Kiss & Die - Lee Weeks [22]
Mann pushed the fringe away from his eyes and stared back at CK. They had been enemies for as long as he could remember.
CK looked at Mann, his face shaded as he sat back in his chair. ‘What really brings you here, Inspector? If that is all you are here to ask me then our conversation will be a short one. I was hoping for more from you. I have been waiting for this time for many years. You have found out much that has changed in your life. You have found out about your father?’
‘I found out that he had a double life. He had another family across the world in Amsterdam. His life was a lie. He was not the man I believed him to be. You could have told me that a long time ago.’
CK leaned forwards, rested his elbows on the chair arms, and he pressed the ends of his fingers together. They interlocked in the air like long, thin, bony chopsticks. Without the sun the room had become dark, heavy, brooding.
‘I have watched and waited over the years, hoping that one day you would come to me with the knowledge of who you are and who you were destined to be. Yes. I could have told you but it is always better to allow a man to follow his own path.’
‘Yeah.’ Mann turned away and allowed his eyes the comfort of the darkened room. He spoke quietly. ‘Well, let me tell you. It’s not a path I ever wanted to travel. I was happier in ignorance. I wish I had never found out what kind of man he really was.’
‘And what kind do you think he was?’
Mann shook his head and smiled ruefully. ‘If I said he was a personal friend of Mother Teresa, a defender of human rights and a generous benefactor of the poor, would that do?’
‘I could say yes but we’d both be lying.’
Amusement came into CK’s eyes. CK rarely smiled. He was not a man to give in to pointless or telling gestures. In the Triad world showing emotions was considered a weakness. Every movement he made was calculated to give away as little as possible to his enemy. Mann understood and he played the same game. But CK had practised it for longer and Mann’s quick temper always let him down in the end. It was fast to flare. But at full flame, it turned ice cold, his body slowed, his pulse barely ticked over. It was then that he could kill calmly and methodically if he had to, and he had to sometimes. Justice came in many forms. Over the years he had come close to killing CK many times.
‘What he was…’ CK continued, ‘…was a clever man with a shrewd eye for business. But he was troubled. He was a man with his feet in two worlds. He was a man whose emotions overtook him sometimes and he made mistakes.’
‘He was a Triad: greedy, self-serving and worst of all he was naive. He was a fool who played with fire and got cremated.’
‘No, you are wrong. He was a genius. He was a clever entrepreneur. He saw the wisdom of belonging to a great organization.’
Mann looked away in disgust.
CK remained calm as he returned to nodding slowly, deliberately. ‘You need to rethink your mindset, Inspector. Triads merely adjust to their environment. They are a reflection of society and cater to its needs. If handled correctly a Triad organization can do much good for the community it serves. There is no denying that it can also further an individual’s career. Your father was proof of that. It is a pity his mind warped in the end and it went badly for him.’
Mann counted to three as he took in a breath, held it for three then expired slowly. His heart rate slowed. ‘My father realized his mistake and was executed when he tried to leave the society.’
CK inclined his head. ‘Of course. When one joins a society, one pledges allegiance to his brothers until death. It is an ancient oath that must be honoured.’
‘There’s nothing honourable in belonging to an organization whose main purpose is to launder money, peddle drugs and sell people.’ Mann stared coldly across at CK.
CK leaned forward, over the desk. ‘Tell me, Inspector Mann, your loyalty in the Hong Kong Police must be in question,