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One corner of her mouth moved in the barest hint of a smile. “That, too,” she agreed.
“So we ignore what the cabdriver has to say?”
“Of course not.”
A thought occurred to him, and he voiced it. “Why would the kidnappers take a cab? Why wouldn’t they have a getaway car waiting?”
Her smile deepened. “Cars aren’t as prevalent here as they are in the US, and they’re very expensive to own and operate. Petrol prices are...” She made a face. “Our public transportation is so good, cars aren’t the necessity that they are in the US. But it’s more than that—a lot of people in Hong Kong don’t know how to drive.”
“Do you?”
“Yes, but only because I’ve lived other places. I don’t own a car. So it doesn’t surprise me they took a cab. And, besides, a loitering getaway car would attract more attention, something I’m sure they wanted to avoid.”
Her smile faded, and her dark brown eyes turned deadly serious. “But there’s something else we have to discuss before we go any further. You have some choices to make. And you need to make them now, before we talk with the cabdriver.”
“What choices?”
“Let me call my friend first, get him over here as soon as he’s done with Vanessa and Chet. And you need to talk to the hotel, clear it for Mr. Lin to be free as soon as possible.” She frowned. “It won’t be easy, not without telling them why time is so critical it can’t wait for Mr. Lin to get off work.”
“Leave it to me.” Dirk hadn’t been an international film star this long without at least knowing how to get what he wanted, when he wanted it. He rarely exercised the power that went with his exalted status, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t...or wouldn’t.
* * *
Five minutes later Dirk hung up the phone, having wrung acquiescence from the hotel’s manager for anything he wanted, including Mr. Lin’s time for as long as necessary. And he hadn’t had to go into detail, hadn’t had to explain other than to say it was crucial.
Mei-li had already finished her call, and she told Dirk, “Vanessa and Chet are still there. But as soon as he’s done with them my friend will head over here.”
“Good. Mr. Lin’s time is mine for as long as I need him.” Then he returned to their earlier discussion. “What choices?”
She didn’t miss a beat. “You already told me the only thing you care about at this point is your daughters. I think you really mean it.”
“I do.”
“But we both know, even if you pay the ransom there’s no guarantee they won’t kill your little girls.” Dirk flinched at the direct way she stated this, but knew he had to face the possibility. “Because money isn’t the only motive here. Revenge plays a big part.”
His throat closed, and he could only squeeze out one word. “Yeah.”
“That means you can’t just sit back, pay the ransom, and pray for the best. It means following the kidnappers’ trail. Wherever it takes us.”
Dirk breathed sharply. “Why do I have the feeling I’m not going to like the rest of what you have to say?”
Her smile held a tinge of sadness. “Because you’re too smart to lie to yourself. And you know if we go after the kidnappers to rescue your daughters, there’s a chance—I can’t give you odds on something like this, but a chance—that the kidnappers will panic if they think we’re getting too close.” She didn’t say it again, but he heard it anyway. And they’ll kill your little girls.
“That’s one of the choices you have to make,” she continued. “I can’t make that choice for you.”
Dirk didn’t even have to think about it. “If I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t, I’d rather do everything I can. Then if...” He couldn’t say the words, and settled for, “If the worst happens, at least I tried.”
She nodded. “I thought you’d say that.”
“What other choices do I have to make?”
“Do you bring in the Hong Kong police now, or not?”
He shook his head. “Not,” he said firmly. “When the kidnapper called me this morning he knew I hadn’t called the police so far. I’m not risking that he knew because he has a source inside the police.”
“What about the US consulate? Are you going to contact them? I’m not sure exactly what they can do, but calling in your country’s FBI seems probable. Is that something you want to do?”
