THE TWO CHINATOWNS

Chapter 8



Van Etten's impromptu, 5:00 A.M. press conference outside the restaurant went off exactly as Brunette had anticipated. He pledged to free Chinatown from the scourge of the street gangs and bring to justice those responsible for the death of Sue Hsu and Yuan Chan, no matter how far the trail led. When questioned, he described Born to Kill's and Fourteen K's history, and the reasons behind Yuan Chan's ordeal. He also acknowledged that his department would rely heavily on information supplied by the NYPD.
     Van Etten wanted to leave it at that, but then he was forced to field some questions on the immigration status of the other Goo Pan workers. He stated that the Toronto PD had been unable to establish their exact status, and that he would refer the matter to Immigration in the morning.
     Brunette and McKenna had to catch a 9:00 A.M. flight to New York, so they returned to their hotel to get their bags and maybe a nap. Cisco stayed to give his statement to Robert E. Lee for the record. Lee again interrupted his questioning of the kitchen workers to take it in Benny's office, a nonconfrontational procedure that took less than fifteen minutes.
     "How're you doing with the interviews?" Cisco asked Lee after signing his statement.
     "Four down so far, and I haven't got a thing."
     "Mind if I sit in on the last three interviews?"
     "Matter of fact, I was hoping you'd ask."
     "Really? Why?"
     "Because those folks regard you as a bigger hero than Jackie Chan. You whacking those two scumbags was the nicest thing that's happened to them in some time, so they owe you respect and a favor or two."
     "You think they'd be more likely to talk to me than talk to you?"
     "Yes, I surely do. They don't owe me a thing."
     "Then let's see how we do. Do we know how long they've been in Canada?"
     "They're what we call FOBs—fresh off the boat. According to Sammy, Fourteen K delivered them to Hip Sing in April, about four months ago."
     "Speaking of Sammy, is he going to be asking around for us about any illegal workers who might be inexplicably absent from their jobs?" Cisco asked.
     "He says he'll make that a personal priority."
*     *     *

Lee arranged chairs in a circle in Benny's office, then brought in one of the cooks for the first joint interview. The cook said barely a word, and only gave his name as "Ronnie." Lee and Cisco gave up after a few questions.
     They both saw that the next man was something different, maybe the one they had been waiting for. Like the cook before him, he was thin and in his thirties, but he was taller and projected a kind of quiet dignity. He nodded to Lee, and then his gaze fell on Cisco and stayed there.
     "I'm Lieutenant Robert E. Lee of the Toronto Police, and this is Detective Cisco Sanchez of the New York City Police," Lee began in Cantonese.
     "I have heard who you are," the man said in English, nodding to Cisco.
     "And you are?" Cisco asked.
     "Here I am Harry."
     "Would you tell us what you were called in China."
     "Sorry, I want to be Harry for now."
     "Fine by me, Harry," Cisco said. "Please sit down."
     Harry nodded again, but remained standing until Lee and Cisco took their seats. Then he sat, still keeping his eyes on Cisco.
     "Would you tell us what you do in this restaurant?" Cisco asked.
     "Like Yuan Chan, I am dishwasher for now."
     "How and where did you learn to speak English?"
     "How and where you learn to speak Cantonese?" Harry countered.
     "I studied it in the United States to impress the lady those men killed tonight."
     Harry gave Cisco a sympathetic smile. "I see," Harry said. "Like you, I studied English to impress a lady. She is an English teacher in China."
     "Is she your wife?"
     "Maybe someday, if I can make myself worthy."
     "Good luck. I believe that you will make yourself worthy, if you're not already. Since you've heard who we are, then you've heard what we want to know," Cisco said, getting down to business.
     "I heard. You want to know what happened in kitchen tonight. Also want to know about Born to Kill and Fourteen K."
     "That's right. Will you help us?"
     "About Born to Kill I know only a little. About Fourteen K, I know more. Maybe a lot."
     A lot? Cisco thought. How could a simple dishwasher in Toronto know a lot about an international criminal syndicate based in Hong Kong? "Will you tell us what you know?"
     "Maybe," Harry said, keeping his eyes fixed on Cisco. "First I need to know something. Is true you killed one of those men when you throw dish at him?"
     "Yes, it's true."
     "Why you take such chance?"
     "Because I had smelled hair burning, I had heard a shot, and then I saw Yuan Chan. I knew that they were gangsters, I knew that they had tortured Yuan Chan, and I knew that they were taking him someplace else—maybe to torture him some more, maybe worse."
     "So you acted, maybe foolishly. You were lucky."
     "Yes, I acted, but not foolishly. I had surprise on my side, I was ready, and they weren't. I knew what I could do and I did it," Cisco said, returning Harry's stare. "They weren't good enough, and now they're both dead."
     "Yes, they both dead, and I thank you for that."
     "Thank me? Why?"
     "Yuan Chan was just simple, hard-working, uneducated man, but he was my friend. I thank you for doing what I would have done if I had courage and skill you have."
     "I take it that you're not uneducated," Cisco said.
     "I read and I study, but not enough. Like Yuan, I am uneducated."
     Like Yuan, you're probably also hard-working as well, Cisco thought. But one thing you're not is simple. "Well, Harry, are you going to tell us what you know?"
     "Yes. First I tell what happened in kitchen, but can't tell now about Born to Kill and Fourteen K. I have already been in here too long with you."
     "I also understand," Cisco said. "For now, I'll settle for what happened in the kitchen after the two gangsters came in."
     Harry told the story while Lee took notes. At the end of the account, Lee nodded to Cisco and smiled. Harry could be believed.
     "Good enough for now, Harry. Thanks," Cisco said. "We're going to pick up the other kitchen workers in pairs at wherever they live. We'll take them to someplace private, question them, and then bring them back after an hour. You'll be in the third pair of kitchen workers we pick up. How's that?"
     "Good plan, and easy for you. Most of us live in same building."
     "Sometime tomorrow all right with you?"
     "Immigration coming tomorrow, so I think we all be fired before we leave tonight. Anytime tomorrow good for me." Harry stood up, nodded to Lee, and went to the door. "I'll send in next man, Lieutenant."


Previous Chapter Next Chapter Back to Main Page Buy it online at barnesandnoble.com!