her own ability to rationalize so quickly.
Cape cut her off. “You don’t have to convince me,” he said. “I’d be a hypocrite to say I don’t approve, but I’d be a liar if I didn’t admit Sally has a different set of values from normal, law-abiding citizens. Hell, even from me, and I’m not very normal or very law abiding.”
“There’s nothing wrong with a woman defending herself,” said Linda half-heartedly. “Or others, for that matter.”
“I agree.” Cape held up his hands. “But let’s be honest—her school of self-defense believes in the pre-emptive strike. It’s more like a school of offense.”
Linda shook her head. “But if it was Sally, then she must have had a reason.”
“Absolutely.” Cape nodded. “She might be the most dangerous person I’ve ever met, but she’s not a sociopath. Like I told Beau, she’s one of the good guys. Sort of like Dirty Harry in a leotard.”
Linda frowned at the image. “But if she had a reason, wouldn’t she have told you?”
Cape had thought about that, too, and kept coming up with the same answer. “Not if it was personal.”
Linda didn’t say anything right away. They sat for a few minutes, alone in their own thoughts. Finally, Linda raised her eyes and caught Cape looking at her.
She said, “You’re going to find her.”
“Hopefully, before anyone else does.”
“Have you thought about talking with Freddie Wang?”
Freddie Wang was the local big man for the tongs, a genuine Chinese gangster who touted his connection to the Triads like some men bragged about the size of their dicks. He ran most of the gangs in Chinatown, acting as point man for the heroin smuggled in from Asia. He was also the bag man for the Triads’ distribution deals with the Mafia, but according to Sally, Freddie wasn’t the real power in Chinatown, just the face. Cape had crossed Freddie’s path before on another case, but he had Sally along as an interpreter. Even with her watching his back, the meeting had not gone well. If Freddie knew something about the refugee ship, Cape had no way to get him to talk.
Cape shrugged. “I might end up talking to Freddie, but I can’t start there. I need some kind of leverage.”
“Like what?”
“Like information,” replied Cape. “How’s the granola?”
Linda scowled. “Are you asking because of a genuine concern for my well-being, or was that a less-than-subtle attempt to remind me that you’re buying breakfast in return for a favor?”
Cape did his best to look wounded. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
“What do you need?”
“That’s the problem,” said Cape. “I don’t know where to start, so I want you to dig into anything you think might be relevant. The ship’s registry, for one. The containers onboard—what was in them, and what was supposed to be in them, according to the ship’s manifesto.”
Linda nodded as she pulled a small pad and pen from her purse. “What else?”
“The cop I talked to said these people came from Fuzhou,” said Cape. “That’s in the Fujian province of China.”
“So?”
“So what goes on there?” asked Cape. “If you live in that part of China, what do you do, and why would you leave?”
Linda looked up from her notebook. “This is gonna get pretty broad, as searches go,” she said. “You want me to get the Sloth involved?”
Cape smiled at the nickname. His friend Barry hadn’t used his given name for over a decade. Sloth was a genius trapped inside a body that could barely respond, only connecting with the world around him through computers. He could use them to talk, see things invisible to others, and go places forbidden to all but a select few. There wasn’t a network he couldn’t hack or security system he couldn’t breach without leaving a trace. And with Linda asking the questions, Sloth could tell you things about yourself even your own mother wouldn’t remember.
“Tell him I’ll come by,” said Cape. “As soon as I come up
Cape cut her off. “You don’t have to convince me,” he said. “I’d be a hypocrite to say I don’t approve, but I’d be a liar if I didn’t admit Sally has a different set of values from normal, law-abiding citizens. Hell, even from me, and I’m not very normal or very law abiding.”
“There’s nothing wrong with a woman defending herself,” said Linda half-heartedly. “Or others, for that matter.”
“I agree.” Cape held up his hands. “But let’s be honest—her school of self-defense believes in the pre-emptive strike. It’s more like a school of offense.”
Linda shook her head. “But if it was Sally, then she must have had a reason.”
“Absolutely.” Cape nodded. “She might be the most dangerous person I’ve ever met, but she’s not a sociopath. Like I told Beau, she’s one of the good guys. Sort of like Dirty Harry in a leotard.”
Linda frowned at the image. “But if she had a reason, wouldn’t she have told you?”
Cape had thought about that, too, and kept coming up with the same answer. “Not if it was personal.”
Linda didn’t say anything right away. They sat for a few minutes, alone in their own thoughts. Finally, Linda raised her eyes and caught Cape looking at her.
She said, “You’re going to find her.”
“Hopefully, before anyone else does.”
“Have you thought about talking with Freddie Wang?”
Freddie Wang was the local big man for the tongs, a genuine Chinese gangster who touted his connection to the Triads like some men bragged about the size of their dicks. He ran most of the gangs in Chinatown, acting as point man for the heroin smuggled in from Asia. He was also the bag man for the Triads’ distribution deals with the Mafia, but according to Sally, Freddie wasn’t the real power in Chinatown, just the face. Cape had crossed Freddie’s path before on another case, but he had Sally along as an interpreter. Even with her watching his back, the meeting had not gone well. If Freddie knew something about the refugee ship, Cape had no way to get him to talk.
Cape shrugged. “I might end up talking to Freddie, but I can’t start there. I need some kind of leverage.”
“Like what?”
“Like information,” replied Cape. “How’s the granola?”
Linda scowled. “Are you asking because of a genuine concern for my well-being, or was that a less-than-subtle attempt to remind me that you’re buying breakfast in return for a favor?”
Cape did his best to look wounded. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
“What do you need?”
“That’s the problem,” said Cape. “I don’t know where to start, so I want you to dig into anything you think might be relevant. The ship’s registry, for one. The containers onboard—what was in them, and what was supposed to be in them, according to the ship’s manifesto.”
Linda nodded as she pulled a small pad and pen from her purse. “What else?”
“The cop I talked to said these people came from Fuzhou,” said Cape. “That’s in the Fujian province of China.”
“So?”
“So what goes on there?” asked Cape. “If you live in that part of China, what do you do, and why would you leave?”
Linda looked up from her notebook. “This is gonna get pretty broad, as searches go,” she said. “You want me to get the Sloth involved?”
Cape smiled at the nickname. His friend Barry hadn’t used his given name for over a decade. Sloth was a genius trapped inside a body that could barely respond, only connecting with the world around him through computers. He could use them to talk, see things invisible to others, and go places forbidden to all but a select few. There wasn’t a network he couldn’t hack or security system he couldn’t breach without leaving a trace. And with Linda asking the questions, Sloth could tell you things about yourself even your own mother wouldn’t remember.
“Tell him I’ll come by,” said Cape. “As soon as I come up
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