The Chinese Woman: The Barbados Conspiracy Page 8
Li Mei was a friendly, outgoing person with a great sense of humor and when in her company, she and Sean both spent a lot of time laughing. Sean had both the training and experience to read someone and he was convinced that Li Mei was exactly who she professed to be; a student from China studying for her PhD in anthropology studies. She didn’t volunteer much about her life in China but never refused to answer when asked questions. Sean noticed however that occasionally during breaks in their conversation, Li Mei seemed to be staring off into the distance, possibly daydreaming. At these times, Sean detected a certain sadness in Li Mei’s expression and occasionally her eyes appeared moist. He was convinced that there had been a traumatic experience in Li Mei’s life, but on the one occasion he asked her about her sad expression, she immediately smiled and told him about a funny incident that had occurred recently at the university.
***************************************
One week after her arrival in Seattle, Li Mei called the cell phone number she was given to contact the Second Bureau agents who were assigned to assist her. She usually preferred to work alone, but in locating Wu Xing and planning his abduction, she needed help. How much help these junior agents, John and Kathy Tai, would be, she didn’t know. Due to their limited experience, she wasn’t expecting too much, but they were said to have certain talents and skills that she could put to good use. She subsequently met them in a series of different Chinese restaurants hoping to spot the scar-face man or his associates, but so far they had found no sign of anyone associated with the Mei Hua Triad. On each occasion, however, Li Mei had put the time to good use giving the young agents tips on how to perform their duties more effectively, and answered questions that would help them increase their knowledge of their craft. She had originally decided to have them set up surveillance on Han Xia in order to discover the home or business of Wu Xing, but upon learning of their total lack of experience in the art of surveillance, she abandoned that idea. She could not take the risk of Han Xia discovering the surveillance, or even suspecting she was being followed, and subsequently warn Wu Xing.
On the next Thursday evening after taiji class, on a cool October evening with a hint of rain in the air, Li Mei sat with John and Kathy Tai, the cover names of the two MSS Second Bureau intelligence agents assigned to assist her, in a large, beautifully decorated restaurant in Chinatown called the Pudong Gardens. None of them had been to this restaurant before but they kept visiting new places in the hope of spotting Wu Xing or Meng Hong.
The young woman using the cover name of Kathy Tai appeared to be about twenty years of age, although she was actually twenty-seven. She would probably not be described as a beautiful woman; most people referred to her as cute, in fact, cute and cuddly. She had medium length black hair and was only a shade over five feet in height. Her ever present smile probably had a lot to do with the “cute and cuddly” label she had picked up at the university. She was extremely intelligent, but her appearance did not make the casual observer think of her as an intellectual.
The agent known as John Tai also appeared younger than his twenty-six years, one year younger than Kathy. He was slim, actually skinny, and wore gold wire rimmed glasses which gave him an intellectual appearance, which he was not. Although he had a university degree, his marks were only average at best. John was very ambitious so whatever assignment he was given, he always gave it one-hundred percent. John knew that if he was going to advance within the Second Bureau, he would be judged on past performance.
Although John and Kathy Tai were enrolled in the University of Washington as brother and sister, they had actually only met each other two months before coming to the USA as students.
They were all a little hungry this evening so they decided to order dinner instead of limiting themselves to their usual tea and snacks. They were sitting at a small table near the rear of the restaurant but in sight of the front door. Ten minutes after they were seated, Li Mei noticed Han Xia enter the restaurant. She considered excusing herself from her associates and going to the front to invite Han Xia to join them, but before making a move, she observed a slim, middle-aged Chinese man with black hair slightly graying at the temples, dressed in a well-tailored, dark blue suit, meet Han Xia near the entrance. They smiled to each other while the man grasped Han Xia’s hands affectionately with both his hands. The man then turned around briefly and waved goodbye to someone who was seated in another section of the restaurant which Li Mei could not see. When the man turned, Li Mei could see that he appeared to be in his early fifties and was quite attractive, except for a pronounced scar on his left cheek. Han Xia and her companion then left the restaurant but Li Mei could not see which direction they went.
Finally, the elusive Wu Xing had made an appearance.
“OK, John. You know what to do,” directed Li Mei. “We’ll wait for you here. Be careful.”
John was excited. Now, for the first time since joining the MSS Second Bureau, he was going to do something dangerous and challenging. Now he felt like a secret agent. No more collecting trade magazines and periodicals. He was going to show everyone he had what it took to handle the big assignments. He had received extensive training in conducting mobile surveillance, but had never actually put it into use.
John remained seated momentarily, and then immediately left the restaurant to follow Han Xia and her companion. Li Mei and Kathy remained behind and finished the food while awaiting John’s return.
****************************
Han Xia and her companion drove east on Yesler Way in a large, black, late model Lincoln that had been recently washed. John Tai followed the Lincoln, leaving two vehicles in between him and the car in which Han Xia was a passenger. He observed the Lincoln park in an alley beside a two-story building in the eastern outskirts of an area where the majority of businesses were Chinese. John did not venture too close and did not see where Han Xia and her companion went after parking the car, but within a few minutes, a light went on in a second floor of the two-story building. John noted the address and the sign on the front of the business, both in English and Chinese, which said “East Wind Import-Export Company”.
**********************************
“They drove down Yesler and didn’t perform any counter-surveillance. They parked beside a company called ‘East Wind Import-Export’. I didn’t see them enter any buildings, but a few minutes later, a light went on at a second story window in that company, so I assume that’s where they went.”
Li Mei was pleased that John reported on exactly what he saw, rather than reporting speculation or opinion. He didn’t actually see them enter any building, so that is what he reported. Not bad, Li Mei thought, maybe he will be useful.
Following John’s return with his report, Li Mei decided to walk to the East Wind Import-Export Company to study the area. It was possible, even probable, that Wu’s eventual abduction might take place there.
Li Mei wore a red brocade jacket with a mandarin collar and black pants this evening and carried a tan, canvass bag over her shoulder. Li Mei knew that handguns were commonplace in America and wished she had one in her purse. She was aware that the Chinatown Killer was still on the loose but she didn’t feel too nervous, as she was confident in her ability to take care of herself, and Sean had told her that extra police were on duty in this area. Being nervous, fearful or excitable was not part of Li Mei’s psychological makeup. She was always calm and composed, ready to make instant decisions, which were some of the qualities that had made her a successful agent. She was quite aware, however, that she was not invincible and needed to take reasonable precautions at all times. Fear, in fact, can be a valuable asset for staying out of danger. An agent or special covert operative, who didn’t feel fear, usually ended up dead.
The rain had held off, but the Seattle night was cooler than usual for this time of year. Although it was dark, the streets were fairly well lit and she seemed to be the only person on the street. Suddenly she heard a faint noise behind her that she couldn’t identify. As she turned, she saw a large figure of a man in the shadows of a doorway.
“Excuse me Miss, you shouldn’t be walking alone at this time of night.”
Li Mei felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up and the adrenaline race through her body. She had detected the man’s presence in time to react if she had been attacked, but she was concerned how close he had got to her before being aware of his presence. This concerned her because she was usually aware of her surroundings at all times. Where did this man come from?
“What do you want?” she said, as she stared at the husky man with the thick neck and the close cropped hair.
“Relax, Miss, I’m a police officer,” the man said while showing Li Mei a badge and identification card. “I am Detective Kroeker, on special assignment here in Chinatown because of the series of killings that have occurred in this area. We have asked everyone to stay off the streets down here after dark. Why are you walking alone?”
“I’m going to the Chinatown Community Centre to meet my husband,” lied Li Mei, somewhat relieved.
“The police car is parked in the lane. Come with me and I’ll drive you to the Centre. Next time, don’t let us find you walking alone after dark.”
He took Li Mei by the arm and led her down the dark lane without waiting for her to reply.
****************************************
The next morning, Li Mei sat at a breakfast table watching the television news in the university dorm, her temporary residence until she rented an apartment, while a few other students were busy preparing their breakfast. The news broadcast drew the attention of all the young women in the room. Although Li Mei was on friendly terms with all the young women in the dorm, she had created an image as a “loner”, even exaggeratin
g her Chinese accent and apparent difficulty in communicating in English, so these students wouldn’t include her in their social life. It was imperative that she could come and go at anytime without anyone questioning her about her activities.
“A man was found dead in a lane in Chinatown this morning by three women on their way to work in the area. Police have not yet identified the deceased but police identification was apparently found in his pocket which the authorities claim was not genuine. Early speculation is that the man may be the infamous Chinatown Killer, but police will not confirm one way or the other. Channel Four News received a call this morning from a motorist who claimed to have seen a man answering the description of the Chinatown Killer talking to an Asian woman last night near the alley. The only description of the woman is that she had long, straight black hair, red jacket and black pants. The motorist is being questioned by police for more details. Police have scheduled a news conference for eleven this morning. Tune into Channel Four at eleven for live coverage.”
****************************************
Li Mei decided to go to police headquarters that morning. There were too many people who saw her wearing the red jacket and black pants, and she didn’t want the police hunting for her. She must put this story to rest as soon as possible. She phoned Sean and asked him to meet her at the Seattle Police Headquarters as she had some information about the Chinatown “incident” and would appreciate his help and support. Sean, of course, readily agreed.
At Seattle Police Headquarters Li Mei sat in the small interview room alone. The room had beige walls and bright fluorescent lighting, but no décor and no furnishings except for a small table and three chairs.
Li Mei had been interviewed by Sean and a Seattle Police detective who had identified himself as Terry McKenzie. Detective McKenzie was a stocky, middle-age man with very muscular arms, a pot belly and closed cropped hair. In fact, Li Mei thought, he was quite similar in appearance to the man who had tried to assault her last night, although several years older. Both Sean and Detective McKenzie had been very friendly and sympathetic. She told them about the two men who had intervened and probably saved her life the previous evening. She told the investigators that the lane was dark and she didn’t stay in the area to watch what happened, but made her escape. Both men appeared to be Chinese, both were muscular and had black hair, not long but not cut short. She didn’t remember what they were wearing, but their clothing was dark, possibly black. After the interview, the investigators brought in a third officer, who identified himself as Donny Wong. He had to bring in another chair as there were only three chairs in the interview room. Donny Wong was a Chinese-American who spoke fairly good Putonghua, so he re-interviewed Li Mei in her native language, even though it wasn’t necessary as she was completely fluent in English, despite her slight Mandarin accent. Although he was able to provide Sean and Detective McKenzie with a few minor details, he wasn’t able to add anything significant to what Li Mei had originally said.
“Well, that’s about it for now, Sean, unless you have anything to add,” said Detective McKenzie.
“No, I think we have covered everything. I’ll drive Li Mei home.”
Neither of the two law enforcement officers provided Li Mei with any information about the investigation. They never told her that she was or was not a suspect, nor how the deceased man had died.
As they walked towards Sean’s car, Sean said,
“Why were you walking alone in Chinatown Li Mei? Didn’t you know how dangerous that is? I had warned you to be careful; why didn’t you listen?”
“I feel so foolish, Sean. I have no excuse other than being preoccupied with my research.”
“I was so worried and upset when I heard your story. I care for you very much, Li Mei. Please promise me you will be careful. I don’t even want to think of what would have happened if those two men hadn’t appeared in the alley.”
“I promise I will be careful, Sean. The incident has scared some sense into me. I am so sorry if my foolishness has upset you.”
Sean and Li Mei didn’t talk much during the drive home, but Sean did tell her not to worry, that she wasn’t suspected of doing anything wrong and that her story was believed by all the officers. Li Mei was relieved to hear that, because very little of what she had told the police was true.
“Her story checks out Lucas,” said Sean, as he and Lucas met over coffee at the District Attorney’s office.
“We won’t get the DNA results for a few days, but we’re almost certain this guy is the Chinatown Killer. We’re fairly certain that these two guys who saved Li Mei were kung-fu experts or something like that. He wasn’t badly beaten at all. His trachea was crushed resulting from a blow to the throat by a blunt but pointed object, possibly a knuckle. He also had trauma to his testicles and his knee joint was broken. That seemed to be the extent of it. They must have killed him very quickly and ran off.
“I hope they give these two guys a medal,” said Lucas.
“So do I. I’d also like to see them get that reward money, but you know the system. If they are found, they’ll probably be charged with homicide.”
“Well I hope you don’t find them.”
“We probably won’t Lucas. If the DNA tests prove this guy was the Chinatown Killer, I don’t think anyone will be looking too hard to find them. Right now, all they’ve got on him is that he had false police identification in his possession. His fingerprint record check was negative so he had no criminal record, at least not in the USA. They’re checking other fingerprint indices, including the military, so we may come up with something.”
*****************************************
The three men who entered the Transpacific Trading Company building and approached the receptionist were all dressed in expensive Italian suits and each portrayed the image of both success and importance. They showed their business cards to the receptionist, who greeted them with both respect and a warm smile. She then dialed an extension number and said, “Good morning Mr. Brazier. There are three gentlemen from Croft & Thorne Accounting here for your nine o’clock meeting.”
A few minutes later, Martin Brazier, Vice-President of Transpacific Import Company of Seattle approached the reception area from the hallway to the left and warmly greeted the three visitors. Martin Brazier was a large, overweight, middle-aged man with dark brown hair graying at the temples. He had a pleasant and friendly face and his greeting was both enthusiastic and genuine. Brazier was a forty percent owner of Transpacific Trading Company, which was one of the largest Import companies on the west coast. The other sixty percent of the company was owned by his partner, Derek Kilgour, who was president of Transpacific.