Dragon Head - A Beatrix Rose Thriller: Hong Kong Stories Volume 1 (Beatrix Rose's Hong Kong Stories Book 3) Read Free

most junior triads. They were the kids on the street, the drunks and the drugged, anyone who might offer a little information in anticipation of the reward that might come his or her way. She had been stupid for leaving Grace under Chau’s protection, but there was no profit in dwelling on what she had done and what she should have done. She couldn’t change any of it now. She had to move forward. The circumstances were laid out clearly enough. Ying had made his move, and now it was her turn to make hers.
    “I need your help.”
    “Anything,” he said, although the nervousness in his voice was difficult to miss.
    “The man on the video.”
    “Zhào Gao?”
    “I need you to find out where he is.”
    He frowned. “How could I do that?”
    “I don’t know,” she said, with a flash of irritation. “You said you had a contact in the police?”
    “Yes. But—”
    “I’ve started you off. Gao is in Hong Kong this week. He’s closing a deal. Make some calls. Find out where he’s staying.”
    He looked dubious. “I will try.”
    “This is important, Chau. We have to move quickly. Ying gave me twenty-four hours.”
    “For what?”
    “To bring you to him.”
    His mouth gaped open. “But, you—”
    She sighed impatiently. “I’m not going to do that, Chau.”
    “What are you going to do?”
    “Mr. Gao needs to see the video.”
    “What good will that do?”
    “Ying is just a Dai Lo ?”
    “Yes.”
    “Just a local boss?”
    “Yes.”
    “I need to see his boss. Maybe Gao can set that up for me.”

CHAPTER FOUR
    JACKIE CHAU DELIVERED. He called two hours later to say that Zhào Gao was staying at the Shangri-La. The police kept an eye on important businessmen like him, and a small bribe had been enough for Chau’s contact to provide the tip. Beatrix called the Intercontinental and, using a nom de guerre , reserved a room. It was expensive, but she didn’t care. It was close to the Shangri-La and convenience was going to be more important than parsimoniousness. Then she made her preparations.
    First, she told Chau that she was going to need two fake passports with visas that allowed onward passage into China. She knew that he had contacts that he could use. It was simple administrative fraud, the wheels greased with a small bribe. She told him to take the cost plus ten per cent out of the significant amount that he still owed her. She told him that she would need the passports quickly, within twelve hours. He clucked his tongue, suggesting that would add to the price. Beatrix told him to take whatever he needed from her money. She didn’t care. She just wanted it done.
    She visited the mall and purchased a simple stylish black dress, a pair of high-heeled shoes and a Louis Vuitton bag that was big enough to hold her sneakers, a change of clothes and her Glock. She bought a razor-sharp kitchen knife. Then she bought a black natural hair wig and a pair of clear glasses. Finally, she bought a prepaid cell phone with a data allowance.
    She checked into her room at the Intercontinental, stripped to her underwear and went through into the bathroom. She put on the short bob wig and arranged it until she was happy with how it looked. Then, she took the cell phone and downloaded the video of Zhào Gao from her Dropbox account. She reviewed the footage again, fixing his appearance in her mind. Satisfied, she put the phone into the Louis Vuitton bag. She dropped her Glock and the knife into the bag, too.
    When she was done, she put on the black dress and the clear spectacles. She regarded herself in the full-length mirror that was fixed to the back of the wardrobe door.
    She looked good.
    More importantly, she looked different.
    She collected her bag, locked the door and had the bellboy hail her a cab for the Shangri-La.
    #
    BEATRIX TOLD the driver to stop a block away from the hotel. She collected her things, paid him, and bought a packet of cigarettes and a lighter from the kiosk opposite. She wasn’t much of a