Free The First Excellence: Fa-Ling's Map by Donna Carrick Page A

the solution resulted in justice, it was still worth the effort. As Buddha taught, “the truth is as clear as a bell, and possesses a merit of its own”.
    Wang turned off his recorder and stepped into the hallway. He waited while Henry removed the passkey from the slot and closed the door. Cheng’s face was a mask of disinterest. As far as he was concerned, a case without a solution was like a plate without food. What was the point?
    Wang knew better than to speak openly in front of the concierge. When they finished questioning guests at the Golden Lion Hotel he would buy Cheng a drink.
    Then they would see where their quest for ‘truth’ would lead them.
    **
    Paula and Guy Kader faced each other across the span of floor that separated the twin beds. In the hour that had passed since she’d reported sounds of violence in the next room, she had packed up her laptop, woken Guy and changed into her pyjamas. It might appear odd to police if they found her fully dressed at two in the morning.
    Then she and her husband proceeded to wait nervously for the knock on the door. They knew it would come, but still jumped at the sound.
    “ Hotel Manager,” Henry said softly.
    Guy opened the door. Wang Yong-qi and Cheng followed Henry into the room.
    Although Wang spoke English passably well, he preferred to feign ignorance. Wang and Cheng would rely on Henry to translate their questions.
    “ What is your name?” Wang asked. As he spoke, Cheng walked quietly through the room, opening the closet door and staring at the luggage.
    “ What is he doing?” Guy said, watching Cheng as he rifled through the Kaders’ belongings.
    Henry didn’t bother to translate Guy’s question. He knew it would be ignored. Instead he repeated Wang’s question more loudly.
    “ My name is Guy Kader. This is my wife, Paula.”
    “ Why did you come to Gui?” Wang asked.
    Henry incorrectly translated the question as, “When did you come to Guangxi?”
    “ We arrived today,” Guy answered.
    Paula sat on the bed studying Wang with a meek expression. Wang did not acknowledge her attention, keeping his eyes trained on her husband. Cheng, though, observed her discretely as he continued to walk about the room.
    Wang wrote in his notebook before repeating his question to Henry.
    “ OK, sorry,” Henry said. “Police wants to know why you come to Gui.”
    “ Gui?” Guy shook his head, not understanding the word.
    “ Guangxi,” Paula said. “Gui is short for Guangxi Zhuang.”
    “ We’re here with a group of Canadians,” Guy said. “We’re adopting a little girl.”
    He expected some show of surprise from the officers, but he was disappointed. Both Wang and Cheng were accustomed to the steady stream of foreigners that landed in China to fulfil their dreams of parenthood.
    “ What time you first hear noise?” Henry said.
    “ I was asleep,” Guy said. “I didn’t hear anything.”
    “ I was up,” Paula said. “I was working in the bathroom.” Henry looked confused, not sure how to translate this for Wang.
    “ Look,” Paula said, pointing to her laptop. “I had it set up here.” The men followed her into the bathroom. She set the laptop on the counter and pretended to key. “I started working at around eleven o’clock. There was music playing next door at that time. It wasn’t loud. Then, at around two o’clock, I heard men arguing.” Paula recounted the sounds as they had occurred, ending with the frightening silence that followed the wail. “That’s when I called you,” she said to Henry.
    “ Do you know what the men were saying?” Wang asked.
    “ No. I don’t speak Chinese.”
    “ Can you recall any words?”
    “ No. I’m sorry.” Paula shook her head. “Excuse me,” she said, trying to get past the men and back into the main room. She suddenly felt claustrophobic, trapped in the bathroom with the men blocking the doorway.
    Henry and Wang moved into the entryway, but Cheng, pretending not to understand, stood