White Tiger

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When we reached the Peak apartment building, Leo left the car running in the ground-floor car park. We went into the lift lobby, and Leo brought the bags.

Mr Chen lowered his head and disappeared.

‘He’s not supposed to do that,’ Simone said.

‘He’s in a big hurry,’ I said.

‘No excuse,’ Leo said, glowering.

‘At least he waited until we were in here,’ I said.

When we reached the apartment, the door was already hanging open. Monica came out of the kitchen to help Leo with the bags, and I took Simone into the living room out of the way.

Mr Chen came charging down the hallway in a pair of black silk pants and a black T-shirt, pulling on a stunningly embossed black silk robe. He stopped at the front door and fiddled with the silk toggles and loops on the robe. The toggles fastened across the front of his chest and then down the side. The robe had a stiff mandarin collar, long sleeves, and fell to the floor.

I rushed to help him with the toggles. He nodded his thanks and tied back his hair as I quickly straightened the collar around his throat, then brushed his shoulders.

I was very close to him, with my hands on his broad shoulders. I looked up into his dark eyes and I saw every detail of his noble face.

He reached up, took my hands and lowered them. He looked into my eyes as he held my hands, and something inside me leapt.

He gently pushed my hands away. ‘Thanks.’

‘You’re welcome.’

He grabbed his sword from its hooks on the wall, then spun to pull his shoes out of the shoe cupboard. He tugged them on and raced out the door, his long hair flying behind him – it had already started to come out of its tie. He pressed the button for the lift, fidgeting with impatience as he waited for it.

‘You’ll make it,’ I said.

He turned and smiled. ‘I think I will.’

The lift came and he went in. He smiled into my eyes as the doors closed.

Damn! He looked incredible in that outfit.

Then there was a most satisfying bellow from inside the apartment as Leo discovered the rubber snake in his suitcase on top of his clothes.

We all slept late the next day, even Leo. I checked Simone; still sleeping. If I let her, she’d sleep the day away and be up all night. I would have to wake her soon.

Mr Chen was already locked in his study. I went into the kitchen for a cup of tea.

‘What time did he come in, Monica?’

‘I don’t know, Emma, it was very late.’

When I’d finished my tea, I woke Simone and took her into the kitchen. She didn’t want to eat, but she drank the juice I gave her and asked for more. She sat in my lap with her head on my shoulder, drowsy. The poor child was exhausted, dehydrated and jet-lagged. I didn’t feel much better myself; I had a massive headache.

Simone suddenly perked up and jumped out of my lap. She went to the kitchen door, poked her head around it, then rushed out. The front door banged and I raced after her.

Mr Chen’s personal assistant and his accountant had arrived. I didn’t know their names; I’d just watched them go in and out during the months I’d been working there. They’d never spoken to me before, and now I had some idea why.

The accountant was a smartly dressed woman in her twenties. She never seemed to smile, and completely ignored me whenever she saw me. She wore a beautifully tailored pale green silk suit, expensive shoes and carried a slim designer briefcase. Her hair was tied into a severe bun, but she had a round, elegant face and a slender, petite figure. I’d tried to speak to her in the past but she was always ice-cool and refused to reply.

Mr Chen’s personal assistant was a slim, charming young man of about the same age, with light brown hair. He wore a tan suit and a jolly expression; he had cute dimples when he smiled. He crouched to say hello to Simone.

Simone kissed the young man on the cheek; she obviously really liked him. He smiled up at me from where he was crouched on the floor and I smiled back.

The girl stiffly told him in Chinese to hurry, and he rose, still smiling warmly.

Leo came out of his room, nodded to both of them, and went into the kitchen. They nodded back and headed down the hall to Mr Chen’s study.

I took Simone into the kitchen. Leo sat at the table with a huge mug of coffee and eyes like road maps. My head began to throb. Simone pulled herself to sit in one of the chairs and asked for more juice.

I heard a sound behind me and turned. Mr Chen was leaning with one hand on either side of the doorframe in his scruffy black cotton pants and T-shirt, his long hair coming out over his shoulder and a huge grin on his face. He looked as if he’d just woken from the best sleep in the world.

‘I thought you might like to come for lunch with Jade, Gold and me,’ he said, ‘but looking at you I think I might skip it.’

‘Go away, Daddy,’ Simone moaned. She crossed her arms on the table in front of her and rested her head onto them.

‘Maybe next time, Mr Chen,’ I said. The headache was getting worse.

Leo didn’t say anything; he just glowered into his coffee.

Mr Chen snorted with amusement. ‘I think I’ll leave you three at home next time I go to Paris.’ He threw himself upright and went back down the hall.

My head shot up as I realised what he’d said. ‘Jade and Gold?’

‘Yeah,’ Leo said. ‘That’s Jade and Gold. They’re his lieutenants or something. On the Mountain.’ He nodded towards Monica to indicate that he couldn’t say more.

‘Gold’s nice, but Jade doesn’t like me,’ Simone said into her arms.

‘That’s not true and you know it, sweetheart,’ Leo said. ‘Jade loves you.’

‘Geez,’ I said, ‘I’ve seen them going in and out for months and I didn’t even know they were anything different.’

‘Stay away from them,’ Leo said. ‘Particularly Jade.’

‘I have been. I’m not completely stupid.’

Leo looked as if he wanted to snap back something nasty, then dropped it as a waste of effort.

Mr Chen came down the hall. He had changed into a smart dark business suit with a black shirt and tie. He grinned at us through the kitchen door, but didn’t say anything.

Jade and Gold followed him out of the apartment.

‘Black shirt again,’ Leo said to his coffee. ‘One day I’m going to pull all of them out of his closet and throw them in the trash.’

‘Does he have any other ties besides black?’ I said.

‘Of course,’ Leo said. ‘But he won’t wear them.’

Simone fell asleep on her arms and I had to wake her. She whined, pulled herself into my lap and started to cry into my shoulder. I tried to explain about the time difference but she wouldn’t listen. It was going to be a wonderful day.

I checked the bedside clock: 3 a.m. It was 7 p.m. London time and I was starving. I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep.

Eventually I gave up and pulled on an old pair of shorts and a T-shirt. I tied my hair roughly out of the way and went out to find something to eat.

The light in the kitchen was already on. Leo sat at the table wearing shorts and a ratty T-shirt. He had a huge mug of coffee and looked as miserable as I felt. He grimaced as I went in.

‘You’re mad drinking coffee this time of night,’ I said.

‘Decaf.’

I nodded and sat across from him. ‘I’ve never had jet lag before.’

‘Marvellous feeling, isn’t it?’

‘I’m starving.’

‘Me too,’ he said. ‘And there’s absolutely nothing to eat in this kitchen. Monica only buys one day’s worth of food when she goes to the market. You know how Chinese are about fresh food.’

‘Yeah. Any ramen? Instant noodles?’

Leo grimaced. ‘Nope. Simone ate them all.’

‘Any biscuits left in the tin?’

‘Biscuits? Oh, cookies. Nope.’ He straightened. ‘Want to share a pizza? The pizza place is still open, we can get one delivered.’

‘I want ham and pineapple.’ Simone yawned in the doorway, then climbed into Leo’s lap.

• • •

Simone fell asleep with her head on Leo’s chest. Leo’s head dropped onto the top of Simone’s, and he began to snore lightly. I sipped my tea.

The intercom buzzed in the hallway and I answered it.

‘Pizza man,’ the security guard said.

‘Send him up,’ I said, and returned to my tea.

The doorbell rang and I opened the door. The teenaged pizza guy was on the other side of the gate with the boxes. I opened the gate and he handed me the pizza and the docket. I checked the docket. ‘Wait here.’

He grinned and nodded. His pimply face had a sheen of moisture; the pizza uniform had long sleeves and he was obviously suffering from the heat. ‘Toilet?’ he said in very accented English with a goofy grin.

I gestured down the hallway. ‘Sure. Come on in.’

I took the boxes into the kitchen and put them on the table, waking Simone and Leo. Simone crawled out of Leo’s lap and sat in another chair.

I flipped through my wallet, looking for a hundred-dollar bill.

Simone shrieked. I spun to see her; the pizza guy had come into the kitchen and grabbed her. He hoisted her into his arms and carried her out of the apartment into the lift lobby. He stopped and looked around, searching for the stairwell.

Leo was slow to react, but once he moved he was like lightning. He charged into the lobby. I followed him.

The pizza guy pulled a knife from the back of his pants and held it at Simone’s throat. Simone watched us from under his arm, wide-eyed and silent.

Leo hesitated, his fists clenching.

I turned to run and get Mr Chen, but I was too slow.

Mr Chen charged down the hallway so fast he was a black and tan blur. He was bare-chested, in black pyjama pants. He shouldered me into the living room, grabbed the sword from the wall, ripped it from its scabbard, elbowed Leo out of the way so hard he nearly knocked him over, then spun and took the demon’s head off.

The demon dissolved into black streamers and Simone fell onto the floor.

Mr Chen dropped his sword, crouched over her and touched her hair. ‘Are you okay, sweetheart? Are you hurt?’

‘I’m okay, Daddy,’ she said, then picked herself up and threw her little arms around his neck. ‘I’m not hurt.’ She leaned her forehead on his bare chest and burst into tears.

He flicked back his long braid, then gracefully rose, still holding Simone. He buried his face in her hair and squeezed his eyes shut. He turned and carried her down the hall, then stopped and turned back to where Leo and I stood frozen.