panic returning to his voice.
“If they refuse he’s probably dead already,” Ava said, wishing he hadn’t made her state the obvious.
Michael shivered. Ava knew he was tired and still a bit in shock. “The money — how do we manage the money?” he asked.
“One thing at a time,” Ava repeated.
“What if Lok asks me about it?”
“Tell him you’re going to get it but you’re not prepared to go into detail until you know about Simon.”
“What if he insists?”
Ava found herself losing patience. “Geez, Michael, insist right back. You’re negotiating, not capitulating.”
“If Lok is truly interested in getting the money he’ll do what you want,” Amanda interrupted.
“Okay,” he said.
“Get Michael’s cell,” Ava said to Amanda.
As she walked towards the bedroom Ava said to her brother, “She’s a good girl.” He nodded.
When Amanda returned, Ava took the phone from her. “Where’s the number?”
“It’s programmed into my phone,” Michael said.
Ava found it and hit the call button and the speaker phone button. “Remember, keep it simple. Don’t get sidetracked. We only want one thing.”
The phone rang four times before it was answered. It wasn’t Lok on the other end. “This is Michael Lee. I want to speak to Kao Lok,” he said. Nothing was said in reply, and Ava half expected the line to go dead. Instead she heard Lok’s familiar voice.
“Lee, I’m glad you called.”
“We’re prepared to pay the ransom, but —”
“It isn’t a ransom. It’s the money you owe us.”
“We’re prepared to pay you the money we owe,” Michael said, not missing a beat, “but we need to know that Simon is safe.”
Lok hesitated, and Ava knew he was surprised. He didn’t believe Michael could come up with the money, she thought, and now he’s reworking whatever plan he had. “When will you pay?”
“I’m not going to talk about the money until I know he’s safe.”
“I gave you forty-eight hours, remember?”
“Unless I know Simon is well there will be no money. None.”
“Can you get it all?”
“We’re prepared to pay the money we owe.”
“On time?”
“Lok, I’m not saying anything else until I know about Simon.”
There was a long pause. Ava thought, Simon is dead and Lok is trying to figure what he can get away with. Then Lok said, “Okay, I understand your position. What is it you want?”
“A photo of Simon with the front page of today’s South China Morning Post. I want you to use a digital camera and email it to me.”
There was another pause and Ava waited for Lok to say no. Instead he said, “And then?”
“Then we’ll talk some more,” Michael said.
“You’ll have the photo within the next two or three hours,” Lok said.
“Fine,” Michael said, and before he could add another word, Ava reached over and turned off the phone.
“Why did you do that?” he asked.
“We had what we wanted; there was nothing more to be said. We had to show him that we have some level of control, that this isn’t all one-sided. Now he’ll send the photo or he won’t,” she said. “And by the way, you were great.”
Amanda put her arms around his neck, pulled him against her chest, and kissed the top of his head.
“Take him back to bed,” Ava said.
Michael struggled to his feet, his eyes half closed. Given his emotional state, Ava was surprised he had done as well as he had. Amanda seemed composed as she walked her boyfriend to the bedroom with her left arm around his waist and her right hand clutching his right elbow. She talked as she walked, Michael nodding his head at whatever she was saying.
Women are running his life now, Ava thought, or as much of his life as there is left to run. But would Amanda stick with him if the business went under? The thought came to her out of nowhere, and she felt guilty for thinking it.
She closed her eyes. Michael and Simon had dug a hole so deep that she couldn’t find the bottom. She began to mentally list the things that had to be done. Then she heard Amanda say, “Are you all right?”
“Just thinking,” Ava said.
Amanda sat at the kitchen table across from Ava. It was the first time they’d actually been alone together. Amanda toyed with the package of rice crackers. Ava asked, “How are you managing with this?”
Amanda gave her an awkward little smile, and Ava figured she was looking at a hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars’ worth of dental work. “Not so well.”
“I understand.”
“I’m scared. I’m scared for Michael, for Simon, for Jessie and