Red Jade

Red Jade Read Online Free PDF Page B

Book: Red Jade Read Online Free PDF
Author: Henry Chang
Tags: Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Ebook, Police Procedural
as she took the call. He was thinking about the big police captain, the Chinese prosecutor Bang Sing, and the disposable camera in his pocket as he left the storefront.
    When he got back to Chinatown, Ah Fook’s Thirty-Minute Photo had just opened. Jack gave the camera to Fook junior, who would print the film before processing the other orders of the morning. Jack would pick it up later, after checking in with Billy Bow.

Law and Order
    ADA Bang Sing reminded Jack of a younger Chow Yun-Fat, Hong Kong’s John Wayne. He wore a black coat over a black suit and had a well-traveled, cosmopolitan air about him. Captain Marino leaned back in his big chair and let him talk.
    “The judge set bail at a million dollars,” Sing said in an urbane voice, “because of the flight risk. But he’s really interested in seeing who’s going to step up for Johnny.” Sing paused for effect. “So far, no takers.”
    Jack and Marino traded glances and the ADA continued, “So far there’s no action on his remand. He’s cooling his ass at Rikers and there’s no requirement of a ‘speedy trial’ in a murder case.” Again, he paused for effect. “Sheldon Littman’s the lawyer for Johnny, and he waived the grand jury. They’re claiming they need time for discovery as to who this woman of interest is, because she turns up in your testimony.”
    Again Jack flashed back to the running shoot-out across the San Francisco Chinatown rooftop, and the petite woman with short hair who was squeezing off .25-caliber slugs at him.
    “Meanwhile,” Sing continued, “Johnny’s had visitors. Chinese men who claim to be Hong Kong affiliates of Littman’s. They said Johnny’s testimony needs a better translation than that of a regular court appointee, because of his limited English. And Littman’s trying to get Johnny moved to softer digs. Maybe an empty federal squat.”
    Jack remembered Mona’s tape-recorded words, implicating Johnny.
    “So here’s the deal,” Sing said as if in a summation. “When we go to trial, the existence of this woman is going to create doubt about Johnny being the lone shooter. They’re going to work you over on cross-examination. And we need to limit the damage.”
    “Bullshit,” Jack said quietly.
    “Minimum, we still get him for conspiracy to commit murder, aiding and abetting a homicide. Littman’s going to paint Johnny as a hapless fuckhead who fell for this missing woman. And then got suckered.” Another pause. “With your testimony, there’s enough he can play on to support that.”
    “More bullshit,” said Jack with a sneer.
    “There’s a big chill on right now,” Sing advised. “But I’ll keep you posted.”
    “Thanks.” Jack smiled sardonically.
    After the ADA left, Jack pulled the Wanted posters from the open case files. A file that Jack had labeled EDDIE NG/ SHORTY contained a juvenile offender mugshot of Keung “Eddie” Ng, who Jack believed was involved in the Ghost Legion OTB shoot-out that had left six dead, and Lucky in a coma. The photo was ten years old; a baby-faced kid who’d probably looked different now.
    He took out a Wanted poster bearing the Shirley Yip image from Mona’s file and pocketed both. He would visit Billy Bow and the Fuk kid. After, Jack thought, he’d look for Ah Por, the old wise woman he knew, to see if she had any clues for him. At the Tofu King, the Fuk kid, Jing Zhang, recognized the karaoke photo of May Lon Fong that Jack had taken from her wallet. Zhang was leery about Jack the Chinese cop but Billy said, “It’s okay, JZee, he’s good police.”
    Zhang relaxed, saying in broken Cantonese, “She kept to herself. She was old for that crowd.”
    “Did she seem happy?” Jack asked. “Or was someone bothering her?”
    Zhang frowned and shrugged his shoulders at the word “happy.” “The manager”—he glanced at Billy—“he’s a Ghost. He had his pick of the women. And there were the gang girls, always flirting with him.” He paused, scanned
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