The Mountain Master of Sha Tin, page 3
“Of course I can.”
“Then why don’t you take your bags to the guest bedroom while I finish cooking the seafood. Meet me in the kitchen.”
The house had three bedrooms, two upstairs and one on the ground floor. Auntie Grace and Xu slept upstairs, unless he had a female overnight guest. At those times Auntie slept downstairs. Ava had always slept in the guest room, and that’s where she led Fai. The room was small, with just enough space for a queen-size bed, a closet, a dresser, and two night tables. Across the hall was a bathroom with a single sink and shower stall.
“It isn’t fancy,” Ava said as she put down her bags at the foot of the bed.
“It’s about the same size as my bedroom in Beijing. Besides, who needs fancy? All we need is a bed,” Fai said. “I hope Auntie Grace isn’t uncomfortable with us sharing it.”
“If she is, she’ll let us know,” Ava said. “As Xu can attest, she isn’t bashful when it comes to sex.”
Fai looked at their bags. “Do you want to unpack now?”
“No. I don’t want to keep Auntie Grace waiting, and that dau miao is calling to me.”
( 3 )
The kitchen was Auntie Grace’s domain. When she wasn’t cooking, she was sitting at the kitchen table reading a magazine or newspaper or watching a Chinese soap opera on the small black-and-white television that sat on the counter. On this occasion she was cooking at the gas stove with her back turned to the door. There were two woks on the stove. Ava moved behind Auntie and peeked into them. In one there was the familiar dark green sheen of dau miao — pea shoots that Auntie fried with garlic — and in the other, pink shrimp and plump white scallops mixed with golden yellow noodles.
“Take a chair. I’ll be finished in moment,” Auntie said. “There’s beer and white wine in the fridge, and if you want something stronger, Xu has Scotch in the living room.”
Ava opened the fridge. “There’s Tsingtao beer or Pinot Grigio,” she said.
“I’ll have a beer,” Fai said.
They sat at the rectangular wooden table, which had two settings of plates and chopsticks. Fai raised her glass. “Ganbei,” she said.
“Good health to us all, especially Xu,” Ava said, and took a large sip of her wine.
Fai looked around. “This reminds me of my family’s kitchen in Yantai. It has the same kind of rice cooker and, I swear, the same brand of hot-water Thermos.”
“It wouldn’t be a Chinese kitchen without a rice cooker or Thermos,” Ava said.
“Do you have them in Toronto?” Fai asked.
“Yes, but I hardly use the cooker. I’m not very active in the kitchen.”
“As you know, I’m no better.”
“Neither of you needs to be,” Auntie Grace said loudly.
“Thank goodness we have you,” Ava said.
Auntie spooned the wok contents onto platters and carried them to the table.
Ava and Fai dug in, their chopsticks in constant motion until the dau miao was reduced to several shrunken pea shoots and the few noodles that were left sat in a shallow pool of oyster sauce. Fai finished her beer halfway through and Auntie replaced it without her asking. The bottle of Pinot Grigio sat on the table and Ava refilled her glass twice.
“That was a wonderful meal,” Fai said.
Auntie had sat at the table while they ate. As they put down their chopsticks, she smiled and looked curiously at Fai, something she’d done several times during the meal.
“I’ve noticed that you’ve been staring at Fai,” Ava said.
“How can I not?” Auntie Grace said. “When you’ve seen someone larger than life on a movie screen and then suddenly that same person is sitting at your kitchen table, it takes some getting used to.”
“I told you about Fai,” Ava said.
“I know, but you telling me and her being here are two different things. And I mean that in a nice way,” Auntie said, and then turned to Fai. “I always thought you were beautiful, but you can’t help wondering if that’s the magic of movies. Now I see it’s not. You look exactly like you do on screen. If anything, you are more beautiful in person.”
“Thank you, Auntie, for being so kind, in both what you said and the way you’ve received me as a guest in your house,” Fai said. “But I have no doubt that over the next few days you’ll see me in many other lights — not all of them favourable.”
“You aren’t a guest,” Auntie Grace said. “You are Ava’s partner, and that makes you part of this family.”
“Thank you for that as well.”
Ava yawned. It caught her by surprise and she said quickly, “Excuse me.”
“Ava is bored with our conversation,” Fai said, laughing.
“That’s not true. What I am is tired,” Ava said. “Auntie, Fai and I have had a very stressful week in Beijing, which we’re just putting behind us. Xu’s illness has been weighing on me as well. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll head to bed.”
“You go. Both of you go,” Auntie said.
“Can I help you clean the kitchen?” Fai said.
“No. As Ava knows, it happens to be a chore I enjoy, and one I prefer to do alone.”
Ava stood and walked over to Auntie Grace. She bent and wrapped her arms around the older woman. “I do love you, Auntie.”
“I know you do. Now off to bed with you.”
Ava and Fai left the kitchen and went directly to their bedroom. When they reached it, Fai flopped onto the bed. “I’m so full I can hardly move,” she said.
“That’s the way it is here. Auntie Grace won’t be happy until we’re both complaining that we’re ready to burst.”
“Will you still love me when I’m fat?” Fai laughed.
“I’m the one more likely to get fat,” Ava said and began to undress. “Are you going to shower?”
“I’m too tired.”
“Me too.”
“Two unwashed women together in bed. What could they possibly get up to?” Fai said.
“Let’s find out,” Ava said, and then froze as her phone rang.
“Leave it,” Fai said.
“I can’t. It could be Suen or Sonny,” said Ava reaching for her device. “Wei.”
“It’s Sonny. We have trouble here.”
“Shit,” Ava said, sitting up on the side of the bed. “What’s going on?”
“Ko just got a phone call from Carter Wing. The Sha Tin crew has picked up seven of Lop’s men off the streets and are holding them hostage. Carter gave Ko twenty-four hours to start vacating Wanchai, or the men will be killed.”
“God, that’s going to create a mess.”
“At least the men aren’t dead yet.”
“And I guess that confirms who’s behind Lop’s shooting,” Ava said, not ready to grapple with the complexity presented by the abduction of seven men. “Why did Carter call Ko, not Xu or Suen?”
“Maybe he tried and wasn’t successful.”
Ava paused, knowing Sonny was most likely correct. “What did Ko tell Carter?”
“He said he would have to get back to him, but that if any harm came to the men there would be retaliation.”
“Under the circumstances, I guess that’s as good a response as we could expect.”
“Ko is really stressed out.”
“That’s understandable,” Ava said. “But why did he call you instead of Suen?”
“He called and texted him, but Suen didn’t respond, so he called me. He must figure I’m more connected than I actually am.”
“Right now you actually are more connected than anyone to both sides of this dispute.”
“You know I’m not a decision-maker,” Sonny said. “What do you want me to do?”
“Tell Ko to sit tight. We have twenty-four hours. I need to talk to Suen, and hopefully Xu. We’ll come up with some kind of plan.”
“Okay, boss.”
“Then reach out to Andy and ask him what he’s heard. He’s the only person we have who is even remotely close to the Sha Tin gang.”
“I will.”
“And keep your phone with you.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t be sleeping tonight until I hear from you again.”
“You can sleep. I don’t imagine we’ll have that quick an answer from this end.”
“I couldn’t sleep even if I wanted to. My adrenalin is pumping like mad.”
“Keep it under control.”
“I wouldn’t do anything without your go-ahead.”
“I didn’t mean to suggest otherwise.”
“I know.”
“I’ll talk to you as soon there’s some news,” Ava said, ending the call.
Fai stared at her. “That didn’t sound very good.”
“The problem in Hong Kong just got far more complicated.”
“I have a feeling you’re going to be travelling there.”
“It isn’t something I want to do,” Ava said.
“Is there room for me on the trip, if you do go?”
“Not when I think about the problems I may have to deal with,” Ava said. Then she saw she had an incoming call from Suen. “Wei.”
“Have you spoken to Sonny?” he said, bypassing his normal polite greeting.
“Yes. And I assume from this call that you’ve talked to Ko.”
“I did. I missed his first call. He told me he reached out to Sonny and that Sonny was going to phone you, so I guess we’re both up-to-date.”
“What are you going to do about the hostages?” Ava asked.
“I told Ko to try to locate our men without making the situation any worse than it is, but until I talk to Xu that’s all I feel comfortable doing,” Suen said. “I think you should be part of that conversation.”
“We can’t talk to him until tomorrow morning.”
“I know. And my biggest fear is that he still won’t be mentally alert.”
“What if that’s the case?” Ava asked.
“I’ve spoken to Feng, the White Paper Fan. I asked him to contact the rest of the executive and have them on standby tomorrow morning for a meeting.”
“I know Feng. I worked with him on a project a few years ago. He’s a good man.”
“I told him you’re here. He was pleased to hear it.”
Ava’s mind returned to the problem in Hong Kong. “Suen, now we know it’s Carter Wing and the Sha Tin gang making the move on you, have you had a chance to think about your options?”
“If we were only dealing with the Lop situation it would be easier, but those seven men they’re holding are a huge problem.”
“Do you really think they’d harm them? Isn’t it more logical that they’re bargaining chips?”
“I’m not so sure. When we took over Wanchai, we killed far more than six of Sammy’s men,” said Suen. “This could be payback.”
“But those deaths were a reaction to Sammy’s attempt on Xu’s life.”
“I’m sure that’s been forgotten by now. Triad memories are notoriously short when it comes to the crap their gangs commit, and awfully long when it comes to remembering things done to them. I imagine Sammy Wing has been stewing and planning to get back at us since the day we displaced him.”
“Sonny thinks Xu should have killed Sammy back then.”
“Sonny isn’t wrong, but it’s too late to fix that now.”
Suen’s response was the closest thing to criticism of Xu she’d ever heard him utter. “Hindsight is always perfect,” she said. “At the time, leaving him alive seemed like the best choice.”
“I know it was. And if Sammy had any sense he could have spent his final years relaxing as the Mountain Master of Wanchai.”
“I guess he doesn’t like being a figurehead. He still wants to be the real thing.”
“That’s stupid.”
“Stupid or not, it’s a gamble he’s evidently decided to take.”
Suen hesitated and then said, “I’ll be in touch if anything happens tonight. Otherwise, I’ll see you at nine-thirty tomorrow morning.”
Ava put her phone on the night table. “I have to leave it on, but I’m not expecting any more calls.”
“I’m almost jealous. There are so many people who want your time and attention,” said Fai.
“There’s only one person who’s going to get that for the rest of this night.”
( 4 )
Ava woke at just past seven a.m., a naked Fai wrapped around her. She gently moved Fai’s arm, slid from the bed, put on a T-shirt and underpants, and tiptoed from the room. She closed the door quietly behind her and crossed the hallway to the bathroom. Five minutes later she walked into the kitchen to find Auntie Grace sitting at the table. As soon as the older woman saw her, she got to her feet and walked to the Thermos, which had two mugs and a jar of Nescafé instant coffee sitting next to it. Ava was familiar with the routine, so she sat at the table while Auntie made her a coffee.
“How did you sleep?” Auntie Grace asked as she put the mug in front of Ava.
“Like a log. I was exhausted.”
“I’ve been so worried that I’ve hardly slept since Xu became ill.”
“He’s going to recover and he’ll be home before you know it.”
“Having you here makes it easier.”
Ava thought about her phone conversation with Suen and felt a twinge of guilt. “Auntie, there may be a business problem in Hong Kong that I have to attend to.”
“You might have to go there?”
“It is possible.”
“What kind of problem?”
“It’s related to Xu, but I was involved in it.”
“It can’t be handled by Lop or Suen?”
“Lop has been shot, and Suen is unsure about what to do,” Ava said, seeing no reason to hide the truth. “We’re hoping Xu will be able to give us some advice when we see him this morning.”
“Is Lop dead?” Auntie Grace said, alarmed.
“No.”
“Thank goodness. I’ve known him since he was a little boy. His father was one of Xu’s father’s best men.”
“But he was badly hurt and he isn’t in any shape to handle this problem.”
“Is it complicated?”
“It could be.”
“Then that probably excludes Suen as well. He isn’t much good at handling complications.”
“If I go, it isn’t because Suen isn’t capable,” Ava said. “It’s more that I’m familiar with the history and the people who are involved.”
“When will you decide if you’re going?”
“After I talk to Xu this morning.”
“Does Fai know about this?”
“She knows it’s a possibility,” Ava said.
“Would she go with you?”
“No.”
Auntie Grace pressed her lips together. “Would you come back here after Hong Kong?”
“I imagine I would.”
“Then Fai can stay with me until you do.”
“Once I know for sure what I’m doing, we can have that conversation.”
“Once you know what?” Fai said from the kitchen doorway.
“Whether or not I have to go to Hong Kong,” Ava said.
“From the sound of things last night, I’ll be surprised if she doesn’t go,” Fai said to Auntie.
“And I was telling her that if she does, you can stay here with me until she gets back,” Auntie said.
“I’d like that,” Fai said.
“The two of you sound like you can hardly wait for me to leave,” Ava said with a laugh.
“Well, we’d get a chance to know each other better,” Auntie said. “I don’t see how that could be a bad thing.”
Ava started to say something but was interrupted by her phone. “Suen, is everything okay? Are we still on for nine-thirty?” she asked.
“No, that’s why I’m calling. I’m going directly to the hospital from our offices. I’ve spoken to Wen. He’ll drive you to the hospital.”
“Has something happened?” she asked, detecting stress in his voice.
“Everything is totally fucked up,” he blurted.
“You’ll need to explain.”
“The Wings have threatened to kill one of the hostages by noon today.”
“How do you know that?”
“Carter Wing just phoned me. He said he’s been trying to reach Xu, and he’s convinced Xu is deliberately avoiding him. He said he hopes Xu will start to take them more seriously.”
“It was Carter who called you, not Sammy?”
“It was Carter, and the nasty little son of a bitch couldn’t have been more insulting.”
“How did you respond? What did you say about Xu?”
“I didn’t know what to say, so I said hardly anything. I listened, and when he was finished, all I told him was that I’d pass the message along to Xu.”
“Under the circumstances, that was wise.”
“Except we can’t do nothing. We have to react. I’ve called an executive meeting.”
“Suen, it isn’t my place to tell you what to do, but I strongly suggest that you not make any drastic decisions before you talk to Xu,” Ava said. “There is a chance he’ll be more alert this morning, and I think you should hold off doing anything until we confirm his condition. This falling-out with the Wings could have far-reaching implications. Xu needs to be given every opportunity to speak his mind.”
Suen was silent for several seconds. “I know you’re right,” he finally said hesitantly. “It’s just that Carter made me so fucking angry.”
“I understand why, and god knows you may get a chance to retaliate, but for now why don’t you go to the hospital at nine-thirty as we planned. If Xu isn’t himself, then you still have time to hold your meeting.”
“Yeah, that makes sense.”
“Okay then, I’ll see you at the hospital,” Ava said, ending the call. When she put down her phone, she saw Fai and Auntie Grace looking at her with questions in their eyes. “That was Suen. He has some problems to deal with and wanted to say he won’t be driving with me to the hospital.”
