpet. It was a mess. The monkey had obviously been alone for a while; it was bored, hungry. It had been living on dried noodles and there was crap everywhere. Mann opened Ng’s freezer, found some ice cream, opened the tub and gave it to the monkey.
He held his gun in his hand as he made his way through the flat. The place had a chilling quiet to it. Mann wasn’t used to seeing it empty. He went into the bedroom, the bed was made, the old chintzy curtains drawn. He could hear the monkey moving the tub of ice cream around on top of the work surface as it devoured the contents. He went back into the lounge and switched on Ng’s laptop which had been left on the dining room table. It took Mann three attempts to get the password right. Mann had told him so many times to choose something more original than his mobile number. He checked Ng’s e-mails. The usual Viagra e-mails. Enlarge your penis by three inches. Amongst the e-mails were ones from people Mann had never heard of. He opened them. They were from people Ng had worked with a long time ago when he was undercover. Mann skimmed through them. It looked like Ng still kept in touch with some of them. He wondered what hold CK could still have over him.
Mann shut the laptop. Now he was worried.
