Authors: Michael J. McCann
“
Now, what can I do for you?”
“
We’d like some background on Asian OC in the city,” Hank said, sitting down and opening his notebook on his knee, “with particular emphasis on Peter Mah.”
“
Mah?” Melton’s thick black eyebrows crawled up over his forehead. “Peter Mah? Well, I’ll see what I can do. What in particular would you like to know?”
“
We’re investigating the homicide of his cousin, Martin Liu,” Hank said. “Four years ago. Was there anything big happening back then?”
“
Triad-related?” Melton appeared to think for a minute. “Well, there was an internal struggle several years ago. I suppose that would qualify as something big.”
“
Tell us about it,” Hank said.
“
We don’t really know much. The Triad picture is very murky, since they’re secretive to a fault.”
Karen was starting to get a little irritated. “Well what the fuck
do
you know?”
“
Well,” Melton leaned forward, “six years ago the local society elected a new Dragon Head. The Dragon Head is the leader of the local lodge. They call him the
Shan Chu
. Keep in mind that Triad organizations aren’t as highly structured as most other organized crime groups. They don’t have a widespread administrative structure,
per se
, with a headquarters-and-subsidiary type of mentality. They’re more a network of localized units bound by personal relationships, history and loyalty. Local units have a specific internal organization with an hierarchy and clearly defined roles and responsibilities, but laterally outside the unit there’s no real power structure as such. The connections are more social and financial than anything else. And there’s always a connection between here and Hong Kong.”
Karen was supposed to be impressed but instead she radiated boredom, slumped in the chair next to Hank, staring at Melton. “So what about this election?”
Melton described the failed term of Bernard Ho and the resultant power struggle between Lam Chun Sang, the current Dragon Head, and Philip Ling that had occurred four years ago. The conflict ended with a gun battle along the river, Melton explained, “and
the next day someone connected to Mah was found dead in an alley in South Shore East. The official line was that it was a drug sale gone bad, but those of us in OCU who keep track of these things figured it was connected to Philip Ling.”
“
The Martin Liu killing, right?” Hank said. “You’re saying it was connected to this power struggle
?”
“
That’s what we thought at the time.”
“
Is that what you still think?”
Melton stared thoughtfully at Hank for a moment as though considering how to answer the question. Then he shrugged. “Not really. More likely it was a personal thing unconnected to Triad business altogether. It’s not of interest to us here.”
“
So what about Peter Mah?” Karen asked.
“What kind of rap sheet has he got?”
“
When you run it you’ll find it’s clean. No convictions. There were a couple of busts as a juvenile but those records are sealed. As an adult, he’s as pure as the driven snow.”
“
I remember he ran a street gang at one time,” Hank said.
Melton nodded. “Yeah, the Biu Ji Boys. Named after the third form of
ving tsun
kung fu. It means ‘pointing finger.’ It’s a set of emergency techniques used by a
ving tsun
practitioner when he’s in a very bad position and about to be overwhelmed by an enemy. Peter is said to have studied
ving tsun
as a boy, although apparently he wasn’t much good at it. Interesting choice of name. Anyway, I digress. The gang still exists, with a different leader of course, although they still look up to Peter as a type of figurehead. Nasty bunch.”
“
Home invasions?” Karen asked. “Leg breaking, that kind of thing?”
“
No and yes,” Melton replied, glancing sideways at her. “No, they don’t really do many home invasions anymore; it’s more the Vietnamese gangs who’re the most active in that sort of thing now. Yes, they’re very busy on the crimes against the person side of things. Assaults, murders, you name it. Also,” he held up a hand and ticked off on his fingers, “heroin trafficking, illegal weapons, stolen goods, prostitution, pornography.”
“
Okay, so that’s how he got his laughs when he was a kid,” Karen said. “What’s he into now that he’s all grown up?”
“
Peter’s a businessman. He owns several properties in Chinatown, including the restaurant where he lives.”
She snorted. “He’s a businessman. Making his money selling chow mein and chicken balls, is that what you’re saying?”
Melton frowned. “He’s also a member of the society in our city that’s affiliated with the 14K Triad. I’ve already explained that.”
“
What about Dicam International?” Karen asked.
“
Dicam? Shipping, containers, freighters, trucking, even a fleet of cargo planes. Big operation.” Melton turned to the computer on his desk and grabbed the mouse. “Here, give me a moment.” He clicked, typed, and clicked, studied the screen, clicked and typed some more. The printer on the corner of his desk came to life. “Here’s some basic info on Dicam from the
Lloyd’s
database. FYI only, of course. It’ll give you some basic background on the company. Corporate structure, Board of Directors, blah blah.” He pulled the sheet from the printer and handed it to her.
“
The CEO is Jerome Mah, as you can see. Peter’s father. Homeland Security considers the company a bit of a risk for people smuggling, heroin and so on, but the seizure rate against them is surprisingly low.”
“
Really? And yet the old geezer is a Triad man. How does that figure?”
“
Not really a Triad man. There’s a fine line that’s hard to explain. Lam sits on the board of Jerome’s big import-export company, and Jerome sits on the board of one or two companies with a few other Triad members, so it’s more accurate to describe him as an associate. Just the same, Jerome sits on the board of State University, as does your mother, Lieutenant, he’s an active member of the Lions Club, he donates millions of dollars to our hospitals, and in every other respect is a shining member of our community.”
“
So Dicam’s a Triad front?” Karen asked.
“
No,” Melton said. “I can’t really go into detail on a lot of this stuff. Ongoing investigation, you understand.”
“
What the hell does that mean?”
Melton crossed his arms across his barrel chest. “I’m not really sure you’re cleared for this kind of discussion, Detective.”
“
You’ll be cleared for takeoff right through the fuckin’ window if you don’t get with the program, buster.” Karen pushed forward in her chair. “This is a fuckin’ homicide investigation you’re impeding here.”
“
Hey, hey,” Melton protested. It was obvious that Karen was as mean as a snake. The normal civilized rules of office decorum meant nothing to her. She was liable to come right over the desk at him before anyone could do anything to stop her. Her confidence in her ability to cause him immediate physical harm was unmistakable.
Hank coughed. “Back up, Barry. We get it that some of your intelligence is Need to Know Only, we get that. Just the same, help us out a little.”
Melton grumbled, looking around his little cubicle.
“
We think Mah’s been looking into Martin Liu’s murder,” Hank went on. “He got a couple of names last November and has been making inquiries. He had a kid beaten up on Monday, took his stuff, then went after him again. Heard anything about that?”
“
No, I haven’t.”
“
So run the names for us now,” Hank said. “Shawn and Gary. Try S-h-a-w-n, S-e-a-n and S-h-a-u-n. Try both as a given name and a surname.”
“
Okay.” Melton logged into the system, ran the queries and printed out the information on his LaserJet printer. He gathered up the sheets of paper and glanced through them.
“
Four hits on Shawn,” he said, “three for S-h-a-w-n and one for S e-a-n. Eight hits on Gary, one as a surname.” He handed the pages to Karen.
“
What about Martin Liu?” Hank asked.
Melton shook his head. “The kid was clean. It was my understanding all along he had no connection to the Triad whatsoever except for the misfortune of being related to Peter Mah. No record at all.”
“
What about the fact that he worked at Dicam?” Karen asked.
“
Peter got him the job,” Melton replied, “but it was sheer nepotism and nothing else.”
“
Can you run a couple other names for us?” Hank asked.
Melton nodded, turning back to the keyboard. “Fire away.”
“
Charles Chong.” Hank spelled it for him.
“
D-O-B?”
“
Sorry, I don’t have anything other than the name,” Hank said, “but he’s likely in his mid- to late-twenties.”
Melton ran it and then shook his head. “Nothing.”
“
Okay. Susan Choi, married name Chong, wife of the aforementioned Charles Chong, no date of birth but about the same age.”
Melton ran it and shook his head again. “No.”
“
No problem. Tommy Leung.” Hank spelled it for him. “About the same age.”
Melton sat back. “I’m familiar with the name. I’m not going to run it.”
“
Why the fuck not?” Karen said.
Melton’s eyes flickered. He was having obvious problems with Karen’s aggressiveness. He turned to Hank. “Why are you asking about Tommy Leung? What’s his connection to your case?”
“
He was friends with Martin Liu,” Hank said. “We want to talk to him. What’s the problem?”
“
The Leungs are part of an MAI. If I run a query on any one of them, I’ll get a phone call within five minutes because our system’s tied in with other agencies and they’ll want me to explain my sudden interest.”
An MAI was a Multi-Agency Investigation, which meant that the department was working with state and federal officials in an ongoing operation of some sort that involved the Leung family.
“
Fair enough,” Hank said. “Just explain to us where they fit in with Peter Mah.”
“
Edward Leung’s a known Triad member. He’s fifty-three years old, married, two sons and three daughters. Sole proprietor of Pagoda Home Electronics Corporation, a small chain of consumer outlets. Tommy’s his oldest son and manages the warehouse operations on River Street. Edward, a.k.a. Eddie, is suspected of money laundering, fencing stolen electronics and credit card fraud but nothing’s been proven. He has a DUI conviction on his record, plus an arrest for possession of stolen property but the charges were dropped.”
“
Does Tommy have a record?”
“
No. He’s clean, but the Feds probably have him under surveillance. They’re looking at the entire society right now for a bunch of white collar stuff, counterfeiting, identity theft, credit card fraud.”
Hank stood up. “All right, Barry, I appreciate what you’ve given us. If you hear anything else, let us know, all right?”
“
Will do.” Melton shook his hand, hesitated, then nodded at Karen.
At the elevators outside the secure door, Karen leaned against the wall. “Maybe I should have been nicer to him.”
“
I wouldn’t want you to try to be something that you’re not,” Hank said.
The elevator arrived and they got on. They rode up to the ninth floor and walked to their desks.
“
So,” she said, sitting down, “we go squeeze Tommy Leung about what he was into four years ago that upset his friend Martin. According to doofus it didn’t have anything to do with their turf war, so maybe it was something else connected to Triad stuff that Martin didn’t like, seeing as he was so squeaky clean. Plus we can buzz the ex-girlfriend to see if she has anything useful to say.”
“
We also have the list of Shawns and Garys to run down,” Hank said.
“
That doesn’t excite me so much. Coming from a three-year-old kid, I’d say it’s a lot less interesting than this Leung angle.”
“
I’ll ask Detective Waverman to run them down for us.”
Karen grinned. “Right on.”
“
I’ll also ask him if he can take a run out to Dicam International and talk to people out there. Get some more background on the victim from his co-workers.”
“
Sounds good to me.” She sprang back out of her chair as though propelled by a giant spring. “So let’s go look up Tommy Leung. Time’s a’wastin’.”
Peter Mah relaxed in the back seat of the black Lexus sedan and watched the familiar buildings of Chinatown pass as he was driven home to the Bright Spot restaurant. The conversation with his cousin Grace had gone well. She described the meeting with the two homicide detectives. When Peter suggested it was perhaps in Taylor’s best interest that she not talk to the police any further, as they might put the child in jeopardy with their clumsy efforts to track a killer, she agreed. She understood that Peter was very protective of family, even though she herself didn’t embrace the traditional Chinese value system from which this protectiveness sprang. She knew he’d do everything in his power to see that no harm came to them. He would atone for his failure to shield Martin from harm by serving as little Taylor’s protector throughout his life. He explained to her that it was a
guanxi
obligation to him. If Taylor actually were Martin reincarnated, it would be especially important that Peter honor this commitment.