Anniversary E-Book

Vincent Jonas Staude

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Krimi
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 194

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

Anniversary... Normally a reason to celebrate. But there are anniversaries that one does not want to be reminded of. Inspector Cheung has to solve the Ai-Mui kidnapping case and is confronted with a case that started in 1998. Back then, fate intertwined the life of a Hong Kong Police Force Inspector with that of a syndicate head. Seven years later, they are made to realise that no one can escape their past. A race against time begins, because the fateful day - on which it all began - is coming up again.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Main persons

2 July 1998, 22:37, Hong Kong Island

16 June 2005, 6:30 am, London

16 June 2005, 12:45, China Town, London

6 July 1998, 18:00, Hong Kong Island

24 June 2005, 9:45 am, London

25 June 2005, 14:27, London, Ealing

29 June 1998, 16:43, Hong Kong Island

26 June 2005, 12:53, London, Ealing

27 June 2005, 15:38, Hong Kong Island, Queens Road West

28 June 2005, 10:42 am, Hong Kong Island, HKPF Crime Wing HK Island Regional Headquarters

28 June 2005, 20:45, Hong Kong Island

29 June 2005, 8:07 a.m., Hong Kong Island

29 June 2005, 10:45 am, Lantau Island, Hong

29 June 2005, 11:55 am, Lantau Island, Hong Kong, Po Lin Monastery

29 June 2005, 13:23, Hong Kong Island, The Peak, Madame Tussauds

30 June 2005, 8:48 a.m., Hong Kong Island, HKPF Crime Wing HK Island Regional Headquarters

30 June 2005, 10:00 am, Hong Kong Island, Pok Fu Lam, Cemetery

30 June 2005, 13:05, Hong Kong Island, Wan Chai, Wan Chai Road

30 June 2005, 14:55, Hong Kong Island, Queens Road West

30 June 2005, 15:28, Hong Kong Island, HKPF Crime Wing HK Island Regional Headquarters

30 June 2005, 15:35, Hong Kong Island

30 June 2005, 19:51, Kowloon, Tsim Sha Tsui, Avenue of the Stars

30 June 2005, 20:36, Hong Kong Island, 41D Stubbs Road, Highcliff

30 June 2005, 21:00, Hong Kong Island, HKPF Crime Wing HK Island Regional Headquarters

30 June 2005, 23:45, Hong Kong Island, Queens Road West

1 July 2005, 09:00, Hong Kong Island, HKPF Crime Wing HK Island Regional Headquarters

1 July 2005, 10:09 a.m., Hong Kong Island, HKPF Crime Wing HK Island Regional Headquarters

1 July 2005, 12:55 p.m., Hong Kong Island, HKPF Crime Wing HK Island Regional Headquarters

1 July 2005, 13:48, Hong Kong, Lantau Island, Chek Lap Kok International Airport

1 July 2005, 13:53, Hong Kong Island, 41D Stubbs Road, Highcliff

1 July 2005, 2:23 p.m., Hong Kong Island, 41D Stubbs Road, Highcliff

2 July 2005, 04:37, Police Station, Sutton, Surrey, GB

2 July 2005, 11:10 a.m., Hong Kong Island, HKPF Crime Wing HK Island Regional Headquarters

3 July 2005, 10:06 a.m., Hong Kong Island

Appendix

Listed police departments

Hong Kong Police Force, Hong Kong SAR

Technical terms

Main persons

Tung Ming Wah – Detective with the Narcotics Bureau HKPF, later Inspector with the Metropolitan Police, London.

Chow Nie Wen – Best friend and former partner of Tung Ming Wah at Narcotics Bureau HKPF; private investigator

Wong Wei Yan – Son of Wong Zhao Wen, Chairman of Yi Wong

Robert Duncan – Englishman, best friend of Wong Wei Yan

Other persons involved

LONDON

Superintendent Alcott – Tung Ming Wah's superior in the Metropolitan Police, London.

Peter Johnson – Metropolitan Police, Photofit Specialist

Fat Liu – Informant in London

Charles Buchanan – Inspector, leads investigation regarding the abduction of Tung Ai Mui

Alison Blair – Half-sister of Robert Duncan, girlfriend of Wong Wei Yan

HONG KONG

Tung Ai Ling – Wife of Tung Ming Wah

Tung Ai Mui – Daughter of Tung Ming Wah, call name: Mui

Superintendent Lau – Superintendent of Narcotics Bureau HKPF

Wong Zhao Wen – Chairman of Yi Wong, father of Wong Wei Yan and Chow Nie Wen

Inspector Cheung – Leads the HK investigation team regarding the abduction case of Tung Ai Mui

Officer Cheng – HK Abduction Investigation Team

Officer Mary Lee – HK Abduction Investigation Team

"Keung" – HK Abduction Investigation Team

"Sam" – HK Abduction Investigation Team

"Ming" – HK Abduction Investigation Team

Johnny Lee – Police Informant in HK

Inspector Choi – Inspector investigating the HK Homicide

Chan Mei Ling – Assistant to Inspector Cheung

Kwong Wai Ming – Confidant of Wong Zhao Wen, advisor of Wong Wei Yan

2 July 1998, 22:37, Hong Kong Island

Superintendent Lau had ordered the team into the meeting room. When he quickly entered the room, they were already sitting around the large meeting table.

"Can anyone of you explain to me what went wrong earlier?" he bellowed into the round as he threw a thick file onto the table with a loud bang.

He put both fists at his sides. His eyes met concerned faces. He looked at them in turn, sitting at the table, tired and disappointed.

"As far as I remember, the handover and therefore the arrest was scheduled for Friday."

Pause.

"Is it Friday today?"

Some shook their heads, avoiding any eye contact with the Superintendent.

"Why, pray, was the arrest brought forward then? - And look at me!"

Tung Ming Wah stood up.

"Because I ordered it."

Superintendent Lau looked at him angrily. Today had not been the best day. And his mood was particularly bad.

"I got information at short notice that the transaction had been brought forward." Wah defended his decision.

"Why wasn't I informed?" the Superintendent snapped at him.

Mei tentatively raised her hand.

"You had a lunch appointment, sir," she said quietly.

His head snapped over to her, she quickly put her hand down.

"Usually that doesn't stop you from calling me about every little thing."

"But this time you said you didn't want to be disturbed," Mei replied meekly.

"Sir, I alone bear full responsibility." Wah remarked, drawing the Superintendent's attention back to himself.

He had been investigating the Yi Wong syndicate for months.

"Yes, damn you! You do!" the Superintendent shouted and hit the table with the flat of his hand.

"And now I would like to know what happened out there! How can it be that Wong Zhao Wen, the Chairman of Yi Wong himself, is the only one to be shot! That's nineteen months of work nothing down the drain. For nothing!"

Wah looked at the floor. In his opinion, the statement of the last sentence was somewhat exaggerated. After all, they had seized fifty-eight kilograms of Heroin No. 4, arrested seven gang members of the Thai drug trafficker and ten members of the Yi Wong syndicate.

There was a knock at the door.

"What's wrong, Keung?" Superintendent Lau gave his assistant who had just entered an angry look.

"Sir, would you please come to your office?" he replied calmly.

The Superintendent looked around once more and left the room. When he closed the door behind him, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed a little.

"What is it?" asked the Superintendent irritably.

"Inspector Choi from the homicide department would like to speak to you."

"What does he want?"

Keung shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know what it's about. But it seems serious."

"I'll be right there."

He pressed his lips together and went back into the meeting room.

"The meeting is over for today. Wah, you wait in your office. The rest of you can go."

With these words, he picked up the file he had thrown on the table earlier and left the room.

Most of them were glad not to be in Wah's position. He was in charge of the operation and now had to answer questions.

"Good night." said Wah, "Thank you for your hard work."

He tried to cheer up his colleagues a little. They had done their best, after all, and although the arrest had gone wrong, they had dealt a bitter blow to the syndicate. Chow Nie Wen walked towards Wah.

"What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know. But I'm sure I'll find out sooner than I'd like," Wah replied.

Nie Wen patted Wah briefly on the shoulder and grinned.

"I'll stick around. Maybe we can go for a drink after the Superintendent ripped your head off."

"If I do that, Ai Ling will definitely rip my head off. - But she'll probably do that anyway: it's our wedding anniversary today and I stood her up at the restaurant. Believe me, right now she's clearly the bigger danger than the Superintendent," Wah replied, playfully contrite.

"Then don't forget to get a Taoist incantation on your way home so you can stick the note on her forehead before her evil spirit can harm you," Nie Wen countered.

Wah started laughing out loud.

"I already have it in the drawer. Red ink on yellow paper, as it should be." Wah snorted.

Nie Wen grinned mischievously to himself as he walked to his desk.

Wah closed his office door and looked at the desk with a sigh. The papers were piling up. He still had some reports to write and the internal investigations regarding the death of Wong Zhao Wen would start soon. He sat down in his chair and looked out the window. How beautiful Hong Kong was. Especially at night. Partially he could look out over Victoria Harbour and see the tourist ships with their festive lights. Sighing, he turned back to his desk and his eyes fell on the framed picture that stood next to the screen. A beautiful Chinese woman and a little girl with two pigtails sticking up smiled at him. Actually, he should have been home at this time.

If it hadn't been for the early arrest, he would have met Ai Ling in the restaurant. It was their seventh wedding anniversary. Their little daughter Ai Mui was spending the night with her grandparents. It would have been a nice evening. Wah took the small package out of his desk drawer and opened it. The necklace with the diamond pendant would surely please Ai Ling. 'Hopefully it will make it a little easier for her to forgive me for the messed up wedding anniversary.' he thought with a smile. He could imagine how beautiful this necklace would look on Ai Ling's neck. Tomorrow morning he would prepare a special breakfast for her and then present her with the gift.

The department had become quiet. Most of the colleagues had gone home. Nie Wen and three other colleagues sat at their desks and worked away. Again and again they glanced at the Superintendent's office. A visitor sat with his back to the glass door. The Superintendent hardly spoke. But he shook his head incessantly and had his mouth covered with a hand. What was it about? What was the visitor telling him?

Twenty minutes later, they shook hands silently and the visitor left the Superintendent's office. The Superintendent immediately walked towards Wah's office. He looked tired.

Wah looked up from the files as the Superintendent quietly closed the door behind him. His expression did not bode well. The Superintendent did not say a word. He walked to the blinds on the office windows and turned them closed. Wah watched him quietly. When all the blinds were closed, the Superintendent sat down on the visitor's chair in front of Wah's desk.

"I had a visit from Inspector Choi of Homicide."

Wah looked at him in amazement.

"What has homicide got to do with it?" asked Wah in astonishment.

"It wasn't about our case," replied Superintendent Lau. "There was an attack with a car bomb in Wan Chai. He was here because he had some information for us."

Wah drew his eyebrows together.

"What do we have to do with attacks? We are the Narcotics Bureau."

Superintendent Lau shook his head and looked down. Wah sensed that something bad must have happened. He had never seen the Superintendent like this before. Wah leaned forward.

"What's wrong?" he asked insistently.

"It was your car." the Superintendent replied slowly.

"Beg your pardon?"

Wah frowned and tilted his head a little.

"It was your car." the Superintendent repeated slowly.

Wah shook his head and continued to look questioningly at the Superintendent. His car?

"I don't understand," Wah said. "And what did Inspector Choi want to know? Why does he go to you and not to me if it was my car?"

But no sooner had he uttered the sentence than his eyes snapped open.

"Ai Ling!" he exclaimed in horror.

The Superintendent looked down for a moment, but then he looked Wah in the eye.

"She's dead, Wah."

Wah looked at him with wide, expressionless eyes. This could not be. There had to be a mistake. Ai Ling could not be dead. She would probably already be in bed, asleep. She had probably cried herself to sleep in anger because he had not come to the restaurant for dinner as arranged. To make matters worse, he had only cancelled the meeting when Ai Ling was already sitting in the restaurant waiting for him.

"Choi was able to tell me, based on some witness statements, that Ai Ling entered the restaurant at around 8 p.m.. She received a phone call there, whereupon she paid for her drink and left. She had parked the car near the restaurant. She got in and a few seconds later the bomb exploded. - She was killed instantly."

The Superintendent fell silent.

Wah's throat felt tight. He stood up and tried to free himself from the tie. He felt as if the knot was tightening. Wah could hardly breathe. Finally he was able to pull the tie down. Hastily, he undid the top buttons of his shirt. His eyes wandered wildly and blankly around the office. Only with difficulty could he process the information he had just received.

"No!" Wah shouted suddenly, angrily firing the papers that were lying on his desk off the desk with his hands. Then he propped himself up on the edge of the desk with both hands. His head hung down.

There was silence in the office. Wah's shoulders shrugged. The Superintendent remained seated quietly and looked at Wah worriedly.

Wah had lost the love of his life. He no longer had a chance to apologise to Ai Ling. He no longer had a chance to make her a special breakfast and give her the necklace. He no longer had a chance to take her in his arms, kiss her and tell her he loved her. Instead, he had to tell their four-year-old daughter in the morning that her mama was no longer alive.

"Has... does anyone know... is there any lead yet?" asked Wah.

"No." replied Superintendent Lau. "Inspector Choi would like to know if you have any suspicions."

Wah shook his head.

"No. I... Not that I know of."

"Could the Yi Wong be behind this? Maybe as a warning to stop the investigation?" the Superintendent inquired.

Wah ran his hand over his face and then through his hair. He could no longer think clearly.

"I don't know."

16 June 2005, 6:30 am, London

Tung Ming Wah woke up in a cold sweat. That dream again. He took a few deep breaths and looked around. Yes, he was home. At home. A glance at the alarm clock told him it was six thirty. Wah exhaled loudly and swung himself out of bed. In half an hour he would have had to get up anyway. He went into the bathroom and took a hot shower. The water ran over his slim and well-toned body. Over the fine and lightly tanned skin of an Asian. Then he got dressed, went into the kitchen and brewed some tea.

"Mui."

He had knocked on her room door and entered. She was still asleep. He went to the window and pulled back the curtains. Then he sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Mui, get up."

With a low grumble, Mui turned around. She had trouble opening her eyes. Her long black hair hung tangled in her face. He brushed a strand behind her ear. Now he could see her face.

'She is becoming more like her mother,' he thought to himself.

"Good morning!" he said with a smile.

"Morning." Mui respondended sleepily.

"Hop out of bed. You have to go to school."

Mui curled up.

"I don't want to" she grumbled.

"Yes, you do."

"I don't feel good at all though."

Mui tried hard to sound as sickly as possible. Wah laughed, got up and pulled the covers away.

"Get out," he called to her with a laugh.

"I'm really not feeling well." growled Mui, trying to catch the blanket.

"I bet you'll feel better after the maths quiz." he teased her.

Mui tilted her head. How did he know that again?

"Off to the bathroom." he said in a light commanding tone.

All the begging and moaning did not help. She had to go to school. Mui stood up. She stretched a little and then shuffled listlessly to the bathroom.

Wah put the duvet back on the bed and opened the window. Fresh spicy air entered the room. Since her mother's death, a picture of Ai Ling had been on Mui's night table. A lump formed in his throat. How much he missed Ai Ling.

He went out and closed the door behind him.

Wah drove Mui to school like every morning. He opened her door and she got out.

"Bye." she called to him and walked towards the school.

He had to think of the dream again.

"Mui."

She turned to him and looked at him questioningly. Wah walked towards her.

"I love you. " he said softly with a smile.

"Yes, yes, it's all right. I love you too," she replied quickly.

She looked around. Hopefully the others hadn't noticed. She was embarrassed. Wah's smile became a broad grin. 'Girls,' he thought, amused. He got back into the car, waved to her again and drove off.

At that moment, Maryanne approached Mui.

"Hi."

"Hi." replied Mui.

Maryanne looked after the car.

"Your dad is so cool!" she gushed, sighing softly - just like they always did in the romance movies Maryanne watched every night.

Mui rolled her eyes. Many of her classmates - and some of their single mothers - fancied Mui's father. More or less obviously. Okay, he was good-looking. Despite his age and the grey streaks, he still looked quite young. his beard even gave him something dashing. He was slim and cut an excellent figure in any outfit, whether in a suit or jeans and jumper. And it was a lot of fun being him. Nevertheless, Mui thought that the others were exaggerating their crush on him.

"Did you prepare for the quiz?" asked Mui, changing the subject.

Maryanne sighed again, but this time it was a very different sigh.

"I've tried. But I just don't get it. I think I'm going to blow this one to smithereens. What about you?"

"As usual." said Mui indifferently.

Maryanne shook her head.

"I wish learning would come as easily to me as it does to you!"

Both went into the school building.

Wah drove through the congested streets of London. He was not moving fast. At nine o'clock he had to be at the meeting of the Development and Analysis Unit, a department within the intelligence service of the Metropolitan Police in London, to which he had belonged for a few years. He had come to this post through connections...

Wah was stunned. It was as if the ground had been pulled away from under him. As if his livelihood had been snatched away from him. It took him several minutes to regain his composure. The Superintendent had remained sitting quietly the whole time. Normally, he had to tell the wife that her husband had been killed during duty. This situation was new for him.

"Is it all right?" he asked.

Wah nodded briefly. He tried to smile, but with his lips pressed together it became a grimace. The Superintendent stood up. There was nothing more he could do. Wah had to deal with the grief. Superintendent Lau thought of little Mui. It would be hard growing up without a mother.

"You are on leave for a fortnight. I'll take care of the rest here with Nie Wen. - I am truly sorry, Wah," he added in a low tone.

Wah nodded. Then Superintendent Lau left the office.

Wah energetically ran his hands through his hair. How could he tell Mui? And he also had to inform Ai Ling's parents, with whom Mui was staying tonight. Again Wah looked at the picture beside the screen. He couldn't imagine what life would be like without Ai Ling. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and stood up. There was no point in dragging it out any longer. He left his office.

Nie Wen was now sitting alone in the open-plan office. He was twelve years younger than Wah and had been assigned to him as a partner directly after police school. Over the past five years, they had become best friends. When Wah stepped out of the office shortly after the Superintendent, Nie Wen looked at him inquiringly.

Wah saw him, but only raised his hand briefly to show that he wanted his peace. He didn't want to speak. He mustered up all his strength pulling himself together. His chest ached and he could hardly breathe. Nie Wen nodded and turned back to the paper in his hand.

Finally Wah drove into the underground car park of the Metropolitan Police ("Met"), better known as Scotland Yard. 08:49. He would be on time.

16 June 2005, 12:45, China Town, London

The restaurant was noisy and the air was heavy with the spicy smell of the various Chinese dishes on the tables. It was lunch time. Some took advantage of the cheap lunch menu, others took their business partners out à la carte. An ornate partition wall made of dark wood separated an alcove from the large room. It protected from the guests' gaze, but one could easily see into the busy hall. In the alcove was a rectangular table that could seat four people comfortably.

Wah briefly looked around the restaurant. At a large round table in the back corner of the restaurant, he finally spotted Tang Kwong Liu, commonly known as Fat Liu, studying the menu. A large pot of tea was already on the table. Fat Liu was fat, greedy and loyal only to himself. He had been Wah's informant for over six years and for food he would probably even sell his mother, Wah surmised. However, he always gave reliable information and knew his way around London's China Town. He knew the old families, the new arrivals and also knew a lot about the relationships and disputes among the triads. Wah always wondered why the triads left Fat Liu alone. He must have had a very good life insurance that nothing had happened to him yet. For he was well known for his talkativeness. As Wah walked towards the table, he looked closely at the people sitting in the restaurant today. When he arrived at the table, Fat Liu barely looked up from the menu.

"Sit down, Tung. I hope you have the company credit card with you today, I have a mighty appetite."

Wah gave a brief smile and sat down. Just then, the waitress arrived in a dark blue qipao.

"What would you like to drink?" she turned to Wah.

"A Tsingtao, please."

As Fat Liu was still leafing through the menu, the waitress left the table again.