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Bloody Idols: Chapter Four
The appropriate people at the precinct are alerted as to the possible incorrect body identification, and are quite interested. The group is invited down to the morgue, which is all cold metal, antiseptic, and chilling. The black humor of the morgue attendant preparing the body for viewing is the same as that of every other person who has to deal too closely with -- and emotionally distance themselves from -- horrific, sudden death. Fortunately he hushes once the parents are shown in.
The group is tucked neatly and discreetly out of sight in a darkened side room with the door ajar, so they can see the parents' reactions, but not be seen. The parents also are much like anyone else who's been invited to see a murder victim who might be a family member -- half hope it's not their beloved; half fear that it is.
Unfortunately... once the parents recognize their daughter, it's obvious they have eyes for nothing else. Still, it is curious... the mother breaks into histrionics, sobbing and crying out inconsolably for the loss of her daughters. Oddly, Mr. Fan seems almost desperately hopeful still -- he insists the morgue attendant compare some dental x-rays he has to x-rays of the dental work of the deceased.
The dental x-rays can only be compared to the right side of the head... but they clearly match.
It's then things get... a little strange. Mr. Fan refuses to believe it, insisting the attendant compare them again -- there must be a mistake! His daughter is a nice- and Mrs. Fan practically throws herself on him, beating her fists ineffectively on him and screaming almost incoherently, "You have two daughters! Stop denying it! Stop! Soo-niang is dead and Yu-soo is your daughter, and I can't take it any more -- Yu wasn't responsible for her actions -- she was a child, Ho!"
Mrs. Fan is restrained without much difficulty, as her sudden outburst of anger was short-lived. Soon thereafter, the two grieving parents head outwards, Mr. Fan half-supporting his still sobbing wife.
As they pass by, Chin, Shiao-Chang, and Wu step forward to offer their condolences. "We're very sorry for your loss, Mr. Fan, Mrs. Fan. I'm sorry that we couldn't bring you better news. I hope you can find some comfort in knowing the truth." Turning to Mrs. Fan, Chin continues, "Your husband asked us to look into your daughter's disappearance, and we discovered she had been in contact with the woman known as Willow Down. There seemed to be some relationship between the two, and we did have some further information on the other woman. If you would like us to bring it to you before we share it fully with the police, please let us know."
The parents look up at the group a little bemusedly... then Mr. Fan tiredly introduces the group to Mrs. Fan, and explains their connection. She dries her tears, trying to maintain a pleasant front for 'guests' of her husband, and her voice is only slightly quavery as she nods, "Yes, please... we don't know who Willow Down is, but she might be... she might..." She chokes back tears, then adds shakily, "We've lost both our daughters... it's time to bring our missing daughter home!"
Softly, Shiao says, "We would very much like to help you, Mrs. Fan -- Mr. Fan -- but we need your help to do it."
Mr. Fan sighs -- a defeated sound -- then simply nods once. "How can we help."
"We would be happy to help, and we can tell you a little about her current situation." In the most careful euphemism, Chin explains where Yu-soo was currently working, and that she seems to be caught up in some dispute between some criminals at the casino. "She is currently in hiding. If we can locate her, we will need some way to let her know that she can trust us to bring her home."
Shiao-Chiang says, "By answering some questions about the two of them. We can't hope to find her without understanding what has happened in the past between Soo-niang and 'Willow Down'."
Mr. Fan looks around, then says almost apologetically, "Perhaps... we could go someplace a bit more... private first?"
A short time later the small group are seated in the Fan house, having a quiet cup of tea. Mrs. Fan comes out of a room with a delicate gold necklace, offering it to Chin as the oldest, "This was Yu-soo's. Tell her we know her twin sister is d-de... is no more..." Tears run down her face as she adds, "Tell her... tell her all is forgiven -- please, please to come home?"
Quietly Shiao murmurs, "And what is it that she needs to be forgiven of? What happened between them?"
Mrs. Fan gives her husband a quick, silent sideways glance, but says nothing. It's Mr. Fan who answers, obviously greatly embarrassed. "I... Soo-niang was so well behaved, so quiet. Yu-soo... she was the opposite. Always... willful. Headstrong and impetuous. Wild. She... when she harmed her sister, I... I'd had enough! I... I said I had only one daughter."
Chin says, "From our investigations, it seemed that the girls looked very similar. Where they the same age? Does Yu-soo have any ..distinguishing marks.. we should know about?"
Mrs. Fan nods, "They were... born identical twins. They were... inseparable." She glances at her husband, then adds gently, "But... that didn't make Soo-niang just like Yu-soo. They were opposites, temperamentally."
Shifting forward, Chin sets down his tea and takes a moment before asking, "When the girls were injured, was Yu's as distinctive as Soo-niang's?"
Both parents blink a bit confusedly at Chin... then Mrs. Fan says softly, "Oh, no... no, Yu was not injured. It was Soo who had the scalding tea fall on her face." She adds quietly, looking at the small tea cup in her hands, "Yu was... inconsolable. She believed she was solely responsible for poor Soo's... disfigurement."
Chin nods, "I understand." He rises, "Thank you so much for your time. As soon as we have anything, we'll be in touch. Again, please accept our condolences." Chin, Wu and Shiao give their condolences and bid the grieving couple farewell. The Fans quietly see the small group out, and thank them for their efforts. They return to Shiao's office, tucked away in the bustling urban streets of the city.
Paging through a battered leather notebook, Chin mutters, "OK. I'm confused. Soo-niang's face is scarred on the left in the photos. Wu says the 'ghost's' face was marred on the right. The corpse's face was destroyed on the left, but the dental work matched Soo-niang's. Even if they were twins, their dental work would be completely different, even if they had fillings and such in the same places. The individual work would be distinct. It would be a damn rare coincidence if they were that close. Right now, I'm not 100% certain we know which girl is dead." He looks at the other two, "Have I missed anything?"
Shiao-Chiang says, "Only that Kai is the only other lead I can think of to Yu -- he and the mob goon, whom we think would be a less than congenial conversational partner."
Wu says, "It seems reasonably clear that Soo-niang is the one killed. The dental work and scar line up. What is a surprise is that the other girl is scarred. There is also the possibility that the 'ghost' girl's scarring was makeup; part of her disguise. If she had a photo, or wasn't used to putting makeup on herself in the mirror, she could have gotten it backwards." He adds, "I agree that Kai is our best lead. How do we go about finding the man?"
Chin nods, "That makes sense, Wu, and ties it up nicely. That means it probably is Yu out there. OK. By my count that leaves us the roommate, the junior hit man, or the casino tea party. My preference would be to talk to them in that order. We could also touch base with the kids at her dorm." Shiao-Chiang nods.
Chin adds, "Finding Kai? I'm not sure. If he's gone to ground I'm expecting he'll be hard to find, and Yu might be avoiding him like the plague, since he's the cause of her sister's death, indirectly."
Shiao-Chiang says, "Then we start with the one we do know about. Assuming she hasn't been fired and sent to sleep with the fishies."
Wu nods, "That makes sense. Your suggestions sound good."
Chin says, "Well, barring a clearer objective I think we should go ask the 'best friend' if we can help this kid get back with her parents. Objections?"
Shiao-Chiang shakes his head. "None. Let's go. I'll... ah... stay in the background this time. I don't think she likes me."
Wu says, "None from me." He adds, "I wonder if she needs a place to hide from the goons herself, and how the parents would feel about her turning up." He smiles mischievously.
Shiao-Chiang mutters to himself, "...and I blew a perfectly sweet date to go to her aid too..."
Wu's phone rings. He answers it quietly, "This is Wu." Shiao-Chiang glowers at his own silent phone.
The soft, slightly breathless voice of a young girl answers Wu. It could well be the baccarat girl, in fact, "Hello? Hello, is this that nice man from the casino? The one that wanted to know about Willow Down?"
Wu says carefully, "I was in the casino earlier, yes. Right before the little bit of a scuffle that went on in the afternoon." Shiao-Chiang snorts and takes his sunglasses off to clean them.
She sounds relieved, "Oh, good! Listen, I live next door to her -- we're in the same apartment complex -- and someone is breaking into her apartment! I can hear them! They think they're being careful, but-" her voice gets a bit apologetic, "-well, the walls are kind of thin, and we used to listen out for each other when we, ah... when gentleman callers came over? And... whoever it is doesn't want to turn on the lights, and is rummaging through her stuff -- they must know she's dead!" She almost wails, "I didn't know who else to call! Can you stop them?"
Wu says, "I see. I think we can try. What is the address, and what is your name? We may have some news for you, too."
The girl identifies herself as 'Peach Blossom,' the baccarat girl from the Nine Flowers casino, and gives an address, adding fearfully, "That's my apartment -- Willow Down is one apartment to the right. Please hurry!"
Wu says, "We will. Stay safe. We may want to talk to you -- hopefully soon." After he rings off he says, "Willow Down's apartment is being ransacked at this very moment, or so says her friend and neighbor. Let's go see what they're after."
Shiao-Chiang blinks; puts his sunglasses back on. "Let's roll."
Wu says, "Now why didn't I bring my staff?" and looks about for a stout stick.
Shiao-Chiang looks around, and then reaches into a closet and hands him a hockey stick. "Don't ask."
A quick bit of travel later, the group are looking up at one of several tall, cheap apartment complexes. This is definitely not the nice side of town... although one could consider it the best attempt at 'niceness' manageable in poverty. The darkness of night hides the more visible signs of sloppy workmanship and poor materials used in the construction of these high rises.
Shiao-Chiang will slip inside and move quietly and swiftly up the stairs towards the apartment in question. He whispers to Wu, "We have to get her out of the apartment -- bullets are going to go through those walls like noodles through a pig."
The group heads swiftly up the stairs... there are a lot of them, and unfortunately there is no lift -- more cheap construction, obviously. On the way up they skirt some gossiping older women on the second floor, some kids running up and down the stairs around the 7th, a grumpy looking Korean man tromping downwards on about the tenth floor, and some brightly dressed and made up young women on the 14th... who cheerfully greet the group and ask them if they want company for the night?
The stairs up, located on one side of the building, lead to a long hallway, which has a railing on one side and is open to the elements. People obviously live here -- tricycles are on the cement floor, along with potted plants, laundry strung up to dry, and other signs of shared living space. On the other side of the hallway are the doorways to the apartments, and at the far end of the hallway from the stairs is a washroom for each floor.
As the group reaches the 16th floor, they can see someone leaning out an open door, peering around searchingly. It's the baccarat girl, and she brightens at seeing them, "Oh! You came -- thank you! Thank you! The searcher left, but I'm afraid to go look!"
Wu smiles, "Why don't you let us go have a look and make sure it's safe, and then we can talk a bit? Maybe you can see if anything is missing, after we've made sure they didn't leave any surprises."
"Oh, yes, please!" She adds angrily, "I spied through the door as he left, too -- it was Kai, that grave-robber! Koreans... just not trustworthy!"
Chin asks, "Did you get look at them, or did you stay out of sight," moving the girl out of the line of fire... "How long ago did he leave?" Shiao-Chiang moves up, quickly appraising her condition, then turning his attention to the apartment.
Peach Blossom says, "Just a short while ago -- but I have a key to the apartment!" She holds up a small key, "We swapped keys long ago, just in case."
Wu asks, "What was he wearing? Did we just pass him on the way out?" He asks, "Can we catch him?"
Peach Blossom blinks... then considers, "Um... well, he was in dark clothes, and looked, um... rather upset?" She adds helpfully, "He's Korean!"
Shiao-Chiang nods to Peach Blossom and takes the key, "Thanks." He turns back to the apartment door, half an ear turned towards the ongoing conversation.
Wu says, "He's gone, then." He looks at the door and waits for Shiao give the all clear.
Shiao-Chiang studies the door, and runs a finger down the side, shaking his head. He hands the key back to Peach Blossom. Then, with one swift move he'll open the door and put himself to the side, gun out and drawn, listening intently. There's no sound at all.
Shiao-Chiang will turn on the light with a flick of his hand, keeping himself a minimal possible target to let his eyes adjust as swiftly as possible. He looks into the tiny room -- combined sleeping/living room... scans over to the faint light to the door -- bathroom probably. Slowly he'll step into the apartment, eyes flicking back and forth. He'll look down and examine the books tossed carelessly on the floor.
Shiao-Chiang next glances into the kitchenette, finding nothing particularly noteworthy. He steps into the bathroom and emerges a moment later holding something. He shows it to Wu and Chin. It's a photo of two young women cheek to cheek, laughing together. It's a cheap photo like you could get out of a mall kiosk... and it's of the twins. Soo-niang's scar shows clearly on the left side of her face, but she looks so relaxed and happy she doesn't seem to care enough to shake her hair forward to hide the scar. "It was taped to a large mirror, right about eye-level for her. So maybe it was a makeup screw up? She had a lot of the stuff anyway."
Wu looks at the photo for a moment, then sighs sadly. He says, "Seems likely. Anything else interesting? Is it all clear?"
Shiao-Chiang shakes his head. "No and yes."
Wu says to the baccarat girl, "Perhaps you'd like to help us see if anything is missing or misplaced?"
Peach Blossom blinks, suddenly realizing she's apparently going into the home of a dead friend. "Um... oh, dear. Do you suppose her spirit is...?" She pauses, then gets a determined look, "Yes, I'll come with you. You're going to catch her killer, right? I'll help if I can."
Shiao-Chiang shakes his head. "Looks like Kai knew her well enough that he got whatever he was looking for -- and he knew where to find it. The place is barely touched, except for tripping over the bookcase..." he indicates the books with an off-hand.
A short while later, Peach Blossom has helped the three go through Willow Down's apartment, and confirmed that to the best of her knowledge nothing is missing. She gently puts the books tidily back, a little tearful, and thanks the men for coming, "At least Kai looked grumpy. I hope he didn't find whatever it was he wanted." She smiles through her tears, "And you'll find her killer, right, and bring him to justice? Willow Down was nice... she didn't deserve this!"
Chin smiles sadly, "We've already told her family what we know. We'll come back and tell you when we know more. If you think of anything else, anything at all, please don't hesitate to call."
Peach Blossom thinks a bit, then says slowly, "If... Djang shot Willow Down, and Kai is still alive... then maybe Djang couldn't find Kai yet? Maybe he's nosing around Kai's offices at the dock or something?"
Wu smiles, and says, "Maybe we'll have a look at that, too. Thank you, Peach Blossom."