The Trafficked

81

In five hours Mann was back in Hong Kong, changed and out of his apartment. He sat opposite CK in Grissini, the Italian restaurant in the Grand Hyatt Hotel, with its tall ceiling and beautifully patterned parquet flooring. It had panoramic views over a sunny blue Hong Kong.

‘And the rest of the deal? Your little girl is safe, back at school, unharmed…I asked you for two more things.’

He waited whilst the waiter poured him a glass of perfectly chilled Muffio wine and they were presented with a platter of Italian cheeses and fresh honeyed figs to finish their meal.

‘Do I have your promise that you will dismantle the networks you have set up and immediately cease all trafficking of human beings?’

CK put down his knife and wiped his hands with his napkin. He nodded towards the waiter who came to refill his water. He looked at Mann, studied him. Mann could see that his reputation as a poker player was well-earned. His expressions hardly changed. It was as though if he sat still for too long he would appear one-dimensional-a cardboard cut out: immaculately groomed, not a hair out of place, just the right amount of silvering at the temples. He was elegance and power personified. In answer to Mann’s question he didn’t so much as nod.

‘Will Stevie Ho comply?’

For a second CK’s eyelashes fluttered, but he kept eye contact with Mann.

‘Stevie is ambitious.’

‘Does that mean that you have lost control of him?’

CK pushed his plate to one side and waited whilst the waiter cleared it for him.

‘Stevie’s loyalty to me was always shared.’

It looked like Mann had hit a nerve. Although CK’s manner hadn’t changed dramatically there was a definite prickliness to the atmosphere.

‘With Chan?’

‘Yes, with my son-in-law, who, as we both know, has disappeared. But I will honour my side of the agreement. All operations that Stevie was engaged in, with or without my permission, are now ceased. I will restore the hotel ownership back to its rightful owners and compensate persons, as you have demanded. But Stevie himself has decided he will not be returning to Hong Kong. So, you have my word and that is good enough. And the last of your wishes, I cannot grant. The five men who took part in the killing have been retired, in different ways. It will serve you no purpose to pursue men who were only following orders. The man who ordered the killing…that is a delicate matter.’

‘I have waited too long to find justice for my father. Can you tell me whether the man who ordered my father’s death is still with us?’

‘I will tell you one thing…you already know your enemy, but you do not recognise him.’