The Omega Device (The Ha-Shan Chronicles Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

smiled and filled in a form, “I'd like that.”
    “For now, I hope you will accept this with my wish that you rise as I have.”
    Ryusaki removed a wad of cash from his coat. Maggie looked up expecting a usual, small tip. Instead Ryusaki handed over a roll of hundreds as thick as her fist.
    Her eyes went wide, “Mr. Ryusaki, I couldn't possibly—”
    He raised his hand, and for the first time, spoke English, “Please… take.” His wily, old tone softened with a gesture to his heart, “My thanks.”
    He continued once more in Japanese. “Others would have wanted more money, offered less companionship. I am an old man. More money than years. You run your business well, deliver what is sorely needed in this age.” Maggie thanked him with what little Japanese she'd learned from movies. “You are welcome.”
    Maggie and Ryusaki exchanged a bow. He and Chen-Lee turned for the door and disappeared into the street. Ashley and Mandy returned at the bell, found Maggie frozen behind the counter.
    “You okay, Mags?” Ashley asked with a glance at the door.
    “Yeah.” She blinked hard, shook away her shock, “Yeah, I'm fine… and I think we can pay the rent for a couple of months.”
    She handed Ashley the roll of hundreds. Mandy's jaw dropped.
    “Holy shit!” Ashley removed the band from the roll and fanned out the bills. “This is like… five grand, Maggie! ”
    Mandy counted the bills mentally, “That's a hell of a tip.”
    “Hell of an old man,” Ashley corrected. Mandy agreed.
    Maggie ignored them to stare at the door in thought. The lingering sadness at Ryusaki's departure forced her fingers to close, empty, as she wondered if she'd ever see such selflessness again.

4.
    Mysterious Symbols
     
    September 28 th  
    8:27 PM
    Royal Oakton Hotel, Suite 5
     
    Russell crossed the threshold of the lush, Royal Oakton Arms Hotel hallway into suite number 5. White walls were adorned with expensive, reprinted artworks and gold or brass fixtures. The suite reeked of elegance and wealth unhindered by the dead body and blood pool in the kitchenette.
    He cast a glance around the room, noted an untouched gift-basket on a dining table. OCFs knelt beside the body in the kitchen, a flash popping every few seconds. They'd already combed the suite for minutiae that might be thrown askew by investigators, but Russell kept his distance all the same.
    He moved past the group of uniforms clustered to one side. They were engaged in a hushed conversation. Bryce spotted Russell from its fringe, excused himself for his side. He approached the Detective as he examined the fruit basket at nose-length.
    “Sir,” Bryce said. Russell straightened, glanced across the suite into a bedroom. “Thought you'd wanna know, they're ready to move the body to the morgue.”
    “Thank you, Bryce,” Russell said, headed for the king-size bed beyond an open, wall-partition.
    Bryce followed, “You're welcome, sir. I've also got news from the businesses off 308. Nobody fitting that description was around. It was a quiet day. No-one heard or saw anything out of the ordinary.”
    “Dead-end then,” He said, knowing its pursuit would waste time.
    “I agree, sir. And I checked for you; none of the nearby buildings had external surveillance.” Russell's heart sank to the knot in his stomach. “But sir, there's something else.”
    Russell hid the perk up of his ears, “Uh-huh? What's that?”
    He spied large, sliding glass doors across from the bed that looked out at the city's lighted sky-line.
    “We got an ID on the first victim. County sent over what they could dig up,” Bryce explained, following him to the doors.
    Russell crouched by the door to examine the latch, “Hold on a second.”
    He looked over the carpet and door handle with an inscrutable, professional air. He reached into his pocket, produced two pairs of latex gloves and handed one back.
    “Gloves on, Bryce.”
    Russell snapped his gloves into place, ran his hands over the carpet