White Tiger

Ryker nodded and headed down the long hallway, hands still in his pockets. He glanced at the artwork on the walls, and found he recognized some of the signatures. It appeared that Lin favored the finer things in life, even if some of those things were mere decorations. It was not lost on Ryker that his entire net worth might not even be enough to fill a simple 6 inch by 6 inch frame.

What the hell am I doing here, he asked himself, for the thousandth time. He knew the answer, of course. He just didn’t want to articulate it to himself. Still, it rose in his mind, completely against his will.

Because she might be here.

Slowly, his reluctant feet delivered him to the sprawling courtyard where most of the revelers had congregated. Some of them regarded Ryker with expressions that ranged from near-dismissal to outright interest. From his suit alone, it was obvious he did not fly in the same rarified air as they did. It didn’t take much to determine he was an outsider.

He made his way to the bar and asked what beer was available. He barely recognized some of the names, so he settled on a gin and tonic. He walked toward the pool area, the babble of English and Chinese and even some other languages assaulting his ears. Most of the conversations he couldn’t understand; even those he could were completely uninteresting. Ryker felt lost as he sipped his drink and scanned the crowd, looking for a familiar face.

He found one in Manning. The tall man met his gaze from across the courtyard, and he lifted his beer bottle in a gentle salute. He stood with a Chinese woman who looked nothing like Valerie Lin-she was too tall, too hard, and her face was perhaps a touch on the severe side. Ryker nodded back and turned away, looking out at the gleaming vista of San Francisco twinkling in the distance. It was a definite jetliner view. Despite his discomfort, Ryker found it to be a pleasant evening. The slight breeze uncharacteristically warm and dry.

“Didn’t think you’d make it, detective sergeant.”

Ryker turned and found Manning and the Chinese woman were standing behind him. She took in the view while Manning looked at him.

“My dance card was a little empty tonight,” Ryker told him.

“So this isn’t a conflict of interest? You showing up here while you’re in the middle of your investigation?”

Ryker reached into his jacket and pulled out a notebook. “I can interview people here more easily than when I’m rousting them at work or at their homes, right?”

Manning nodded. “So no play for you, eh?”

Ryker shook his head as he slipped the notebook back inside his jacket. “Unlikely.” He looked at the woman standing next to Manning. Her gaze was cool.

“Maggie Shi, meet Detective Sergeant Ryker. Sorry, I’ve forgotten your first name-”

“Hal,” Ryker said, extending his hand toward Maggie. “Hal Ryker. Pleased to meet you, Miss Shi.” He couldn’t quite pronounce the name the same way Manning had, and he wondered if that would be considered insulting.

“Good evening, Mr. Ryker. What brings you here?” Her grip was strong and firm, nothing dainty about it.

Ryker didn’t know how to answer that. “Police business,” he muttered.

“Oh? What business is that?”

“Ryker’s investigating what happened to Lin Yubo’s son,” Manning said softly.

Her expression did not change, but her eyes remained on Ryker for a long moment, sizing him up. The examination did little to make him feel at ease.

“It would be wrong of you to use this night to your advantage,” she said finally.

Ryker sipped his drink and glanced at Manning. “The law never sleeps, Miss Shi.”

“Of course not. But you should respect Lin Yubo, and not use this occasion to treat the people attending this event as suspects.”

Ryker sipped his drink again and turned away from her. He took in the view instead. “Sounds like you don’t care for the police, Miss Shi.”

“That’s not what I meant. I have no problem with policemen.”

Manning cut in. “I think what Maggie is trying to say is that this is a social gathering. Lin has lots of important folks here. And face it Ryker, you have the social skills of a pirate.”

Ryker smiled and looked over his shoulder at Manning. “Think I was too rough on you at the station?”

Manning shrugged. “I’ve been treated worse. But you probably don’t want to unwind the same attitude here, especially since your jurisdiction is way over there.” He pointed to the lights of San Francisco, twinkling in the distance.

“I’ll take that under advisement,” Ryker said. He scanned the rest of the crowd in the courtyard. Everyone was in their silken fineries, doing their best to look important and successful even if they weren’t. Ryker was definitely among the lower class here, barely at the level of the hired help.

“Just try not to be the bull in the china shop,” Manning said. “I imagine Lin invited you here to take in the crowd anyway.”

That seemed to capture Maggie’s interest. “You think Lin Dan’s-” She stopped herself and glanced around, then continued with her voice bordering on a whisper. “You think Lin Dan’s killer might be here?”

Manning shrugged. “Not my department. What do you think, Ryker?”

“Like I said before: the law never sleeps.” But the truth of the matter was, no one in the courtyard looked out of place. Some might have felt uncomfortable with the charade they were playing, but they had been at it for a long while and hid their true feelings well. And most of the guests were Chinese. They spoke a different language, were intimate with different customs that Ryker had only glimpsed through movies, books, and the occasional job in Chinatown. If Danny Lin’s killer was among them, she had picked the perfect camouflage. There was no way Ryker could get any traction without shaking things up, and that wouldn’t be very wise. Danny Lin’s murder was a political time bomb, and Ryker didn’t want it blowing up in his face.

“But who knows,” he continued. “Maybe. You think one of Lin’s people might have killed Danny, Manning?”

“I’m not saying anything of the sort. But in my line of work, we poke around in the immediate area before casting the net wide.”

Ryker sipped his drink again. “And just what is your business, anyway? And don’t give me that corporate security horse shit again.”

Manning smiled. “Later, Ryker. I’m sure we’ll be talking again at the stationhouse tomorrow.” He paused. “Try not to be a prick this time.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

Ryker watched as Manning and the Shi woman disappeared into the courtyard. Ryker took in some more of the view and finished his drink, then handed the glass to one of the many waiters navigating through the crowd. He walked around the edge of the courtyard and examined the partygoers openly. There was no need to be discreet about it. Manning was right, the only reason Lin invited him was on the off chance that he might ferret out something among his inner circle. He was still a cop working a case, and he acted like it.

Until he saw Valerie Lin.

She stood near the patio, her arms crossed beneath her breasts. She had seen him before he had noticed her, and she didn’t smile when their eyes met. But she didn’t look away either, and that alone made Ryker’s heart start to pound. He’d hoped she would be here, and now that he found she was, he felt as nervous as a schoolboy on his first date. Was it because she was Lin’s daughter-in-law? Was she still considered so in the eyes of Chinese society, even though her husband was dead?

Well, we’ve seen each other. Let’s get on with it.

Ryker cut through the crowd, heading her way. He noticed Lin standing amidst a small group of people, and from the corner of his eye, Ryker saw Lin watching him as he walked through the partygoers. Ryker didn’t let that deter him for a moment. He couldn’t care what Lin thought about anything at the moment. He refocused his entire attention on Valerie Lin, still standing by the open sliding doors that led into the mansion. She watched his approach, and gave no indication if she welcomed it. Ryker didn’t quite know what to make of it, but he didn’t