Kiss and Die

Chapter 42

Tom Sheng got back to his office and made a call to Mia. She was alone in her office.

‘I’m overruling Mann on Operation Schoolyard. I’m taking it away from him. We can’t trust his judgement any more. We can’t be sure his motives are what they should be. I’ve seen the new car in the car park. That’s a hell of a pay-off. He has obviously thrown himself into the task of infiltration wholeheartedly.’

Mia was fuming. ‘That’s utter bullshit and you know it. You don’t like Mann, you never have. You asked him to do his best to get inside CK’s head and that’s what he’s doing. You of all people should know you have to live it when you go undercover. You can’t tell me there weren’t moments in those two years you spent undercover when you didn’t know which way you felt any more.’

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end. ‘I earned my promotion, Mia. I did two years for the Wo Shing Shing. But I always knew why I was in there. I always knew what my objective was. I never got a brand new fucking Maserati.’

‘Then you lucked out, didn’t you, Tom? What do you want me to say? Poor fucking you? You’re jealous of Mann. You need to seriously take a look at yourself, Tom. I am beginning to wonder what I see in you.’ Mia heard the stony silence but he didn’t hang up.

‘All right, all right. I’m a bit jealous of Mann, I admit it. I know you had a thing with him once. I know you will always have a special friendship with him. It pisses me off, that’s all. Plus, you know, if I had his dough, you wouldn’t see me for fucking dust. Of course, that’s after I’d picked you up in my new Porsche and we’d driven off into the sunset.’

Mia couldn’t stay cross. ‘Just get a divorce – that will be better than a Porsche for me.’