talking about the carbon-fibre containers as soon as they got into a taxi to go back to the Peninsula.
“I don’t think I can handle this right now,” Ava interrupted. “I’m jet-lagged and not processing very well.”
“Are you thinking about Xu’s problem?”
“A bit.”
“Have you started looking into it?”
“We have a contact who might provide us with some information. I don’t know yet what it is or what it’s worth.”
“You’ll tell me if you find something useful?”
“Of course.”
“Tomorrow I have to head back to Wuhan. There’s business there that needs attending to.”
“When does Amanda return to Hong Kong?”
“The day after tomorrow.”
“I’ll go to Pudong tomorrow and spend some time with her and the girls. I might even go to Hong Kong with her for a few days. There are some people I’d like to see.”
“There are a lot of people there who’d be happy to see you.”
“What time is your flight?”
“Early afternoon.”
“Let’s have breakfast before you leave.”
When they got to the hotel, Ava dragged herself through the lobby and up to her suite. She glanced at the room phone and then quickly checked her email. No word from Feng. She showered, slipped into a clean T-shirt and underwear, and fell into bed.
She had barely fallen asleep when her cellphone rang. She cursed softly, but reached for it.
“Ava Lee.”
“It’s Mummy.”
“Where are you?” Ava said, sitting up.
“At home. Did you get my text?”
“Yes, and thanks for the Italy offer.”
“Aren’t you going to ask me how much I won?”
“No,” Ava said.
“Close to forty thousand dollars, and Cindy and Maggie each won about twenty. The casino was happy to see us leave.”
“How many hours did you gamble?”
“Twelve or thirteen, but we took time out for dinner.”
“I can’t imagine sitting that long.”
“I’ve gone for as long as thirty-six hours.”
“I know,” Ava sighed.
“Anyway, I just got off the phone with Marian. I’m going to fly to Ottawa in a few days to spend some time with the girls and to get the trip to Disneyland organized. She won’t agree to anything without talking to Bruce, so I’ll be there when she asks. That will make it harder for him to say no.”
“I think that’s the best way to handle it.”
“And have you told Maria about Italy?”
“Mummy, with everything going on here, I’ve hardly had a chance to breathe.”
“Well, tell her as soon as you can. I’m going to the bank today to deposit thirty thousand.”
Ava started to ask about the other ten but then stopped herself. She had no doubts it would be reserved for mah-jong or baccarat, or both.
“She’ll be thrilled.”
“Good. Now I’m going to head to bed and try to get some sleep.”
Ava put down the phone with an enormous sense of relief. Her mother wasn’t poor by any means, but she tended to push the outer edges of her monthly income. Ava had offered, several times, to give her mother a substantial amount of money, but Jennie had declined. She had a husband whose obligation it was to look after her. If her children wanted to spoil her now and again, that was okay, but it was Marcus Lee’s responsibility to support her, and she wasn’t going to give him any excuse to avoid it.
Ava fell asleep almost at once and entered a dream in which she was arriving at an old, grungy airport. She had to fight to retrieve her bag from the carousel and then get past a long customs line, where male officers were making passengers undress. She began to prepare herself to resist. She wasn’t taking her clothes off for anyone, and if she had to fight she would. As she reached the first officer, two more appeared and the three of them stood side by side.
“Strip,” the one in the middle said.
“No.”
He turned his head and smiled at his colleagues. They started to move towards her, all of them grinning.
“Ava,” a familiar voice said.
Behind the officers materialized a
“I don’t think I can handle this right now,” Ava interrupted. “I’m jet-lagged and not processing very well.”
“Are you thinking about Xu’s problem?”
“A bit.”
“Have you started looking into it?”
“We have a contact who might provide us with some information. I don’t know yet what it is or what it’s worth.”
“You’ll tell me if you find something useful?”
“Of course.”
“Tomorrow I have to head back to Wuhan. There’s business there that needs attending to.”
“When does Amanda return to Hong Kong?”
“The day after tomorrow.”
“I’ll go to Pudong tomorrow and spend some time with her and the girls. I might even go to Hong Kong with her for a few days. There are some people I’d like to see.”
“There are a lot of people there who’d be happy to see you.”
“What time is your flight?”
“Early afternoon.”
“Let’s have breakfast before you leave.”
When they got to the hotel, Ava dragged herself through the lobby and up to her suite. She glanced at the room phone and then quickly checked her email. No word from Feng. She showered, slipped into a clean T-shirt and underwear, and fell into bed.
She had barely fallen asleep when her cellphone rang. She cursed softly, but reached for it.
“Ava Lee.”
“It’s Mummy.”
“Where are you?” Ava said, sitting up.
“At home. Did you get my text?”
“Yes, and thanks for the Italy offer.”
“Aren’t you going to ask me how much I won?”
“No,” Ava said.
“Close to forty thousand dollars, and Cindy and Maggie each won about twenty. The casino was happy to see us leave.”
“How many hours did you gamble?”
“Twelve or thirteen, but we took time out for dinner.”
“I can’t imagine sitting that long.”
“I’ve gone for as long as thirty-six hours.”
“I know,” Ava sighed.
“Anyway, I just got off the phone with Marian. I’m going to fly to Ottawa in a few days to spend some time with the girls and to get the trip to Disneyland organized. She won’t agree to anything without talking to Bruce, so I’ll be there when she asks. That will make it harder for him to say no.”
“I think that’s the best way to handle it.”
“And have you told Maria about Italy?”
“Mummy, with everything going on here, I’ve hardly had a chance to breathe.”
“Well, tell her as soon as you can. I’m going to the bank today to deposit thirty thousand.”
Ava started to ask about the other ten but then stopped herself. She had no doubts it would be reserved for mah-jong or baccarat, or both.
“She’ll be thrilled.”
“Good. Now I’m going to head to bed and try to get some sleep.”
Ava put down the phone with an enormous sense of relief. Her mother wasn’t poor by any means, but she tended to push the outer edges of her monthly income. Ava had offered, several times, to give her mother a substantial amount of money, but Jennie had declined. She had a husband whose obligation it was to look after her. If her children wanted to spoil her now and again, that was okay, but it was Marcus Lee’s responsibility to support her, and she wasn’t going to give him any excuse to avoid it.
Ava fell asleep almost at once and entered a dream in which she was arriving at an old, grungy airport. She had to fight to retrieve her bag from the carousel and then get past a long customs line, where male officers were making passengers undress. She began to prepare herself to resist. She wasn’t taking her clothes off for anyone, and if she had to fight she would. As she reached the first officer, two more appeared and the three of them stood side by side.
“Strip,” the one in the middle said.
“No.”
He turned his head and smiled at his colleagues. They started to move towards her, all of them grinning.
“Ava,” a familiar voice said.
Behind the officers materialized a
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