Read Online Mrs. Pollifax and the Hong Kong Buddha by Dorothy Gilman - Free Book Online

Hao was framed. And then ten days ago he disappeared.”
    Mrs. Pollifax turned to Mr. Hitchens. “Did you find him today?”
    The silver eyes closed. “No … used a map—”
    “Yes?”
    Mr. Hitchens sighed. “Saw … visioned … placehe’d been … hut or barn, green fields, water wheel in distance … we drove, Alec and I … place called New Territories.”
    “Go on,” Robin urged, nodding.
    “…  growing dark … saw it.”
    “Saw the hut and the water wheel,” prompted Mrs. Pollifax.
    Mr. Hitchens opened his eyes. “Yes. And walked … searched it. Very small, earth floor, and then, and then …” A look of pain crossed his face. “A man—a farmer we thought —came to see who we were and … when I woke up Alec was gone.” His voice ended in a weak sob. “So I walked and walked … too woozy for Alec’s car … walked … a taxi … can’t remember and then … my room … hotel room. And someone there. In dark. Pow.”
    Puzzled, Mrs. Pollifax said, “This farmer—you went to
sleep?
”
    “Something … chloroform I think,” Hitchens said. “But they took … Alec. I think … God it hurts to think … think they planned to come back for me. Nightmare,” he added miserably. “Bloody awful nightmare.”
    “One more question,” said Mrs. Pollifax firmly. “When you used the map for your visioning, Mr. Hitchens, did you feel that Inspector Hao was still alive?”
    “Yes,” he murmured, and then again, “Bloody awful
nightmare
.”
    “Yes indeed,” said Robin. “Hang in, old chap, we’ll find them both, you know.”
    Mr. Hitchens blinked at him. “We?”
    Robin nodded. “First thing tomorrow if you feel up to it.”
    “Want to … must … sleep now,” said Hitchens, and closed his eyes and slept.
    “Looks as if you’ll have a roommate for the night,” said Robin. “Can you manage?”
    “I’d manage better if you’ll tell me what’s wrong in Hong Kong that brought you here.”
    Robin glanced at Mr. Hitchens and nodded. “Let’s try the bathroom, I’d just as soon he not hear this and I can’t be sure he’s asleep.” Entering first, he said generously, “You can have the edge of the tub.”
    She laughed and sat down. “All right, I’m perched. Now talk.”
    “In capsule form?” He glanced at his watch. “It’s well past midnight, definitely in capsule form, so try picturing a map with arrows converging on Hong Kong—arrows from Europe, the Middle East and the United States, all pointing to this tiny island in the China Sea.”
    Mrs. Pollifax said crisply, “The arrows denoting what?”
    With equal crispness Robin replied. “Puzzling rumors, coincidences, tips, thefts, the possibility that guns are being smuggled somewhere into the area, and now a man like Inspector Hao mysteriously missing.”
    “Involving
Hong Kong?
” she said incredulously.
    “I know,” he said, nodding sympathetically. “A tight little island protected by Britain’s Army and Navy, a haven for international money, the commercial hub of the East. Yet behind the scenes here there
is
an active criminal element dealing heavily in narcotics—it’s called the Triad—and lately rumors of an explosion of corruption in the police echelons. Inspector Hao just may have learned more than was healthy for him because his disappearance is as mysterious as his abrupt departure fromthe special force. All we do know for certain is that Hong Kong has become a magnet that’s pulling together a number of unrelated incidents in the criminal world, which spells out something violent being planned here.”
    Frowning over this Mrs. Pollifax said, “Yet as evidence none of this sounds very substantial.”
    Robin laughed. “My dear Mrs. P., if the evidence were more substantial Interpol would have an army of men here instead of just Marko and myself.”
    “Marko?”
    He grinned. “You don’t think the third-richest man in the world travels without a social