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Sachs asked, "Something wrong?"
The Chinese cop was suddenly aware that someone had spoken to him. He shook his head in reply to the question and turned back to Rhyme. "Okay, Loaban, what we going do now?"
"We're going to look at some harmonious evidence," Rhyme responded.
Chapter Twenty-one
A half hour later the doorbell sounded and Thom vanished into the hall. He returned with a heavyset Chinese man in a gray, fully buttoned suit, white shirt and striped tie. His face revealed no surprise or shock at seeing Rhyme in the Storm Arrow chair or at the collection of forensic equipment in the quaint Victorian town house. The only bit of emotion was when he glanced at Sachs and saw her sipping tea, redolent of herbs the man seemed to recognize by smell.
"I am Mr. Cai."
Rhyme introduced himself. "You're comfortable with English?"
"Yes."
"We have a problem, Mr. Cai, and I hope you can help us."
"You work for governor?"
"That's right."
In a distant sort of way we do, Rhyme thought, raising an ironic eyebrow toward the still-uneasy Lon Sellitto.
As Cai sat down, Rhyme explained about the Fuzhou Dragon and the immigrants hiding in town. Another flash of emotion when the name the Ghost was mentioned but then the face went blank again. Rhyme nodded to Deng, who told him about the killers and their suspicion that the men were from a Chinese ethnic minority group.
Cai nodded, considering this. Beneath large, wire-rimmed bifocals, his eyes were quick. "The Ghost, we know about him. He does much harm to all of us here. I will help you . . . . Ethnic minorities? In Chinatown there are none but I'll make some inquiries into other areas around the city. I have many connections."
"It's very important," Sachs said to him. "Those ten people, the witnesses . . . the Ghost is going to kill them if we don't find them first."
"Of course," Cai said sympathetically. "I'll do whatever I can. If your driver can take me back now I'll begin."
"Thank you," Sachs said. Sellitto and Rhyme nodded their gratitude too.
Cai rose and shook hands though unlike most visitors there was not even a vestigial gesture of his arm toward Rhyme but merely a nod, which told the criminalist that he was very much in control of himself and far more perceptive and intelligent than his distracted demeanor suggested.
He was glad this man would be helping them.
But as Cai walked toward the door Sonny Li said abruptly, "Ting!"
"He said 'Wait,' " Eddie Deng explained to Rhyme in a whisper.
Cai turned around, a frown on his face. Li strode up to him and, gesturing broadly, began speaking harshly. The tong leader leaned closer to Li and the two began an explosive conversation.
Rhyme thought they were going to come to blows.
"Hey!" Sellitto said to Li. "What the hell're you doing?"
Li ignored him and, red-faced, continued to pummel Cai with words. The tong leader finally grew quiet. His head finally dipped and his eyes scanned the floor.
Rhyme looked at Deng, who shrugged. "Too fast for me. I couldn't follow it."
As Li continued to speak, more calmly now, Cai began to nod and respond. Finally Li asked a question and the tong leader extended his hand and they shook.
Cai gave another brief nod to Rhyme, his face completely emotionless, and then left.
"What on earth was that?" Sachs asked.
"Why you just let him leave before?" Li said gruffly to Rhyme. "He not going to help you."
