Nancy takes the final step slowly. She moves the chair away from the table, lifting it in a measured movement, and takes a seat to listen.
She had lost count of the number of cups of tea she had drunk. Nancy listened, pausing, asking very few questions. The sun was now low on the horizon and the room was getting dark. Mingmei stood up and switched on the light, a single tube, fixed to the ceiling, flickered and finally came to life. They both squinted and smiled.
“Where are you staying?”
“Professor Licot has booked a room for me at the Shangri La Hotel in the centre of Chengdu.”
“It’s a good choice … quite a few tourists are there. It’s the most popular for visitors from abroad.”
Nancy felt odd suddenly. Mingmei was working in a factory that produced food and by all accounts didn’t seem to be very wealthy. She was at the other end of the spectrum and had booked a hotel room for her in a five-star hotel.
“It’s okay.” Mingmei smiled. “I’m comfortable … it doesn’t look like it here, but the business is doing well and it’s the perfect cover.”
“How long have you been running this operation … I mean helping people leave China?”
“Since father disappeared … there were a few months when I didn’t know whether I would be able to cope.” Mingmei’s voice trails off as she recalls that time. “But father had already managed to put together a couple of safe routes as well as gather people on the ground, ready to help.”
“And what can I do to help? I must be able to contribute somehow.”
Her sister tilted her head. “I’m not sure yet … I need to think.”
“Of course, I wouldn’t want to endanger your operation.”
They both fell silent for a moment.
“It’s probably not a good idea if I come back here. Licot and I need to visit a few artists before I leave for Hong Kong again … although …” Nancy hesitated. “I could extend my stay.”
“Don’t do that. The government will want to know why, and it might look suspicious. … Anything that is a deviation looks suspicious to the authorities in this country.”
“There is still so much to talk about.”
Mingmei inhaled slowly and gave a short exhale. “I too want to talk some more … but I also need to keep you safe”
Nancy shook her head. “Safe is not what I do but I take your point. I can’t blow my cover on my first visit.”
Mingmei didn’t quite understand.
“I mean … I need to be able to come back again.” Nancy felt exhausted, but she now had another task she needed to prepare for before returning to Hong Kong. “And I also have to pay a visit to a business that is of interest in a case I’m working on.”
“You investigate criminal cases?” Her sister’s face looked puzzled, perhaps even concerned.
“I’m not the police … But that’s who I sometimes help.”
“But why are you interested in a business in China?”
Nancy wondered whether she had said too much.
“It’s a biotech company,” she finally admitted.
Mingmei pulled a face. “Industrial espionage … There’s a lot of that in China.”
Her frankness emboldened Nancy. “It’s also linked to an attempted murder.”
“What is the address?”
“Century City International …”
“There are quite a few biotech labs there. It’s part of a huge complex of offices, a research centre.”
“So, it won’t be a large factory?”
“No … something smaller, but it could be …” she was looking for the right word. “… very high profile.”
“That sounds even more interesting … I need to take a look.”
“How are you going to do that?” Mingmei frowned.
“Not sure yet … I’ll need a trustworthy driver to start with.”
Mingmei poured a final cup of tea. “Let me help.”
* * *
“She did a really good job of covering her back.” Andy had finished accessing the email account onto which Natalie had downloaded her evidence. “It’s not very secure, but I suppose if she thought no one suspected her …”
Pole leaned against Andy’s desk.
“But she captured some key conversations. Instructions from her minder, discussions with Turner … It’s all very good quality, too.” Andy was going through the list of recordings.
Pole punched the air. “That bastard is going to have to talk.”
Andy still looked deflated.
“What’s wrong? These are excellent results.” Pole raised his eyebrows, surprised.
“I know, Gov, but this single piece of coding from the USB Cora gave us is still bugging me.”
Pole shook his head. “And she risked a lot to get it … I understand.” He tapped his fingers on the partition separating Andy’s desk from his neighbour’s. “One thing at a time though. Natalie’s piece of evidence is going to make a big difference, and it’s enough to bring him in.”
Andy pursed his lips. He was not yet ready to admit defeat.
Pole checked the clock on the wall. Ferguson had been quiet, so had Marsh. He was not sure whether this was a good thing or a bad thing, but he would not try to find out.
Pole left the building to return to the Café Conte near Trafalgar Square. The weather was cold yet sunny. His breath came out in small clouds as he increased his pace. Nancy’s text had been reassuring, although he would have much preferred hearing from her directly.
His favourite table had just been vacated by a young woman with a large laptop and a set of bright yellow headphones. She smiled as Pole approached. Pole returned the smile and left his coat on the chair. He ordered, waited and collected his beverage, finally moving back to the table.
Pole took his time to sip his cafe latte with an extra shot. The room was full of the usual crowd. Young people on their laptops, two women having a catch up and a couple having early lunch.
His burner phone was still turned off. He turned on his work smartphone as well as his mobile.
“Pole … How far have you got?”
“The name of the Bratva boss did the trick … the future doesn’t look
