The Princeling of Nanjing (20 page)

Johnny Yan was quick to pick up the line.

“I was hoping you’d call,” he said.

“What’s going on?”

“We’ve been getting bombarded with requests from the Chinese banks we contacted, and some of the companies that you wanted us to look into have come at us as well, all of them wanting to know who requested the bank-to-bank inquiries.”

“They communicated with Felix?”

“Yeah.”

“What is he telling them?”

“Nothing right now. He’s referring all their emails directly to me, as I asked, but he sure as hell is nervous that this is going to find its way up the corporate ladder here.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’ve been telling them the information is confidential.”

“I can’t imagine that’s working very well.”

“You guessed right.”

“And I imagine you’re getting as worried as Felix about them going over your head.”

“The thought doesn’t thrill me.”

“You need a plausible story.”

“And I don’t have one.”

“Johnny, does your bank have customers in Hong Kong?”

“Yes.”

“Good. So what you say is that one of your Hong Kong–based customers is considering expanding their business in China and sent you a list of more than a hundred companies they wanted some basic information about. Tell them it was a laundry list of companies; that way they won’t feel so targeted.”

“And if that doesn’t satisfy them?”

“Tell them you’ll give them the name of the customer if they agree to sign a non-disclosure agreement.”

“And if they agree to do that, where the fuck am I going to find that agreement?”

“You’re not, because you won’t have to. I’ll give you the name of a large trading company in Hong Kong you can send to them, and I’ll arrange for the company to back up your story.”

“Jesus, Ava, this is getting too complicated.”

“Johnny, all we’re doing is buying time. Given the time difference, it will take at least two days before you get anywhere near having to send them a name. By then, no one should care.”

He sighed.

“I owe you another one, and I know this one is particularly big,” Ava said.

“If I need to contact you, I can use your cell number or email address?”

“You can, and I’ll get right back to you. I won’t leave you hanging out to dry.”

“Okay. Let the stalling begin,” he said.

She looked at Xu as she ended the call. His eyes were closed and his head was resting against the back of the seat. He was either trying to sleep or creating space for her to feel unrestricted about what she had to say during her conversation with Johnny. Whichever it was, she appreciated it.

It was the middle of the evening and the only number she had for Brenda Burgess was at the office. Predictably, she was greeted by an automated receptionist, and accessing Brenda’s line didn’t get her any closer to making contact. A call to directory services was next, and she was given a home number. To her surprise, Brenda answered it.

“I’m sorry for calling you at home and so late,” Ava said.

“I assume there’s a reason.”

“The Tsai family.”

“What else?”

“Our Canadian bank is under siege from the Chinese banks and some of the Chinese companies. They’re trying to find out who’s been asking questions,” Ava said.

“We’ve had more calls ourselves.”

“Sorry for that.”

“It isn’t anything we can’t handle.”

“The thing is, the family has been doing some digging on their own and they’ve decided I’m the culprit.”

“How did they arrive at that conclusion?”

“It was a stretch, but however limited the facts, we can’t ignore the end result.”

“Is that why they invited you to Nanjing?”

“Yes.”

“Did they threaten you?”

“They did. I believe I was supposed to have been taken into custody.”

“But you weren’t?”

“No.”

“Are you still there?”

“I’m in a car heading out of Nanjing. My friend thinks we need to lie low for a little while.”

“I can’t say he’s wrong.”

“The thing is, Brenda, we also think we need to be proactive. Staying out of sight isn’t the answer. We need to blunt their aggression.”

“How?”

“I want to speed up the process with Richard and Michael Dillman, and with Vanessa and her man in New York. Could you get in touch with them for me and find out where we’re at, and if there’s anything we can do to move things along more quickly?”

“It’s early afternoon in London, and Richard was going to a rugby match during the day, but I’ll see if I can get hold of him,” she said. “And I’ll have Vanessa call New York. It’s morning there, so we have an entire day.”

“One more thing,” Ava said.

“Yes?” Brenda said cautiously.

“Could you ask Richard and Vanessa if they would mind if I dealt directly with the journalists?”

“Why do you think that’s a good idea?”

“Events are moving faster than I anticipated and are becoming increasingly messy,” Ava said. “I’m not sure that having all these people in the middle serves our purpose that well, and I don’t want your firm being fingered by the Tsai family if things go badly.”

“I don’t care about the Tsai family,” Brenda said. “You are correct, though, that communications are rather complicated right now and could benefit from being streamlined.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s too soon for that. I have to call Richard and Vanessa, and they’ll have to call their contacts and confirm that they’re willing to take this approach. I assume I can reach you on your cell?”

“You can.”

“I’ll get back to you when I have some answers.”

The car was on the outskirts of Shanghai when an hour later Ava’s phone rang. Xu was still sleeping.

“This is Brenda.”

“Hi.”

“Richard hasn’t been able to reach Michael Dillman, but he’s left messages and will make himself available whenever Dillman calls back,” Brenda said. “Vanessa did speak to Sam Curry at the
Tribune
. He’s prepared to talk to you, but he’s still doing fact-checking and has asked if he can get actual copies of the bank records instead of just summaries of the transactions.”

“He’ll want electronic copies?”

“I assume so.”

“I only have paper. I’ll have to convert them.”

“Obviously the sooner the better.”

“Where do I send them when I’m done?”

“I’ll ask Vanessa to send you Sam’s contact info. She’s already given him your coordinates. I’m sure he’ll be in touch with you at some point.”

“Sooner rather than later, I hope.”

“Vanessa did stress the need for speed.”

“Thank her for me.”

“And I’ll stay on top of things with Richard.”

Ava saw Xu stirring. They were in the city now, nearing the French Concession.

“Hey,” she said, nudging his arm.

“Hey yourself,” he said, opening his eyes.

“I’ve been working on the newspaper stories.”

“I know, I heard some of your conversation. How much progress do you think you made?”

“Not much, but it’s early and I’m still waiting for some people to call me back,” she said. “In the meantime, I have to scan a raft of documents and email them to New York. Do you have what I need at the house?”

“No, all I have is a computer. Does Feng have copies of the documents?”

“Yes.”

“Then we’ll have him do it.”

“Perfect,” Ava said, turning to her phone again to find Feng’s number.

“Hello,” he answered.

“This is Ava. I have something I need you to do for me.”

“Yes?”

“I want you to scan all the Tsai company bank records and email them to me,” she said.

“Okay.”

“Can you do it right away?”

“The records are at the office. I’m at home right now, so it will take about an hour.”

“That’s not a problem, as long as it’s done tonight.”

“I’ll leave right way.”

Ten minutes later, the car turned into an alleyway and drove past a fruit vendor. Ava knew they were almost home.

Auntie Grace was standing in the doorway when the car pulled into the courtyard. Ava wondered how she had known they were arriving, and then realized that the fruit vendor must have alerted the house.

The housekeeper was all smiles, and if Xu’s phone call had alarmed her she showed absolutely no sign of it. “Ava’s room is ready and the food can be served whenever you want to eat.”

“I’ll eat now. I’m starving,” Xu said.

“Leave your travel bag here. You can bring it in later,” Auntie Grace said to Ava. “Xu, where is yours?”

“I had to leave it in Nanjing. Someone will get it for me.”

“No matter. Let’s go to the kitchen.”

Ava had smelled a faint aroma coming from the doorway, but in the kitchen the scent was powerful, a combination of black bean sauce, garlic, and at least one other flavour she couldn’t identify. She sat at the table and looked at the two woks on the stove. Next to them was a platter of scallions, sliced cucumber, small translucent pancakes, and a bowl of hoisin sauce.

“Peking duck,” Ava said.

“Yes,” Auntie Grace replied. She opened the oven door and took out a baking sheet covered in thin slivers of golden brown skin. She placed the sheet on the table and then turned back to the stove. “I also made
dou miao
and scallops steamed in black bean sauce with noodles. I know Xu will eat both. How about you?”

“Please.”

“And what do you want to drink?”

“Tea for me.”

“I’ll start with that as well,” Xu said.

As Auntie Grace prepared their plates, Xu glanced at Ava. “Is your phone with you?” he asked.

Ava reached behind her and took it from her Chanel bag. She put it on the table next to her plate. “There it is. I wasn’t going to miss any calls.”

She ate slowly, relishing the food. Xu was a fast eater, a trait he shared with Uncle. It had always seemed to Ava that the way Uncle ate was a clue to his character. He was always calm and in control on the surface, but she guessed that fires were raging underneath. She wondered if Xu hid his tensions as well as Uncle had. Or maybe she was overthinking things and both men simply liked to eat quickly.

Auntie Grace’s
dou miao
was especially good.
Dou miao
 — snow pea shoots fried in garlic with chicken stock — had been a particular favourite of Uncle’s until he was diagnosed with stomach cancer.

“Did you ever make this for Uncle?” Ava asked.

“I did a few times, but it became too much for him.”

“I’ve eaten it many times, but there’s something different about yours,” Ava said.

The old woman smiled. “Guess.”

“I can’t.”

“I use duck fat instead of oil.”

“So you made the Peking duck yourself as well?”

“Where do you think I got the fat?”

“Now you know why I like to eat at home,” Xu said.

“I have to confess, Auntie Grace, that if I didn’t already have a girlfriend, I might ask you to marry me.”

“You don’t have to do that to eat my food.” Auntie Grace laughed. “All you have to do is move to Shanghai.”

They were interrupted by Ava’s cellphone. Both she and Xu looked at it for a second before she picked it up.

“This is Feng.”

“Yes?”

“I’m at the office and I’ve just emailed the bank records.”

“Thanks. If I need anything else, I’ll call,” she said.

She turned to Xu. “That was Feng —” she began, only to be interrupted by another incoming call. She didn’t recognize the number but saw a familiar country code.

“This is Ava Lee. Is this Richard?”

“No, this is Michael Dillman at the
Economic Herald
.”

“Mr. Dillman, thank you so much for calling,” Ava said in a rush.

“Please call me Michael.”

“And I’m Ava.”

“I’ve just left Richard, and he explained your desire to communicate directly with us.”

“I thought it would save us all some time and eliminate any confusion.”

“I have to say I agree with you.”

“Great, but there’s one thing I’d like to make clear before we continue,” Ava said. “I don’t want to be named or quoted in any story.”

Dillman paused and then said carefully, “My understanding from Richard is that you’re the direct source for all of this.”

“I gathered the information and I’m prepared to verify that it is genuine, but I don’t want to become part of the story. I like to think that the information speaks for itself.”

“It is impressive. We are, of course, particularly taken with the possible involvement of Dennis Calhoun.”

“The deal he struck to create Mega Metals and the manner in which that company operates are as corrupt as it gets.”

“Apparently so.”

“You say that as if there is some doubt.”

“It’s one thing to believe something and another thing entirely to prove it.”

“You aren’t satisfied with the information you have?”

“Truthfully, I am, but I have a slew of editors and lawyers looking over my shoulder. As it stands, the paper isn’t prepared to run the story based on the facts we have on hand. That doesn’t mean they’re discounting it. They’ve simply told me to put the story on hold until we — and that means you, I guess — can provide them with more details.”

“What details?” Ava asked, trying to hide her disappointment.

“There are two problems as we see it,” Dillman said. “The first is that we have nothing that directly connects Tsai Lian or Dennis Calhoun to any of these business dealings, and in Tsai’s case proof of any links is especially lacking. He appears to own nothing. He’s a director of nothing. My editors would love evidence of how he uses his power and position to enrich himself and his family.”

“I can provide you with complete bank records instead of just summaries.”

“Will they directly implicate either of them?”

“No,” Ava said reluctantly. “They will only reconfirm that the family has extensive business holdings and that Calhoun put money into Mega Metals.”

“And that brings us to the second problem,” Dillman said. “It’s obvious that some of their dealings have to be a bit shady. But there’s no hook. What we need is something or someone to directly link Calhoun and Tsai Lian. We need a detailed understanding of how the corrupt practices — assuming they are as corrupt as you claim — actually take place.”

“I see.”

“Do you think it’s possible to uncover that kind of information?”

“I don’t know.”

“Ms. Lee, you sound a bit discouraged right now. I can only encourage you not to be,” Dillman said. “None of us here is impatient or negative. We think the story has enormous potential and I’d like nothing more than to write it. Dennis Calhoun is a loud-mouthed buffoon and I’d love to stick a pin in him, and your Mr. Tsai seems to be the worst sort of thief. But, as I said, I have editors and lawyers I have to convince. We need to give them what they want.”

“I understand.”

“Are you talking to any other newspapers?”

Ava hesitated. “One in the United States.”

“A serious one?”

“The
Wall Street Tribune
.”

“A very serious one. Good for you, and I’m sure they don’t give a rip about Calhoun.”

“But we really like the U.K. connection, and your paper has a reputation that can’t be easily dismissed.”

“You know, I met with Richard, who’s an old friend, out of courtesy, but the story intrigues me and I’d like to see it in print in our paper. You are correct about our reputation. We don’t publish anything without doing everything we can to ensure it is accurate. Everyone knows that. If you want to make an impact, then the combination of the
Tribune
and us will be hard to beat.”

“I don’t know if the
Tribune
is going to publish either.”

“Well, hang in there and keep digging. Contact me when you have something. You have my number now?”

“It’s on the screen.”

“That’s the best one to reach me at.”

Ava closed her eyes and sat back in her chair, the phone face down on the table. She took a deep breath, savouring the lingering aroma of duck. Then, quite abruptly, she sat forward.

“What’s going on? That didn’t sound very positive,” Xu said.

“They don’t think we’ve given them enough information to warrant publishing the story,” Ava said, and then related in detail Dillman’s misgivings.

Xu listened without saying a word or showing any emotion. When she finished, he said, “But you don’t know the
Tribune
’s reaction?”

“They’re still fact-checking, and God knows how long that will take.”

“And the
Herald
didn’t say no.”

“Unless we give them what they want, it is a no.”

“There are other British newspapers.”

“But this one is the best. Anything they publish is taken seriously,” she said. “I don’t want to give up on it.”

“Then we need to find the information they want.”

“I know. I’ve been thinking that maybe we can find someone inside the Tsai family business who can give us what we want, or at least point us in the right direction.”

“Like who?”

“I was thinking about that man Ling, the one who was with Tsai Men at Capo. Feng told me that Men treats him badly. Maybe, for a price, he’d be willing to help.”

“He certainly knows where the bodies are buried. He may not make decisions but he attends a lot of meetings, sees a lot of correspondence, and certainly manages the inflow of money.”

“So he knows things?”

“He certainly does.”

“That’s ideal, assuming of course that Feng wasn’t exaggerating his treatment by the family.”

“Feng doesn’t exaggerate, and I’ve seen Men humiliate Ling in public more than once.”

“Well?”

“It is risky. He could run directly to Men.”

“Do we have any other options?”

Xu pursed his lips and gently rolled his shoulders. “I need a smoke,” he said, and stood. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

His sudden departure caught Ava off guard. She was thinking about following him outside when Auntie Grace reappeared.

“Have you had enough to eat?” she asked.

“Yes, and it was wonderful.”

“Would you like something to drink?”

Ava was about to say no and then stopped. “I’d like a glass of Xu’s very expensive Scotch.”

“I’ll bring the bottle and two glasses,” Auntie Grace said.

Xu was gone longer than Ava thought one smoke should take, and she had sipped her way through half a glass of Scotch by the time he re-entered the kitchen.

He smiled as he sat down and poured himself a stiff shot. “I was thinking about Ling,” he said.

“Yes?”

“We’ll make an approach.”

“When? How?”

“Feng is calling him at home right now. It isn’t unusual for the two of them to meet. Feng will request that they meet early tomorrow morning somewhere neutral, and that isn’t unusual either. I’m going to send Suen with him. He won’t have anything to say but his presence will be enough to discourage Ling from acting rashly if he decides not to co-operate.”

“What are we offering him?”

“Money — lots and lots of money — and a promise that we’ll cover his back, keep our agreement secret, and act as a lifeboat for him if anything happens to the Tsai family.”

“I’d like to be there.”

“I thought about that, but it’s too soon. We don’t want to rattle Ling. He’s comfortable with Feng. Let the two of them try to reach an agreement,” Xu said.