Kiss & Die - Lee Weeks [38]
PJ went to strike him. His eldest son Ali appeared beside them and stepped between his father and Hafiz. ‘Don’t, Dad. I’ll see to it.’
PJ shook his head sadly. ‘I am glad your mother cannot listen to you talk. She would have put a stop to it better than me. She would have seen it coming the way she saw everything coming.’ PJ wiped his face with his serving cloth and looked close to tears. ‘If she were alive, she’d have put a stop to it all.’
From the kitchen a bell sounded for the third time. A meal was waiting to be taken out. Mahmud hurried past the door, laden with plates. ‘Thank goodness for the fact I have one son who believes in working hard.’
‘I’m going out,’ Hafiz said and he threw down his serving cloth as he left.
Ali looked at his father accusingly. ‘You should go easy on him. These days are difficult for Hafiz. He’s always chasing Mahmud’s tail.’
‘Yes and he’s never going to catch it or add up to him.’
‘We are all different, Dad, you should remember that. Nobody’s perfect, not even Mahmud.’
‘I know. I’m sorry but I’m worried for our future. You find out who that young girl who died was and if Hafiz had anything to do with it. You do the right thing, Ali. I want her family compensated.’
‘No, she’s not our caste.’
PJ looked at him, shocked. ‘You know the girl?’
‘Only the rumours. The kids talk, I listen. Her father is a leather worker, her mother cleans toilets. She sews in a tailors on the first floor. We must keep our heads down. That’s why it is important to get the right friends, Dad. We have to protect ourselves. Don’t talk to Inspector Mann. Let me do it. Don’t let Hafiz or Mahmud or anyone talk unless I am there. Victoria Chan warned us when she came to see us. She said things would start to go wrong here. Things would get so bad that they would push for the Mansions to be demolished. She told us to keep our heads down and we would be guaranteed a new restaurant after the refurb.’
‘But how do we know she’s telling the truth?’
‘We don’t. But we have no choice. She’s been good to us this last year. She’s proved herself to be a friend since Mother died. Say nothing, Dad. Do nothing to stop it.’
PJ looked at his son incredulously and he nodded, stern faced. It was that exact moment when the roles were reversed. When his son had grown old enough, wise enough, strong enough and knew more than his father.
Chapter 25
Mann and Shrimp stood talking on the steps of the Mansions.
‘Shrimp, take the girl’s parents to see her body and then come back here for me. Start asking some questions; loosen up some tongues. PJ was obviously nervous. We know Victoria Chan is stirring things up in there. Let’s try and tweak a few consciences and see if anyone wants to share some information about the Outcasts. Someone must know something.’
‘Yes, Boss.’
‘I’m meeting Tammy. I’ll see you back at the station.’
Mann passed the old Indian prostitute leaning against the railings on the corner of Mody Road, her foot up on the fire hydrant, folds of yellow chiffon tucked as trousers between her legs. When it came to sex, Hong Kong had something to cater for everyone’s taste. She’d been there for as long as Mann could remember. She played with the end of her thick black hair, woven into one plait that she wore on the side, gold bangles up her arms and rings through her earlobes. She shimmered in the sharp evening light after the deluge of rain.
He headed down into the subway to get away from the heat; the approaching storm had sent temperatures through the roof and humidity to 90 per cent. He walked in the cool of the long, straight, airy tunnels that took the echo of his shoes and bounced it around the clean walls, took voices and amplified them. The subway was an artery carrying the workers to all the vital organs of Hong Kong. It made him feel like running along the endless tunnels: white, stark, cooling on his head, tolerable on