Golden Buddha

“AT the rear door,” Hanley said, pointing to a screen. He flipped a switch on the communication console, then spoke into a microphone.

“Juan, the Buddha is being wheeled outside.”

On one of the screens, Cabrillo could be seen inside the tent checking the co

The target of all the pla

CHIEF Inspector of the Macau Constabulary Sung Rhee watched the statue from his place on the lawn near the rear door of the mansion. Rhee had known Stanley Ho since before he’d become wealthy. He was an acquaintance, not a friend. The first ship Ho had owned, the start of his shipping fortune, had been a constant thorn in Rhee’s side.

The chief inspector had been a mere detective at that time, assigned to vice and smuggling, and he had become convinced Ho was moving drugs with the ship. Rhee had just never been able to catch him in the act. Ho’s fortune had grown fast, and the chief inspector knew what that usually denoted—the problem was that as the shipowner’s fortune had swelled, so had his power. Twice in the past decade Rhee had been ordered away from Ho’s activities when he was close to amassing enough evidence to bring charges. Now Rhee was begi

Rhee had been invited to the party in an unofficial capacity—window dressing for the guests.

Like the mayor, the ambassadors of various countries, and the minor royalty who were present, Rhee was here today to add to the theme of legitimacy Ho so desperately craved.

He was a prop—but that didn’t make the police officer inside him take leave. He stared at the chunk of gold and tried to decide how, if it was up to him, he would steal it. Rhee stared around the grounds, trying to imagine an escape route. The wall surrounding the grounds almost insisted on a departure through the main gate. The fact that the object was being placed out in the open actually helped the security. It would almost certainly always be in view of someone. He glanced around again, then shook his head slightly.

Rhee concluded theft was not a problem and went inside for some shrimp puffs.

Adark green Mercedes-Benz limousine pulled up to the gate and the driver was waved through. Tom Reyes, the driver, swung around on the circular driveway and positioned the passenger door near the front door of the mansion. He then climbed out and opened the door to the rear compartment and helped the occupant out.

Once Crabtree was standing alongside the limousine, Reyes raced to the front door and said to the butler, “This is Princess Aalborg of Denmark.”

The butler stood aside as she swept into the foyer in a rustle of satin and lace, then walked toward Ho, who was now standing alone.

“Princess Aalborg,” Reyes a

Ho bent over and lightly kissed the proffered hand, then raised his head and smiled. “I’m honored to have you visit my humble home.”

“Charmed,” Monica Crabtree said in a bizarre accent.

Ho snapped his fingers and a waiter instantly appeared. “May I offer you a libation?”

“Champagne with a strawberry would be nice,” Crabtree said.

Ho motioned to the waiter, who scurried off.

“Jeeves,” Crabtree said to the driver, “I’ll be fine now—you may take your leave.”

Reyes backed away a distance, then turned and walked toward the front door. Moving the limousine away from the front of the mansion, Reyes parked in a spot near the garage and climbed out. Then he walked around to the front of the limousine, tilted back his cap and lit a cigarette.

“Monica is safely inside,” Hanley reported to Cabrillo.

TWILIGHT fell over the grounds with a light breeze that brought the smell of the sea. A few miles away, at the staging area for the parade, the engines of the lead floats came to life. The marching band that was the first group to walk the route began to assemble in orderly rows, awaiting the signal to begin. Macau began to settle in for the night, and in the high-rises in the city center and along the waterfront, lights began to flicker on. Out to sea, the navigation lights of the ships approaching port began to be visible, and the scattering of airplanes both inbound and outbound appeared as light specks in the distant sky.

All of the guests had arrived and the front lawn of the mansion looked like a luxury car dealership. There were Jaguars and BMWs, a single Lamborghini, a pair of Ferraris. Twelve limousines, a lone armored Humvee and an old Rolls-Royce crowded the lawn. On the wall along the road, the security cameras swept back and forth, but no more cars approached and the guard tired of watching the monitor.

So no one noticed when a pair of motorcycles drove slowly past.

If someone had, and they were knowledgeable, they might have noticed that one of the motorcycle’s sidecars had been enlarged and reinforced. The modifications were barely perceptible, but if you looked closely, you could see that there was a heavy-duty training wheel underneath, and that the passenger seat had been removed and made into a cargo compartment. The motorcycles continued north to the stop sign, then turned left and headed in the direction of the I

THE band was performing a sound check. The wall of speakers behind the bandstand lent an air of full-on rock concert, but the actual sound coming out of them was less than one would have thought. Unless someone was standing directly in front of the speaker wall, he’d have no way to tell that many of the speakers were not functioning. Some were hollow shells, others held items that would be needed for the operation.

Ross walked over and spoke to Cabrillo.

“The first set starts at seven,” she said. “Are you ready?”

Cabrillo stared at the players, then at the crowd that was still milling about the tent, some seated, more still flitting from table to table. “I’ll put the background music on in a second. That should signal we’re about to begin.”

He walked over to the main console and adjusted a switch. At the sound of the music, the crowd began to make their way to their assigned seats. Stanley Ho was standing just inside one of the tents on the left side of the Y. He was attempting to regale Huxley with stories of his vast wealth and power.

“I love the Buddha,” Huxley said, smiling. “Perhaps you have some other artwork you could show me later.”

“I’d be glad to,” Ho said. “In fact, there are many pieces in my upper office that might interest you. Maybe we could slip away later and take a look.”

“I’d like that,” Huxley said.

Ho nodded greedily. He was already imagining the possibilities the suicide blonde might offer his libido—if he needed to ignore his guests for the opportunity, so be it.

“I need to go to the front and make my introductions now,” Ho said, “but we can meet later.”

Huxley smiled and slinked away. Ho walked through the crowd, stopping at various tables to glad-hand his guests. A few minutes later, he was standing in front of the bandstand.

“I’m Stanley Ho,” he said to Halpert. “Might I use your microphone to make an introduction?”

Halpert handed his microphone to Ho, who tapped the top to be sure it was working.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he said.

The crowd quieted down.

“I’d like to welcome you to my Good Friday party.”

The crowd clapped.