Violent Spring Read Online Free PDF Page B

Monk’s desk and began to walk away.
    Yu remained seated. Li paused at the door. “If all you have are silly questions and no solutions, you are not the man we need.” Li opened the door, but Yu did not rise. Li looked at the back of the younger man’s head, anger twisting his mouth. “Are you coming?”
    Quietly, Yu said, “I think you should answer Mr. Monk’s question, Mr. Li. The board did vote to hire him after we checked into his background.”
    Li, his head turned to the side, clamped his mouth shut, closed the door and returned to his seat. He placed the file onto the desk as a peace offering. “Suh was never a member.”
    â€œWell, that explains why his disappearance wasn’t reported. Why wasn’t he a member?”
    â€œI don’t know. Every Korean business person is not a member of our group. But like any good union, we have to look out for all the ones who we have common interests with. Especially now when we must demonstrate we are not to be pushed around.”
    Monk looked at Yu, who shrugged his shoulders. “Sorry, Mr. Monk, but I didn’t know Suh at all.”
    â€œGentlemen, the way the murder was done, and the hiding of Suh’s body infers a premeditated crime, a planned act that had a hitch.”
    Li raised an eyebrow at this new unfamiliar colloquialism.
    â€œWhy wasn’t Suh’s body dumped in the ocean, or cut up and burned? Why was he buried, albeit in a deep grave?” Kenny Yu contributed.
    â€œExactly,” Monk said.
    Li thrust a palm into the air. “That is for you to discern, I suppose.”
    â€œAll right. But just because you and I sign a contract, that doesn’t mean anything goes.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?” Li said, irritated again.
    He seemed to Monk a man constantly upset with others or their situations. “If I uncover information that would threaten my license or my life, I’ll turn that over to the cops. Short of that, whatever I find, I come to you first with it.”
    Li said, “Very well.”
    â€œAnd if there’s anything of a more personal nature you can find out about Bong Kim Suh, I’d appreciate knowing it.”
    â€œWe agree to your price, $350 a day plus expenses. But, if at the end of two weeks your reports show no progress, we will terminate the agreement. As to Suh’s life, I have no more to give.” Li got out of the chair and straightened the knot of his tie.
    â€œI’ll see what I can find out for you, Mr. Monk,” Kenny Yu said, rising from the Eastlake.
    Li glared at Yu but remained silent.
    Monk got up, his hand outstretched. “I’ll have the paperwork drawn up and sent over to you later today.” Both men shook it and exited his office. Monk paced the carpet, absently tapping the file with his fingers. The door opened again and Delilah Shay entered.
    She was the secretary/administrative assistant/woman Friday Monk shared with the housing development firm of Ross and Hendricks on the third floor of the refurbished office building in Culver City, two women who specialized in designing low to middle-income housing and rehab work. Delilah was a tall, well-proportioned, handsome black woman whose straight hair was testament to the Chumash bloodline in her family. At any given time, she had two or three men in thrall, all dangling on a string.
    Monk stopped pacing and stared out the window overlooking the street. Delilah came up beside him.
    â€œYou in business?”
    â€œIt would seem so. I have an assignment for you, doc.”
    â€œShould I change into my costume with the red ‘S’?”
    â€œNo need for leaping tall buildings in a single bound just yet. This work will require slyness, my dear.” Monk grinned and raised his eyebrows at her in an exaggerated manner. He explained what he wanted and she left.
    Monk sat down, picked up the phone’s handset and dialed.
    The sounds of Ennio