face.
‘Gynanders?’
‘Women who want to be men. I don’t treat them. Not my field.’
‘Good, we will pay them a visit.’
‘Please don’t tell them that I told you, my business…’
The doctor had reached across his desk and touched the Inspector’s arm. Danilov looked down at the hand on his sleeve and gently removed it, placing it back on the oak desk. ‘Mr Sellars had a tattoo on the inside of his wrist. A verse from the bible.’
‘He asked me to help him get rid of it. Something he had done when he was a member of some religious group. The Children of God. American missionaries. I tried to remove it, but tattoos are difficult…’ He shrugged his shoulders.
‘Thank you, Doctor. You have been most helpful.’ Danilov stood up and strolled across the room to the door. Just before he opened it, he turned as if remembering something. ‘One last question.’
‘Yes, Inspector,’ answered Dr Lamarr. The pen was spinning again.
‘It’s strange you haven’t asked me what happened to Mr Sellars.’
The pen began to spin faster. ‘I thought you had arrested him and maybe he had given you my name.’
‘No, Doctor. He never mentioned you. Mr Sellars is dead, you see. Murdered. Not far from here, in Soochow Creek.’
Danilov opened the door and left, followed by Strachan.
The doctor sat behind his desk, his mouth open. The spinning pen fell from his fingers, splattering the elegant oak desk with drops of expensive mauve ink.
Chapter 10
Ah Yi Kao decided to go to the park that afternoon. It was a wonderfully clear day, the sun was shining and a slight breeze had blown away most of the coal smoke that clouded the skies during the winter. It would be good to get out of the house. The child was fretting and fidgeting, unable to run around. And how this child loved to run.
This was the third child she had looked after for the family, cooking the young ones’ food, enjoying afternoon naps with them, keeping them amused while the father made money and the mother spent it. The other two children were away at school now. She had just the one child left to look after. A proper handful he was turning out to be.
It would be good to get out of the house this afternoon. She packed a flask of warm
congee
and a few dough sticks for the child. He might get hungry when they were at the park. He was two years old and had just discovered he had legs; they were very useful when you wanted to run and, if you moved them quickly, they took you to places Ah Yi didn’t want you to go.
The mother wasn’t too keen when she told her she was going out that afternoon, but she didn’t say no. When it came to children, Ah Yi Kao always knew best. Better than any mother, of that she was sure.
She put the food, a small ball, and a bag full of towels, water, cloths for wiping his face, and an extra coat into the rack beneath the stroller. This stroller was her pride and joy. None of the other Ah Yis had anything like it. It had been imported from the USA, and she often paraded up and down outside the house in Sichuan Street, just to show off its shiny chromium wheels and handle, and the bright yellow hood. How she polished that stroller. It had to look its best when she went out with her child.
She dressed the child in warm clothes even though it wasn’t cold outside. A blue jumper she had knitted herself topped with a crimson padded jacket and matching trousers. She placed a warm, knitted hat on the child’s head, tying it beneath his double chin. Better to be safe than sorry. He stared up at her with his big dark eyes and round rosy cheeks, anticipation etched on his face. He loved going out. She pinched one of his cheeks for good luck.
‘Time to go, Xiao Ming,’ she said in Shanghainese. He struggled a little as she picked him up but as soon as she put him in the stroller, he sat there as quiet as Buddha.
They left the house, turning right at the end of the road and walking down Pekin Street towards the Bund. At
‘Gynanders?’
‘Women who want to be men. I don’t treat them. Not my field.’
‘Good, we will pay them a visit.’
‘Please don’t tell them that I told you, my business…’
The doctor had reached across his desk and touched the Inspector’s arm. Danilov looked down at the hand on his sleeve and gently removed it, placing it back on the oak desk. ‘Mr Sellars had a tattoo on the inside of his wrist. A verse from the bible.’
‘He asked me to help him get rid of it. Something he had done when he was a member of some religious group. The Children of God. American missionaries. I tried to remove it, but tattoos are difficult…’ He shrugged his shoulders.
‘Thank you, Doctor. You have been most helpful.’ Danilov stood up and strolled across the room to the door. Just before he opened it, he turned as if remembering something. ‘One last question.’
‘Yes, Inspector,’ answered Dr Lamarr. The pen was spinning again.
‘It’s strange you haven’t asked me what happened to Mr Sellars.’
The pen began to spin faster. ‘I thought you had arrested him and maybe he had given you my name.’
‘No, Doctor. He never mentioned you. Mr Sellars is dead, you see. Murdered. Not far from here, in Soochow Creek.’
Danilov opened the door and left, followed by Strachan.
The doctor sat behind his desk, his mouth open. The spinning pen fell from his fingers, splattering the elegant oak desk with drops of expensive mauve ink.
Chapter 10
Ah Yi Kao decided to go to the park that afternoon. It was a wonderfully clear day, the sun was shining and a slight breeze had blown away most of the coal smoke that clouded the skies during the winter. It would be good to get out of the house. The child was fretting and fidgeting, unable to run around. And how this child loved to run.
This was the third child she had looked after for the family, cooking the young ones’ food, enjoying afternoon naps with them, keeping them amused while the father made money and the mother spent it. The other two children were away at school now. She had just the one child left to look after. A proper handful he was turning out to be.
It would be good to get out of the house this afternoon. She packed a flask of warm
congee
and a few dough sticks for the child. He might get hungry when they were at the park. He was two years old and had just discovered he had legs; they were very useful when you wanted to run and, if you moved them quickly, they took you to places Ah Yi didn’t want you to go.
The mother wasn’t too keen when she told her she was going out that afternoon, but she didn’t say no. When it came to children, Ah Yi Kao always knew best. Better than any mother, of that she was sure.
She put the food, a small ball, and a bag full of towels, water, cloths for wiping his face, and an extra coat into the rack beneath the stroller. This stroller was her pride and joy. None of the other Ah Yis had anything like it. It had been imported from the USA, and she often paraded up and down outside the house in Sichuan Street, just to show off its shiny chromium wheels and handle, and the bright yellow hood. How she polished that stroller. It had to look its best when she went out with her child.
She dressed the child in warm clothes even though it wasn’t cold outside. A blue jumper she had knitted herself topped with a crimson padded jacket and matching trousers. She placed a warm, knitted hat on the child’s head, tying it beneath his double chin. Better to be safe than sorry. He stared up at her with his big dark eyes and round rosy cheeks, anticipation etched on his face. He loved going out. She pinched one of his cheeks for good luck.
‘Time to go, Xiao Ming,’ she said in Shanghainese. He struggled a little as she picked him up but as soon as she put him in the stroller, he sat there as quiet as Buddha.
They left the house, turning right at the end of the road and walking down Pekin Street towards the Bund. At
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