The Death and Life of Nicholas Linnear Read Online Free PDF Page A

choosing a partner. Rather, he stood back, rejecting one girl after another. His head was now aligned perfectly to allow him to watch Nicholas out of the corner of his eye without seeming to be interested. No one else arrived; Nicholas was now certain that this man was his shadow. He memorized the face, the stance, and the stony expression. All within a split second he sucked the man’s essence into himself. From this moment on, he would know him even if the man did his best to change his appearance.
    Time to make things happen. Nicholas nodded to a young Chinese woman, tall and slender as a reed, and, smiling seductively, she took him by the hand. They went through one of the golden doors, up a steep flight of shockingly worn wooden stairs onto a second floor. A long corridor with closed doors on either side stretched away from them.
    When one of those doors closed behind them, he crossed to the window on the opposite wall. It looked out on a narrow alley, filthy with garbage. A dog, so thin its ribs were its most prominent feature, rooted around in the filth. It wasn’t the only occupant of the alley. Another sharkskin suit stood at the opening to the street, watching, waiting for him. Nicholas got a good look at him, then turned back into the room where the girl stood at rest, waiting for him.
    “Other than this window,” he said to her, “how do I get out of here unnoticed?”
    The girl smiled seductively.
    “Is there a way?” he asked with infinite patience.
    She came toward him on bare feet. They were very small and very white, the nails lacquered vermillion. “There is always a way.”
    She was close enough for him to smell the cinnamon and clove on her breath. She was very beautiful and, to his way of thinking, very sad.
    He brought out three hundred dollars, and she looked at it, saying, “It’s not enough.” Breathing it into him.
    “What do you want?” Asking her How much do you want? was a Western mistake he would not make.
    “A kiss.” She tilted her head up to him. “A real kiss.”
    These girls did not kiss. Ever. This was a request of the highest honor and magnitude. In that instant, he knew she would find a way out for him. He drew her to him and they kissed for a very long time, until their tongues had explored every inch of their mouths.
    She broke it off, as was right and correct. Nevertheless, he felt her reluctance, as well as her sorrow, and wished he could do more for her.
    Opening the door, she looked down the hallway both ways before signaling to him. They ran, silently but swiftly, until they came to another staircase, this one even narrower and steeper than the first. They ascended, past a third story, climbing a vertical metal ladder from there. A metal fire door opened onto the tiled roof. Beyond, adjacent tiled roofs stretched away in every direction. The night air felt fresh and cool. It wove her night-black hair in tendrils around her cheeks.
    It was only then, when he was safely outside, that she took the money he offered, leaving him without a backward glance. The fire door closed behind her and he found himself alone on the steeply slanted rooftop.
    When the watched becomes the watcher the stakes are raised significantly. On the other hand, vital information stood to be gained. This was the situation in which Nicholas now found himself.
    He had come off of the tiled roof of a building down the block from The Golden Lotus Club & Sauna. Working his way down the wall using fingertips and toeholds was no problem for him. He went at once in sight of the back alley, where the two sharkskin suits were conferring. It was clear from their demeanor that they had lost him. The one who had come in the front pulled out a mobile, made a call. It was short and sweet. He indicated to his compatriot to follow him, and they went to a sleek black SUV and climbed in.
    Ducking into the car he had rented earlier, he followed them. Again, they went through the tunnel into Pudong, arriving at the