Free Dead in Hong Kong (Nick Teffinger Thriller) by R.J. Jagger

when I see it,” she said. “Here’s the plan. I’m going alone. I’m going to use his dinghy, because that’s what’s supposed to be tied to his boat. You’re going to stay on shore and call me if he shows up.”
    “And what if he does?”
    “I don’t know,” Emmanuelle said. “Hopefully he won’t.”
    “Be careful.”
    “I will.”
    “You can swim, right?”
    Emmanuelle hesitated.
    “Not exactly.”
    “You can’t swim?”
    “No.”
    “Not even a little?”
    “No.”
    “Well if you fall in, you’re dead.”
    “I won’t fall in.”
    Prarie exhaled, wondering if she was going to actually say what she was about to say, and then said it—“I’ll go, you stay here.”
    “I’ll be fine.”
    “I’m not going to argue about it.”
    Emmanuelle looked as if she was about to reply, but then she said, “The hatch might be locked. If it is, pry it open with your knife. If you find a laptop, grab it.”
     
    THEY TOOK ONE LAST LOOK AROUND to be sure the rock star was gone, then walked down to the dinghy, which was tied at a wooden dock, dinghy city. People were around, but no one paid attention. Prarie got in as if she owned it, fired up the outboard and pointed the bow towards Dangerous Lady.
    An old woman on a colorful junk hung clothes and gave Prarie a long stare as she motored past.
    Prarie waved.
    The woman waved back and then disappeared inside.
    Two minutes later, Prarie reached Dangerous Lady and tied up.
    The door to the cabin was closed but not locked.
    Good.
    She walked down six steps and looked around.
    Ample light came through the portals.
    The floor was teak.
    The sink was full of dishes.
    The bed was unmade.
    Stuff was everywhere.
    A flat-screen TV was off.
    Then something caught her eye ; a semi-automatic pistol , b lack.
    She never held a gun before and found it heaver than she expected. Then she looked around for a safety, found it, and figured out how to flick it off.
    What are you for?
    To get drunk and shoot seagulls?
     
    SUDDENLY HER CELL PHONE RANG and a panic-laced voice came through—“He’s back!”
    “You got to be kidding—”
    “He’s standing right where his dinghy was, looking around for it.”
    “Damn it.”
    “You got to get out of there.”
    “I just got on board. I haven’t even looked around yet,” Prarie said.
    “There’s no time. Get in the dinghy and head east. I’ll meet you over there.”
    “No.”
    “But—”
    “Just stay where you are and keep an eye on him,” Prarie said. “If he actually gets in something and starts heading this way, let me know.”
    “That’ll be too late. You’ll be trapped.”
    “We’re wasting time,” Prarie said.
    Then she hung up and looked around with the gun in hand.
    Talk to me, Dangerous Lady.
    Talk to me fast.

Chapter Twenty-Six
    Day Five—August 7
    Friday Afternoon
    ______________
     
    TEFFINGER SHORED UP ON COFFEE and watched while Fan Rae worked the computer, looking for Billy Shek and having lots of luck—all of it bad. There were a billion Sheks in the city, but no Billy. “Lots of people go by a western name but never officially change their legal name,” Fan Ray said. “It’s a real problem.”
    “So I see.”
    It was a nother dead end.
    Wait, maybe not.
    “Can you cross-reference the Sheks to photographers?” he asked.
    She shook her head.
    “No.”
    Okay.
    Dead end.
    The computer wasn’t any kinder when they searched for Syling Wu. It was as if she didn’t exist.
    Weird.
    “You know what I need?” he asked.
    No.
    She didn’t.
    “A thermos.”
    “A thermos? Why?”
    “For coffee,” he said. “I like to have it with me.”
     
    HIS CELL PHONE RANG. It was Sydney so he stepped into the hall and answered. “How are things going over there?” she asked.
    Teffinger grunted.
    “I’ve never spent so much time going absolutely nowhere,” he said. “I’m not a single inch closer to finding d’Asia than I was two years ago before I even met her.”
    “Yeah, well, that