Jackpot

45

After declining Arrow Donaldson’s offer to put Teddy up in a suite of his own, Teddy retreated to Stone Barrington’s suite and called Millie Martindale.

“Can you help me get in touch with the CIA lackey who told Arrow Donaldson to spring me from jail?” Teddy asked when Millie answered.

“That doesn’t sound like anyone I know,” Millie said.

“Even you?”

“That depends on the hour of the day and the day of the week.”

“What about today?”

“I may have let it slip when I was talking to Arrow that you were in jail in Macau.”

“And then he just took the initiative to hunt me down and spring me out all on his own?”

“He’s very ambitious from what I’ve heard.”

“Ruthless as well. The woman I was arrested with is still there and didn’t receive as favorable a review as myself with Mr. Donaldson.”

“Your private life doesn’t concern me, Mr. Barnett.”

“Not that kind of woman. More like a partner. A coworker.”

“Did we ever get around to talking about why you’re in Macau in the first place?” Millie asked.

“I think that’s what Arrow Donaldson is trying to find out. Maybe you can ask him.”

“I’m more interested in this woman.”

“How progressive of you,” Teddy said.

“Aside from conning me into helping you once or twice, your reputation isn’t that of a man who works well with others.”

“Others aren’t usually as highly trained as I am.”

“How well-trained does a movie producer need to be exactly?”

“I think this conversation is veering off course. I just wanted to thank whoever in your organization brought my plight to the attention of Arrow Donaldson, and let you know that he doesn’t trust the U.S. delegation to provide proper security for Li Feng. He’s asked me to keep an eye on her.”

“Good luck with that,” Millie said. “There’s already been one attempt on her life, and I’m almost certain Arrow is the one who ordered it. He gave me a decoy instead of the real Li Feng — and then he killed her.”

“There’s a gangster named Sonny Ma that everyone in Macau seems to believe is behind all of the bad things happening. Maybe he tried to kill her thinking it was the real Li Feng.”

“Keep in touch about what you learn from your new friend Arrow Donaldson,” Millie said. Then she hung up.

Teddy was growing more impressed with that young woman even as she exasperated him more and more with her bravado and spunk.

As he browsed the room service menu looking for something that sounded good to eat as a recharge meal, Teddy thought of Dale Gai. Teddy still felt guilty about leaving jail without her and needed to eat so he could do something about it. He ordered a steak, medium rare, and fries, then went the bathroom to put together another disguise while he waited for it to be delivered.

The third time Teddy entered the Macau police station he had the leathery look of a veteran troublemaker and the ponytail of a man lost in time. Billy Barnett hadn’t gotten very far with the police, so Teddy was giving Atticus Hackman, civil rights attorney and professional savior, a try. He had to wander around for several minutes before someone pointed him toward a small glassed-in booth with a chubby young man in a uniform, different from the police officers’ uniforms, stuffed inside.

“I need to talk to Dale Gai,” Teddy said.

“We don’t have anyone here by that name.”

“She’s not an employee. She was arrested earlier today.”

“We don’t have anyone here by that name,” the young man said again.

It was a rote response, and a lie at that. Someone had told this kid to fend off anyone looking for Dale Gai, no matter what he heard or who was asking. Teddy knew he wasn’t going to get any further at the police station, so he took the opportunity to look around the station and scope out the setup. He made some mental notes and left, knowing how he would get Dale back.