ChapterOne

September 1980. Late Thursday night —
The British Crown Colony of Hong Kong

The news of his father’s death had killed his interest in food and drink during the long flight. But as the aircraft approached Hong Kong, Jake Salter decided he needed a bracer to help get him through the coming events. He took a sip of the whisky and stared out the oval porthole of the 747 into the black night. A scattering of distant lights outlined the south Chinacoast.

Jake had not returned that often since he left for university, almost eighteen years ago; undergraduate, graduate school and then the hard slog of working his way up to a partnership in a Los Angeles investment firm. He followed in his father’s vocation, only it was 7200 miles away fromhome.

He could not get their last phone conversation out of his mind. Only a week ago his aging father had hinted of a problem but had then suggested they postpone discussion until later. No, not health, he had said. But just three days later Jake had received news that his father had died at home… a heart attack, they said. Jake booked the next flight out of L.A. This return to Hong Kong would be a chance to come to terms with the loss… and to explore unansweredquestions.

In anticipation of landing, the interior lights brightened in the cabin. Jake’s seatmate stirred from a nap, accepted a glass of water from the steward, and then stowed his briefcase for the landing. Lean and wearing the dress blues of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force, Inspector Andrew Chu looked fit, his black hair cropped short, with a hint of gray. Chu was probably in his late thirties, just a couple of years older thanJake.

Chu looked at Jake. “I guess I noddedoff.”

“Wish I had,” Jake replied. His dark thoughts and grief had kept him from sleeping. “Another half hour to go, Ithink.”

They had gotten to know each other during the long flight, both having been born and raised in the Colony. Inspector Chu told Jake that he had been tagged to represent Hong Kong in an international law enforcement conference in Los Angeles. They had spoken only in Cantonese during their sporadic conversations, which was good for Jake, who knew that he was rusty after living in California for solong.

During the long trip Chu had treated Jake with a couple of inside stories of police investigations, especially reprising when he was undercover with one of the ancient criminal organizations, the ChineseTriads.

Jake couldn’t match the crime stories of Chu, but he contributed tales of life in Los Angeles. In a wealth m