The Interior

David thought back to his last meeting with Rob and Madeleine. He'd asked them point blank what they thought about Keith's death. They both said that they thought it had been a botched attempt by the triads to kill David. He'd also asked if Keith was under investigation. Again, both Madeleine and Rob had said no. Why hadn't Rob mentioned Miaoshan? (It had to be Miaoshan.) If he thought she was eligible for political asylum, it must have been because Miaoshan could offer something-the proof of the Knight-Sun bribery. Would Rob have lied to David? And for what reason? Keith was dead. The girl was also dead, and her papers were in China. There was no case without evidence. Most important, had Keith used Miaoshan to circumvent getting in trouble himself? He offers up the girl, lets her hand over her information about Sun and Knight, and he walks away clean?

"Hello? Are you there?" A

"I'm sorry," David said. "I was thinking. I have so much to ask you, but…" He saw Miss Quo staring out the window. She didn't seem to be panicking. "Things are a little crazy here."

"That's okay," A

"What are they?" David asked, although he already suspected what they were.

"Pages and pages of numbers. They don't mean a thing to me, but in the note he wrote that they were a key."

A key? Miaoshan had her set. Sun had his. Now it appeared that Keith also had his own set. Could it possibly be a key?

"A

"You're going to tell me about the girl and how Keith wanted to marry her."

No, he wasn't, but he let it go for now.

"We're from Kansas," A

David and Hulan had known that Miaoshan was having an affair with an American. They'd thought it was Aaron Rodgers-and maybe she'd still had an affair with him-but Keith was who mattered. He must have met her during his regular pre-sale visits to Knight International. Keith and Miaoshan? Why hadn't David seen that from the begi

"Do you wear White Shoulders?" David asked A

"Yes, my mother and I both do," she answered, surprised.

"Keith must have had it bad." It slipped out before David could stop himself.

"He was head over heels," A

"Like the papers," David concluded. "A

"I don't have to go looking," A

David gave it to her. A

"It's not going through. Give me the number again."

David repeated it, then A

He went over to the fax. Everything looked fine. Miss Quo came away from the window and doubled-checked. It was plugged in; there was paper. Then Miss Quo picked up the line. She paled. "It's dead," she said.

"We need that fax!" David exclaimed.

"I've got a fax on my you know what," Henry said, motioning to the walls. "I'll get you your fax, if you come with me to Taiyuan."

But Henry didn't need to resort to this kind of bribery. If A

"Give me the number," David said.

Henry did, and David in turn recited it to A

David passed on Henry's comments, then said, "I don't want to sound melodramatic, A

David set the receiver back in the cradle. He tried to maintain some semblance of calm, knowing that fear would dull their senses. "We really need to go," he said.

They gathered up their belongings and headed for the door. David looked back. It had been a nice office and a nice attempt at a new life.

Quo Xuesheng still held her post at the window.

"Miss Quo?"

She turned to face him. "You go ahead."

"Don't be foolish," Hulan said harshly. David realized it had been a long time since he'd heard her voice.

Miss Quo straightened her shoulders, crossed the room, and took Hulan's good hand. "You're right. I shouldn't run away. I've done nothing wrong. Thank you, Inspector, for giving me courage. I'll tell my father that you have, as always, been a good friend to our family."