The kitchen was still buzzing with activity, and Manning found there was no space for him there. He passed through it and made his way to the dining room, where more members of Lin’s staff were still setting the long table. There was no place for him there either. The gallery was empty for the moment, so he slowed and took a moment to look at the artworks on display. Two Grecian-looking statues stood silent guard duty, flanking a long line of expensive paintings that were likely originals. Manning put his hands in his pockets again and examined them closely. They did not evoke much.
“Are you appreciative of the fine arts?”
Manning turned and found that Valerie Lin was standing only a few feet away. She had come in from the patio area, where a bar had been set up. She held a glass of white wine in one perfectly manicured hand. Her fine makeup accentuated her beauty, as it was intended. However, it did little to mask her exhaustion. She emanated a quiet desperation that Manning felt immediately.
“I’m unfortunately not much of a connoisseur,” he said. “I guess I’m more of a comic book kind of guy. But I think this one here must be a Picasso.”
She smiled faintly and nodded toward the painting Manning indicated. “
“I see,” Manning said.
“Do you?” She turned from the painting and eyed him for a moment as she sipped from her glass. “That would be interesting if you did. You are-?”
“Jerome Manning. I work for your father-in-law.”
“Of course. You don’t look comfortable enough to be one of his business associates, and I’ve never seen you before. I’m Valerie Lin.”
She switched her wine glass to her left hand and extended her right. Manning shook her hand. Her grip was soft and warm.
“I’m very sorry for your loss, Mrs. Lin,” he said.
She released his hand and turned to regard the paintings on the wall. “Thank you, Mr. Manning. What is it that you do for my father-in-law?”
“Security. I do some work for him in Japan. At the Komeito Tower.”
“Really? What does he need you here for?”
Manning hadn’t really seen that one coming, even though it was an obvious question. “Mr. Lin has…well, his business interests are wide and varied, and he always likes to stay on top of things.”
“I’d thought that was what Alexsey was for,” she said.
“It is, but I represent his security interests in Japan. Our schedules happened to coincide, and he asked me here to brief him, and then asked me to stay for a while.”
She turned to him again. “Are you here to find my husband’s murderer?”
Manning worked on keeping his composure. Despite her loss, it was blindingly obvious that Valerie Lin was no dummy. It was also obvious that she had been through a lot; as she brought her wine glass to her lips, her hand trembled slightly.
“Mrs. Lin…I’m sorry, but that’s something you would really have to ask your father-in-law.”
She nodded after a moment, eyes downcast. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ambush you that way.”
“You have nothing to apologize for,” Manning said.
“Yes. Well.” She looked up at him and forced a smile to her face. “It was very nice to meet you, Mr. Manning. I hope you enjoy the night.”
Manning nodded. “Thank you, ma’am. Same to you.”
He watched as she walked down the hallway, then stepped out onto the patio. The bar was suddenly looking pretty good right now.
The Chinese bartenders were dressed in black vests and trousers, and smiled broadly as Manning approached. He ordered and received a bottle of Anchor Steam beer, a San Francisco area favorite and wandered around the vast patio. The huge grill beside the house was already fired up, apparently in an effort to supplement the busy kitchen, and flavorful smoke wafted through the air. Manning’s stomach grumbled, and he realized he was hungry. Thankfully, a caterer walked past at the moment with a tray of fresh shu mai in bamboo steamers, and he helped himself to a few. They were excellent, light and steamed to perfection. It was almost a shame to drink the beer after sampling such a fine delicacy, but he did it anyway. At the far edge of the courtyard was a series of arches which terminated at a pavilion that overlooked the Bay. It was currently deserted, so Manning headed for it and stood there for several minutes, taking in the view. There was a low glass-topped table flanked by four wrought-iron chairs in the middle of the open pavilion, but he ignored them and chose to stand. It was a clear night, and the lights of downtown San Francisco glittered in the growing night. It was most certainly a million dollar vista. Despite everything, he had to admit that Lin had no shortage of taste to go along with his fortune.
He was compelled to call Ryoko in Japan, despite her wishes. It would be nice to hear her voice, and to find out how she was getting along. She would still be sleeping, of course. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and looked at it. His thumb stroked the keys idly. Finally, he returned it to his pocket. She expected him to respect her wishes, and forcing himself on her was not likely to impress her.
Footfalls caught his attention, and he turned from the beauty spread out before him. Lin was leading Ren Yun and the woman Manning had briefly spoken with toward the pavilion. Manning turned to head off across the lawn, but he was surprised by Ren’s gravelly voice. He spoke in rough Mandarin.
“No need to leave because of us,” he barked. “We’re only here to take in the view for a moment!”
“Mr. Ren says there is no need to leave,” the woman said instantly as the trio entered the pavilion. “He and Mr. Lin are-”
“Manning knows what he said,” Lin said in Mandarin. “Don’t you, Manning?”
Manning nodded. Ren looked dubious.
“You speak Mandarin?” he demanded.
“I do.”
Ren grunted and stepped closer to Manning, looking up at him. He was bald with a round face and dark complexion, and his eyes seemed too large for his head. With his thick lips and short neck, he resembled a Chinese frog. He was somewhat sloppy in appearance; even though he wore a tuxedo, it seemed too big at the shoulders but pulled too tight around his round belly. Comparing him to Lin’s polished appearance, it was not hard for Manning to imagine he was Mr. Hyde to Lin’s Dr. Jekyll.
“Do you also speak Shanghainese?” Ren asked.
“I do not.”
Ren grunted again and looked over at Lin. “Americans learn Mandarin but not Shanghainese? Well, I guess we can’t ask too much of them, Lin Yubo.”
Lin smiled and put a hand on Manning’s arm. “Manning, meet my close friend and associate, Ren Yun. He and I have been through an eternity together, and I consider him to be my brother.” To Ren: “This is Jerome Manning. He works for me in Japan.”
“Japan?” Ren echoed. He cackled suddenly and turned to Lin. “Don’t tell me he works with Chen?” Without waiting for Lin to answer, he turned back to Manning. “So
Manning looked over at Lin, who gave him a resigned nod. “There is little about my business dealings that Ren Yun does not know.”
“I do not know why the
“A personal matter,” Lin replied.
Ren got the message and nodded. He looked back at Manning with a vague, sour smile.
“I wish you luck then, Manning.”
“Thank you, sir.” Manning glanced at Lin and had no difficulty reading his body language. He nodded to both men and smiled tightly. “I should be going-enjoy the view.”
“You may leave also. Lin Yubo and I have matters to discuss,” Ren said to his translator. He said this without looking at the elegant woman who stood slightly behind him. She inclined her head to his back, but both men had turned to regard the vista beyond with hooded eyes. Manning looked at her as he started down the flagstone
