The Trafficked

5

‘You wanted to see me, sir?’

The newly appointed Superintendent was young for the post-in his mid-forties. He was ten years older than Mann but he looked a lot more. Mann doubted whether he had ever looked healthy. He was an exam-taker-a pen-pusher. He had spent too many hours swotting in bad light.

Wong was a slight man with a round face that was dominated by square chrome-rimmed glasses. His hair was pressed flat with the straightest side parting and a touch of psoriasis. He tugged at his cuffs now to hide the eczema around his wrists where the shirt-sleeves rubbed. His desk was super neat, just a desk-tidy full of sharpened pencils and highlighters and a photo of his wife and two kids in a dark wood frame. They all looked just like him. It was a lucky promotion for him. Mann could see he was still savouring it. When Wong finally spoke he didn’t look at Mann, but carried on filling in the form in front of him.

‘Don’t think for one minute I want you here, Inspector Mann,’ he said, finally closing the file and pushing it to one side. ‘You’re a trouble-maker, a rule-breaker. In the end you make it hard for all of us. If I had a choice I wouldn’t have men like you in the force at all.’

He replaced his pen back in the desk-tidy, sat back in his chair and stared hard at Mann. Mann could out-stare most men-a thing he’d learned to perfect when dealing with triads.

‘But…it seems I have no choice.’ Wong was forced to blink, but made up for it by smiling sarcastically. ‘You have made yourself some influential friends. Your assistance has been especially requested. That is why I had you recalled from vacation. You are to help in a kidnap case.’

‘Find someone else. I’m investigating a new trafficking ring. I can’t afford to take time out.’ Wong was going to drive Mann mad. He paused more than he spoke. Mann hadn’t the time for it. He took a deep breath to let his temper subside. He would play ball, then he would get out and do his own thing-like he always did.

‘As I said, you have been especially requested. Your friend- CK Leung-has insisted that you help in the investigation into his daughter’s kidnap.’

Mann felt the hair bristle on the back of his neck. ‘He’s no friend of mine.’

‘Whatever you think of him, Inspector Mann, he is one of Hong Kong’s wealthiest citizens.’

‘Wealthiest triads, you mean. They look after their own. Let them sort it out between themselves.’

‘He happens to be the Dragon Head of the Wo Shing Shing triad society, yes, but he deserves our help like anyone else. Anyway, we have no choice in the matter. It is not a situation any of us like.’

‘The only daughter of his that I know is Victoria Chan, and she’s a grown woman.’

‘Amy Tang is his daughter by a girlfriend. She has been kidnapped-snatched from a boarding school in England. A ransom was paid two weeks ago but she hasn’t been returned. She’s the third wealthy Chinese kid to be kidnapped in the last two months in the UK.’

‘The others were returned unharmed?’

‘Yes.’

‘Did they take her in daylight? Were there any witnesses?’

‘It was during the day. Some children saw her with a man-but their descriptions aren’t good.’

‘He doesn’t know that. People saw him. That’s the point. He doesn’t intend to free her. This is not to do with money-not with this child. They’re making a statement. It’s to do with teaching CK a lesson. It’s triad business. Like I said-let them sort it out amongst themselves.’

‘We don’t have that option. You are from England, isn’t that right?’

Mann could see he’d been building up to this.

‘I’m from Hong Kong. But my mother is British. I was educated in the UK.’

‘Well, we are sending you home.’ Wong laughed like a mountain goat falling off a cliff. Mann repressed a shudder. ‘The Metropolitan police have undercover agents in Chinatown but haven’t come up with anything so far. You are to go to London and help with the investigation.’

‘Send someone else.’

‘It has to be you.’

Mann kept his eyes fixed on Wong whilst he dug furtively into his pocket. He found what he was looking for, flicked open his phone and pressed the ‘record’ button.

‘In real terms I have nothing to lose by refusing. You intend to have me transferred anyway, it’s already common knowledge. I want some reassurance if I agree to go. So, here’s the deal…I go to London for you and, in return, I get to stay in the OCTB…for at least the next two years.’

Wong fiddled with his glasses, pulled at his cuffs.

‘All right.’

‘All right what?’

Wong sighed with annoyance.

‘If you go to London you can keep your job at the OCTB for the next two years. When will you be ready to leave?’

‘I need a quick shave and a shower. I’ll catch the overnight flight tonight.’

Wong returned to filling in his form with a grunt. Mann walked back to the office where Shrimp was hovering to hear the outcome and Ng was writing up a report. Ng swivelled around on his chair. He rolled his eyes towards Wong’s office. The Superintendent could be seen tidying his desk.

‘Where have you been transferred to? Tibet? Outer Mongolia?’

‘London.’

‘What? Why?’

‘Temporarily-to help with an investigation.’

‘Awesome. Can we all go?’ Shrimp’s face lit up. ‘London is supposed to be the place to get vintage clothes-there’s Carnaby Street, Petticoat Lane, Brick Lane even.’

Mann held up his hand to stop him as he was gathering speed. He shook his head. ‘Nice try, Shrimp, but afraid not. The only Lane you’ll be seeing is the Lane Crawford shop in Causeway Bay.’

‘Why London?’ asked Ng.

‘Did you know CK Leung had more than one child?’

Ng shook his head.

‘Well, he does-a twelve-year-old daughter at school in England, and she’s been kidnapped.’

‘Why you?’

‘Special request.’

Ng wasn’t impressed. ‘Be careful, Mann. Remember: Deep doubts, deep wisdom, small doubts, small wisdom. CK has a plan and evidently you feature in it. If they kill that little girl, God help them. If he blames you-God help you.’

‘I know. But it will be worth it to me if I get it right. I have Wong’s assurance…’ he reached into his pocket for his phone, pulled it out and pressed play. Wong’s voice came over, muffled but it was definitely him. ‘This says that I can stay in the department.’

Ng rolled his eyes and sighed as he took his wallet out from his pocket and begrudgingly handed Shrimp a hundred-dollar bill.

Shrimp took it from him and grinned. ‘That the way the mop flops, old man-nothing personal.’ He turned to Mann and waved the bill in the air. ‘I bet on you staying, he bet you’d be kicked out. But what about the investigation into the new sex-trafficking ring, Boss? What’s going to happen to that?’

‘I don’t think these events are all random. A spate of wealthy abductions-someone’s raising funds and not just anyone-has to be someone with the clout behind them. We know CK has control of the largest trafficking ring. We know there’s a new boy in town. The other kids were kidnapped purely for money, funds. CK’s daughter’s abduction is more than that. Someone is forcing him to show his hand. Carry on the investigation this side-get out on the streets and listen to the talk. Keep tabs on Stevie Ho. We need to find out who he’s working for-is his allegiance still to CK, or is he with the new boys? According to that list you gave me, Ng, Stevie was in London before he went to the Philippines. He must have had business there. If he’s still working for CK he would have brokered the ransom. Why did they choose this child now? It isn’t by accident and they haven’t got what they wanted from CK. My hunch is that this kidnapping has something to do with Stevie increasing his trafficking routes. That means, courtesy of my new friend, Superintendent Wong, my investigation just went global.’ Mann waved and smiled at Wong through the glass. The Superintendent scowled back at him. Mann laughed. ‘I think I’m going to like this open-plan arrangement.’