“No.”
“But you know Natasha Medvedev?”
Lewis smiled. “There are a lot of fish in the sea, Officer.”
Caprisi turned toward the wall. Like all the others, it was covered in pictures of previous taipans of the company.
“Do you have family here?” Caprisi asked.
“If you’re asking if I’m married, then the answer is no.”
“Other family?”
“Why is that relevant?”
“I’d be grateful if you would answer the question, sir.”
“Well, Officer, my father is, of course, dead, which is why I am taipan. My mother chose to return to Scotland. My first cousin Hamish and his wife are therefore my only close family here, though I have a number of other cousins involved at different levels of the company.”
“Did you know Lena Orlov?”
“As I have previously said, we may have met a couple of times at the Majestic.”
“But you never went to her apartment?”
“No.” Lewis had his arm draped over the leather chair. His eyes were steady as they moved between the two of them.
“You’ve never been to the Happy Times block?”
“I didn’t say that, Officer.”
Field felt his face reddening.
“You’ve been to Miss Medvedev’s apartment?”
“Once or twice.”
“Only once or twice?”
“Generally speaking, Officer, I like to avoid associating with Russians. They’re too much trouble.”
Caprisi moved toward the window. “Lena Orlov kept detailed notes about illegal shipments from one of your factories. We understand from Delancey’s that you have certain proclivities that would fit the profile of this case.”
Lewis looked at Field, unperturbed. “Really, Officer.”
“Lena Orlov believed she was going to escape Shanghai. She told friends that she’d been promised a passport and passage to a new life in Europe. She kept the details of these shipments as an insurance policy.”
“Influential as I am, Officer, even I don’t have the right, I’m afraid, to hand out passports on behalf of Her Majesty’s Government.”
The more Caprisi said, Field thought, the more languid and arrogant Lewis appeared to become. If, at first, he’d been irritated, he was now laughing at them. “Is there anything else?” he asked.
“We have a witness who saw you going into Natalya Simonov’s apartment on the night of her murder. When we approached your factory on the first occasion, your men attempted to kill us.”
“So what do you want from me, Officer, exactly?”
“An explanation, before we move to bring charges.”
“I keep thinking to myself that this must be April Fools’ Day.”
“You can think what you like, Mr. Lewis.”
“Gentlemen, I could go on all day. Really, I could. It’s been most amusing, but I have work to do.” His expression hardened. “I’m afraid to say that running the biggest company in Shanghai doesn’t give me much time for listening to this kind of fanciful nonsense.”
“Very well.”
“If you wish to bring charges, then please be my guest. But I suggest you run your so-called evidence past your superiors before you do so. I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes if you don’t.” He narrowed his eyes. “I may say that I’ve always been a great supporter of the work of our police force, but I am beginning to wonder why.” He looked from one to the other. “I’m sure you can show yourselves out. Do give my regards to Mr. Macleod.”
Forty-four
Outside, the sun was still shimmering on the choppy waters of the river, but it had begun to lose some of its heat.
They watched as a steamer tied up on the wharf, belching black smoke from its funnel. It hooted twice and was greeted by a cheer from a crowd of people waiting on the dock.
Field leaned against the car.
“You didn’t tell me the two women were sisters,” Caprisi said.
“No. I’m sorry.”
