John Dobbyn - Neon Dragon

I thought that particular well had run dry, when Mei-Li looked straight at Kip Liu and spoke directly into the microphone. I think she knew what she was doing.

“Mr. Chen was very angry. He yelled at Mr. Liu. It was about the low faan. ”

Ms. Lamb erupted, sputtering objections and motions to strike. The judge gaveled Mei-Li to silence, but I had the nugget I needed. I filed it away and got back to the business at hand.

“Mei-Li, did you go with me yesterday to the county morgue?”

She looked at me. “Yes.”

“Did you see the body of a young girl there?”

“Yes.”

“Could you describe her condition?”

She started to speak, but tears simply streamed from both eyes.

“Mei-Li, would it be fair to say that she was brutally beaten? Beaten beyond recognition?”

Angela was on her feet, but I sensed she was forcing herself. “Your Honor, how is this relevant? Objection.”

I jumped in quickly to preserve the momentum. “Your Honor, I promise accountability for the relevance.”

“Overruled. Please answer the question, miss.”

Mei-Li’s eyes dropped. “Yes, badly beaten.”

I walked back past the defense table to the front row of spectators. I bent down and took Mrs. Lee’s hand. I held it when I whispered, “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Lee. This will be a terrible shock. I want you to be ready for it.”

I could see in her face that the shock had already set in. She didn’t want to know, and I didn’t want it said. But it had to be said.

“Who was the young lady, Mei-Li?”

“It was Lee Mei-Hua. Mrs. Lee’s daughter.”

I could feel Mrs. Lee’s body shake as I put my arm around her shoulder. I could feel the sobs, as well as hear them.

I held her for a minute with the court’s indulgence. I thought of my little Red Shoes, and the bravery in that little soul the night she gave me the message in the fortune cookie.

I left Mrs. Lee being comforted by Mr. Qian and came back to the bench.

“I have no further questions of this witness, Your Honor.”

The judge looked at the prosecutor.

“Nothing just now, Your Honor.”

I added, “I’d like permission to have this witness remain in the courtroom, Your Honor.”

The judge nodded. Mei-Li left the witness stand. The bailiff brought a chair for her at the end of the spectator section. The judge looked back at me.

“Your Honor, I’d like to recall as a witness, Mrs. Lee.”

I took her hand from Mr. Qian and walked with her to the witness stand. The clerk reminded her that she was under oath, but I’m not sure she ever heard his words. I went over to stand beside her.

“Mrs. Lee, I’m so sorry. She was a sweet, brave girl. They had no right to take her life. But they’ve taken all of your lives. Now they want to take Mr. Bradley’s life. And they want you to be their instrument. There’s got to be a time when it stops.”

She was listening to my words, but her tears were still streaming. I wasn’t sure she could speak.

I let go of her hand and stepped back. I asked her to look up at me. I pointed to Kip Liu.

“Look at him, Mrs. Lee. He’s in custody. He’ll stay there. He’ll never force you to do anything again.”

She looked, and she seemed to gain strength enough to let out her anger.

“When was the last time you saw your daughter?”

She spoke through sobs.

“A week ago Monday night.”

“When she was working as a waitress at your restaurant?”

“Yes.”

“And you haven’t seen her since then?”

The sobs recurred when she realized she would never see her again. She could only shake her head.

“Before she disappeared, did Mr. Kip Liu, that man over there, make threats in regard to you or your daughter?”

“Yes.”

“What threats?”

“He said we would be badly hurt if I did not do what he told me.”

“And the night that I came to talk to you, the night after the murder, your daughter was there that night?”

“Yes.”

“And did you know that she gave me a message that said that she’d help me if I’d help Mei-Li? Did you know that?”

Her hands ran to her eyes to try to stop the flow of tears.

“I was terrified when she told me. I was afraid Mr. Liu saw.”

“I know. And did you daughter disappear that night?”

The “yes” was nearly choked off in the sobs. I stood back so that she could see Kip Liu beyond me.

“What did that man, Kip Liu, tell you about where your daughter was?”

She straightened up as if she wanted the world to hear her.

“He told me she was his prisoner. He said she would be returned unharmed if I continued to do what he told me.”

“What did he tell you to do to save your daughter, Mrs. Lee?”

There was fire behind her tears now, and her voice was strong.

“He told me to swear that that boy, Anthony Bradley, killed Mr. Chen.”

“And was that the truth?”

“No!” She nearly screamed it. “No! No!” Each word seemed to unburden a soul that was so full of pain it could burst.

For the first moment since that morning in Judge Bradley’s chambers, my stomach began to truly unclench.

They say never ask a question when you’re not sure of the witness’s answer. In this case it was worth the gamble. I could never understand why Mr. Chen had been chosen as the victim. Piecing together what Harry had told me, I was beginning to see light through the clouds.

“And Mrs. Lee, did you see who actually shot Mr. Chen?”

She was standing on her feet and pointing.

“Mr. Kip Liu. I saw him shoot.”

“Please tell us what happened.”

She was still on her feet. Her voice filled the courtroom without the microphone. Through her tears she was practically shouting the words directly at Kip Liu.

“He was speaking to Mr. Bradley and his friend while they ate. Mr. Bradley and his friend got up to leave. Mr. Liu watched them go down the stairs. He came to the window of the restaurant. Mr. Liu had a gun. First, Mr. Bradley’s friend left. Then when Mr. Bradley started walking up the street, Mr. Liu ran down the stairs to the sidewalk. I saw him from the window. He took the gun like this. He shot Mr. Chen. He shot Mr. Chen! Then he made me go down, tell the policemen it was that man, Mr. Bradley. The policemen went after Mr. Bradley. They arrest him. That was what I saw.”

She was still standing, unable to stop sobbing, and looking directly into the burning eyes of Kip Liu.

The judge had to pound for silence.

When order was restored, I looked at Angela and said, “Your witness.”

She just shook her head. I took Mrs. Lee back to her seat. I called Mr. Qian to the stand. The old man was shaking. I spoke from counsel table.

“Mr. Qian, you gave testimony here yesterday.”

I looked back at Mrs. Lee. He looked at her, too. “Was it the truth?”

His eyes filled as he looked at her. It was not easy for this honorable man.

“No.”

“When you said you saw Anthony Bradley kill Mr. Chen, was that the truth?”

“No.” He shook his head as if to relieve himself of the lie.

“And why did you lie?”

It took him a moment.

“I’m an old man, but that’s no excuse for weakness. They said they would kill me by a very painful death. I may still die at their hands. But I’ll die after doing an honorable thing.”

He looked up at me and pointed to Kip Liu. He spoke without being asked.

“He killed Mr. Chen. Your Mr. Bradley had left before the shot was fired. I heard a loud noise like a gunshot behind me. I looked back on the sidewalk. I saw Mr. Liu holding a gun.”

He looked a hundred years old when he looked at me.

“May I go now? I’m very tired, and she needs me.”