Read Online Don’t Cry, Tai Lake by Qiu Xiaolong - Free Book Online Page A

repeating. “I knew this was going to happen long ago. She stood in their way.”
    “In whose way?”
    “She was responsible for environmental protection, a job that made her ‘a nail in the eye’ to the people in power. It wouldn’t have been that bad if she didn’t take her job seriously. But she did. It wasn’t just Liu, but also those associated with him, who made things difficult for her. She told me about it. That’s one of the reasons she comes here for lunch. They don’t even let her eat a meal in peace there.”
    Again Chen thought back to the ominous phone calls she’d been receiving. But could the pressure, no matter how unbearable, been enough to drive a young, spirited girl like Shanshan to murder?
    “You have to help her, Mr. Chen. She’s a nice girl. She thinks so highly of you too.”
    Apparently, Uncle Wang had read too much into the thing between them. But had she said something about him to Uncle Wang after they parted at the ferry?
    Other than the pressure at work, however, the old man was unable to tell him anything new or helpful. So what was Chief Inspector Chen going to do?
    Under normal circumstances, he could try to contact the local police, who might have no objection, though an understandable reluctance, to his looking into the case. Wuxi being so close to Shanghai, there might be occasion for them to help each other, and Chen’s own rising status as one trusted in Beijing might be useful to the Wuxi police.
    With Internal Security lurking in the background, however, it could be a different story.
    He grabbed his cell phone and dialed Sergeant Huang.
    “I need to talk to you, Huang.”
    “Oh yes, Chief. Where?”
    “Well,” he said, aware that Uncle Wang was watching him closely. It wouldn’t do to talk in the presence of the old man. Looking up, he saw a barbershop across the road, one sporting a conventional pole with a helix of red, blue, and white stripes spinning. “Come to a barbershop on Wuyou Road, south of the Bus 1 terminal. I’ll meet you there.”
    He took his leave of Uncle Wang and walked across to the barbershop, which had the refined name of WuYu Hair Salon.
    A young girl in a backless slip came trotting out, “Welcome, boss. My name is Green Jade.”
    It was a mistake, he realized immediately, seeing her nipples imprinted on the thin material as she took his hand and practically dragged him in. A large number of so-called hair salons nowadays were simply a cover for sexual services. Having seen many of them in Shanghai, he should have known better
    He saw several other girls in the salon. One of them wore a red silk dudo bodice embroidered with a pair of mandarin ducks, and another simply had nothing on but a black lacy bra. They all looked at him curiously. He didn’t look like a regular customer at such a place, he guessed.
    Green Jade led him to an inner room dimly lit with a solitary fluorescent light and started running down the available services the moment he sunk down into a leather recliner. “We provide all kinds of services, boss. Thai-style massage, foot washing, Japanese-style massage, oil back rubbing, oil body rubbing, hair washing … Whatever you want, you just name it.”
    “I just want to have my hair cut.”
    “No, we don’t cut hair, we only wash hair. Leisurely hair wash, luxurious, luscious. It’ll bring a relaxation to your every nerve, I guarantee it.”
    “Go ahead,” he said resignedly. It was too late for him to back out. Huang must already be on his way.
    The leather recliner designed for hair washing allowed him to practically lie on his back, with his head reaching out under the water. Green Jade spared no time applying shampoo to his hair, rubbing and massaging his scalp, pressing his temples with her fingers. She might have had some profession training, he mused as she stood, bending over him, her breasts almost bouncing out of her slip.
    In the fluorescent light he noticed there was a deep-red rash on her bare arms and