The Profit Motive, page 9
part #2 of Sterling and Mason Series
“I thought it was a hit-and-run? How did his laptop go missing?”
At least Rong had the good sense not to blab his theories to these two. “We think it disappeared from his room after he failed to return. I’m sure it’s nothing to do with his accident but we’re concerned in case it contained valuable information.”
“Oh, right… I’m not sure. You might be better asking Kate.”
“I spoke to Mr Hetherington about his laptop last time he came,” Chu said. “He only kept current business contacts on there. He’d lost one before and was cautious.”
“Did he use a password?” Jie said.
“Yes. It had good security because he kept his bank details and the pin numbers for his cards on it. I told him it was unwise but he couldn’t remember them.”
“Check those accounts as soon as possible and let me know if anyone’s accessed them.” Jie handed Stevens a business card.
If the man who’d carried out the attack took the laptop, this could be a good lead, and they needed one. He wondered how Tang was getting on.
CHAPTER 13
Manchester
Kate finished the call to the British Consul in Shanghai and studied the piece of paper she’d scribbled the name and number on. Despite the motion of the car, she’d made a good job of it.
“Everything okay?” Adam said.
“Yes, he’s given me the name of the policeman in charge.” She wondered again what the hell she was doing, sitting in a car with a man she’d just met, while Oliver lay in hospital thousands of miles away. Adam drove past Piccadilly railway station and turned right, weaving in and out of the narrow streets lined with nineteenth century industrial buildings and sixties monstrosities.
“Here we are,” he said, easing the TR6 into a loading bay alongside a scruffy-looking mill and turning off the engine.
Kate pushed her door open and swung her legs out. A sharp pain spiked through her knee when she put weight on it. This was going to be difficult.
“Here let me help you.” Adam stood beside her and offered his hand.
She gripped his wrist and he boosted her out, making it look effortless. She flexed her knee as she studied the soot-stained brickwork and peeling paint.
“What do you think?” Adam said.
“It looks… interesting.”
“It looks a dump, but don’t be fooled. Mum brought us here when I was eleven and one of my brothers started crying, refused to go in.”
She realised she knew next to nothing about him. “You sure it wasn’t you?”
Adam laughed. “You got me.”
“How come it’s here?”
“Not in Chinatown, you mean? Uncle Sammy likes to confound expectations. Come on, this way.” He led her past grimy windows protected by solid metal bars, to a doorway under a stone arch.
The two leaves of the door had thick steel plate riveted on them. Adam pressed the call button on the aluminium intercom box mounted on the wall beside it and the box emitted an indecipherable squawk. Adam responded and a buzzer sounded. He pushed open the right leaf and gestured for Kate to go in.
Despite the bright sunlight, little of it penetrated the gloom inside and a musty smell of damp stone filled the air. The small barred window above the door looked like they’d last cleaned it when they’d put it in. Adam pressed a light switch inside the door and a dim glow illuminated the painted brick walls. The square space had a door each side, metal concertina doors in front of her and a bare stone staircase to the left.
“Third floor. I usually walk but will your knee be okay?”
“Sure,” Kate said and led the way. She wasn’t looking forward to the climb, but the lift didn’t look too inviting. By the time they reached the third floor, it felt like someone was shoving red hot needles into her knee.
A figure waited in the open doorway. Of medium height with a broad flat face, he looked younger than she expected. Not as tall as Adam, he had a similar muscular build and looked like he ran up those stairs every morning. He wore shapeless dark overalls and solid-looking work-boots.
“Adam welcome, and your friend.” He stepped forward smiling, enveloped her hand in both of his and bowed. “Sammy Leung. Pleased to meet you.”
“Kate Hetherington.”
He released her and gave Adam a hug before moving aside and letting them into a gloomy corridor. Green linoleum of great vintage covered the floor and scarred wood-chip paper, painted a strange shade of blue, the walls. Security cameras mounted in the corners at ceiling height looked like the only changes made in the last fifty years.
Sammy led them through a simple-looking door with a pine-effect vinyl covering. The door closed behind them with a soft click. The contrast couldn’t have been greater. Dark timber panelling lined the walls and luxurious rugs covered the floors. Opulent pieces of furniture lay scattered around the large room and the scent of incense filled the air.
“It’s been a long time, Adam,” Sammy said. “You don’t come and see your old uncle often enough, young man.”
“Sorry, Uncle, I’ve been very busy.”
“Busy. You young people don’t know what busy means.” He gave Adam a light punch on his shoulder. “At least you’ve brought me a beautiful visitor.” He bowed to Kate again. “Please sit.” He pointed to a hideous sofa in dark wood and deep red velvet. “Tea, coffee?” he asked as they took their seats.
“Coffee, please,” Kate said, but Adam made frantic signals suggesting she refused.
“Young man, I can see you. Ignore him Kate, he has no manners. You can change your mind.”
“Can I have the tea?”
“Good choice, young lady. I haven’t succumbed to the fad for coffee and, as a consequence, haven’t mastered the art of making it.” He left the room by another door.
Kate wasn’t sure what to make of Adam’s uncle. Before arriving she’d expected a wheeler dealer type. “He’s nice,” she whispered.
Sammy returned, not making a sound as he entered the room. “It’s on its way,” he announced and sat facing them. “Adam tells me you want me to help you glean information from a source in the old country.”
Kate hesitated, unwilling to share her concerns with another man she’d only just met. What reason do I have for not trusting him? “I’d like you to speak to a policeman. Here’s his number.” She handed him the piece of paper.
Sammy read it. “What do you want me to ask him?”
Kate gave him the information she’d gathered so far. “I need to know if what happened was an accident or if it had something to do with…” She glanced at the door, assailed by doubts. This was a mistake, she shouldn’t have involved Adam. What was she thinking? Oliver had taught them to solve their own problems, but he’d told her not to speak to anyone at work and this wasn’t something she could share with her sister. She needed this man’s help.
“Young lady, whatever you say will never leave this room.” Sammy nodded at the door. “Once that’s closed, nobody outside this room can hear anything said in here.”
She glanced at Adam.
“My nephew may seem callow and reckless but he is very discreet and you can trust him implicitly.”
“Yes… of course, I wasn’t suggesting…” She took a deep breath and, with a silent apology to Oliver, told Sammy her fears. She finished, feeling lighter but also like she’d betrayed her father.
Sammy got up and walked over to an alcove she hadn’t noticed. In it stood a large desk with a computer on it and a black Herman Miller chair behind it. He sat down and produced a sleek white and silver handset from a drawer. He punched the numbers into a keyboard. Someone answered and he replied in Mandarin. She recognised the greetings but his rapid speech soon left her basic understanding of the language behind.
A middle-aged Chinese woman appeared with a tray and placed it on the coffee table in front of them. Adam greeted her in silence and, after directing a smile at Kate, she glided out of the room.
“Green tea okay?” Adam whispered.
“Sure.”
Sammy laughed and spoke for a few more minutes, sounding like he was getting on well with the person on the other end. He ended the call and sat looking thoughtful. Adam filled another cup and took it to him.
“Thank you, Adam.” He took a sip. “An interesting man, Senior Inspector Jie Gang. That’s the same rank as your good lady, Adam. You know Gang means solid, unyielding. A man who won’t give up.”
“What did he say?” Adam said.
“I’m afraid your concerns seem well founded, Kate.”
Her stomach did a somersault.
“Sorry,” Sammy said, and gave her a rundown of Jie’s fears.
A weight settled across her shoulders as she listened. When he finished, she was surprised to find herself holding Adam’s hand. “Wow.” She took a stuttering breath, at a loss how to respond.
“You have to understand the way the police work in China is not the same as here. They rely a lot on confessions and informers, not always too reliable, I’m afraid. He might be jumping to conclusions.”
Kate had enough dealings with the police in China to understand their priorities didn’t always coincide with those of the victim. “I understand. Did you trust him?”
“Yes, I did. I know we only had a short conversation, but he seemed open and straightforward. A man I could do business with.”
“What if he’s right?”
Adam squeezed her hand. “You need to get a team of guards on your father.”
“But the police are guarding—”
“No disrespect to the Chinese police but I’d feel more comfortable having someone independent.”
“Adam’s right,” Sammy said. “I’d trust Jie but…”
A feeling of helplessness washed over her. She had no idea how to go about securing the services of bodyguards.
“The inspector also suggested getting your dad out as a matter of urgency.”
Her mind went blank, then she remembered. “We have medical insurance. It includes emergency repatriation. I’ll get onto them straight away.” This was something she could do.
The notion of someone trying to kill her father defied belief. These things didn’t happen to ordinary people. The thought they wouldn’t get Oliver out in time paralysed her with fear.
Adam manoeuvred his car through the city centre, listening to Kate as she completed her call to TravelMed, her company’s medical insurer. The moment of weakness when she’d clung to him seemed to have passed: the lost girl she’d appeared to be at that instant gone and in her place the self-possessed business-woman. She ended the call and stared out of the window.
Adam waited, then said, “What did they say?”
“What?” She sounded irritated. “Oh, they’re speaking to their man on the ground in Shanghai.”
He waited for her to continue. “And?”
“They’ll get back to me.”
Sorry I asked. She grimaced and massaged her knee, reminding him she not only had to deal with the problem with her father, but was recovering from a serious RTA. Cut her some slack.
“What are you going to do if they can’t move him straight away?” Did Byron know any security companies in China? He recalled one of their old comrades had set up in Hong Kong.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, if—” He stopped himself saying ‘if he’s too badly injured to move’ and changed it to, “If they haven’t got the staff or vehicles to collect him.”
“They’re a big company—” The shrill ringing of her phone interrupted her.
“That was quick,” he said.
“It’s Eric.” She took the call. “Has anything happened?” She sounded apprehensive and whatever Eric said didn’t seem to ease her concern.
How would he deal with it if something like this happened to his father? Adam couldn’t imagine it: the old man seemed indestructible.
She ended the call. “Sorry, Adam.”
“What for?”
“Being short with you.”
He smiled at her. “Apology accepted. What did Eric want?”
“Dad’s laptop’s gone from his room and whoever stole it has accessed our accounts. There’s seven grand stolen from an expenses account and they’ve put about four on Dad’s corporate card.”
“A bit careless leaving the details on—”
“It’s password protected and should be almost unbreakable.”
“Did he always use the password?”
“Of course.” Her brown eyes narrowed and spots of colour appeared on her cheeks. “Dad always made sure he locked it.”
“I didn’t mean… Sorry.” She didn’t respond, so he asked, “What else is on it?”
“Just his email and whatever he needed for the trip. He made sure he kept a minimum of information on it in case it got stolen.”
Yeah, okay, I get it. Sorry I questioned his competence. “Did the police say who they thought stole it? I mean is it linked to the… what’s happened to him?”
“They told Eric an opportunist thief at the hotel took it, but he still thinks it’s an accident so he wouldn’t have questioned that.”
“I’ll ask Sammy to speak to Jie—”
“What does it matter? So they stole a few grand. Compared to what they did to Dad…” The lost girl reappeared as her voice broke and tears welled up in her eyes, but the business-woman soon dismissed her.
“They can trace the money, find out who’s got it and if they’ve used his card, they’ll have left a trail. If it’s the same people…”
“Yes, you’re right, sorry.” She squeezed his knee. “You’re not just a pretty face.”
Adam didn’t react. “I’ll ring him once I’ve taken you home.”
“Thanks.” She fell silent for a few minutes then said, “Adam, all the stuff I told you and Sammy, about the company… I’d rather you didn’t say—”
“As Sammy said, you can trust me to keep my mouth shut.”
They drove the rest of the way in uncomfortable silence until he pulled up in front of her office.
“Thanks, Adam, for everything.”
“No problem. I’ll ring you once Sammy’s spoken to Jie again.”
He’d get lunch then go to the travel agent. Although he’d offered to help Kate, her unpredictability was doing his head in and, although he couldn’t really afford it, he needed to get away.
CHAPTER 14
Manchester
Kate made herself a coffee and sat at her computer to check her emails. She’d left it logged in. The call from Eric must have distracted her. The myriad unopened messages reminded her life continued. She scanned them and moved those she thought unimportant into a pending file. Less than a dozen remained.
As she read them she thought of Adam, regretting she’d been brusque with him. He was trying to help, but she always pushed against men who tried to protect her.
She finished reading the last message then looked for the email from this morning. It had been from an unfamiliar Hotmail account but the subject had been ‘Kate, urgent!!!’ and she’d moved it to her junk folder until someone from IT could check it for viruses. The junk folder was empty. She checked the virus vault and deleted message folder. Both were empty, but she’d deleted several items this morning. Where had they gone?
She checked the recycle bin. Empty. Unease made the skin on her neck tighten. She summoned Christina, who looked like she’d aged ten years since this morning.
“Has anyone been in my office?” Kate said, sure her assistant wouldn’t have deleted any messages.
“No, dear, is anything—”
“What about Daniel?”
“He didn’t come through my office.” Christina pursed her lips.
Kate reviewed her actions of this morning. She’d used the outer door to go down to greet Adam. She checked it. Still unlocked, something which wouldn’t usually matter but now…
Christina said, “Anyway, why would Daniel delete anything?”
“He wouldn’t.” Kate exhaled in frustration. Anyone might have come in.
“At least there’s a copy on the server, I’ll get Stephan to download it for you. Who sent it?”
“I’m not... don’t worry, I’ll do it. Thank you, Christina.”
Why hadn’t she thought of that? Christina closed the door and Kate rang the IT department, explaining she’d accidentally deleted an email. The thought someone in the company might have done it made her insides twist. Ten minutes later, a batch of emails arrived, all copies of messages in her browser or junk she’d deleted.
She rang IT again. “Stefan, are these all the mails for me this morning?”
“Yup.”
A wave of panic made her dizzy.
“Do you want me to check with our ISP? They’ll have copies of everything.”
“Yes, please.” Another thought struck her. “And can you check if anything’s been deleted from the server?”
“Why would—?”
“Can you do it? Please.”
“I wouldn’t be able to recover the message, but I can tell if one’s missing.”
“Thank you.”
Kate ended the call, a hollow sensation in her chest. What was on the message and why would anyone delete it? Especially Daniel. Had she imagined it? Maybe the blow to her head had caused more damage than she suspected.
She told herself to calm down. She opened the new contract she needed to read, but couldn’t concentrate. Why the hell hadn’t TravelMed got back to her? She needed to tell the staff about Oliver before rumours started. Christina would keep her mouth shut, but Eric wouldn’t. A headache started behind her eyes.
Stefan called back. He sounded concerned. “Kate, someone deleted one message this afternoon from both server and ISP at thirteen forty seven. Quite a big one from China, probably images.”
Kate’s stomach dropped. “Do we know who sent it?” At least it proved Daniel couldn’t have deleted it.
“We might be able to trace it back but, I’ll be honest, it’s not my forte. We’d need to get a specialist company.”
Kate wasn’t ready to escalate this by calling in outside consultants. “Is there any way we can find out who deleted it?”
