Page 149 of The Killer’s Mark

‘You all right?’ he said, his eyes still on the Red Chamber guys. Cornering the rat was the most dangerous part of Bradshaw’s plan. Dong knew what was happening, but the rest of the Red Chamber didn’t. All they had seen was their leader losing face. And if he lost face, they lost face.

‘I’m OK, Poe,’ Esmerée said, her voice high and brittle. Still putting on a brave face for him.

‘They didn’t … you know … do anything to you?’

‘I was locked in a shipping container full of rubber ducks. I was given a bottle of water and a bucket to go to the bathroom in.’ She looked behind her, past her mother, past Towler. ‘Where’s the doc, where’s Tilly?’

‘Back at Cowie House,’ Poe said. ‘They have a prisoner to guard.’

‘We about ready, Poe?’ Towler asked. ‘Some of these arseholes don’t seem to have got the message yet.’

He was right. Some of the triads looked fidgety. Angry.

‘Yeah, c’mon,’ Poe said. ‘Let’s get out of here. Your guys will withdraw too?’

‘When we’re safe.’

‘Good.’ Poe took Esmerée’s arm and slowly backed away. Océane stayed where she was. ‘Get in the car, Océane,’ Poe said.

‘Not until I have my money.’

Poe sighed. That was all he needed. Someone changing the rules after they’d won the game. ‘Take the win,’ he said. ‘You’re free.’

Océane folded her arms and glared at the triads. ‘I earned that money. I want it.’

‘She’s got a point, mate,’ Towler said. ‘Just because they had no intention of coughing up the dough doesn’t mean it isn’t owed.’

She did have a point. Poe couldn’t help wondering if that had been her plan all along. To piggyback onto whatever it was they had going on, then ramp up the demands. Get the money she felt she was still entitled to. He wasn’t sure what to do. He had persuaded the triad to agree to leave them alone. But Océane was demanding ten million dollars. That might be a step too far for a profit-orientated organisation like the Red Chamber. Oh well, in for a penny, in for ten million dollars.

‘Océane gets her money,’ he said.

‘Including the money from the investments they pretended to make,’ Océane added. ‘The last time we reviewed my fake portfolio, that was over fourteen million bucks.’

‘Including her investments.’

For the first time, Dongyang Dong looked defiant. Poe thought he was going to refuse. He thought he’d better nip it in the bud. He opened his own iPad and navigated to the dragon head’s granddaughter discussing her death perversions. He pressed play. Caught her near the end of Bradshaw’s deepfake.

‘… And when the light in their eyes finally goes out, it’s a turn-on like nothing else on earth. It makes me so horny I have no choice but to—’

Poe pressed pause. The clip was crude, cruel and utterly convincing. Estelle had provided the words and Bradshaw had used something called voice phishing, whatever the hell that was, to mimic the girl’s voice. Like the rest of the package, it could not be detected as fake. As far as anyone was concerned, the completely innocent pianist had said those despicable things. She did have a death fetish.

‘How will the Forty-Fours react to this?’ Poe asked. ‘Will they understand that ruining the lives of the dragon head’s family was a legitimate business decision?’

‘The woman gets her money,’ Dongyang Dong said.

‘All of it?’

‘Yes.’

‘My colleague will send the bank details within the hour. Please don’t dawdle. We’re all jumpy and you wouldn’t want me pressing the send button by accident.’ Poe turned to Océane. ‘Happy?’

‘As a New England clam.’

Poe shrugged, confused.

Esmerée helped him out. ‘She’s happy, Poe,’ she sighed.

‘Then get in the car. Everyone get in the car.’