The Princeling of Nanjing (27 page)

“That is very cynical.”

“No, it’s completely practical, and the Chinese are nothing if not practical.”

Auntie Grace opened the door to the house with a huge grin.

“Welcome home,” she said. “Are you hungry?”

“No, not really. Maybe in a while.”

The diminutive woman looked up at Ava with a trace of disappointment on her face. “Well, whenever you’re ready,” she said. “He’s in the kitchen. He’s been waiting for you.”

Ava went to the bedroom first to drop off her bag, and then made a bathroom visit to freshen up. It seemed like a lifetime ago since she’d showered there.

Xu sat at the kitchen table, an empty glass and a bottle of Scotch sitting in front of him. “
Mei mei
,” he said, rising.

He was in a shirt and slacks. His tie hung loose around his neck and his black suit jacket was draped over the back of the chair. They hugged, and she felt some extra tension in his body.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“The landscape is ever changing,” he said and then smiled. “Sit and tell me about your day. Auntie says you’re not going to eat right away, but how about a drink?”

“Do you have cognac?”

“I have a fifty-year-old bottle of Martell VSOP.”

“That might do,” Ava said.

“I’ll get it,” he said and left the kitchen.

“It’s better when he has someone to drink with,” Auntie Grace said from the stove, where she was stirring something in a wok.

“Yes, I’ll keep him company that way, but truthfully I do need it for myself.”

“Did you get that man from Nanjing?”

“We did.”

“And did you get what you wanted from him?”

“We did.”

“Was it hard?”

“Not so much.”

“Xu says that you can get a stone to talk.”

“That’s an exaggeration.”

“It’s a compliment.”

“I know.”

“One day I’ll get you to accept one.”

“Auntie —” Ava began, only to be interrupted by Xu’s arrival with a bottle of cognac and two snifters in his hands.

“I decided to drink Martell as well,” he said, taking his seat. He pulled the stopper from the bottle, took a long, deep smell and sighed. “Wonderful.”

“Just a bit,” Ava said.

He ignored her request as he filled each glass to almost the halfway mark.

“
Gambei
,” he said.

Their glasses touched and their eyes met. Ava shivered; it was dawning on her how close they were getting. He made her feel comfortable in a way that no man except Uncle and her friend Derek ever had. With Derek there wasn’t any doubt that she was the boss; with Uncle, she often felt like a child. This was something else, and she was beginning to value it.

“Tell me about your day,” he said again.

She talked for close to half an hour, with the only interruption a reminder from Auntie that Xu’s duck fried rice was ready whenever he wanted to eat. He had her serve him a bowl, but his eyes hardly left Ava as he dug his chopsticks into the rice.

“The hotel and flights are booked for Suen and that man Yin,” he said when she finished.

“Have you heard from Suen?”

“No. He’ll call me when they’re on their way back from Nanjing.”

“I hope it goes smoothly.”

“There’s no reason it shouldn’t.”

“Xu, when I arrived home tonight, you seemed preoccupied. Why?”

He smiled.

“What’s so funny?” she asked.

“You said ‘when I arrived home.’ It was nice to hear that.”

Ava felt herself blush. “You’re avoiding my question.”

“I am, but one has nothing to do with the other.”

Ava heard Auntie Grace cackle and turned her head towards the stove. The old woman was still bent over the wok.

“I spoke with Men about half an hour before you got here,” Xu said.

“What did he want?”

“He wants to meet with us again.”

“Us?”

“Yes.”

“In Nanjing?”

“He’s prepared to come to Shanghai.”

“Why does he want to meet?”

“He wasn’t specific.”

“What did you tell him?”

“I told him we would think about it.”

“Why would we do that?”

“He sounded different.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

Xu leaned forward, the snifter nestled between the palms of his hands. “I’ve known him for many, many years. He is an arrogant son of a bitch. He understands the power he has and he’s never been afraid to threaten to use it. This is the first time I can remember a meeting request from him that wasn’t a demand.”

“It could be a trap.”

“I changed my mind about leaving Lop in Hong Kong. He’s here. He flew in a few hours ago.”

“What are you saying?”

“If we decide to go, he’ll organize a defence. I’ve already spoken to him about it. I won’t meet anywhere that isn’t public, and he will infiltrate the area, surrounding the meeting place with about twenty men. There’s no way I’m going to let either of us be taken.”

“Why take the risk at all?”

“The thing is, if we refuse to meet it’s only going to make them more suspicious and fuel their paranoia. I’d rather have them calm until it’s too late for them to take the initiative.”

“Do you think it’s possible he actually knows what we’re trying to do?”

“I can’t discount it entirely.”

“He can’t know the details. I’m sure of that.”

“I am too.”

“So why go?”

“If for nothing else, to pretend that everything is normal.”

“I still don’t like it.”

“I’m not too crazy about it myself, but I think, given everything else we have going on, it will buy us some time.”

“God.”

“Does that mean you won’t go, or that you will go but very reluctantly?”

“I’ll go,” Ava said.

He reached across the table and took her hands. “I can’t begin to tell you how appreciative I am of everything you’ve done so far.”

“I haven’t been doing it alone.”

“No, but you’re the force behind it.”

“Let’s just pray that it works out even remotely close to the way we want it to.”

“I have a sense we’ll know more about that after we meet Men,” Xu said, and then looked at his watch. “Speaking of whom, I need to call him to fix a time and place.”

“Where’s Lop?”

“In a house three doors down. We own most of the street.”

“And the men he needs?”

“As close.”

“You never fail to surprise me.”

While Xu called Tsai Men, Ava went to her bedroom. She turned on her computer and glanced at the highly stylized chart that Sam Curry had sent. They had placed Tsai Lian in the middle of it, with the other family members and businesses extending from him like the spokes on a bicycle wheel. They had even found photos of most of the family, although Lian’s looked as though it had been taken years ago — his hair was thick and black, his face unlined, and he wore rather large aviator glasses that dated the image to the 1970s.

She checked the lines connecting the various members and businesses against the chart in her notebook. The
Tribune
’s was completely accurate. They had even added Golden Tomorrow.

This is exactly right. Nice job,
she wrote, and then sent the email to Curry.

When she re-entered the kitchen, Xu was eating another bowl of fried rice.

“Did you talk to Tsai Men?” she asked.

He nodded. “We meet him tomorrow morning at ten in the restaurant at the Le Sun Chine Hotel.”

“Was that his suggestion?”

“No, he told me to pick somewhere central. Lop suggested Le Sun Chine. It’s on Huashan Road in the Changning District, right on the edge of the Concession. The hotel is walled and has a fair-sized courtyard.”

“How is Lop?”

“Eager, as usual. The man loves to fight, and the only thing that makes him happier than fighting is the prospect of it.”

“He won’t do anything rash?”

“You saw him in action in Wanchai. He may have a tendency to be vicious, but he follows orders and he is highly disciplined. My orders are for him not to do anything unless he is one hundred percent certain we are in danger.”

“I’m still uneasy about this meeting,” Ava said.

“We’ll have men positioned as sentries on all the streets leading to the hotel. We’ll have men in the courtyard, in the hotel, and in the lounge. We’re going in one car that will be left at the front entrance, and another car will be waiting at the rear in case we have to leave that way.”

She shook her head. “I just wish this wasn’t necessary.”

“What are the other options?”

“I can’t think of any. I know avoiding Men can only make things worse.”

“It will be over soon enough.”

“This day has already been very long and stressful, and tomorrow doesn’t sound like it’s going to be any easier,” Ava said. “I think I’m going to lie down for a while.”

“Yes, you do look tired,” Xu said. “I have to go out, but I’ll be back in a few hours.”

“If I fall asleep, don’t worry about waking me.”

She went into the bedroom, stripped down to her underwear, pulled on a T-shirt, and crawled under the duvet. She lay on her back with her hands folded across her chest. Over the years she had developed an ability to sleep just about anywhere at any time. It had been useful when she was on jobs that bounced her from place to place and time zone to time zone. This trip to Shanghai, she thought, was turning into the same kind of circus. She tried to clear her mind and relax, but there were just too many things going on with the Tsai family, as well as with the PÖ negotiations and with her mother and Maria at home. The only comfort she could find was that all of them were bound to be resolved in a day or two. Whether they would be resolved to her satisfaction was entirely another matter.

She woke twice during the night, the first time feeling thirsty and the second time needing to pee. She made quick and quiet trips to the kitchen for a glass of water and to the bathroom. Both times, as soon as she snuggled under the warm covers, she fell right back to sleep.

The third time she woke, it was because Auntie Grace was gently shaking her knee while whispering her name. It startled Ava, and she struggled for a second trying to remember where she was.

“It’s just past eight o’clock. You’ve slept for about twelve hours. Xu said I should wake you.”

“I can’t believe I slept this long,” Ava said, feeling groggy.

“I have congee on the stove.”

“I can’t eat yet, but I’ll have coffee.”

“I brought you one,” Auntie Grace said, pointing to the dresser, where a steaming cup sat.

“Thank you.”

“Even though I woke you, there’s no need to rush. Xu has gone to meet with Lop. He said he’d be back to get you at about a quarter to ten.”

Ava waited until the old woman had left the bedroom before pulling back the covers and swinging her legs over the side of the bed. She slid to the floor and then kneeled to pray. She invoked Saint Jude, asking him to protect her and everyone close to her during the day ahead.

She then took the cup from the dresser, sat on the bed, and spent five minutes sipping coffee and clearing her head. Normally before any meeting she would review notes and get her train of thought organized. But in this case, she had no idea what to expect. All she could do was make herself look professionally presentable and keep her emotions under control.

She finished the coffee, took the cup into the kitchen, and made herself another that she took into the bathroom. Half an hour later she emerged shiny and clean. She fussed in the bedroom for a while, unsure about what to wear, but finally opted for her ever-reliable black slacks and a blue button-down shirt with French cuffs. Then, unlike the day before, she put on red lipstick and black mascara, slid her Tank Française watch over her wrist, fastened the shirt cuffs with green jade links, and pulled her hair back and fixed it with the ivory chignon pin.

Auntie Grace was standing at the stove when Ava sat down at the kitchen table with her computer and phone. “Are you ready to eat now?” she asked.

“No, thank you, but I’ll have another coffee while I do some work,” Ava said, turning on her devices.

A moment later a new cup was placed in front of Ava.

“I have to tell you that I’ve never seen anyone who dresses so plainly look so beautiful.”

Ava started to wave off the compliment and then caught herself. “You are very kind to me, and I appreciate it.”

“Just do something for me, will you?”

“What?”

“Try to stay out of trouble. I can’t help but notice that whenever you and Xu are together, something dangerous always seems to be going on.”

“It isn’t anything I plan.”

“It’s his life. It doesn’t have to be yours.”

Ava shot a glance at the old woman. Auntie Grace was back at the stove, stirring the congee.

“Does he tell you everything?” Ava asked.

“He lets me hear everything. That’s almost the same if you’re clever enough to piece things together.”

“And you obviously are.”

“I’ve been with the family and with him for so many years that there aren’t many things I haven’t heard before.”

“Auntie, I have no interest in trouble, dangerous or otherwise.”

“I believe you, but that won’t stop me from worrying.”

Ava pushed her chair back from the table and stood. Auntie Grace’s back was turned to her. In five steps Ava was at the stove. She wrapped her arms around the other woman’s waist and pressed her face into her neck. “You have become my favourite auntie. I promise I’ll try not to give you any reason to worry.”

“Hey,” Xu said from the kitchen doorway.

Both women turned towards him and began to laugh.

“The two of you are starting to make me jealous,” he said.

“Poor you,” Auntie Grace said. “It serves you right for bringing such a wonderful young woman into my house.”

“You slept well,” Xu said.

“Very.”

“I just finished talking to Lop. He’s on his way to the hotel. His men have been there for a while.”

“Any signs of strange activity?”

“Not yet.”

“Good.”

“I also spoke to Suen. He’s at the airport with Vincent Yin. Everything went well last night and this morning, and they’re checked in now for the flight.”

“I should let the journalists know,” Ava said, looking at her computer.

“I told him to text the moment the plane took off. Maybe you should wait until then.”

“Okay. Did he have anything to say about Yin other than it’s going well?”

“No.”

“Does he mind having to fly to London?”

“Actually, he seemed excited at the prospect. He’s never been anywhere outside of Asia.”

“Have you heard anything else from Tsai Men?”

“Not a word.”

Ava sat down at the table again. She signed into her email and saw she had been copied on a myriad of correspondence going back and forth between May Ling and Amanda on the PÖ negotiations with Lane Crawford. She couldn’t help perusing the most recent. It seemed as though a deal was imminent.

Sam Curry had also emailed to thank her for signing off on his chart, and then, almost as an afterthought, wrote,
I expect our story will break in tomorrow’s edition, which means that the online version could be up as soon as dinnertime in Shanghai.

The reality of it almost shocked her. It was what she had wanted, but realizing it was going to happen filled her head with doubts. She took a deep breath. There wasn’t any way she could stop it now, she thought as she wrote,
Please send me a copy as soon as you can. I don’t want to be blindsided.

“I think we should get going,” Xu said from the doorway.

“It’s early yet.”

“We’ll circle the area for a while before actually going to the hotel,” he said. “That’s one of Lop’s requests.”

Ava closed the computer. “Okay, let’s go.”

There were six men instead of the usual three in the house courtyard. The Mercedes and the BMW were there as well. Xu and Ava climbed into the Benz and were joined by the driver who had met her at the Nanjing airport and another man. Two men got into the BMW. When the gate opened, the BMW was the first to leave, with the Mercedes following closely behind.

“I just got an email from Sam Curry at the
Tribune
,” Ava said as the cars started along the alley. “He thinks their story may appear in tomorrow’s paper. If it does, it will be available online by tonight, our time.”

“I thought they were going to hold off until you told them it was a go,” Xu said.

“No, I never had that understanding with the American paper.”

They pulled out onto a main street and Xu’s attention was immediately drawn to a black Toyota SUV. “Is that a military vehicle?” he asked the man sitting next to the driver.

“No, it’s not.”

The BMW turned right and then left, with the Mercedes trailing. After five minutes Ava had no idea where they were anymore. Xu was quiet, his focus on the surroundings. Ava leaned back in her seat and let her mind wander. She was jolted back to the present when the car slammed on its brakes at an intersection. She checked her watch.

“It’s five minutes to ten,” she said to Xu.

“I know, but we’re only two blocks away. I don’t want to be the first ones there. We have men at the hotel entrance, more in the lobby, and Lop is outside the lounge. He’s going to text me when Tsai arrives.”

Ava nodded and then heard his phone buzz.

He reached into his shirt pocket and took it out. He checked the screen and then turned it towards her.

She read,
Plane has left the gate and is on the runway ready for takeoff. No problems. I’ll text you when we get to London. Suen.

“That’s good news,” she said.

As Xu closed the message, his phone rang. He looked at the incoming number and seemed surprised. “You were going to text,” he said.

Ava could hear a muffled voice coming through the phone. She assumed it was Lop.

Xu leaned forward and tapped the driver on the shoulder. “You can go to the hotel now,” he said, putting the phone back into his pocket.

“You said Lop was going to text.”

“Something came up.”

“What?”

“Lop wanted me to know that Tsai isn’t alone. He came with three other men in two cars.”

“Military? The police?”

“He thinks that two of them are bodyguards.”

“And the third?”

“He thinks it’s the Governor.”