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〃Informers have given us proof you're all thieving charity money that belongs to starving women and children！〃
At once both began protesting their innocence。
〃Enough！ The judge will decide！ You will go to headquarters and give statements。〃 Then he switched back into English once more。 〃Sergeant； take them back to headquarters。 Corporal； let's st… 〃
〃Honored sir；〃 Bucktooth Lo began in halting； nervous English； 〃if I may to talk； in office； plees？〃 He pointed at the inner； equally untidy and cluttered office。
〃All right。〃
Armstrong followed Lo； towering over him。 The man closed the door nervously and began talking Cantonese quickly and very quietly。 〃I don't know anything about anything criminal； Lord。 If something's amiss it's those other two fornicators； I'm just an honest businessman who wants to make money and send his children to university in America an… 〃
〃Yes。 Of course。 What did you want to say to me privately before you go down to police headquarters？〃
The man smiled nervously and went to the desk and began to unlock a drawer。 〃If anyone's guilty it's not me； Lord。 I don't know anything about anything。〃 He opened the drawer。 It was filled with used； red； 100…dollar notes。 They were clipped into thousands。 〃If you'll let me go； Lord 。。。〃 He grinned up at him； fingering the notes。
Armstrong's foot lashed out and the drawer slammed and caught Lo's fingertips and he let out a howl of pain。 He tore the drawer open with his good hand。 〃Oh oh oh my fornic… 〃
Armstrong shoved his face close to the petrified Chinese。 〃Listen； you dogmeat turd； it's against the law to try to bribe a policeman and if you claim your fingers're police brutality I'll personally grind your fornicating Secret Sack to mincemeat！〃
He leaned back against the desk； his heart pounding； sickness in his throat； enraged at the temptation and sight of all that money。 How easy it would be to take it and pay his debts and have more than enough over to gamble on the market and at the races； and then to leave Hong Kong before it was too late。
So easy。 So much more easy to take than to resist … this time or all the other thousand times。 There must be 30； 40；000 in that drawer alone。 And if there's one drawer full there must be others and if I lean on this bastard he'll cough up ten times this amount。
Roughly he reached out and grabbed the man's hand。 Again the man cried out。 One fingertip was mashed and Armstrong thought Lo would lose a couple of fingernails and have plenty of pain but that was all。 He was angry with himself that he had lost his temper but he was tired and knew it was not just tiredness。 〃What do you know about Tsu…yan？〃
〃Wat？ Me？ Nothing。 Tsu…yan who？〃
Armstrong grabbed him and shook him。 〃Tsu…yan！ The gunrunner Tsu…yan！〃
〃Nothing； Lord！〃
〃Liar！ The Tsu…yan who visits Mr。 Ng next door！〃
〃Tsu…yan？ Oh him？ Gun…runner？ I didn't know he's a gun…runner！ I always thought he was a businessman。 He's another Northerner like Photographer Ng … 〃
〃Who？〃
〃Photographer Ng； Lord。 Vee Cee Ng from next door。 He and this Tsu…yan never e in here or talk to us。 。。。 Oh I need a doctor 。。。 oh my han… 〃
〃Where's Tsu…yan now？〃
〃I don't know。 Lord 。。。 oh my fornicating hand； oh oh oh。 。。。 I swear by all the gods I don't know him。 。。。 oh oh oh。 。。。〃
Irritably Armstrong shoved him in a chair and jerked open the door。 The three policemen and two secretaries stared at him silently。 〃Sergeant； take this bugger to HQ and charge him with trying to bribe a policeman。 Look at this。 。。。〃 He beckoned him in and pointed at the drawer。
Sergeant Yat's eyes widened。 〃Dew neh loh moh！〃
〃Count it and get both men to sign the amount as correct and take it to HQ with them and turn it in。〃
〃Yes sir。〃
〃Corporal； you start going through the files。 I'm going next door。 I'll be back shortly。〃
〃Yes sir。〃
Armstrong strode out。 He knew that this money would be counted quickly； and any other money in the offices … if this drawer was full others would be … then the amount to be turned in would be quickly negotiated by the principals； Sergeant Yat and Lo and Tak； and the rest split among them。 Lo and Tak would believe him to be in for a major share and his own men would consider him mad not to be。 Never mind。 He didn't care。 The money was stolen； and Sergeant Yat and his men were all good policemen and their pay totally inadequate for their responsibilities。 A little h'eung yau wouldn't do them any harm； it would be a godsend。
Won't it？
In China you have to be pragmatic； he told himself grimly as he knocked on the door of 721 and went in。 A good…looking secretary looked up from her lunch … a bowl of pure white rice and slivers of roast pork and jet green broccoli steaming nicely。
〃Afternoon。〃 Armstrong flashed his ID card。 〃I'd like to see Mr。 Vee Cee Ng； please。〃
〃Sorry； sir；〃 the girl said； her English good and her eyes blank。 〃He's out。 Out for lunch。〃
〃Where？〃
〃At his club； I think。 He … he won't be back today until five。〃
〃Which club？〃
She told him。 He had never heard of it but that meant nothing as there were hundreds of private Chinese lunching or dining or at mah…jong clubs。
〃What's your name？〃
〃Virginia Tong。 Sir；〃 she added as an afterthought。
〃Do you mind if I look around？〃 He saw her eyes flash nervously。 〃Here's my search warrant。〃
She took it and read it and he thought； full marks； young lady。 〃Do you think you could wait； wait till five o'clock？〃 she asked。
〃I'll take a short look now。〃
She shrugged and got up and opened the inner office。 It was small and empty but for untidy desks； phones； filing cabinets； shipping posters and sailing schedules。 Two inner doors let off it and a back door。 He opened one door on the 720 side but it was a dank； evil…smelling toilet and dirty washbasin。 The back door was bolted。 He slid the bolts back and went onto the dingy back…stairs landing that served as a makeshift fire escape and alternate means of exit。 He rebolted it； watched all the time by Virginia Tong。 The last door； on the far side； was locked。
〃Would you open it please？〃
〃Mr。 Vee Cee has the only key； sir。〃
Armstrong sighed。 〃I do have a search warrant； Miss Tong； and the right to kick the door in； if necessary。〃
She stared back at him so he shrugged and stood away from the door and readied to kick it in。 Truly。
〃Just 。。。 just a moment； sir；〃 she stammered。 〃I 。。。 I'll see if there 。。。 if he left his key before he went out。〃
〃Good。 Thank you。〃 Armstrong watched her open a desk drawer and pretend to search； then another drawer and another and then； sensing his impatience； she found a key under a money box。 〃Ah； here it is！〃 she said as though a miracle had happened。 He noticed she was perspiring now。 Good； he thought。 She unlocked the door and stood back。 This door opened directly onto another。 Armstrong opened it and whistled involuntarily。 The room beyond was large； luxurious； thick…carpeted with elegant suede leather sofas and rosewood furniture and fine paintings。 He wandered in。 Virginia Tong watched from the doorway。 The fine antique rosewood； tooled leather desk was bare and clean and polished； a bowl of flowers on it； and some framed photographs； all of a beaming Chinese leading in a garlanded racehorse； and one of the same Chinese in dinner jacket shaking hands with the governor； Dunross nearby。
〃That's Mr。 Ng？〃
〃Yes sir。〃
Top…quality hi…fi and record player were to one side； and a tall cocktail cabinet。 Another doorway let off this room。 He pushed the half…opened door aside。 An elegant； very feminine bedroom with a huge； unmade king…sized bed； mirror…lined ceiling and a decorator's bathroom off it； with perfumes； aftershave lotions； gleaming modern fittings and many buckets of water。
〃Interesting；〃 he said and looked at her。
She said nothing； just waited。
Armstrong saw that she had nylon…clad legs and was very trim with well…groomed nails and hair。 I'll bet she's a dragon； and expensive。 He turned away from her and looked around thoughtfully。 Clearly this self…contained apartment had been made out of the adjoining suite。 Well； he told himself with a touch of envy； if you're rich and you want a private； secret flat for an afternoon's nooky behind your office there's no law against that。 None。 And none against having an attractive secretary。 Lucky bastard。 I wouldn't mind having one of these places myself。
Absently he opened a desk drawer。 It was empty。 All the drawers were empty。 Then he went through the bedroom drawers but found nothing of interest。 One cupboard contained a fine camera and some portable lighting equipment and cleaning equipment but nothing suspicious。
He came back into the main room satisfied that he had missed nothing。 She was still watching him； and though she tried to hide it； he could sense a nervousness。
That's understandable； he told himself。 If I were her and my boss was out and some rotten quai loh came prying I'd be nervous too。 No harm in having a private place like this。 Lots of rich people have them in Hong Kong。 His eye was caught by the rosewood cocktail cabinet。 The key in the lock beckoned him。 He opened it。 Nothing out of the ordinary。 Then his sharp； well…trained eyes noticed the untoward