house. Ryker recognized the stylish Mercedes S500 as the one that had been parked in Lin’s driveway.
“That was one of Lin’s rides. You know, I’ve always wanted to say this-follow that car!” Ryker said.
Chee Wei snorted and dropped the Crown Vic into gear and accelerated toward the intersection. He pulled out after the Mercedes without really bothering to check for oncoming traffic. Lucky for him, there was none.
“Don’t get too close,” Ryker said.
Chee Wei rolled his eyes. “What, you think I forgot all about this stuff? You sure that’s one of Lin’s cars?”
“You didn’t check out the cars when we were going into the house?”
Chee Wei shrugged. “A Lamborghini I’d look at-a Mercedes? Who cares?” He didn’t close on the Mercedes, instead he sat well back and allowed other cars to change lanes and overtake. The skies had turned dark, angry weather coming in off the ocean following the earlier rain shower. Ryker wished he’d brought a coat.
They followed the Mercedes across the Golden Gate Bridge.
Chee Wei said, “Looks like we’re heading back to the Mandarin Oriental. Maybe they’re gonna take a look at the murder scene?”
Ryker didn’t dismiss that possibility but he was pretty sure their destination was Chinatown. The Mercedes kept in lane, confirming his suspicion. Chee Wei grunted. The GPS slowly scrolled the streets, bright yellow on a lemon background. The red dot that represented the hotel slipped past on their right. Other points of interest coming up were the Cable Car Barn amp; Museum and the Transamerica Pyramid, which oddly enough he hadn’t ever visited in all the years he’d lived here.
The Mercedes seized his attention. A head in the back seat had turned round and was staring at them from three car lengths ahead.
“We’ve been made,” Chee Wei said.
“Maybe he’s just admiring the car.” Ryker glanced to his right and watched a stunning blonde in a black jacket and tight skirt walking her poodle.
The Mercedes powered ahead, stretching the distance between them. Chee Wei didn’t give chase, although his fingers tapping on the wheel suggested he was itching to burn rubber. “Now what?” he said.
Ryker’s reply was denied by his cell phone’s sonar ping ring tone. He recognized the displayed number and accepted the incoming call only with reluctance. He didn’t like Bob Jericho, not one bit, and Jericho didn’t much like him. He supposed that was a normal relationship between any working cop and their boss. “What can I do for you, captain?”
“It’s almost eleven and I’m only just hearing about James Lin now. You should have called me, damn it. Where are you? You haven’t spoken to Lin yet, have you?”
“Captain, something like this, we can’t sit on our butts. We visited the widow first. We think she was busted up in a quiet Chinese kind of way.”
Chee Wei rolled his eyes.
“Answer my question, Ryker.”
“We’ve spoken to James Lin, yes.”
He heard Jericho sucking in a deep breath. “What did you say to him?”
“We informed him of his son’s death. We offered condolences, of course. Captain, we’re in the middle of something, can I call you back?”
“What did you say to him? Tell me what you said.”
“Captain, relax. We told him his son had been murdered, and we’re looking for a woman who was probably with Danny Lin last night. Forensics are on it. Lin seemed satisfied with our response.”
“What woman?”
“Not his wife. Girlfriend, mistress, hooker, take your pick. She left behind a diamond earring, very expensive, could be designer. We’re heading into Chinatown right now, following up a possible line of inquiry.”
“You should have come to me first. You know that.”
Chee Wei changed lanes and the Mercedes was three hundred yards ahead, turning left through a red light and setting off a chorus of horns. Chee Wei immediately took the next left and glided down a street with lighter traffic.
Ryker said, “I wish you’d trust me not to embarrass the department, captain. What happened before with Danny Lin, that’s water under the bridge. This is entirely different. We’ve talked to Lin and broken the bad news and we shouldn’t have to bother him again. I expect he’ll want regular updates. That’s where you come in.” He winced when he blurted out that last part.
“What the hell does that mean, detective sergeant?”
“Just what I said.”
Ryker imagined Jericho hunched over his desk, beads of sweat dripping off his nose, dark stains growing under his armpits. This would go all the way up to the commissioner and all the way back down to Jericho. Ryker derived malicious satisfaction from the situation.
“All right,” Jericho said. “Report your progress every hour. That’s every hour, you got that?”
Chee Wei made a hard right turn that made Ryker lean in his seat. There was no sign of the Mercedes.
“Got it, captain. Over and out.” Ryker ended the call and made a jerk off motion with his hand. Chee Wei grinned. They cruised through two intersections, slowing at each to look both ways. As they passed a third Ryker caught a glimpse of the Mercedes’ tail vanishing around a corner. The Crown Vic leapt ahead. They approached a set of traffic lights. Ryker expected them to turn red but they held long enough for them to proceed without killing a whole bunch of civilians and making the six o’clock news.
At the next intersection they were fractionally ahead of the Benz, two streets down and running parallel. Chee Wei whistled through his teeth as he spun the wheel and took them on an intercept course. He swerved around a delivery truck, slowed to allow a sedan to park at a meter, then he was off again. The Mercedes flashed past up ahead. A Chinese woman waiting to cross the street stared at Ryker, who judged her age at somewhere around two hundred and three. Stores and restaurants garishly proclaimed their identities in Chinese. Ryker considered making a wok the dog joke but thought better of it while Chee Wei was in combat pilot mode.
Chee Wei took a left, cruised down a narrowing street, squeezed by a delivery van and turned right into an alley, narrowly missing a man who had to take a long step to avoid a broken pelvis. He shook his fist in Ryker’s side mirror. The Crown Vic splashed through puddles, sending spray against the walls on either side. White sheets hung from washing lines above. Chee Wei hit the brakes and stopped just after a narrow alleyway that gave them a momentary glimpse of the back of a nondescript building, and the black Benz whose occupants were climbing out, the three Chinese and the Caucasian, a powerfully built man with a goatee and a crew cut. Chee Wei unlocked his belt, opened his door and climbed out. Ryker climbed out and joined him.
“They went inside,” Chee Wei said over his shoulder. “They look like rented apartments. Wonder who owns them? Might be able to tell us who lives there.”
Ryker said, “Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.” They both chuckled at the old joke. But there was a serious side to the saying, too. Trying to track down a Chinese landlord would prove nigh on impossible, Ryker knew, and for the landlord to be willing or able to supply the names of his tenants was even less likely. With apartments like these rent was paid in cash and no questions asked. Non-payment would result in immediate eviction, no argument accepted.
“So what do we do?” Chee Wei said. “Just wait here?”
“Unless you’ve got any better suggestions.” Ryker certainly didn’t. For all he knew, the Caucasian and the three Chinese were visiting a brothel.
A Chinese girl with blue highlights in her hair and wearing a black leather jacket and knee-length boots stepped out of a doorway near the corner of the building and walked quickly away, her head bowed as she cradled a cell phone to her ear.
“She’s hot,” Chee Wei said. “Why isn’t she calling my number?”
Ryker smiled but dismissed the girl from his thoughts, until she turned to look back toward the building and he saw the fear etched in her young-old face as she spoke rapidly into her cell phone. Her gaze flicked from the building onto Ryker and Chee Wei. She stared at them blankly for long seconds before she turned away and broke into a run.
“Got her,” Chee Wei said, running back up the alley like an Olympic sprinter. Ryker kept his eyes on the Mercedes and the building. And before he knew it, his thoughts turned to Valerie Lin. He wondered idly why he even
