“I think I understand a bit better,” Ava said.
“A bit?”
“Yes.”
May’s eyes became more focused. “That’s such a little word. I would have thought my husband’s pain would be clearer to you.”
“I have had less than fifteen minutes of actual contact with him.”
“I have tried to explain.”
“And I haven’t spent that much more time with you.”
May lowered her head. “It is still a little word,” she said.
“I’m sorry. I meant no disrespect.”
May Ling nodded. “I know I’m going on too much. The thing is, you need to understand how he felt about the paintings so you can understand how devastated he was when he found out about the fakes.”
“So tell me more.”
May Ling shifted and then looked up at the ceiling. “He said to me that it was like falling in love with a beautiful woman, courting her for years, falling more and more in love with her every year, until she finally agrees to marry you. Then, on your wedding night, she climbs into bed and you find out she’s a man.” She moved closer to Ava, then reached out and grasped her knee. “All I want you to do is try to find out who did this to him.”
“For what purpose?”
“I could tell you it’s because I want our money back, and maybe that is part of it, but mainly I need you to do it so I can help my husband get some of his pride back. He hasn’t actually said it to me, but I know he equates those pictures with the image he has of himself. If the paintings are shams, then so is he.”
“What if no one knows? What if you don’t say a word?”
“He would know, and that’s all that matters. He’s the kind of man who could never show them to anyone again, because if he lied about them, he would be as fake as they are.”
“Then let them be.”
“He won’t have any peace. Someone, some people somewhere have made a fool of him. They took his dream and they mocked him. He is convinced that they talk about him, laugh at him — the Chinese ignoramus in backwater Wuhan spending millions of dollars on fake art.”
“What if I find someone, or some people, who might be responsible?”
“Then get back as much money as you can. Let us prosecute them in a proper legal manner and expose them so they can’t do this to anyone again.”
“Are you just telling me what you think I need to hear?”
“No, I’m being sincere.”
“But what about your husband?”
“We won’t tell him.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ll do the work for me. I’ll pay you. He doesn’t have to know. If you’re successful, then I’ll tell him.”
“That’s not how — ”
“Please,” May Ling said, squeezing Ava’s knee again. “I feel responsible for this calamity that’s fallen on my husband. I found the dealer. I encouraged my husband. I even pushed him at times to buy paintings he thought we should hold off on.”
“But, Auntie, even if I do this I have to tell Uncle.”
“I know he’s a man who can keep a secret.”
“And truthfully, I wouldn’t even know where to start. This is so far out of my area of expertise — ”
“You can find a way, I know you can. Will you do it?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Ava, please, I need to absolve myself of the blame for this. Every time I look at my husband I want to cry,” May Ling said, her eyes filling with tears. “Do this for me, please.”
Ava looked into her face, searching for any hint of insincerity. All she saw was grief. “I still don’t know where to start,” she said.
“The man from Harrington’s — go and see him. See if he can point you in some direction. I’ll give you everything I have on the art dealer Kwong, his business, his family, his friends. Just spend a few days in Hong Kong and then decide. Do that for me. Just that.”
Ava sighed. “Okay, I’ll tell you what: I will go to Hong Kong. But that doesn’t mean I’m taking the job.”
“I’ll pay you anyway.”
“No, I don’t want anything from you unless we have an actual agreement in place. If I decide to take this job, then you can work out the financial details with Uncle.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“You can’t say anything to your husband.”
“I won’t.”
“And I’m not making any promises past Hong Kong.”
“I understand.”
“I shouldn’t be doing this,” Ava said softly. “You should know that I’m not hopeful.”
May Ling touched Ava’s hand. “My husband was the one who insisted on calling Uncle. When I found out, I was nervous. Uncle hasn’t lived in Wuhan for many years, but people here know all about him. They take pride in a hometown boy doing well, even if his chosen profession doesn’t always sit well with the authorities. I made some phone calls and was told that he had retired from the old business to start a new one, and that there was a young woman working with him whom he admired, a young woman who had special talents. So I told my husband he could invite Uncle here only if you came with him.”
Ava nodded.
“They told me you were extraordinarily pretty. I admit I was surprised when I saw you, so plainly dressed, hardly any makeup, simple hair. Not what I expected, but very pretty all the same. When my husband saw you, he said that you reminded him of me when I was younger. I know he meant it as compliment, but no woman likes to be told that she’s aged.”
“Auntie, you’re beautiful and very elegant.”
“Stop calling me Auntie. It really does make me feel old.”
“What should I call you?”
“May.”
“May, you are very beautiful and very elegant.”
She shrugged as if it was something she had heard countless times. “Ava, I would give up everything — everything — if I thought I could undo the harm that has been caused my husband.”
(7)
Ava had difficulty getting back to sleep after May Ling left. Changing her mind wasn’t something she did often, and she couldn’t help but feel she had been manipulated at some level. The woman was shrewd, coming to Ava in the middle of the night to share confidences, appealing to her as a woman living in a man’s world. Well, what’s done is done, Ava thought. She had given her word and she would honour it. She’d spend two days in Hong Kong, and if nothing came of it she’d move on.
Uncle was an early riser, and the door to his room was open when Ava went to see him.
“Wong Changxing was here an hour ago,” Uncle said. “I told him that we are not going to take the job. Tam is outside waiting to take us to the airport.”
“May Ling came to my room last night,” Ava said.
Uncle looked surprised, an infrequent reaction.
“She begged me to talk to some people in Hong Kong. I said I would.”
“You want to take the job?”
“No, I would never agree to anything like that without talking to you first. I just said I would do some investigating for a couple of days, no commitment beyond that. She was very persistent. It was hard to turn her down.”
“Wong did not mention this to me.”
“He doesn’t know, and that’s part of the arrangement. I don’t want him to know; I only want to talk to May Ling. Uncle, if after Hong Kong I think there is something in this, some way to recover money, then you can negotiate our fee with her.”
“Are you sure she won’t tell him?”
“If she does, I’m gone. I refuse to be a party to some triad vigilante action.” She regretted the words the moment she had said them.