The Interior

Once her three columns were completed, Hulan surveyed her handiwork.

Miaoshan (murder) China -

Keith Baxter (murder) U.S. -

Xiao Yang (murder) China Aaron Rodgers

Paying bribes China/U.S. Knight International

Accepting bribes China Sun Gan

Illegal working

conditions at Knight – Knight

Illegal filing U.S. Tartan/Knight

of papers to FTC amp; SEC (Phillips, MacKenzie amp; Stout)

Hulan realized how desperate David was when he didn't automatically strike Sun Gan off the chart and that he'd let down his guard enough to let drop that Miaoshan's papers and Sun's papers were similar.

"Why are you so sure about Aaron Rodgers?" David asked. "He was really shaken up when Xiao Yang died."

"He was the last person to see her alive, and everyone else was in the meeting with you," Hulan answered. "I'd also like to put Aaron down for Miaoshan's murder. He was having an affair with her. Maybe she made one too many demands on him. The fact that she had the papers would have meant nothing to him, which explains why he didn't take them." Hulan put a finger on the last card and asked, "What do you think Miles meant when he was talking about Keith? Do you think Keith had found what we've found and told Miles?"

"Miles made it sound that way, but I'm not sure."

"Tell me again what he said about you and Keith."

"Which part?"

"About when Keith died…"

"Miles said that I went out to di

"Right, and that people would think you'd suffered from post-traumatic stress and had made up all this stuff," she said, motioning to the cards.

"He made it sound like the firm had done me a big favor, like hiring back some brain-injured person as a way of doing the right thing."

"But actually he wanted you back in the fold, where he could control you in case you decided to pursue Keith's death while in the U.S. Attorney's Office."

"I think so."

"So, do you think that the others in the firm know what Miles is up to?"

"I can't imagine it. They're good people."

"Then let me put it this way: How much money will the firm make from the deal?"

"About a million, but a lot of that goes toward overhead…"

"I know it's not much in a law firm," she agreed, dismissing the idea. Then, "I want to know if Miles is the only one behind Keith's murder or if they're all in on it."

David looked back down at the chart, then, keeping his voice light, said, "I don't see that as an alternative here." He peered over at Hulan and asked, "You're not serious?" When she didn't respond, he said, "I worked at the firm for years. You and I met there, for Christ's sake. Was there anything that ever made you think that they were engaged in criminal activities?"

Hulan shrugged. "Times change. Maybe they got greedy."

"But murder! Come on! I don't think Phil or Ralph or Marjorie would go out and kill one of their own partners."

"What about Miles?"

"He's an asshole. But a murderer? The man lives in Brentwood. He's got a couple of kids. He's well respected." Seeing Hulan's smirk, David stopped. He had to smile himself. "All right, so that matches the description of another Brentwood resident, but really! Miles is purely white-collar. I don't see him getting blood on his hands."

"And the other stuff?" she asked, pointing at the card that corresponded to the filing of the paperwork to the FTC. "Could the others be involved in the fraud?"

When David shook his head no, Hulan picked up that card, crossed out Phillips, MacKenzie amp; Stout, and wrote in its place David, Miles, and Keith.

"That makes me feel so much better!" David said.

A strand of Hulan's hair came loose and fell across her cheek. David smoothed it behind her ear.

"You haven't told me what you found out," he said.

She quickly summarized her morning's activities and showed him the travel records. At the end she said, "So like you I'm looking at contradictions. Sun had contact with Americans and yet wasn't punished for that during the Cultural Revolution. Or I should say that his punishment was mild. Kneeling in glass, a few struggle meetings, are nothing. I would have expected ten years of reform through labor."

"Maybe he was lucky…"

"His file also says that he hasn't accepted bribes, but we have circumstantial evidence that he has, which is why his name's on the chart," she said, pointing at the card. "But does someone's essential nature change?"

"Everyone says that Sun is good. His power is based on the premise that he's honest."

"Power may be the key word. Power corrupts, and my government is by definition corrupt," Hulan admitted.

"You said it, not me. But, yes, China does have a little problem now and then with corruption."

"Is that what happened to Miles?" Hulan asked.

"Power, money, for him I think they're synonymous."

"And Henry Knight and Randall Craig?"

"My country was built by corporate and industrial bandits. We glorify people who've pulled themselves up by their boot straps by any means possible."

They sat silent for a few minutes, then Hulan asked, "What are you going to do now?"

"I'm going to go for a run, take a shower, put on a suit, and go to the banquet."

"What about Miles?"

"What about him? He said I could quit. I won't." David hesitated, then repeated himself, this time with more conviction. "We're going to that banquet. We're going to put smiles on our faces, act charming, and hope one of the players slips. When and if one does, I want to see it."

"Then I suppose I'd better figure out what I'm going to wear." She stood and smiled. This was the closest she'd felt to him since they'd looked at Miaoshan's papers together, for he was finally speaking to her as a trusted lover again rather than an inspector. She smoothed her hands over her slightly swelling belly. "I hope I have something that fits."

It was an intimate thing to say, and as David grabbed her hand, brought her close, and looked into her eyes, she thought he might respond in kind. But he had something else on his mind. "Did you tell me everything?"

She felt the professional wall come back down between them. She met his gaze squarely. "Did you?"