Free The Dragon Head of Hong Kong by Ian Hamilton Page B

Uncle.”

( 1 2 )
    CHOW TUNG WAS a surprise to Ava. She couldn’t quite equate a man who was so polite and soft-spoken, his every word measured, with one who could run a business as rough as his seemed to be, with employees as casually violent as Carlo and Andy. Yet she had felt comfortable talking to him and liked the way he listened to her, waiting until she had made her case before giving his opinion.
    Carlo and Andy were standing in the kitchen when she left the bedroom. Kung’s head was slumped onto his chest and Ava figured he was still sleeping.
    “Well?” Andy said.
    She handed him the phone. “Uncle wants to talk to you.”
    Andy nodded as he listened to his boss. Then he put the phone into his pocket. “Uncle agrees with Ava. We need to get the banking information from Kung and we have to get into his office,” he said to Carlo.
    “Shit,” Carlo said.
    Andy shrugged. “I guess we should wake him.”
    “Kung won’t like this,” Carlo said.
    “Who cares if he does or doesn’t?” Ava said. “What is this, honour among thieves? He owes my client a million dollars and I’m determined to get back as much of it as I can.”
    “We had a deal, that’s all, and normally we don’t go back on our word.”
    “Yes, you had a deal — one that I didn’t agree with,” Ava said.
    “Uncle wants us to get the information and that’s what we’re going to do,” Andy said, moving between them.
    “I’m glad someone can remember which side he’s on,” she said.
    “Goddamn it,” Carlo said.
    “Enough,” Andy said and walked over to Kung. He shook him by the shoulders. “Wake up, we need to talk to you again.”
    Kung groaned. “I’m thirsty,” he said.
    “Get him a glass of water,” Andy said to Carlo, and then turned back to Kung. “I’m going to untie your hands. You can have all the water you want, and if you need to go to the bathroom that’s not a problem either.”
    “What time is it?”
    “Just past eight.”
    “I can call my money guy now if you want.”
    “Not yet. We have a few more questions for you.”
    “Like what?” Kung said as Carlo came over to him with a glass of water.
    Andy went behind him and peeled off the tape that held his wrists. “Drink first,” he said.
    Kung downed the water in four large gulps. “Can I have more?” he said.
    Two glasses later, he said, “Now I have to pee.”
    “No problem, but do me a favour and empty your pockets onto the table over there before you do,” Andy said.
    “Why?”
    “Because I asked.”
    It took an effort for Kung to get to his feet, and his initial step was a stagger. Ava flinched, thinking that he might make a run for the door. But he walked towards them and put a wad of bills, his wallet, and a set of keys on the table. “Satisfied?” he said.
    “Thanks,” Andy said.
    When the bathroom door closed, Andy took a close look at the keys. “One of these should be for the office,” he said.
    “Can I look at his wallet?” Ava asked.
    Andy tossed it to her. She opened it and then sighed. “No bank cards, though I guess that would have been too easy.”
    “I’ll get his chair,” Andy said. “We might as well sit him here at the table with us.”
    Kung came out of the bathroom, saw his chair at the table, and smiled. Andy had positioned it between him and Carlo, and directly across from Ava.
    “Sit,” Andy said.
    “What else do you want to know?” Kung said.
    “Which of these keys is for your office door?” Andy asked.
    “Why?”
    “Ava is going there.”
    “Why?” he said, his head pivoting between Carlo and Andy.
    “Just a second, I don’t want us to get ahead of ourselves,” Ava said softly. “Mr. Kung, in case it hasn’t been explained to you, I’m representing the interests of Hedrick Lo. You remember Mr. Lo, I assume.”
    “The chicken-feet guy.”
    “Yes, exactly, and the guy to whom you owe approximately a million dollars.”
    “These two didn’t mention his name. All they said was you