Tom Bradby - The Master Of Rain

Field flicked on Caprisi’s desk light.

“Bugger-” Macleod recovered himself quickly. “You gave me a shock. Did you not see me come in?”

Field was looking at the file. It was the same color as the one containing the fingerprints. “I was thinking.”

Macleod shook his head. “How’s your shoulder?”

“Painful.”

“It’s a bad business.”

Field stared at him. “I suppose any war has casualties.”

“It doesn’t need to.”

“There’s not many of us left now.”

Macleod was avoiding his eyes. “You must be careful.”

“I intend to be.”

Macleod shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Field thought about the way in which he’d so easily assumed that, because the phone call to Lu before the attack at the factory had come from Caprisi’s phone, Caprisi himself must have made it.

“What’s in the file?” Field asked.

Macleod shook his head. “Nothing of importance.”

“Nothing to do with the case?”

“No… something else.”

Field stared at him. “Caprisi left some notes.”

“Notes on what?”

“Retirement funds,” Field lied. “Dirty secrets.”

“Better keep hold of them, then.”

“Yes, I’d better.”

“You’ll never know when you might need them.”

“Quite.”

Macleod put the file under his arm. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Field switched off the light and stood, so that they faced each other across the darkened room. “A good night for you, in one sense,” he said.

Macleod hesitated, fingering his chain.

“You’ll certainly be commissioner now. You get your chance to clean up the city.”

“Caprisi was a good man, Field.”

“Yes. The best.”

“Brave but stupid.”

“He wouldn’t join your club?”

Macleod’s chain snapped. There was a chink as his gold crucifix hit the floor. He bent down slowly to pick it up. “In deference to your uncle, Field,” he said, “I’m going to let you leave. You have until noon tomorrow.”

Field watched as Macleod turned, walked calmly to the end of the room and into the lift.

He sat down again, remaining still as it descended.

Field saw the light of a candle flare briefly in Katya’s kitchen window. He waited for the door to open. The moon was brighter now, leaving only the fringes of the garden in shadow. A dog barked and was swiftly answered by others nearby.

Field knocked again.

“Ivan, Katya, it’s me. Please, I must speak to her.”

Ivan opened the door. He had put the candle out, his face ghostly in the moonlight.

“I must find her.”

“She has gone.”

“Gone where?”

He shook his head.

“I’ve been given an ultimatum. I must find her quickly.”

“She has gone.”

“Gone home?”

“Not home.”

“Then where?”

Ivan shook his head.

“Is Katya here?” Field heard a rustle and saw movement behind him. “Katya. For God’s sake, please help me.”

“She has gone,” Katya said, her voice firm. “We do not know where she is.”

Field pushed the door suddenly, forcing both of them back. Ivan stumbled. Katya was by the stove, beneath a row of saucepans, and Field could see the fear in their faces. “I know she’s here,” he said, but could tell immediately that this was not true. “Where is she?”

“We do not know.” Katya was tired.

“Where can I find the boy?”

Katya shook her head.

“Please, there is no time.”

Katya clasped her hands across her chest, and Field recognized the fatigue of people who have known fear too often and for too long.

“I must leave the city by noon tomorrow. There is a chance for her … tell her. The last chance. For her and the boy. Otherwise, they will both die here-you know it and she must, too. Tell her I will meet her in the cemetery at dawn. If the answer is no, then I will accept it.”

Field took a step back. They closed the door slowly, without answering him, their eyes fixed on his. For a few moments he stood in the darkness, praying that she would come.

There were no lights on above the front veranda of the house in Crane Road, but Field did not know where else to go. He rang the bell.

He was about to turn away when he heard the familiar shuffle inside, and a sober, tired-looking Geoffrey opened the door. “I thought it would be you,” he said.

“I’m sorry. It’s late, I know.”

“Come in.” Geoffrey beckoned him over the threshold, placing a paternal hand on Field’s shoulder. “We hoped you’d come back. Penelope is still up. We’ve had to sedate Caroline. Out of the question for her to stay at home. Come on through.” Geoffrey caught sight of the wound on his arm. “Christ, man, have you not been to the hospital?”

Field said, “I think it’s all right.”

“Of course it’s not.”

Geoffrey took hold of him and led him through the house. He eased him onto the sofa opposite Penelope. She looked up, her eyes red, a glass of whiskey in her hand.

“The boy’s not been to hospital,” Geoffrey said quietly. “Tell Chang we need antiseptic, clean water, and bandages.”

Penelope got up. She did not acknowledge Field or meet his eye and seemed to be moving as if in a dream. Geoffrey followed her, unsure she was even capable of such a simple task, and he came back in alone, a bowl in one hand and some dressings in the other.

Field tried hard not to wince as the wound was cleaned.

“It’s a good thing you came here,” Geoffrey said as he pushed a swab into the wound. “It’s only a nick, but would have turned nasty. Infections set in fast in this heat.”

When he’d finished, Geoffrey wound a bandage slowly around the top of Field’s arm and secured it with a safety pin. Field watched his face, which was a study in concentration.

“You did this in the war,” he said quietly.

“Many times.” Geoffrey stood. “You’ll be fine,” he said, misinterpreting him. “I’ve dealt with a thousand worse.”

Field nodded. “Macleod is behind it all.”

Geoffrey frowned. “You’ll need a drink.”

Field didn’t answer, but watched his uncle shuffle to the walnut sideboard and take out two glasses.

“The group of officers in the force who work for Lu is called the cabal, and Macleod is its head,” Field said.

“Macleod?”

“Yes.”

“Impossible. He’s as straight as a die.”

“He’s told me I have until noon tomorrow to leave Shanghai.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”

“Macleod is in Lu’s pocket. Caprisi and I were coming close to unraveling the connection between the Orlov murder and the drug shipments-shipments that go through Fraser’s factories.”

“Fraser’s?”

“We think Charles Lewis has been operating a massive opium smuggling operation. Lu provides the opium, Lewis the transport. The opium is hidden in sewing machines or other mechanical products and shipped into Europe. Lewis was being given some of the girls Lu keeps as a favor, and Lu’s men would clean up after Lewis had… finished with them.”

Geoffrey’s face had gone white. “Charles Lewis?”

“Yes.”

“You have evidence of this?”

“We are very close.”

“That’s what tonight was about?”

“Yes.”

“What about Granger?”

“Eliminating a rival.”

Geoffrey drew on his cigarette, then looked out toward the veranda, deep in thought. “It’s preposterous. Do you have any idea how rich Charlie Lewis is?”

Field nodded.

“His grandfather founded Fraser’s, and he is certainly the richest man in Shanghai. He presides over a huge empire. The idea is absurd. He has less need of any illegal scheme than anyone I’ve ever met.”