The Red Pole of Macau

( 11 )

There was no Sonny in front of the Kowloon Tong MTR, and Ava wondered if something had happened to delay Uncle. But when she went inside the restaurant, Andy saw her and waved her back to the kitchen.

The table was empty except for a pot of tea and two cups. Ava kissed Uncle on the forehead and said, “Thank you.”

He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a sheet of lined paper. “Lok owns three plots of vacant land, the ones he keeps selling over and over again. He has an interest in several massage parlours that specialize in hand jobs and a nightclub that is mainly a whorehouse. I do not think he would take your brother’s partner to either of those places. So there are two candidates.

“The first is a warehouse he has near the old town. According to my contact it is a busy place. He uses it as a distribution centre for wine he brings in from China and Portugal. It is also quite central, quite public, so though it is worth taking a look at, I think your best bet is his house. The house is on Coloane, in the most southwestern part of Macau, near Seac Pai Van Park. It was custom-built and is more of a compound than a residence. Some of his men, including Wu, stay there. It is quite isolated, I am told.”

He slid the paper over to her. “There are the addresses, such as they are.”

“Thank you.”

“This does not make me happy, you understand.”

“I know.”

“Have you heard about the partner yet?”

“We’re working on it. I’ll know shortly, but I’m betting he’s still alive.”

“Lok is an animal. Wu makes all the noise and acts like the tough guy, but never forget that Lok is capable of just about anything.”

She picked up the teapot and poured. Neither of them touched their cups. “Uncle, I was thinking of asking Carlo and Andy to do some work for me, but I wanted to clear it with you first.”

“They are their own men.”

“Still.”

“If you have to ask them, I do not object.”

“And money — I’ve never paid them directly. What is their rate?”

“That depends on what you want them to do. When I sent them to Las Vegas to help you, I paid them five thousand Hong Kong a day. If it is not dangerous work, you could pay three thousand.”

“It isn’t dangerous, but I’ll pay five thousand anyway.”

“They will be as loyal for three thousand.”

“Now who’s being practical?” she said.

Her phone rang. The caller ID read amanda yee. “This is Ava.”

She listened, nodded, and said, “I’ll be about half an hour. We should head to Sha Tin as soon as I get there.”

“Sha Tin?” Uncle said after she closed her phone.

“They sent us the photo we wanted. The partner is alive. He lives in Sha Tin, and the wife is there, evidently now going out of her mind with worry. We need to see her.”

“Who is ‘we’?”

“Amanda Yee, my brother’s girlfriend, and me.”

“Yee . . . any connection to Jack?” Uncle asked.

I should be so quick, Ava thought. “His daughter.”

“Have they discussed you?”

“Evidently.”

“Jack thinks you walk on water.”

“That’s the problem,” she said.

As they left the kitchen he said, “Keep in touch. I do not want to hear things second-hand.”

“I will.”

Andy was standing by the cash register with his wife. They both gave a deep bow as Uncle passed. Ava saw him to the door and walked back. “Andy, can we have a word?”

“Sure,” he said, not budging.

Ava looked at his wife.

“She knows everything,” he said.

“Okay, I have a situation I need some help with. Could you get hold of Carlo and tell him I have a few days’ work for the two of you, starting, say, tomorrow morning?”

“No problem.”

“I’ll need you both to go to Macau, so bring your ID cards or passports.”

“No problem.”

“Five thousand a day okay?”

“Perfect.”

“Do you have binoculars?”

“No, but I know where to get a good pair.”

“How about a camera with a long-range lens?”

“I have my own.”

“Bring them with you. I’ll meet at the Macau Ferry terminal at ten o’clock.”

“Okay, boss. Good to be working with you again.”

“Same here, Andy.”