she was. ‘I guess it wasn’t Huang’s idea to put you in charge of the investigation,’ she said finally. It didn’t sound like a question to Li.
‘I think Huang would have been happier to bury me in the mud with the CEO of the New York bank,’ he said.
Mei-Ling shrugged. ‘Like I said, don’t take it personally. Huang has problems right now.’
‘Yeah, like an extreme loss of face.’ Li was treading carefully. He had no idea how loyal, or otherwise, Mei-Ling might be to her boss. ‘It must be pretty humiliating to have the Mayor’s policy adviser appoint a junior officer over your head.’
Mei-Ling chewed her lower lip thoughtfully. ‘But I doubt if losing face means much next to losing the person you love,’ she said.
Li frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean that his wife’s terminally ill. And from the sound of it, I don’t think she has long to live. So don’t flatter yourself, you probably don’t come very high on his list of priorities at the moment.’
Li lit a cigarette and drew on it thoughtfully. It certainly explained, if not exactly justifying, the man’s lack of courtesy. ‘Let’s go talk to the night watchman,’ he said.
They picked their way through the mud and puddles to a small blue-painted wooden hut at the rear of the site. A light blazed at the window, and through it they could see a young man leaning back in an old wooden armchair, feet up on the table, nursing a jar of cold green tea and watching a small portable television. He stood up as soon as they came in, apparently excited by their visit. He drew up two stools for them to sit on, but Li declined the offer. ‘I don’t mind answering anything you want to ask,’ the watchman said. ‘I told the cops I spoke to when I arrived everything I know, but I want to help any way I can. You want some tea?’
Li shook his head and drew on his cigarette. ‘You worked here long?’
‘Only for a couple of months, since they started delivering materials to the site.’ The young man waved a finger at Li’s cigarette. ‘Those things’ll kill you, you know. You ever seen the inside of a smoker’s lungs?’
Li glanced at Mei-Ling, the echo of her earlier words resonating silently between them. Then he took a good look at the night watchman. He figured the boy was no more than twenty-one or twenty-two. He wore jeans and good boots, and a warm winter coat over a heavy jumper. A pair of thermal gloves lay on the table beside a pile of magazines. There was no heating in the hut.
‘And you have seen the inside of a smoker’s lungs?’ Mei-Ling asked.
‘Sure,’ the young man said. ‘They’re all black and full of holes and kind of slimy and pickled-looking. Put me off smoking for life.’
‘And how would you get to look at the inside of someone’s lungs?’ Li said.
‘Easy. You always section the lungs when you do an autopsy.’ He grinned at their consternation. ‘Hey,’ he said, ‘night watchman on a building site is not my idea of a career plan.’
Li said, ‘And what is your career plan?’
‘Surgery. Or pathology. I haven’t quite decided yet. But probably pathology. That way I get trained in forensics, too, and get to work with you guys on cases like this. Spooky stuff, huh?’
Li and Mei-Ling exchanged glances. ‘Are you saying you’re a doctor?’ Li asked.
‘Medical student,’ the young man said. ‘At Shanghai Medical University, out in Xuhui District.’ He put out his hand to shake theirs. ‘Jiang Baofu,’ he said. ‘I heard what had happened earlier today. The university was buzzing with it. I couldn’t wait to get back here tonight. But they won’t let me see anything.’ He seemed disappointed. ‘You know, I nearly stayed on this morning to watch the ceremony. But we had practical surgery today, and I never miss that.’
‘So this is just part-time?’ Li said.
‘Sure,’ said Jiang. ‘I’m not like some of those rich kids at the university. My parents died when I was just
‘I think Huang would have been happier to bury me in the mud with the CEO of the New York bank,’ he said.
Mei-Ling shrugged. ‘Like I said, don’t take it personally. Huang has problems right now.’
‘Yeah, like an extreme loss of face.’ Li was treading carefully. He had no idea how loyal, or otherwise, Mei-Ling might be to her boss. ‘It must be pretty humiliating to have the Mayor’s policy adviser appoint a junior officer over your head.’
Mei-Ling chewed her lower lip thoughtfully. ‘But I doubt if losing face means much next to losing the person you love,’ she said.
Li frowned. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean that his wife’s terminally ill. And from the sound of it, I don’t think she has long to live. So don’t flatter yourself, you probably don’t come very high on his list of priorities at the moment.’
Li lit a cigarette and drew on it thoughtfully. It certainly explained, if not exactly justifying, the man’s lack of courtesy. ‘Let’s go talk to the night watchman,’ he said.
They picked their way through the mud and puddles to a small blue-painted wooden hut at the rear of the site. A light blazed at the window, and through it they could see a young man leaning back in an old wooden armchair, feet up on the table, nursing a jar of cold green tea and watching a small portable television. He stood up as soon as they came in, apparently excited by their visit. He drew up two stools for them to sit on, but Li declined the offer. ‘I don’t mind answering anything you want to ask,’ the watchman said. ‘I told the cops I spoke to when I arrived everything I know, but I want to help any way I can. You want some tea?’
Li shook his head and drew on his cigarette. ‘You worked here long?’
‘Only for a couple of months, since they started delivering materials to the site.’ The young man waved a finger at Li’s cigarette. ‘Those things’ll kill you, you know. You ever seen the inside of a smoker’s lungs?’
Li glanced at Mei-Ling, the echo of her earlier words resonating silently between them. Then he took a good look at the night watchman. He figured the boy was no more than twenty-one or twenty-two. He wore jeans and good boots, and a warm winter coat over a heavy jumper. A pair of thermal gloves lay on the table beside a pile of magazines. There was no heating in the hut.
‘And you have seen the inside of a smoker’s lungs?’ Mei-Ling asked.
‘Sure,’ the young man said. ‘They’re all black and full of holes and kind of slimy and pickled-looking. Put me off smoking for life.’
‘And how would you get to look at the inside of someone’s lungs?’ Li said.
‘Easy. You always section the lungs when you do an autopsy.’ He grinned at their consternation. ‘Hey,’ he said, ‘night watchman on a building site is not my idea of a career plan.’
Li said, ‘And what is your career plan?’
‘Surgery. Or pathology. I haven’t quite decided yet. But probably pathology. That way I get trained in forensics, too, and get to work with you guys on cases like this. Spooky stuff, huh?’
Li and Mei-Ling exchanged glances. ‘Are you saying you’re a doctor?’ Li asked.
‘Medical student,’ the young man said. ‘At Shanghai Medical University, out in Xuhui District.’ He put out his hand to shake theirs. ‘Jiang Baofu,’ he said. ‘I heard what had happened earlier today. The university was buzzing with it. I couldn’t wait to get back here tonight. But they won’t let me see anything.’ He seemed disappointed. ‘You know, I nearly stayed on this morning to watch the ceremony. But we had practical surgery today, and I never miss that.’
‘So this is just part-time?’ Li said.
‘Sure,’ said Jiang. ‘I’m not like some of those rich kids at the university. My parents died when I was just
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