Authors: Michael J. McCann
“
Sure,” Hank said, touched by the nervousness in her voice. “What time?”
“
Would eight o’clock be all right?”
“
That’d be fine.”
“
You do like salmon, don’t you?”
“
Absolutely.”
“
Fine, I’ll see you then.”
Hank put his phone away and lightly rubbed his chin.
Karen grinned at him. “I told you she’s got a thing for you, Lou. When’s your date? Tonight?”
“
It’s not a date,” Hank said.
His phone rang again and he answered it without looking. “Hi again,” he said, thinking that Meredith was calling back to ask him to bring something.
“
Lieutenant Donaghue, this is Michael Chan.”
“
Professor Chan, what can I do for you?”
Karen guffawed.
“
Peter Mah’s taken Taylor from day care, along with my wife. He’s taking them somewhere, I’m pretty sure against my wife’s will.”
“
Are you sure? That doesn’t sound like him.”
“
The day care called me, Lieutenant. Grace showed up unexpectedly, asking for Taylor. She took him out to a car and got in the back and then the car drove away. They called me because she’d said she’d bring him right back inside.”
“
I see. Where are you right now?”
“
I’m following them. We’re on Youland right now. I think he’s heading for the expressway.”
“
Slow down, Professor Chan. Who exactly are you following?” Out of the corner of his eye Hank saw Karen put down her coffee and lean forward, listening.
“
It’s a black Lexus, with Maryland license plates.” He recited the plate number. “I know it’s Peter. He’s kidnapped them.”
“
If you believe that’s the case, you should call 911 and report it.”
“
No!” Michael exclaimed. “If a police car shows up and chases them, Taylor and Grace could be hurt!”
“
You need to tell the police what’s happening,” Hank insisted.
“
I am, dammit! I called you! You’re the police! Do something!”
Hank paused for a moment. “Where are you now?”
“
At a red light, on Youland at Brockton. They’re two cars ahead of me.”
“
Stay on the line. Detective Stainer and I are on our way. Don’t take any unnecessary risks, and pay attention to your driving. If they get away, they get away. I’m sure Peter won’t hurt them.”
“
All right! Just hurry!”
“
We’ll be there as soon as we can.”
Karen hit the expressway at top speed, dash lights flashing, and once she reached the inside lane Hank began to breathe again. Using a USB connector that was kept in the glove compartment he had plugged his cell phone into the audio system of the Crown Vic, which Karen had reclaimed from the garage, and now they had Michael Chan on speaker as he continued to follow the black Lexus.
“
We’re still on the expressway heading south,” Michael said, his voice sounding a little muffled through the speakers.
“
Probably not going far,” Karen remarked.
Hank pushed the Mute button and looked at her. “I know where he’s going.”
“
South Shore East.”
Hank nodded. “One-twenty-first Street.”
“
But what the hell for? What’s the point?”
“
Probably to jog the boy’s memory, either to find Tommy Leung or to get the identity of the fourth man.”
“
We can’t tell Chan we know what’s going on,” Karen warned. “He’ll try to stop him.”
Nodding, Hank punched the Mute button. “Michael, are you still with him?”
“
Yes, but they’re slowing. It looks like they’re taking the next exit.”
“
Which one?” Karen asked.
“
Kenney Avenue-McPhail Road.”
“
South Shore East,” Karen remarked. “Look, Professor Chan, we’re about five minutes behind you and closing. Stay within sight if you can but don’t take any chances whatsoever. Okay? We’ll be right behind you before you know it.”
“
Do you know where they’re going? Do you know where he’s taking them?”
“
Could be any number of places, Professor Chan,” Karen said, “but the best thing is to let this happen. He won’t hurt them, they’re his family.”
“
They’re
my
family!” Michael retorted angrily.
“
I understand,” Karen soothed, “but I’m just saying, family’s right there at the top of Mah’s value system. His protectiveness of family members will come into play here, you’ll see.”
“
I hope you’re right,” Michael gritted.
“
I am, you’ll see. The best way for us to play it is not to be confrontational but just to find out what he wants from them and get them the hell on out of there again.”
“
All right, Detective.”
They reached the Kenney Avenue-McPhail Road off ramp two minutes behind Michael. Karen swung right at the first set of traffic lights onto Kenney heading east. Three intersections later they stopped at the back of a long line of traffic waiting for a red light.
“
I’m at Kenney and Jarvis,” Michael said. “I’m right behind them.”
“
Then we’re right behind you,” Karen said. “How close to the intersection are you?”
“
The Lexus is first and I’m second.”
“
Okay,” Karen nodded. “We’re too far back for a visual but close enough for rock and roll. At the next intersection make a right and let us move into position.”
“
No way. I’m staying with them.”
“
Professor Chan, let us do our job, will you? You called us in because you wanted our help, well, this is us helping. Get the hell out of the way.”
“
Not a chance. I’m sticking right with them.”
Karen sighed. The light had turned green and traffic was slowly starting to move. “Look, tell you what. Make that right and circle around the block if you want, come up behind us. All I’m saying is, let us get right behind him so we can handle this.”
“
But you may lose him if you can’t get through the intersection in time.”
“
I won’t lose him,” Karen said firmly.
“
But you can’t be sure.”
“
Professor Chan, I do this shit for a living. I
won’t
lose him. Now do what I’m asking while I’m still in a good mood, huh?”
“
Okay. All right. Okay. I’m changing lanes. Couple of cars are changing lanes behind me; looks like you’ll be able to move up several places.”
“
See?” Karen said sweetly. “A lotta traffic goes north-south on 125
th
. I’m moving up. There you go, we see you turning, we’re through 125
th
and I’ve got a visual on the Lexus. Piece of cake.”
They heard Michael sigh loudly. “Thank God. I’m still going to come around, though. Will you tell me where you go?”
“
If you promise to behave.”
“
Detective! This is no laughing matter!”
“
Relax, Professor,” Karen said. “Come back onto Kenney and go east until you reach 121
st
. Hang a left and you’ll see us in a couple of blocks.”
“
You
do
know where he’s taking them!”
“
It’s just a little show and tell,” Karen said. “When we get there we’ll separate them and have a little chat with Mah about what he wants to know. It’ll go fine, just stay calm when you get there and follow our lead, okay?”
“
All right, Detective.”
A few minutes later Chan told them there had been an accident on Kenney between 125
th
and 124
th
and he was having trouble getting around it.
“
It must have happened right after you went through there,” he said.
“
Just be careful and don’t take any risks,” Karen urged him. “We’ve got it under control here. Trust us.”
When they reached the alley on 121
st
Peter Mah was already there with Taylor and Grace. Karen parked behind the Lexus. Hank got out and walked up the driver’s side of the Lexus as Karen trotted across the street.
Hank rapped on the driver’s window with a knuckle. It slid down and Hank showed his badge to the chunky, bald Asian behind the wheel.
“
Do me a favor and stay put while we talk to your boss,” Hank said. “Anyone else in the vehicle besides yourself?”
The driver shook his head.
“
No cause for alarm, just need to find out what he wants with the boy. Put your hands on top of the steering wheel and keep this window down, okay?”
The driver nodded, sliding his hands up to the top of the steering wheel.
“
Thanks, appreciate it,” Hank said. “Are you Benny Hu?”
The driver nodded again, staring at Hank with glittering, reptilian eyes.
“
Thought so. We missed you when we were talking to the rest of Peter’s staff. My name’s Donaghue. Been with Peter for long?”
“
Few years.”
Hank nodded as though this were fascinating information. “This is a nice vehicle. You also drive him around in a Mercedes, though, don’t you? Where’s it at right now?”
Benny Hu shrugged. “They tell me drive this, I drive.”
“
Yeah, but what happened to the Mercedes?”
“
Company sold it, I guess. I don’t know.”
“
Okay.” Hank smiled and patted the door. “Look, I’m going across to chat with your boss. Remember what I said about keeping your hands on the steering wheel, okay?”
Benny Hu stared at him.
“
Nice to meet you, Benny.”
Hank trotted across the street. Karen had already moved Grace Chan back out of the alley onto the sidewalk and was quietly talking to Peter Mah and Taylor. Hank walked up to Grace and put his hand on her arm.
“
Come with me, Mrs. Chan.” He started to move her across the street.
“
What are you doing? Where are you taking me? I’m not leaving Taylor here!”
“
It’s all right, Mrs. Chan,” Hank soothed, “I just want you to sit in our car for a minute while Detective Stainer and I talk to Peter and Taylor. We’ve got everything under control and nothing will happen to Taylor.”
“
He’s already upset! I don’t understand why Peter’s doing this. He’s got Taylor scared to death!”
Hank opened the rear passenger door of the Crown Vic for her. “Detective Stainer has a great deal of experience in family-related investigations and she knows exactly what she’s doing. Taylor will be fine, you’ll see. Let her do her thing.”
He coaxed her into the back seat and crouched down so that he was on eye level with her.
“
I don’t understand what he’s doing,” she said again.
“
He wants Taylor to remember something connected to Martin Liu, right?” Hank said. “He won’t hurt Taylor, he loves him very much.”
“
Yes, that’s what he’s been asking Taylor about but Taylor can’t remember what he wants to know. Taylor’s just a little boy. This isn’t right.”
“
I know,” Hank said. “Just wait here for us, please. We’ll bring Taylor right over to you.”
He closed the door of the Crown Vic and walked back across the street, figuring they still had a few minutes before Michael Chan reached the scene. Karen was crouched next to Taylor, looking up at Peter. By lowering herself to the boy’s level she was lessening the threat that she posed to Peter while aligning herself with Taylor to support the boy’s emotional state. Hank stood next to Peter, a head taller, balancing the equation back out again so Peter would not feel in control.
“
He must remember!” Peter was insisting. “He must tell me who else was there when Martin was killed!”
“
But I told you, Uncle Peter!” Taylor said through his tears. “Shawn kept hitting me and Gary was yelling and Tommy was yelling and the other man was yelling too!”
“
Who
was
the other man?” Peter demanded.
“
I don’t
know
!” Taylor whined. “I never sawed him before!”
“
What did he look like?”
“
He was a
gwailo
, Uncle Peter. He looked like a big monkey with no hair on the front of his head.”
“
No hair?”
“
The rest of his hair was on the back of his head. I don’t
know
him!”
“
That’s enough,” Hank said. “Let the boy go back with his mother now. He can’t help you.”
Peter stared into Hank’s eyes and then nodded. He dropped to a knee and looked at Taylor. “I’m sorry, little one. I needed to know.”
Taylor sniffled. “Are you mad at me, Uncle Peter?”
“
Mad?” Peter looked surprised. “No, of course not!”
“
You won’t hurt me?”
“
Oh, my god, I’d never hurt you.” Peter held out his hand. “I’m very, very sorry I upset you.”