The Dragon Head of Hong Kong (15 page)
“You are being incredibly flexible, and generous.”
“As I said, I trust my instincts.”
“What the hell,” Ava said, and then looked at the man across from her. “Okay, I’ll give Guangzhou a try, but no commitments beyond that.”
He smiled and held out his hand. “If I am right, I suspect it will be the last time we ever have to shake on anything.”
( 2
0 )
AVA LEFT MORNING
Blessings with a bounce in her step and a feeling of anticipation rippling through her. Despite her hesitation about working with Uncle, there was something in his quiet, understated manner that encouraged confidence and fuelled her enthusiasm. She was already looking forward to tackling the job in Guangzhou. And it was a trial, she reminded herself. If it didn’t work out, all she was risking was a few days of her time.
They had agreed that Uncle would arrive at her hotel at noon. He would call the client to tell him they were taking the job, get more information, and start making arrangements for the trip to Guangzhou. It was only a two-hour car ride, and Uncle said Sonny would drive them.
Ava started walking towards Mong Kok. She was outside a jewellery store near the Peninsula Hotel when her phone rang.
“Hello.”
“Ava, it’s Daddy.”
“I’m so happy to hear from you.”
“Is everything okay? I’ve been waiting for you to call me. I knew you were here on that business we talked about and I didn’t want to disturb you, but I was beginning to get worried. Then I spoke to Mummy this morning and she told me about your grand success. She’s so proud of you. We both are,” he said.
“Daddy, things couldn’t have gone any better. I got back from Shenzhen just last night. I was going to call you, but Mummy said it was easier to reach you in the morning. I was going to phone in a few minutes.”
“So you’re in Hong Kong?”
“I’m in Kowloon.”
“Then I want you to grab the Star Ferry and come over to this side at noon for dim sum. I’ll take you to Man Wah, at the Mandarin Oriental.”
“Oh, Daddy, I can’t. I’m leaving for Guangzhou then.”
“Guangzhou?”
Ava took a deep breath. “I’ve taken on another collection job.”
“Another client of yours with the same kind of problem?” he said, his tone disbelieving.
“No, it’s a client of a man who runs a collection business here in Hong Kong. He’s asked me to help him. They need someone who has accounting skills.”
Her father was quiet.
“Daddy, I am an accountant, and I am trained to do forensic work. It’s a waste for me not to use whatever talents I have. I won’t say I enjoyed all my time in Shenzhen, but the end result gave me a greater sense of satisfaction than I can describe.”
“Ava, you have to be careful.”
“Daddy, I’m an accountant. What could possibly happen?” she said, thankful she hadn’t been forced to call him from the jail in Shenzhen.
“Some of the people in that business are completely unsavoury. Who is it you’re working with?”
“A man named Chow Tung, although most people call him Uncle. He said you and he might know each other.”
“The name is vaguely familiar, and nothing horribly negative comes to mind, so that’s a good thing. I just don’t like the idea of your doing that kind of work. I don’t care who it’s with.”
“I managed to take care of myself in Shenzhen,” Ava said, wondering if anyone would ever believe what had really happened there.
“I know, and I’m sure you’ll probably do as well in Guangzhou. But remember, I’m only a phone call away. And even if you don’t need me, make sure you let me know as soon as you’re back in Hong Kong.”
“It’s just one job. It should be a matter of a few days,” she said.
“Be careful,” he said.
“I promise,” she said, and closed her phone.
She was turning to resume her walk when she noticed a display case in the window of the jewellery store. It was filled with bracelets and necklaces made from white and green jade and encrusted with diamonds, rubies, and sapphires. They looked incredibly expensive. Each had a small card next to it; there was no price, only information about the piece. To Ava’s surprise, most of them were more than a hundred years old, and several were older than that. She was about to turn away when she spied a small item tucked into a corner of the display.
It was a long white pin. She thought at first it was made from white jade, but as she leaned in closer she saw that it was ivory. The card read:
IVORY CHIGNON PIN, QING DYNASTY, CIRCA 1680
.
Rather hesitantly, Ava opened the shop door and walked in. She was the only customer, but she was forced to stand awkwardly near the door while a middle-aged man and woman chatted behind the counter. The woman, her hair arranged in a helmet-like coif and her face layered with makeup, finally acknowledged Ava with a nod of her head.
Ava was accustomed to the peculiarities of service in Hong Kong, or at least Jennie Lee’s views of service in Hong Kong. Jennie believed that store personnel treated customers in direct relation to the amount of money they were perceived to have, and that judgement came from an assessment of the clothes, purse, watch, and jewellery worn by the shopper. When Jennie shopped in Hong Kong, she dressed as if she were meeting the Queen. In her Adidas jacket and training pants and with her Citizen watch on her wrist, Ava knew she wasn’t creating the same impression.
“Can I help you?” the woman said, not moving.
“There’s a piece in the window I’m interested in looking at.”
“You understand that everything we sell is antique and rare?”
“I read the cards,” Ava said. “I’d like to see the ivory chignon pin.”
“The only one we have is from the Qing Dynasty.”
“That’s the one.”
The woman started to say something, but before she could, her companion moved from behind the counter and walked towards Ava. He was short and round and looked almost comical in his grey suit, white shirt, and large floral bow tie. “I’ll get it for you,” he said.
He reached into the window and removed the pin. “Come over here, where we have mirrors,” he said.
Ava followed him to an alcove near the back of the store. He turned on some overhead lights and held the pin in his palm so she could see it glisten.
“For ivory this old, it’s amazing that it’s retained its lustre and hardness. Many pieces of this age are scarred and yellowed. This was made from a beautiful piece of material for someone very important, and you can tell it has been prized and looked after all these years.”
“I don’t mean to be rude, but how do you know its actual age?”
He smiled. “I’m actually glad you asked, because I went to great trouble to verify it. I sent the ivory to a museum laboratory in Milan, Italy, for spectrographic analysis,” he said. “The mount, of course, is platinum and it’s new. I put it on after I got the report back from Italy. Would you like to try it on?”
“Could I?”
“Of course. You have beautiful hair that’s just the right length for a piece like this. Would you like to do it yourself?”
“Please.”
Ava’s hand trembled very slightly as she took it. She had never held anything so beautiful and delicate. She removed the rubber band, ran her fingers through her hair as she pulled it back and twisted it, and fixed the pin. “I wish I had a brush,” she said.
“It still looks wonderful,” he said. “Turn your head to the right and you can see it.”
She did as he asked and almost gasped. In contrast with her black, silky hair, the ivory shone like a long white streak of brilliant light.
“It looks so beautiful, almost like it was made for you,” the man said.
“I think so too.”
“I would like to be able to tell you that a Chinese empress wore it, but it could easily have belonged to the favourite concubine of a wealthy man.”
“Whoever had it made had exquisite taste.”
“So let’s say it was an empress, shall we?” he said with a smile.
“As long as that doesn’t increase the cost.”
He hesitated, and Ava sensed he was uncomfortable.
“How much is it?” she said.
“Ninety thousand.”
“Hong Kong?”
“Of course.”
That was more than twelve thousand Canadian dollars. Four days ago there had been less than one thousand dollars in Ava’s checking account. Now she had $1.1 million, and more than a hundred thousand of it was hers.
“I will need the spectrographic analysis and whatever other documentation you have to verify its age.”
“Of course.”
“In that case, I’m taking it home with me.”
“Shall I box it?”
“No, I’m going to wear it.”
He smiled. “I am sure it will bring you luck.”
“Why do you say that?”
“At the time this piece was made, women wore ivory as a way to fend off evil. I’ve always preferred to think of it the opposite way — as a good-luck charm. This pin has more than three hundred years of good luck attached to it. When you wear it, you should think of that, and of all the women who accumulated that luck.”
“I’ve never felt particularly lucky or believed in things like fate,” Ava said softly. “But I think maybe it’s time that I started.”
PRAISE FOR IAN HAMILTON
AND THE AVA LEE SERIES
PRAISE FOR THE WATER RAT OF WANCHAI
WINNER OF THE ARTHUR ELLIS AWARD FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL
“Ian Hamilton’s
The Water Rat of Wanchai
is a smart, action-packed thriller of the first order, and Ava Lee, a gay Asian-Canadian forensic accountant with a razor-sharp mind and highly developed martial arts skills, is a protagonist to be reckoned with. We were impressed by Hamilton’s tight plotting; his well-rendered settings, from the glitz of Bangkok to the grit of Guyana; and his ability to portray a wide range of sharply individualized characters in clean but sophisticated prose.”
— Judges’ Citation, Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel
“Ava Lee is tough, fearless, quirky, and resourceful, and she has more — well, you know — than a dozen male detectives I can think of . . . Hamilton has created a true original in Ava Lee.”
— Linwood Barclay, author of
No Time for Goodbye
“If the other novels [in the series] are half as good as this debut by Ian Hamilton, then readers are going to celebrate. Hamilton has created a marvellous character in Ava Lee . . . This is a terrific story that’s certain to be on the Arthur Ellis Best First Novel list.”
—
Globe and Mail
“[Ava Lee’s] lethal knowledge . . . torques up her sex appeal to the approximate level of a female lead in a Quentin Tarantino film.”
—
National Post
“The heroine in
The Water Rat of Wanchai
by Ian Hamilton sounds too good to be true, but the heroics work better that way . . . formidable . . . The story breezes along with something close to total clarity . . . Ava is unbeatable at just about everything. Just wait for her to roll out her bak mei against the bad guys. She’s perfect. She’s fast.”
—
Toronto Star
“Imagine a book about a forensic accountant that has tension, suspense, and action . . . When the central character looks like Lucy Liu, kicks like Jackie Chan, and has a travel budget like Donald Trump, the story is anything but boring.
The Water Rat of Wanchai
is such a beast . . . I look forward to the next one,
The Disciple of Las Vegas
.”
—
Montreal Gazette
“[A] tomb-raiding Dragon Lady Lisbeth,
sans
tattoo and face metal.”
—
Winnipeg Free Press
“Readers will discern in Ava undertones of Lisbeth Salander, the ferocious protagonist of the late Stieg Larsson’s crime novels . . . she, too, is essentially a loner, and small, and physically brutal . . . There are suggestions in
The Water Rat of Wanchai
of deeper complexities waiting to be more fully revealed. Plus there’s pleasure, both for Ava and readers, in the puzzle itself: in figuring out where money has gone, how to get it back, and which humans, helpful or malevolent, are to be dealt with where, and in what ways, in the process . . . Irresistible.”
— Joan Barfoot,
London Free Press
“
The Water Rat of Wanchai
delivers on all fronts . . . feels like the beginning of a crime-fighting saga . . . great story told with colour, energy, and unexpected punch.”
—
Hamilton Spectator
“The best series fiction leaves readers immersed in a world that is both familiar and fresh. Seeds planted early bear fruit later on, creating a rich forest that blooms across a number of books . . . [Hamilton] creates a terrific atmosphere of suspense . . .”
—
Quill & Quire
“The book is an absolute page-turner . . . Hamilton’s knack for writing snappy dialogue is evident . . . I recommend getting in on the ground floor with this character, because for Ava Lee, the sky’s the limit.”
—
Inside Halton
“A fascinating story of a hunt for stolen millions. And the hunter, Ava Lee, is a compelling heroine: tough, smart, and resourceful.”
— Meg Gardiner, author of
The Nightmare Thief
“Few heroines are as feisty as
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
’s Lisbeth Salander, but Ian Hamilton’s Ava Lee could give her a run for her money . . . Gripping . . . [Ava is] smart, gutsy, and resourceful.”
—
Stylist UK
“With Ava Lee comes a new star in the world of crime-thrillers . . . Hamilton has produced a suspenseful and gripping novel featuring a woman who is not afraid of anything . . . Captivating and hard to put down.”
—
dapd/sda
“Thrillers don’t always have to be Scandinavian to work. Ava Lee is a wonderful Chinese-Canadian investigator who uses unconventional methods of investigation in a mysterious Eastern setting.”
—
Elle
(Germany)
“Ava has flair, charm, and sex appeal . . .
The Water Rat of Wanchai
is a successful first book in a series, which will definitely have you longing for more.”
—
Sonntag-Express
“Hamilton is in the process of writing six books and film rights have already been sold. If the other cases are similar to this first one, Ava Lee is sure to quickly shake up Germany’s thriller business.”
—
Handelsblatt
“Brilliantly researched and incredibly exciting!”
—
Bücher
“Page-turning till the end of the book! . . . Ava Lee is the upcoming crime star.”
—
dpa
“Exciting thriller debut with an astonishing end.”
—
Westdeutsche Zeitung
“Seldom does one get a thriller about white-collar crime, with an intelligent, independent lesbian and Asian protagonist. It’s also rare to find a book with such interesting and exotic settings . . . Readers will find great amusement in Ava’s unconventional ways and will certainly enjoy accompanying her on her travels”
—
Literaturkurier
PRAISE FOR
THE DISCIPLE OF LAS VEGAS
“I started to read
The Disciple of Las Vegas
at around ten at night. And I did something I have only done with two other books (Cormac McCarthy’s
The Road
and Douglas Coupland’s
Player One
): I read the novel in one sitting. Ava Lee is too cool. She wonderfully straddles two worlds and two identities. She does some dastardly things and still remains our hero thanks to the charm Ian Hamilton has given her on the printed page. It would take a female George Clooney to portray her in a film. The action and plot move quickly and with power. Wow. A punch to the ear, indeed.”
— J. J. Lee, author of
The Measure of a Man
“I loved
The Water Rat of Wanchai,
the first novel featuring Ava Lee. Now, Ava and Uncle make a return that’s even better . . . Simply irresistible.”
— Margaret Cannon,
Globe and Mail
“This is slick, fast-moving escapism reminiscent of Ian Fleming, with more to come in what shapes up as a high-energy, high-concept series.”
—
Booklist
“Fast paced . . . Enough personal depth to lift this thriller above solely action-oriented fare.”
—
Publishers Weekly
“Lee is a hugely original creation, and Hamilton packs his adventure with interesting facts and plenty of action.”
—
Irish Independent
“Hamilton makes each page crackle with the kind of energy that could easily jump to the movie screen . . . This riveting read will keep you up late at night.”
—
Penthouse
“Hamilton gives his reader plenty to think about . . . Entertaining.”
—
Kitchener-Waterloo Record
PRAISE FOR THE WILD BEASTS OF WUHAN
“Smart and savvy Ava Lee, Toronto forensic accountant, returns in this slick mystery set in the rarefied world of high art . . . [A] great caper tale. Hamilton has great fun chasing villains and tossing clues about.
The Wild Beasts of Wuhan
is the best Ava Lee novel yet, and promises more and better to come.”
— Margaret Cannon,
Globe and Mail
“One of my favourite new mystery series, perfect escapism.”
—
National Post
“You haven’t seen cold and calculating until you’ve double-crossed this number cruncher. Another strong entry from Arthur Ellis Award–winner Hamilton.”
—
Booklist
“An intelligent kick-ass heroine anchors Canadian author Hamilton’s excellent third novel featuring forensic accountant Ava Lee . . . Clearly conversant with the art world, Hamilton makes the intricacies of forgery as interesting as a Ponzi scheme.”
—
Publishers Weekly
,
STARRED
review
“A lively series about Ava Lee, a sexy forensic financial investigator.”
—
Tampa Bay Times
“This book is miles from the ordinary. The main character, Ava Lee is ‘the whole package.’”
—
Minneapolis Star Tribune
“A strong heroine is challenged to discover the details of an intercontinental art scheme. Although Hamilton’s star Ava Lee is technically a forensic accountant, she’s more badass private investigator than desk jockey.”
—
Kirkus Reviews
“As a mystery lover, I’m devouring each book as it comes out . . . What I love in the novels: The constant travel, the high-stakes negotiation, and Ava’s willingness to go into battle against formidable opponents, using only her martial arts skills to defend herself . . . If you want a great read and an education in high-level business dealings, Ian Hamilton is an author to watch.”
—
Toronto Star
“Fast-paced and very entertaining.”
—
Montreal Gazette
“Ava Lee is definitely a winner.”
—
Saskatoon Star Phoenix
“
The Wild Beasts of Wuhan
is an entertaining dip into potentially fatal worlds of artistic skulduggery.”
—
Sudbury Star
“Hamilton uses Ava’s investigations as comprehensive and intriguing mechanisms for plot and character development.”
—
Quill & Quire
PRAISE FOR THE RED POLE OF MACAU
“Ava Lee returns as one of crime fiction’s most intriguing characters.
The Red Pole of Macau
is the best page-turner of the season from the hottest writer in the business!”
— John Lawrence Reynolds, author of
Beach Strip
“Ava Lee, that wily, wonderful hunter of nasty business brutes, is back in her best adventure ever . . . If you haven’t yet discovered Ava Lee, start here.”
—
Globe and Mail
“The best in the series so far.”
—
London Free Press
“Ava [Lee] is a character we all could use at one time or another. Failing that, we follow her in her best adventure yet.”
—
Hamilton Spectator
“A romp of a story with a terrific heroine.”
—
Saskatoon Star Phoenix
“Fast-paced . . . The action unfolds like a well-oiled action flick.”
—
Kitchener-Waterloo Record
“A change of pace for our girl [Ava Lee] . . . Suspenseful.”
—
Toronto Star
“Hamilton packs tremendous potential in his heroine . . . A refreshingly relevant series. This reader will happily pay House of Anansi for the fifth instalment.”
—
Canadian Literature
PRAISE FOR THE SCOTTISH BANKER OF SURABAYA
“Hamilton deepens Ava’s character, and imbues her with greater mettle and emotional fire, to the extent that book five is his best, most memorable, to date.”
—
National Post
“In today’s crowded mystery market, it’s no easy feat coming up with a protagonist who stands out from the pack. But local novelist Ian Hamilton has made a great job of it with his Ava Lee books. Young, stylish, Chinese Canadian, lesbian, and a brilliant forensic accountant, Ava is as complex a character as you could want . . . [A] highly addictive series . . . Hamilton knows how to keep the pages turning. He eases us into the seemingly tame world of white-collar crime, then raises the stakes, bringing the action to its peak with an intensity and violence that’s stomach churning. His Ava Lee is a winner and a welcome addition to the world of strong female avengers.”
—
NOW
Magazine
“Most of [the series’s] success rests in Hamilton’s tight plotting, attention to detail, and complex powerhouse of a heroine: strong but vulnerable, capable but not impervious . . . With their tight plotting and crackerjack heroine, Hamilton’s novels are the sort of crowd-pleasing, narrative-focused fiction we find all too rarely in this country.”
—
Quill & Quire
“Ava is such a cool character, intelligent, Chinese-Canadian, unconventional, and original . . . Irresistible.”
—
Owen Sound Sun Times