Chapter 54
After uniform had taken away the two triads, the restaurant cleared and Poe saw someone he recognised: Detective Chief Inspector Tai-young Lee.
She was the cop who’d investigated Estelle for the murder of her father.
Poe had cleared Estelle and DCI Lee had gone from adversary to ally.
They had kept in touch. Email buddies. The twenty-first-century equivalent of pen pals.
‘Still up to your old shit, Poe?’ she said.
Poe could see Esmerée peering over Lee’s shoulder, hopping up and down. He winked at her. Let her know he was OK. He said, ‘Just having some lunch, ma’am.’
‘Quit the “ma’am” bullshit, Poe. I know you’re a civvy now. The kid told me.’
‘She called you?’
Tai-young Lee nodded. ‘Just as well she did. We haven’t seen triad activity around here for a while, but your name’s flagged for my attention and I was in the area. I pressed the urgent assistance button and we mobbed the place. Good thing too. That man is not a nice man, Poe.’
‘You know him?’
She nodded. ‘He’s called Dongyang Dong.’
‘Seriously? No wonder he’s angry. Is he with the Forty-Fours?’
‘He’s a Blue Lantern, the mafia equivalent of an associate, but we don’t think he’s with the Forty-Fours. He’s definitely a triad, though. I guess that’s why you’re here?’
‘I was just—’
‘Having lunch. Got it.’
‘You’ll hold him?’
‘For as long as we can, but he hasn’t broken the law.’
‘He won’t come back,’ Poe said. ‘He’ll assume Stowell Street is being watched.’
‘Tell me what you’re doing in my city, Poe. You never know, I might be able to—’
Her radio burped into life. She walked away and answered it. Came back and said, ‘Duty calls. Do you want me to escort you to your vehicle?’
Poe shook his head. ‘I haven’t ordered yet.’
Esmerée slid back into the seat opposite.
‘And I want my frogs’ legs, dammit!’ Her alien hand then picked up a chopstick and threw it on the floor.
It went for another, but she grabbed her right hand with her left and held it under the table.
When it was under control, she reached for her unfinished Diet Coke as if nothing had happened.
Tai-young Lee stared. Didn’t say a word.
‘What?’ Esmerée said.
Lee shook her head. ‘Do you not know anyone normal, Poe?’