The scene opens in the Dojo: an airy, open room with mats on the floor. At one side are the requisite furnishings for a school of martial arts -- the lovingly-calligraphed scroll and the photo of the martial school's founder. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he looks wizened, calm, and alert; much like Sifu Lau.

Sifu Lau is a tiny, ancient man with a faintly quizzical expression. Seated serenely before three of his students, his eyes are sharp and alive as one hand slowly strokes his long white mustache and beard. Next to him sits an uncomfortable looking middle-aged man in a suit, who has an unfortunate tendency to fidget. He has a small photograph clenched in one hand.

Of the three students, Lau Chin-shek is an older fellow, dark hair and very little gray. He's a bit too chunky to be 'wiry' any more, but is still in good shape. Shiao-chiang is a friendly, lean man; sharp, short black hair, and with an intense mien. He's immaculately groomed, and shifts easily on his feet as he looks around. Wu Fang is a thin man with dark, thinning hair, brushed straight back and gathered into a loose ponytail. He has a pleasant, slightly curious look, and takes in the room and everyone in it with a calm and easy gaze. While not appearing aggressive, something about him suggests he would be difficult to shock or startle.

Everyone is invited to seat themselves before the Sifu. A lower ranked student brings in tea, pours, serves everyone, then discreetly withdraws. The Sifu has a quiet, appreciative sip of tea, then sighs softly and sets down his teacup when the man next to him coughs a few times. He folds his hands into his wide sleeves and murmurs calm introductions to the group.

The three students know each other: Chin is Sifu's grandson, while Wu has been training intensively for about a decade, and Shiao-chiang for a few years. The middle-aged man is introduced as Mr. Fan, whom Sifu would like them to help, if possible, as Mr. Fan is an old friend of one of Sifu's sons. Shiao-chiang will study Mr. Fan with undisguised curiosity.

Mr. Fan starts speaking immediately, in a tight, nervous voice, "It's my daughter, Soo-niang. She's a nice girl, you know, she wouldn't make us worry! She's in university, the one next to Harcourt Gardens, by Causeway Bay, and she's not called home for a day now. She always calls, every morning!" Bitterly he adds, "The police say they can't start looking until at least 24 hours have passed." He hands the photograph to Chin, who is closest to him, adding a bit despairingly, "Who knows what could happen to my little Soo by then?"

Shiao-chiang leans forward. "Do you know any of her friends, Mr. Fan?"

Wu smiles a touch wryly and keeps several comments to himself. He says, "I would be happy to go to the University and look in on her, Mr. Fan. Can you provide an address?" He also asks, "Do you have any reason to believe she has not simply overslept, or that she simply could not get to the telephone?" He tries to reassure without offering false promise, "College can be a very busy and distracting time."

Shiao-chiang stifles an inopportune comment, thinking amusedly, Or maybe she just has a boyfriend.

Mr. Fan nods to Shiao-chiang, "Oh, yes, her roommate at University is another nice girl -- Miss Peng! I have an introductory letter for you, written by my wife and myself, since she knows us both, so she will talk with you all freely about little Soo." He pulls out a sealed envelope, then pauses and shakes his head emphatically at Wu, "No, no, no, you don't understand! Soo is a nice girl! She calls her mother every morning without fail at 8:30!" He gulps, and it can be seen he's close to tears, "But... but not today..." Wordlessly he hands the envelope as well to Chin. In neatly calligraphed writing on the back is written the words 'Miss Peng.'

Chin studies the photograph for a moment. It shows two women sitting together and caught in an unreserved moment, laughing. One of them is an older lady, the other a girl of perhaps 17 to 19 years of age. She appears shyly reserved even when caught unwittingly, her long, shining, dark hair falling forward to screen her face slightly. Perhaps unaware of the camera, she's not leaned her head far enough forward for her hair to fall over a wide, messy scar that extends down the left hand side of her face. Aside from that, she's a rather attractive girl -- but it's obvious she's keenly aware of the disfiguring scar.

Chin says "Can you tell me who the older woman in the picture is, Mr. Fan?" and hands the photo to Shiao-chiang, on his right.

Mr. Fan nods, still swallowing hard. At the Sifu's graceful gesture, he has a sip of tea to compose himself, then murmurs a bit huskily, "That is my wife, and her mother."

Wu says, "Even nice girls stay up too late studying, oversleep, and have to scurry off to class without calling, sir. Hopefully, everything is fine and she will merely be tired and remorseful to have caused you to worry." His reassuring smile covers the thought of, Or she's discovered boys, or hangovers, all-night coffeehouses or even, gods preserve her, Nethack -- and that her overprotective father is not immediately at hand.

Mr. Fan gives Wu a rather hard look, but bites off commentary as Sifu Lau murmurs calmly, "Doubtless everything is fine, indeed. Grandson, young Wu, Jamie, I trust this is something you feel you can handle with consideration and discretion?"

Shiao-chiang nods and smiles warmly. "Lau Sifu, we will be the breath of the soul of discretion."

Wu ignores Fan's obvious discomfort at the very idea that his daughter might not be utterly and completely perfect, and replies to the master, "I suspect we can, Lau Sifu."

Shiao-chiang takes a gander at the photo. He frowns. "Mr. Fan, I don't wish to be rude, but... how did your daughter get that scar?" His voice is gentle. "You seem... very worried about her, for a single missed call. Is there... are there other reasons you might be so worried? Other people you are worried about?"

Mr. Fan straightens up, his voice a bit cold, "It was a childhood accident, many years ago." At the next question he stares icily at the young man, "Any good father would worry so about his only child, first starting out in college."

Wu looks a little distasteful at the directness of the questions, but listens carefully to the answers, as they may be very revealing. Shiao-chiang studies Mr. Fan's countenance. He senses there's more to the story that's not being said. It's very clear this is a truly worried man. There may be a hint of guilt in there too, although it's hard to tell... worry is the central emotion driving this man right now.

Shiao-chiang will try to recall if the Fan family has a "name" in the less savory sides of town. Maybe he pays protection to somebody? We should know what he does. I can't believe the Sifu would have us on a goose-chase for a kid who forgot to call her Daddy. Something doesn't feel right.

Strangely, Shiao-chiang can't remember anything at all about Mr. Fan. He does get the vaguest, odd feeling of familiarity, though... from the photo. Sort of a vague 'haven't I seen that girl before?' feeling. He studies the picture gravely, That's a big scar for a little girl. Hmm... After a moment of consideration, Shiao is quite sure -- that scar never came from any weapon he's familiar with! "Ah, Mr. Fan.... one last question... Do you have a copy of her class schedule?"

Mr. Fan gives a small folder of papers to Chin, "Oh, yes... here's directions to her dormitory building as well, and several other notes my wife thought you might find helpful."

Wu looks at the other two members of the dojo and says, "Shall we go and attempt to put Mr. Fan's fears at rest?"

Shiao-chiang grins. "Let's do it."

Chin says, "I'm sure we can discover something useful in short order." The Sifu nods his head once in courteous dismissal to his students, while the harried looking Mr. Fan repeatedly bows and murmurs breathlessly relieved thanks.

Wu makes a point to ask Shiao-chiang to see the photograph on the train ride over. He looks at the young woman, and considers the scar. He says, "I wonder if there is more to Mr. Fan's worry than he is letting on." It is not a question.

Shiao-chiang will mention to the others that he's going to see what he can dig up on Mr. Fan, going on-line to see what publicly available info there is on the girl, Mr. Fan, college home-pages... that sort of thing. After making some calls, it seems there's not much of note on Mr. Fan. He mentions to the others that as far as his brief Google searches go, Fan Soo-niang is an English Lit major with good grades. If she has a web page, or who knows, a link to an online journal, he'll peruse it.

Perhaps unsurprisingly for such a shy seeming young woman, he does not find any personal web presence for her. Shiao-chiang pages through her schedule while he browses, and then flips the phone closed, tucks it away, and figures out where she's supposed to be at this time of day. He sips a small green tea shake as he works, having picked it up on the way over to the train. No sense in going off thirsty in this heat.

Chin says, "I've made a few calls and, as far as I can tell, Mr. Fan has an outstanding parking ticket from 1983, but that's about it."

Shiao-chiang chuckles. "If those accrued interest over time, the parking mafia'd be all over him."

Wu watches his two traveling companions work. It is not that he does not understand what they are doing, nor that he does not care, but that he lets them do it. He says, "I suspect young Soo has merely become distracted by collegiate life. For her worried father's sake, I hope this is all it is." He peruses the rest of the folder they were given, commenting, "I suspect we shall soon find out, yes?"

Chin says, "There's a very real chance this is a wild goose chase. My feeling is Mr. Fan simply wanted someone to listen to his problem and look like they would do something."

Shiao-chiang raises an eyebrow. "Probably. So... we find her and just ask her to call papa, eh?"

Wu nods. He says, "I suspect having three strangers show up and say, "Your father was worried to death about you!" and to thrust a phone at her and demand she contact him will likely terrify or embarrass her in to never missing a call again. While her father would undoubtedly be pleased, I don't know that it is quite necessary."

Shiao-chiang chuckles. "I was just going to suggest that perhaps just one of us go see if we can talk with Miss Peng. A concerned family friend? No demands, just suggestion." He smiles and spreads his hands disarmingly... even if he is armed.

Chin says, "I'll go," and grins, "I look pretty harmless." Wu just nods at the suggestion that only one goes, and at Chin's assertion of apparent harmlessness. Shiao-chiang sucks down the last of his green tea shake.

Chin shrugs, "Everyday life must be pretty regular for Mr. Fan. A call at 8:30 every day from his daughter, a train ride to work, a thousand familiar things to do, a train ride home, and dinner on the table. A missed call can be a... great strain... for that type." He looks casually at the passersby. "Or she's been kidnapped by aliens."

Wu ahs, and says, smiling, "Of course. Aliens. Why didn't I think of that?" He waits for the train to stop.

The public transport system of Hong Kong is legendary for its speed and comfort. Soon the threesome is deposited on Causeway Bay, and it's a short walk through the very warm summer night towards the University. A light breeze off the bay is all that prevents it from becoming unpleasantly warm. Following the directions given to them by Mr. Fan, they are soon at the appropriate dorm building.

Outside, Shiao-chiang will find a bench that overlooks as much of the quad as possible, and casually look about from behind a newspaper. Wu goes and sits out of the way under a tree, where he has a clear view of Soo's dorm. When the door opens, Chin is ushered into a commons room of the women's dormitory -- strange men are certainly not allowed to wander around randomly in this building -- and Miss Peng is sent for.

Miss Peng is a slightly plump young woman who also looks to be about 18 years of age. She, however, does not look happy at all. If anything, she has a rather wide-eyed, haunted look about her, like a cute-but-trapped bunny. When she enters the pleasant commons room where Chin was asked to wait, she peers uncertainly at him from behind large glasses.

Chin says, "Good afternoon, Miss Peng. A friend of your roommate's father asked me to stop in and say hello to her when I was in town. Is she not in today? Oh, I suppose she's in class, of course? Do you know where I can find her?"

Miss Peng gives Chin a frightened look, taking several small steps back. Fearfully she whispers, "Is it you? Did you kill her?!" A moment later she defiantly adds, "Stay back or I'll scream!" She points a shaking finger at Chin, "I know she had a secret admirer -- roommates notice things, you know! You can't get away with this -- her ghost is looking for you -- you're in big trouble, you!"

Looking confused and concerned, Chin says, "Wha-what? I have no idea what you mean? Has she been injured? Where is she?" and (slowly) takes Mr. Fan's letter from his jacket.

Miss Peng gives a frightened squeak, freezing up entirely as Chin pulls something from his pocket, and giving the lie to her threat to scream. At sight of the letter she sighs in relief, then looks faintly exasperated for a fraction of a second... then takes a deep breath and pulls herself together again.

Chin says, "Mr. Fan gave me this note, if you would care to read it. It should show you how concerned he is. What makes you think Soo-niang is missing?"

Miss Peng blushes as she almost grabs the letter, tearing it open and reading it hastily. She sighs, sitting down -- almost collapsing -- into a nearby chair and resting her face in her hands. The letter drifts, forgotten, to the ground next to her. "I... I'm so sorry, sir. I just... it was a terrible, terrible shock!"

Chin says, "Please, relax. Would you like a drink?" and offers her a handkerchief. "What makes you think something has happened to her? Maybe I can help."

Miss Peng takes a deep breath, then adds in an only slightly quivery voice, "She... she went out last night, very worried about the latest letter she'd gotten, and like usual she wouldn't say where she was going... and..." Her voice chokes up as she adds, "-and she never came home! I w-was going to tease her about it this m-morning... but then I saw her ghost! That's when I knew she was dead!" She takes the hankie, dabbing at her eyes, and almost angrily adds, "And the officials won't listen to me -- only the other students here believe me!"

Miss Peng breaks down at that point, crying bitterly. Another young woman, passing by in the hallway, rushes in and glares at Chin, "What are you doing?!" She kneels down next to Miss Peng, "Lucy, Lucy, are you all right?"

Chin says, "What do you mean, 'her ghost'? When did you see this? Where you in your room, or somewhere else?"

The second girl blinks at the question, staring up at Chin with wide eyes, then breaths, "Oh... poor Susie... yes, I saw her too, drifting down the hallway, and Grace felt a cold breeze, like the hand of death!"

Chin drops into a more professional tone, and says, "Miss, did you see this as well? Can you show me where you were when you saw this? I've been asked to look into this and would appreciate a moment of your time. Perhaps we can give Miss Peng a moment to compose herself?"

Miss Peng and the other girl cling to each other as they both answer. Chin finds out the girl is Miss Peng and Miss Fan's next door neighbor, and happened to look out the door at Miss Peng's scream very early that morning. "It was Susie walking quickly down the hallway, I'm sure of it -- that face is so distinctive! -and she was so pale, all in white!" She nods and rises (with Miss Peng, who won't let go and doesn't want to be left alone), and they lead Chin to the second floor hallway.

Between the two girls, Chin learns that Miss Peng saw the ghost in their little common room, "at the desk, tearing through it looking for the letters -- the ones her secret admirer sent! When I screamed she looked up, then I fainted..."

The other girl continues, "I saw her going down the hallway, and slammed the door so her restless spirit wouldn't take root in our room. Do you think we need an exorcist, sir?" 'Grace' turns out to be the other girl's roommate, who saw nothing but felt the icy touch of the spirit world on the back of her neck.

Miss Peng whispers fearfully, "D-do you want to see the room?" She's clutching a small religious pendant in one hand, and clinging to the other girl with her free hand.

Chin rubs his chin a moment, and considers. "Well, I'm not sure. I think it would be a good idea if I brought my associates in to take a look at the scene of the event, so we can all get a better idea of what we're dealing with." He turns to the second girl, and asks, "Can you go to the door and ask them to join us? I'll stay here with Lucy, eh?"

The other girl nods, although it takes a moment to disentangle from Lucy, who's obviously quite shaken up, but not so much that she'll cling to a strange (if pleasant seeming) man.

Outside the dorm building, the other two see a young girl open the door and look around uncertainly... then as them, "Ah, pardon me... are you, uhh..." She realizes she doesn't know the name of her friend's visitor, and compromises, "Are you the associates of Miss Fan's visitor?"

Wu comes up to the porch and smiles. He says, "I am with Mr. Lau, yes. Is everything all right?" Shiao-chiang nods and folds his newspaper away in three precise moves. He rolls to his feet and stands next to Wu, tugging his suit jacket into place, and slipping his sunglasses into a pocket. Wu gestures towards Shiao and says, "This is Mr. Lau's other associate, Shiao, and I am Wu."

The young girl nods, looking up at the taller man, then glancing at the other man walking up. She blinks once, then shakes her head slightly and smiles shyly, "Ah, he'd like you to join him. This way, please?" Shortly thereafter, the small group is reunited in the hallway. Lucy latches onto her friend again with obvious relief.

Chin smiles benignly and asks, "Now, why don't you show us where this occurred?"

Shiao-chiang looks askance at Chin. "What happened?"

The two girls nod shyly and politely. Other girls are starting to peep from doorways, and there's a small, excited undercurrent of murmuring, although no one's left their rooms yet. Lucy Peng takes a deep breath, then nods, "Yes, yes." She pulls a key out of her pocket and goes to unlock one of the doors, the other girl reassuringly close behind her. Wu smiles, and stays far enough back not to seem threatening.

Lucy starts to pull the door open, "It was in here, by the-" As she's speaking, she's looking at the little group. It's the other girl's gasp which causes her to freeze and jerk back around -- then scream loudly and violently slam the door! For a fraction of a second before the door slams, the three men can see clearly a slender, pale female figure jerk upright in startlement... and the wide, old scar smeared down the right side of her face.

After that is mayhem, of course... the other girl faints on Shiao, Lucy almost climbs Chin, and every girl on the floor rushes out in a babbling roar of concern.

Shiao-chiang will swing her swiftly to the ground (and to the side) to free his hands. Chin reaches for the door, past the girls, but the door slides past his fingertips. Jamie attempts to shove his shoe into the doorjamb, to block it open. His shoe goes shooting into the room, far swifter than the door is closing. A moment later everyone hears, even over the hubbub in the hallway, a distinct *CRASH!* -- which causes everyone to fall suddenly hushed and stare wide-eyed at the door.

From behind Chin a small hand comes out with a key in it, "Here, sir..." Chin takes the key with a small nod, and disentangles himself from the crush in the hallway. He slowly unlocks the door and cracks it open to peer in.

As the door opens there's the tinkle of falling glass... the room is a disaster. The small desk on one side of the room has had all its drawers yanked out, and a few stray papers flutter in the small breeze from the shattered window across from the door. Wu tries to shoo girls back away from the door, with calming words, and tries to move up to the door, to see in when Chin opens it.

The girls are more than willing to back away behind the three men... but from that location of relative safety they crowd forward, almost pushing the three into the doorway with their nervous curiosity. Shiao-chiang will put his back to the wall and slide closer to get a look, crosswise. Damn, that was a Gucci loafer!

Wu moves cautiously in to the room, making sure no one is lurking around a corner or out of sight. He glances out the windows to see if anyone can be seen fleeing, and tries to collect any paper near it before it blows outside and is lost. Through the window can be seen the gently waving branches of a large tree. In the tree is a Gucci loafer... and a small piece of lavender letter paper.

From behind the men there's a gasp of horror as Lucy sees what's happened in her room. Considering none of the men have been assaulted by unfriendly ghosts, she rushes in, wailing, "Oh, Susie's desk -- what a mess!" She kneels, trying to pick up some of the papers, then looks up with tears on her face, "She must be so unhappy -- her little red silk box of special letters from her admirer is gone!"

Shiao-chiang will try to gently intercept her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Mr. Chin is a detective. Please, please... it is important that nothing is disturbed. Please stand by the door?" His tone is polite but firm.

Miss Peng gives Shiao a shocked look, "He is?!" Just as fast her gaze turns to Chin, her tone relieved, "You all believe me! Finally!"

Shiao-chiang will check for any footprints, stray scraps; anything that might give them a clue just who it was -- and where they went. He studies the scattered remnants, muttering to himself. "Pomo, pomo... with a hint of lavender water. Nice." He puts them back on the table. "No footprints."

Chin looks around the room, careful not to handle anything and says, "This is not an official investigation, of course." He notices the only part of the room that has been disturbed (apart from the broken window) is the desk. Looking troubled, he thinks, Moving around the room, he stops and casually picks up the key from the floor, near the window.

Wu climbs out the window, intent on retrieving the wayward shoe. He picks up the lavender scrap of paper on his way. Before he gets to the shoe he sees a girl, all in pale white and with a scar on her face. She is on the ground, on the far side of the quad. She looks back towards the tree and right at Wu, just before she slips around the edge of a building.

Wu calls, "Soo-niang, wait!" He glances back in the window and says, "There she goes!" then clambers down the tree, apparently in pursuit. He swings down a branch, then drops lightly to the ground, and goes running off after the girl, hoping his colleagues will follow.

Continuing his inspection, Chin takes a moment to examine the key. It is identical to the room key Lucy Peng gave him, with the exception of the cute cartoon sticker. He thinks, Mr. Fan may have more to worry about than I thought, and turns just in time to see Wu leap out the window. "Ah, youth."

Shiao-chiang sighs and looks at Chin. "If he doesn't catch up, I doubt we will. Shall we amble?" There is a quiet thump outside the window... Jamie's shoe has hit the ground. "My foot is starting to itch."

Shiao-chiang nods to Chin. "Let's go get my shoe." Then he stops himself, turning to the two girls, "Ah, it is likely that myself and the detective may need to speak with you again. Are there numbers where we could reach you?""

Lucy has finished forlornly tidying up the papers Shiao-chiang picked up, sniffling a bit. The other girl nods, "Yes, you can reach us at the main phone downstairs, and they'll page us." Behind her the entire dorm-floor of girls is peering in with great fascination, whispering avidly back and forth to each other. Shiao-chiang will make a few notes of names and such for later perusal, nods gravely, and tries not to look completely silly as he casually strolls out the door, sans a shoe.

By now dusk has fallen, and the waning crescent summer moon is starting to show in the lovely evening sky. As Wu skids hastily around the corner, he's faced with yet another pretty little tree-studded courtyard. Two startled students look up at him from a small decorative stone table where they've been sitting and working together, papers and books spread out in front of them as they write.

Wu looks at the startled students, himself somewhat taken aback. He tries to put some composure together, "Excuse me. Has a girl all in white come by here just a moment ago?" He pulls the lavender note from his pocket and explains, "She dropped this, and I was hoping to return it." He hopes this makes him seem less sinister.

The two girls glance at each other, then at Wu. Their gaze is a bit suspicious as they both shake their heads, and one asks sternly, "Have you been drinking, sir? Should you be here at this hour?"

Wu smiles cheerfully, "No, miss, I haven't been drinking. I was merely hoping to keep a young lady from being disappointed." He folds the letter and tucks it back in his pocket, saying, "Thank you for your help, ladies." He turns and walks back the way he came, heading back to the dorm he came from. The idea of what those girls would think if they'd have seem him climb out of the tree makes him smile.

In the little courtyard the three men reunite again... although they can see girls' fascinated faces peering out at them from all the second floor windows on that side of the building. Shiao-chiang waits until they are out of earshot, before he turns to Chin. "So obviously this is a bit more than daddy's little girl not calling in. What'd Peng and those other girls say?"

Wu suggests, "Perhaps we should go someplace quieter and compare notes. There must be a coffee shop on campus."

Shiao-chiang slips his shoe back on, glancing up at Chin, curiously. He glances at Wu. "No. Off-campus -- somewhere less likely to have eavesdroppers. I remember campus coffee shops as the perfect place to catch all the dirt on... ah... never mind."

Wu nods, and says, "True, true."

Shiao-chiang grins to himself. "Those were the days."

Wu says, "Fine. A restaurant with a bar. We can get a table and be out of the noise, but someplace they'll be carding the students. And... dinner! I might even know a good one." He leads people there. It's even almost close.

Chin says, "The rumor seems to be that Soo-niang is now a ghost. Lucy, and apparently the other girls, identified her "ghostly form" in the hallway. Lucy also seems to think Soo-niang has been seeing someone, and had a collection of letters from her admirer. It's clear that whoever was looking for those letters didn't quite know where they were... and then there's this..." He holds out a key in his handkerchief. "This was on the floor near the broken window. It's identical to the one Lucy gave me to open the room. Hers had a little cartoon kitty on it, and I think this one is from the same show. This is probably Soo-niang's key."

Wu listens. He says, "Letters?" He produces the lavender one, and asks, "Like this? I saw the ghost-girl -- it must have been Soo-niang, she had that terrible scar -- from in the tree. By the time I got to the ground and around the first corner, she was gone. But I did pick this up from the tree." He opens the letter and lays the page on the table. "I haven't read it yet."

Shiao-chiang sniffs. "Hm. Same scent that was in the room. Probably her perfume."

Chin says, "She seems awfully... athletic, even for a college kid. It looks like she practically leapt through the window. Wu, did she appear to be injured? Cuts, limping from the leap from the tree?"

Wu says, "I didn't notice any sort of cuts or limping, but I didn't see her for very long. I couldn't say for certain. I don't know where she went, either."

The envelope is addressed to Susie Fan, at the dormitory. It's a fairly short letter: 'My dearest sister Susie, I am sorry to report I shall not be able to meet with you after work tonight as we'd planned. I fear something has happened to Kai, so I am going to go into hiding for a bit. Kai was very secretive two days ago, and would not tell me anything, and now he has gone missing, they tell me. Please do not turn up around Nine Flowers, as I do not wish anyone to mistake you for me. I will contact you as soon as this silliness is sorted out. Do not worry; all will be well. Your devoted Yu-soo.'

Chin says, "Well, that sure clears things up. A sister that could be mistaken for 'Susie' -- I wonder if that was her in the room?"

Shiao-chiang muses, "Mistake you for me... interesting..." He sips his drink.

Wu looks out the restaurant window, at the great neon sign outside on the hotel across the street, flashing, "Nine Flowers" and decorated with clubs, hearts, spades, and diamonds. He says, "The Nine Flowers," and points. He then asks, "Do we know anything about who owns it?"

Shiao-chiang racks his brain trying to recall what he knows of the hot trendy casino. "Can't recall any names, but it shouldn't be too hard to find out if we do a bit of digging." He sips meditatively on his drink. "This has definitely gone beyond daddy's morning wakeup call. If she's 'going into hiding' she's hiding from someone for some reason. Something obviously connected with whatever was in those letters, and this Kai person. Sounds like we need to find where she worked, and talk to her co-workers."

Wu says, "Is it Soo-niang who is hiding, or her secret admirer, this 'Yo-soo'? Would it be worth finding out who that and 'Kai' are, or should we just go have a look around?"

Chin says, "Well, we're trying to find Soo-niang. Since the person at her room is clearly trying to avoid us, maybe we should look her up. What concerns me more is this mention of Kai. I know someone who has a friend named Kai in the administration that deals with waterfront workers... and here we are, down on the waterfront..." He looks across at the Nine Flowers. "I don't see any reason to sit here in the restaurant, do you guys?"

Last modified: 2003-Nov-03 18:31:17

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