'Water?' repeated Sergeant Lee.
Inspector Zhang turned to look at her. 'Celia Wong drowned, but her clothes were dry when she went off the building. How could that be if she had only just drowned?'
Sergeant Lee frowned but said nothing.
'How does someone drown without their clothes getting wet?' whispered Inspector Zhang to himself. 'Now that is a mystery.' He folded his arms. 'I think we need to take a closer look at the list that the security guard gave us.'
They drove back to New Bridge Road police station. Inspector Zhang had left the list in his desk and he took it out while Sergeant Lee fetched him a glass of water so that he could take his aspirin.
'What are you looking for, Sir?' she asked when she returned with his water.
Inspector Zhang swallowed a white tablet and washed it down and then tapped the list. 'Mrs. Wong must have gone to that particular building for a reason,' he said.
'You think she went there to see someone? A man?'
Inspector Zhang smiled. 'I certainly think she went to see someone, but I think it much more likely that it was a woman she was calling on.' He passed her the list. 'There are only three single women living in the building. We shall go around first thing in the morning.'
Inspector Zhang and Sergeant Lee arrived at the River Valley apartment block at eight o’clock on the dot. Mr. Lau was already at his desk and he buzzed them in.
Inspector Zhang showed Mr. Lau the list of tenants. 'I see there are three single women living in the block,' he said.
'That’s right,' said Mr. Lau. 'This is mainly a family building; the apartments are all quite spacious.'
'Would you happen to know if any of these women are Chinese, between twenty-five and thirty-five years old, with shoulder-length hair. A little taller than my sergeant here.'
'Why yes,' said Mr. Lau. 'That describes Miss Yu perfectly. She lives on the ninth floor. Shirley Yu.'
Inspector Zhang took back the list. 'Excellent,' he said. 'We shall go up and talk to her. Just one more thing, Mr. Lau. Do you happen to know if she works in the airport.'
Mr. Lau nodded. 'Yes, she does.'
Inspector Zhang smiled to himself and walked to the elevators. Sergeant Lee followed. They rode up to the tenth floor in silence.
Inspector Zhang knocked on the door to Miss Yu’s apartment. A pretty Chinese woman in a dark business suit opened the door.
'Miss Yu?' asked Inspector Zhang.
'Yes,' she said. 'What do you want?'
Inspector Zhang showed her his warrant card and identified himself, then introduced Sergeant Lee. Miss Yu looked at her watch. 'I’m going to work,' she said.
'The airport?'
'That’s right. What is this about?'
'We’re asking residents about the girl who died the other day,' said Inspector Zhang. 'Can we come in?'
'I really am in a hurry,' she said.
'It is important, and we won’t take up too much of your time.'
Miss Yu sighed and let them in. The apartment was large with a balcony overlooking the river. The furniture was Italian and there was a huge television dominating one wall. 'You have a lovely home, Miss Yu,' said Inspector Zhang.
'Thank you.'
'And you live here alone?'
Miss Yu nodded and looked pointedly at her watch again.
'What is it you do at the airport?' asked Inspector Zhang. 'It must pay well for you to be able to avoid a beautiful apartment such as this.'
'My parents bought it for me,' said Miss Yu tersely. 'You said this was about the girl who killed herself?'
'Yes, were you in the building when it happened?'
'What time was that?'
'Just before ten o’clock.'
Miss Yu nodded. 'I was at home, yes.'
'Alone?'
'Of course, alone.'
'And did Mrs. Wong press the buzzer for your flat?'
'Mrs. Wong? Who is Mrs. Wong?'
'I’m sorry,' said Inspector Zhang. 'She is the lady who died.'
'Why do you think she pressed my buzzer?'
'She needed to get access to the roof and she didn’t have a keycard so someone must have admitted her,' said Inspector Zhang.
'No one pressed my buzzer all night. I got home from work, I cooked myself dinner, I watched television and I was in bed by eleven.'
Sergeant Lee scribbled in her notebook. 'I wonder if I might ask you a favour, Miss Yu?' said Inspector Zhang.
'A favour?' She looked at her watch impatiently.
'My wife and I are thinking of moving to this area, would you mind showing me around?'
'You want me to give you a tour of my apartment?'
'That’s so kind of you,' said Inspector Zhang, heading for a door at the far end of the sitting room. 'Is this the bedroom?'
'One of the bedrooms,' said Miss Yu, hurrying after him. 'Inspector Zhang, I really have to go to work.'
Inspector Zhang nodded appreciatively at the spacious bedroom. There was a king size bed and a sofa against one wall, and another large balcony. There were sliding mirrored doors at the far end of the room and Inspector Zhang slid them back. 'A walk-in closet,' he said. 'That’s what my wife really wants, a closet that she can walk into.'
'Please, Inspector…' said Miss Yu. 'Really, I have to go.'
Inspector Zhang stepped into the closet and ran his hand along a line of dresses. He pulled out a black dress and looked at the label. 'Karen Millen,' he said. 'I was telling Sergeant Lee that my wife is a big fan of Karen Millen’s designs.' He put the dress back on the rail and pulled out another one. 'I see you have a lot of her dresses. And that you like black. My wife prefers red.'
'Inspector Zhang, I really don’t see what the content of my closet has to do with you.'
The inspector walked out of the closet and went into the bathroom. The walls and floors were lined with marble and there was a large bath in the centre of the room, big enough for two people. 'Is that a Jacuzzi?' asked Inspector Zhang. 'My wife has always wanted a Jacuzzi.'
'Yes, it’s a Jacuzzi. Please, Inspector Zhang, I have to go to work.'
'I expect it’s a wonderful way to relax, after a hard day at work,' said Inspector Zhang.
There was a white cabinet to the left of the sink and Inspector Zhang went over and opened it. It was full of medical supplies and he pulled out a pack of sticking plasters.
'I really must protest at this intrusion into my privacy,' said Miss Yu. 'I am going to have to ask you to leave.'
Inspector Zhang put the pack of plasters back into the cabinet and closed the door. 'I think we’ve seen all that we need, Miss Yu.'
'I’m glad to hear that,' said Miss Yu, folding her arms. 'I really do have to get to work.'
'There is just one more thing,' said the inspector. He lowered his chin and looked at her over the top of his spectacles. 'I am arresting you for the murder of Mrs. Celia Wong.'
Miss Yu’s jaw dropped, and Sergeant Lee looked equally astonished.
They drove Miss Yu to CID headquarters at New Bridge Road, processed her, and then drove out to the airport where they met up with two uniformed policemen.
They found Mr. Wong sitting at a computer in the baggage handling control room, sitting at a computer
