Chapter 60
Poe questioned Chao until the teapot grew cold and Xiang’s back started to ache.
He didn’t get anything more out of him. It was clear Chao believed what he’d told him – the Red Chamber existed and they made a lot of money providing concubines to the rich – but he couldn’t square the circle of why Buckby had been tortured to death and why Poe and Esmerée had been threatened.
‘One last thing,’ Poe said. ‘I understand why you don’t want to give me Kai’s mother’s contact details. If I were in your position, I’d likely do the same. But I would be incredibly grateful if you could get a message to her.’
Xiang and Chao exchanged glances.
‘When I can speak to Mrs Jin safely, I will pass on your message, Mr Poe,’ Xiang said after a lengthy pause.
Poe thought about what he wanted to say to her.
He didn’t want to make promises he couldn’t keep.
He didn’t want to say that he could get her son out of the clutches of the Forty-Fours or the Red Chamber or any of the other gangs that might have their hooks in him.
But nor did he want to be ambiguous. His message needed to be simple.
Direct. Nothing that could be misconstrued.
In the end he opted for: ‘If she’s in touch with Kai, ask her to tell him I might be able to help.’ He thought of Hester Flynt. ‘Tell her I might be able to give him back his art.’
They stood. Said their goodbyes. Thankfully Esmerée’s alien hand didn’t do something stupid like punch the men who were trying to help them.
They were soon back on the A69. Poe was tempted to go home. Highwood was only five miles away and he was tired. He was about to call Bradshaw to tell her he was finishing for the day when his phone rang.
‘Think of the nerd and she shall instantly appear,’ he said, accepting Bradshaw’s call. He brought her up to speed, then asked why she had called him.
‘Poe, you know you said I am to ignore Nigel Flowers?’
‘What’s he done to annoy you this time, Tilly?’
‘I was going to the toilet to urinate and—’
‘Whoa, too much information,’ Esmerée said.
‘You’ll get used to it,’ Poe said. ‘What happened, Tilly?’
‘Well, even though I was bursting, he stopped me. I tried to walk past him, but he started to cry.’
‘He looks like a crier,’ Poe said. ‘What was bothering him this time?’
‘He was very scared, Poe.’
‘You’re very scary, Tilly. Especially when you need a pi … wee.’
‘He wasn’t scared of me, silly. He was scared of something in the loft.’
‘Oh?’
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘He thinks we have a ghost.’
Poe sighed. ‘Of course he does.’