“If I am not wrong,” Chen said, tearing open the small red envelope Xia had given him, “this is the key to the side door of his office. Oh, there’s a drawing of the parking spot, too.”
“She gave the key to you!” Yu was amazed. Peiqin might be right about Chen’s problem with women, but he surely had a way with them too.
“If you don’t find anything in the car, drive it to his office building. Security will recognize the car and let you in. According to the drawing, you can park in the corner spot and get in through the side door. No one will see you.”
“No one will see me. I see. But what are you going to do with Jia?”
“I’ll take him to a restaurant on Henshan Road. Here is the address. Have some plainclothes cops outside, but tell them not to do anything until I give the order.”
“But will he agree to meet you? It’s already Thursday afternoon. He must have a plan for the night, and for the trial tomorrow.”
“Let’s find out.” Chen reached for his phone, pushing the loudspeaker button for Yu’s benefit. “Hello, I want to speak Mr. Jia Ming.”
“This is he.” It was a voice full of assurance and confidence.
“This is Chief Inspector Chen Cao, of the Shanghai Police Bureau.”
“Oh, Chief Inspector Chen. What can I do for you today?” A trace of irony seemed to come into Jia’s voice. “About the housing development case, I guess. The trial date is tomorrow. You should have called me earlier.”
“No, that’s your case, not mine. I need your help for something totally unrelated,” Chen said. “I’m writing a story that requires a lot of legal and psychological expertise, and I think you are the ideal consultant for it. So I would like to invite you out to dinner tonight.”
There was a short spell of silence on the other end of the line. Jia must have been confounded by the invitation. Yu was no less surprised. It was such an unlikely move.
“I am flattered that you thought of me for your story,” Jia said, “but unfortunately, it’s not a good night for me. I have to prepare for the trial tomorrow. I don’t think I have the time tonight.”
“Come on, Mr. Jia. The trial is just a formality, as both you and I know. You don’t really have to prepare for it. But for my story, I have to know whether it’s a convincing one, or even publishable at all. And there’s a deadline for it.”
“How about tomorrow evening? My treat. To paraphrase a line from a Tang dynasty poem, ‘It’s worth tons of gold to meet Chief Inspector Chen.’ ”
“Let me tell you something, Mr. Jia. It has not been so easy for me to arrange a meeting tonight. Some people are patient, but some people are not so patient.”
“A lot of things are possible tonight before such a trial, with the media paying such close attention to it, both domestic and foreign. Some people must be very busy tonight.”
They had started throwing out hints at each other, Yu observed, in a context understandable only to themselves.
“Well, talking about media attention, I believe my story will get more. And I also have some wonderful pictures for the story. One of them was published in China Photography, entitled ‘Mother, Let’s Go There.’ It was taken in the year of-let me think-oh, sometime in the early sixties.”
There was a pause on both ends. The mention of the picture had popped out of nowhere, like a wild card pulled suddenly from under the table. Jia’s failure to respond immediately bespoke itself.
“Wonderful pictures,” Chen repeated, deliberately, like a card player.
“What pictures do you have? Not just the one in the magazine?”
It could be the first sign of Jia’s wavering. Whatever pictures Chen had, Jia should have questioned their relevance. Yu took out a cigarette, tapping it on the coffee table, like an engrossed onlooker at the poker table.
“A professional photographer usually uses rolls of film before choosing one particular picture for publication.” Chen didn’t give a direct answer. “At dinner, I’ll show them to you. It won’t take long, and you’ll definitely have time for your case tomorrow.”
“So you are sure that it won’t interfere with the trial tomorrow?”
“Yes, I give you my word.”
“Well, where then?”
“I’m still looking for a quiet restaurant, so we can talk undisturbed. My secretary is making calls. Let’s meet at Henshan Hotel around five. I have a meeting there this afternoon. There are a number of restaurants in the area.”
“I’ll see you at the hotel.”
Putting down the phone, Chen said to Yu with unconcealed excitement in his voice, “I knew those pictures would be irresistible to him.”
Yu knew nothing, except that Chen knew much more. “But why meet at the hotel first instead of the restaurant?”
“He might not come if I told him the name of the restaurant. I set it up this way for the sake of shock to Jia.”
Whatever shock Chen had in mind, he started dialing again, the phone still on loudspeaker.
“I have to ask a favor of you, Overseas Chinese Lu.”
“Anything you want, buddy.”
“Do you know the owner of the Old Mansion on Henshan Road?”
“Yes, Big Beard Fang. I know him.”
“Reserve a private room there for me tonight. Make sure that it is one that looks out into the back garden. I have to meet someone there. It’s important. A matter of life and death.” Chen added, “It will probably be a long talk. I’ll pay for everything, overtime and any extra services.”
“No problem. If necessary, the restaurant will stay open all night. I’ll take care of it.”
“Thank you so much. I know I can count on you, Overseas Chinese Lu.”
“It is a matter of life and death after all-as you said.”
“Also, as a gourmet chef, think of some cruel, slow-tormenting dishes.”
“Wow-that sounds more and more exciting. You have the best man for the job, Chief. I’ll come up with a banquet of them. Really cruel and cool. I’ll be there too.”
“I’ll see you at the restaurant, then.”
“Cruel dishes?” Yu said as Chen turned toward him, wiping his forehead with a towel.
“I was unnerved by a cruel course at a banquet recently. Tonight his nerves need to be rattled as well.”
“You were sick?” Yu said, confused again.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” Chen said, as if in afterthought, “Peiqin talked to an eating girl last week.”
“Yes, I included a cassette tape of it in one of the packages I sent to you.”
“I listened to it. She was so clever, making the eating girl tell a story. That gave me the idea of telling a story to Jia.”
Yu decided to ask no more questions, looking at the clock on the wall. The chief inspector could be annoyingly mysterious. So far he hadn’t said a single word about his disappearance. But Yu had to hurry over to Jia’s office and be waiting outside. Yu couldn’t afford to let him out of sight from now on, not for one minute.
As Yu picked up his jacket and got ready to leave, he got another surprise. There was another knock on the door, and this time it was White Cloud who came in.
“What can I do for you, Chief?” she said to Chen while flashing a smile at Yu.
“Do you still have the red mandarin dress?” Chen said. “The one we chose at the Old City God’s Market.”
“Of course. You bought it for me.”
“Go to the Old Mansion Restaurant this evening and carry the dress with you. Do you know where it is?”
“Yes. On Henshan Road.”
“Good. Can you stay there for the entire evening-or perhaps for all night?”
“Sure, if you want me to-as your little secretary or anything else.” She complied without asking questions, like a “little secretary.”
“No, for a quite different role. I’ll explain it to you there.”
“When do you expect me there?”
“Around five. Oh, you’ll have to go home for your dress first. Sorry, I just thought of the dress part. Overseas Chinese Lu will be there too.”