CHAPTER 68
CHAPTER
STEERS AND NASH FLEW BACK home the next day. After they arrived at the estate Steers went directly to speak with her mother.
“I do not like you galivanting off without a word to me, Daughter,” said Masuyo irritably. “It shows disrespect to me.”
“I believe you already know where I went and for what purpose.”
“How could I possibly?”
“Because you are my mother and you know all,” replied Steers evenly.
Masuyo studied her daughter for a moment. “And what has come of all this activity?”
“The sale has been agreed to and the legal documents are in the process of being completed. The official closing of the transaction will take place in a matter of weeks. And, with Mr. Lord in full agreement, you will once more be running the empire that you created, with Mr. Lord as, hopefully, your silent partner.”
“I do not care for others negotiating on my behalf. I would much prefer to do it myself.”
“Well, as the result of my negotiations, you will receive six hundred million dollars, to start. And I trust that you have kept some of your previous fortune and not given it all back to your masters in Beijing. It was quite a large sum, and they hardly deserved all of it.”
This earned Steers a hard, vicious slap to the face from her mother.
“The mouth you have acquired, Victoria. It shames me that you speak to your mother in such a way.”
Steers didn’t touch the growing red spot on her cheek. She simply stared at the woman until Masuyo broke off eye contact and rubbed her wrinkled hand.
Steers continued on as though nothing had happened.
“The deal also includes substantial sums for my partners. That will appease them when they learn I have stepped away. I came up with a new proposal for running things that I presented to them and which they subsequently approved. I would encourage you and Mr. Lord to go over it, and then implement it if you agree with the protocols I developed. It will save you large amounts of money and make the operation far more productive and efficient, and also safer from prying eyes.”
“We will of course look at anything that promises to do such things,” said her mother. “Regardless of the source,” she added spitefully.
“And I trust you have ingenious plans to facilitate more drug deaths in America.”
“It was not just your eliminating fentanyl and other lethal opioids from the precursors, Daughter. It is this Narcan. It has saved many lives and we will have to somehow deal with that. Perhaps pay off the manufacturer or take over the company, or line the pockets of politicians willing to impede its availability and distribution. There is always a way forward with Westerners. All they care about is money, especially the Americans.”
“I take it you have no issue working with Mr. Lord?”
“I am aware that he has the full confidence of Beijing. I do not need to know more than that. I have never lost sight of my duty or where my loyalties lie. I wish others could say the same,” she added bitterly, giving her daughter a piercing stare.
Steers said, “He has the full confidence of a great many people. But it makes one wonder which direction he will go when a conflict occurs. Because a man can have too many masters, can’t he?”
“You can now let me worry about that, Daughter. Unlike you, I expect Mr. Lord to listen to what I have to say.”
“I hope your expectations pan out. But one never knows.”
“And what will you do now that you have stepped away from all that I have given you, worked my fingers to the bone for, shed blood for?”
“You shed no blood, Mother. It was I who shed the blood. And it was my father who shed the most, before he died.”
“I speak symbolically, of course. As to your father, his fate was largely up to his own ineptitude. A bomb on a plane? The very height of incompetence,” she added in disgust.
“I wonder how you know that it was a bomb that brought the plane down? Nothing about it was ever reported. And you were in prison at the time. And I never said a word.”
Masuyo said smoothly, “What else can bring down a plane in such a way? And now I must turn my attention to the business.”
“Come now, Māma. Take some time to rejoice. This is what you have been dreaming about ever since gaining your freedom. Well, I have now realized your dream for you. I do not require thanks, only seeing my mother do something she was created for. And your masters will surely enshrine you in some hall of pride when you are dead and buried.”
Masuyo barked, “You make flippant remarks over such an important matter? You think this will be an easy task? I am no longer a young woman. I have been through much hardship. I have lost my husband and all of my children save you. And you are now clearly a complete disappointment to me.”
“Not a complete one, Mother. I vanquished my siblings, as you desired me to do. As you forced me to do.”
“How dare you say that I had anything to do with their deaths? That was you, Daughter. Only you. I do not care what that idiot of a woman might have told you.”
However, now Masuyo did not look as confident. Indeed, she gazed at her daughter with something akin to. . .fear.
Steers stared back for a moment of intimidating quiet. “Hirokosan never once lied to me. Never once. There are very few I can say that about. So what she told me, I believe. All of it.”
Masuyo regained her imperious look. “And where is she now? Tell me that. She has abandoned you. She was probably fearful when I returned. Fearful that I would once more talk sense into you, ridding you of her inane influence. For all I know she killed herself.” Masuyo tried to appear triumphant but the look of unease was still in her eyes.
“She is gone, Victoria. Your old nanny is finally gone. And it is for the best, trust me.”
“You are wrong, Mother. Hiroko-san is right here with me.” Steers touched her chest. “She will always be with me, right up until the moment I draw my last breath.” Steers bowed and said, “I wish you to receive all that is coming to you, Māma.”
“I trust you will now be going off with that. . .man.”
“What man?”
“You know perfectly well that I am referring to Dillon Hope. I have seen how you look at him. A Westerner. Are you mad!”
“Forgive me, Māma, but you married an Englishman.”
“I married him to further the cause of my mission. I never loved the man. Never. This may be hard for you to hear, but it is the truth and it’s high time you heard it. But I have also seen how Dillon Hope looks at you. He is smitten, Victoria. If you do not see that you are blind.”
“And you do not want men to be attracted to me?”
“I want the right kind of man to be attracted to you.”
“He saved my life.”
“After perhaps endangering it.”
“The plot to kill me in Hong Kong is resolved, Māma.”
“Meaning what!”
“Meaning I know who was behind it.”
The two women once more paused their conversation to gaze at one another.
“And what will you do with that information?” asked Masuyo quietly.
“As I said, it has been resolved.”
“You worry me, Victoria. You are acting erratically. That will not serve you well in the days ahead.”
“We will have to see about that, won’t we?”
“Do you plan to go off with this man Hope?”
“What if I do?” said Steers.
“Then you need to know something about him.”
“I know all I need to know.”
Masuyo gazed at her maliciously, clearly sensing an advantage.
“Do you really? Well, when he brought me back to Hong Kong, he knew my real name was Dai Lu. He read it off the sign the man was holding, in Mandarin no less. Did you tell him this, Victoria? Because if you did not, how could he possibly know that, Daughter?”
Steers stared at her mother for a long moment, and then, as she had done before in the face of information that surprised her, Steers closed her eyes and shook her head, as though trying to throw off the impact of the words. Then Steers turned and left the room without answering.