jamesclavell.noblehouse-第103部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


rhage。　Thank　God　we　don't　have　children；　Mary　and　I。
　Be　honest；　you　bleed　for　sons　and　daughters　but　you　can't　have　them；　at　least　Mary　can't；　so　the　doctors　say　…　so　you　can't。
　With　an　effort　Armstrong　buried　that　everlasting　curse　again　and　relocked　the　cabinet　and　walked　out；　closing　the　doors　after　him。
　In　the　outer　office　Virginia　Tong　was　polishing　her　nails；　clearly　furious。
　〃Can　you　get　Mr。　Ng　on　the　phone；　please？〃
　〃No；　not　until　four；〃　she　said　sullenly　without　looking　at　him。
　〃Then　please　call　Mr。　Tsu…yan　instead；〃　Armstrong　told　her；　stabbing　in　the　dark。
　Without　looking　up　the　number；　she　dialed；　waited　impatiently；　chatted　gutturally　for　a　moment　in　Cantonese　and　slammed　the　phone　down。　〃He's　away。　He's　out　of　town　and　his　office　doesn't　know　where　he　is。〃
　〃When　did　you　last　see　him？〃
　〃Three　or　four　days　ago。〃　Irritably　she　opened　her　appointments　calendar　and　checked　it。　〃It　was　Friday。〃
　〃Can　I　look　at　that　please？〃
　She　hesitated；　shrugged　and　passed　it　over；　then　went　back　to　polishing　her　nails。
　Quickly　he　scanned　the　weeks　and　the　months。　Lots　of　names　he　knew：　Richard　Kwang；　Jason　Plumm；　Dunross　…　Dunross　several　times　…　Thomas　K。　K。　Lim　…　the　mysterious　American　Chinese　from　next　door　…　Johnjohn　from　the　Victoria　Bank；　Donald　McBride；　Mata　several　times。　Now　who's　Mata？　he　asked　himself；　never　having　heard　the　name　before。　He　was　about　to　give　the　calendar　back　to　her　then　he　flipped　forward。　〃Saturday　10：00　a。m。　…　V。　Banastasio。〃　His　heart　twisted。　This　ing　Saturday。
　He　said　nothing；　just　put　the　appointment　calendar　back　on　her　desk；　and　leaned　back　against　one　of　the　files；　lost　in　thought。　She　paid　no　attention　to　him。　The　door　opened。
　〃Excuse　me；　sir；　phone　for　you！〃　Sergeant　Yat　said。　He　was　looking　much　happier　so　Armstrong　knew　the　negotiation　must　have　been　fruitful。　He　would　have　liked　to　know　how　much；　exactly；　but　then；　face　would　be　involved　and　he　would　have　to　take　action；　one　way　or　another。
　〃All　right；　Sergeant；　stay　here　till　I　get　back；〃　he　said；　wanting　to　make　sure　no　secret　phone　calls　were　made。　Virginia　Tong　did　not　look　up　as　he　left。
　In　the　other　office　Bucktooth　Lo　was　still　moaning；　nursing　his　hand；　and　the　other　man；　Big　Hands　Tak；　was　pretending　to　be　nonchalant；　going　through　some　papers；　loudly　berating　his　secretary　for　her　inefficiency。　As　he　came　in　both　men　started　loudly　protesting　their　continued　innocence　and　Lo　groaned　with　increasing　vigor。
　〃Quiet！　Why　did　you　jam　your　fingers　in　the　drawer？〃　Armstrong　asked　and　added　without　waiting　for　a　reply；　〃People　who　try　to　bribe　honest　policemen　deserve　to　be　deported　at　once。〃　In　the　aghast　silence　he　picked　up　the　phone。　〃Armstrong。〃
　〃Hello；　Robert；　this　is　Don；　Don　Smyth　at　East　Aberdeen　。。。〃
　〃Oh；　hello！〃　Armstrong　was　startled；　not　expecting　to　hear　from　the　Snake；　but　he　kept　his　voice　polite　though　he　loathed　him　and　loathed　what　he　was　suspected　of　doing　within　his　jurisdiction。　It　was　one　thing　for　constables　and　the　lower　ranks　of　Chinese　police　to　supplement　their　ine　from　illicit　gambling。　It　was　another　for　a　British　officer　to　sell　influence；　and　to　squeeze　like　an　old…fashioned　Mandarin。　But　though　almost　everyone　believed　Smyth　was　on　the　make；　there　was　no　proof；　he　had　never　been　caught；　and　had　never　been　investigated。　Rumor　had　it　that　he　was　protected　by　certain　VIP　individuals　who　were　deeply　involved　with　him　as　well　as　in　their　own　graft。　〃What's　up？〃　he　asked。
　〃Had　a　bit　of　luck。　I　think。　You're　heading　up　the　John　Chen　kidnapping；　aren't　you？〃
　〃That's　right。〃　Armstrong's　interest　soared。　Smyth's　graft　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　quality　of　his　police　work　…　East　Aberdeen　had　the　lowest　crime　rate　in　the　Colony。　〃Yes。　What've　you　got？〃
　Smyth　told　him　about　the　old　amah　and　what　had　happened　with　Sergeant　Mok　and　Spectacles　Wu；　then　added；　〃He's　a　bright　young　chap；　that；　Robert。　I'd　remend　him　for　SI　if　you　want　to　pass　it　on。　Wu　followed　the　old　bird　back　to　her　fairly　filthy　lair；　then　called　us。　He　obeys　orders　too；　which　is　rare　these　days。　On　a　hunch　I　told　him　to　wait　around　and　if　she　came　out；　to　follow　her。　What　do　you　think？〃
　〃A　twenty…four…carat　lead！〃
　〃What's　your　pleasure？　Wait；　or　pull　her　in　for　real　questioning？〃
　〃Wait。　I'll　bet　the　Werewolf　never　es　back　but　it's　worth　waiting　until　tomorrow。　Keep　the　place　under　surveillance　and　keep　me　posted。〃
　〃Good。　Oh　very　good！〃
　Armstrong　heard　Smyth　chortle　down　the　phone　and　he　could　not　think　why　he　was　so　happy。　Then　he　remembered　the　huge　reward　that　the　High　Dragons　had　offered。　〃How's　your　arm？〃
　〃It's　my　shoulder。　Bloody　thing's　dislocated　and　I　lost　my　favorite　sodding　hat。　Apart　from　that　everything's　fine。　Sergeant　Mok's　going　through　all　our　mug　shots　now　and　I've　got　one　of　my　lads　doing　an　Identi…Kit　on　him　…　I　think　I　even　saw　the　sod　myself。　His　face　is　quite　pockmarked。　If　we've　got　him　on　file　we'll　have　him　nailed　by　sundown。〃
　〃Excellent。　How's　it　going　down　there？〃
　〃Everything　under　control　but　it's　bad。　The　Ho…Pak's　still　paying　out　but　too　slowly　…　everyone　knows　they're　stalling。　I　hear　it's　the　same　all　over　the　Colony。　They're　finished；　Robert。　The　queue'll　go　on　till　every　last　cent's　out。　There's　another　run　on　the　Vic　here　and　no　letup　in　the　crowds。　。。。〃
　Armstrong　gasped。　〃The　Vic？〃
　〃Yes；　they're　handing　out　cash　by　the　bagful　and　taking　nothing　in。　Triads　are　swarming　。。。　the　pickings　must　be　huge。　We　arrested　eight　pickpockets　and　busted　up　twenty…odd　fights。　I'd　say　it's　very　bad。〃
　〃Surely　the　Vic's　okay？〃
　〃Not　in　Aberdeen　it　isn't；　old　lad。　Me；　I'm　liquid。　I've　closed　all　my　accounts。　I　took　every　cent　out。　I'm　all　right。　If　I　were　you　I'd　do　the　same。〃
　Armstrong　felt　queasy。　His　life's　savings　were　in　the　Victoria。　〃The　Vic's　got　to　be　all　right。　All　the　government　funds're　in　it。〃
　〃Right　you　are。　But　nothing　in　their　constitution　says　your　money's　protected　too。　Well；　I've　got　to　get　back　to　work。〃
　〃Yes。　Thanks　for　the　info。　Sorry　about　your　shoulder。〃
　〃I　thought　I　was　going　to　have　my　bloody　head　bashed　in。　The　sods'd　just　started　the　old　'kill　the　quai　loh'　bit。　I　thought　I　was　a　goner。〃
　Armstrong　shivered　in　spite　of　himself。　Ever　since　the　'56　riots　it　was　a　recurring　nightmare　of　his　that　he　was　back　in　that　insane；　screaming　mob　again。　It　was　in　Kowloon。　The　mob　had　just　overturned　the　car　with　the　Swiss　consul　and　his　wife　in　it　and　set　it　afire。　He　and　other　policemen　had　charged　through　the　mob　to　rescue　them。　When　they　got　to　the　car　the　man　was　already　dead　and　the　young　wife　afire。　By　the　time　they'd　dragged　her　out；　all　her　clothes　had　burned　off　her　and　her　skin　came　away　like　a　pelt。　And　all　around；　men；　women　and　young　people　were　raving；　〃Kill　the　quai　loh　。。。〃
　He　shivered　again；　his　nostrils　still　smelling　burned　flesh。　〃Christ；　what　a　bastard！〃
　〃Yes；　but　all　in　the　day's　work。　I'll　keep　you　posted。　If　that　bloody　Werewolf　es　back　to　Aberdeen　he'll　be　in　a　net　tighter　than　a　gnat's　arsehole。〃
　
　30
　
　2：20　P。M。：
　Phillip　Chen　stopped　flipping　through　his　mail；　his　face　suddenly　ashen。　The　envelope　was　marked；　〃Mr。　Phillip　Chen　to　open　personally。〃
　〃What　is　it？〃　his　wife　asked。
　〃It's　from　them。〃　Shakily　he　showed　it　to　her。　〃The　Werewolves。〃
　〃Oh！〃　They　were　at　their　lunch　table　that　was　set　haphazardly　in　a　corner　of　the　living　room　of　the　house　far　up　on　the　crest　of　Struan's　Lookout。　Nervously　she　put　down　her　coffee　cup。　〃Open　it；　Phillip。　But；　but　better　use　your　handkerchief　in　。。。　in　case　of　fingerprints；〃　she　added　uneasily。
　〃Yes；　yes　of　course；　Dianne；　how　stupid　of　me！〃　Phillip　Chen　was　looking　very　old。　His　coat　was　over　his　chair　and　his　shirt　damp。　There　was　a　slight　breeze　from　the　open　window　behind　him　but　it　was　hot　and　humid　and　a　brooding　afternoon　haze　had　settled　over　the　Island。　Carefully　he　used　an　ivory　paper　knife　and　unfolded　the　paper。　〃Yes；　it's　。。。　it's　from　the　Werewolves。　It's　。。。　it's　about　the　ransom。〃
　〃Read　it　out。〃
　〃All　right：　'To　Phillip　Chen；　pradore　of　the　Noble　House；　greetings。　I　beg　to　inform　you　now　how　the　ransom　money　is　to　be　paid。　500；000　to　you　is　as　meaningless　as　a　pig's　scream　in　a　slaughterhouse　but　to　us　poor　farmers　would　be　a　heritage　for　our　star　…　'〃
　〃Liars！〃　Dianne　hissed；　her　lovely　gold　and　jade　necklace　glittering　in　a　shaft　of　muted　sunlight。　〃As　if　farmers　would　kidnap　John　or　mutilate　him　like　that。　Dirty　stinky　foreign　triads！　Go　on；　Phillip。〃
　〃　'。。。　would　be　a　heritage　for　our　starving　grandchildren。　That　you　have　already　consulted　the　police　is　to　us　like　pissing　in　the　ocean。　But　now　you　will　not　consult。　No。　Now　you　will　keep　secret　or　the　safety　of　your　son　will　be　endangered　and　he　will　not　return　and　everything　bad　will　be　your　own　fault。　Beware；　our　eyes　are　everywhere。　If　you　try　to　betray　us；　the　worst　will　happen　and　everything　will　be　your　own　fault。　Tonight　at　six　o'clock　I　will　phone　you。　Tell　no　one；　not　even　your　wife。　Meanw…　'　〃
　〃Dirty　triads！　Dirty　whores'　sons　to　try　to　spread　trouble　between　husband　and　wife；〃　Dianne　said　angrily。
　〃　'。。。　meanwhile　prepare　the　ransom　money　in　used　100…dollar　notes。　。。。'　〃　Irritably　Phillip　Chen　glanced　at　his　watch。　〃I　don't　have　much　time　to　get　to　the　bank。　I'll　have　…　〃
　〃Finish　the　letter！〃
　〃All　right；　be　patient；　my　dear；〃　he　said　placatingly；　his　overtaxed　heart　skipping　a　beat　as　he　recognized　the　edge　to　her　voice。　〃Where　was　I？　Ah　yes；'　。。。　notes。　If　you　obey　my　instructions　faithfully；　you　may　have　your　son　back　tonight。　。。。'　Oh　God　I　hope　so；〃　he　said；　breaking　off　momentarily；　then　continued；　〃　'Do　not　consult　the　police　or　try　to　trap　us。　Our　eyes　are　watching　you　even　now。　Written　by　the　Werewolf。'　〃　He　took　off　his　glasses。　His　eyes　were　red…rimmed　and　tired。　Sweat　was　on　his　brow。　〃　'Watching　you　even　now'　？　Could　one　of　the　servants　。。。　or　the　chauffeur　be　in　their　pay？〃
　〃No；　no　of　course　not。　They've　all　been　with　us　for　years。〃
　He　wiped　the　sweat　off；　feeling　dreadful；　wanting　John　back；　wanting　him　safe；　wanting　to　strangle　him。　〃That　means　nothing。　I'd　。。。　I'd　better　call　the　police。〃
　〃Forget　them！　Forget　them　until　we　know　what　you　have　to　do。　Go　to　the　bank。　Get　200；000　only　…　you　should　be　able　to　se