50

During the following two weeks Georgina and Ka Lei set up home together in the tiny flat. They made it their own. Sometimes they cocooned themselves and didn’t step outside all day. They painted each other’s nails and brushed one another’s hair. They were twins: not identical, but matching. They slotted into each other and made a complete person. That was their secret; they were in each other’s souls. They said they would never be parted – all they had to do was look in the mirror and find the other one.

Two was a magical number, but three didn’t work. They were usually asleep when Lucy came in and they went out before she got up. They walked through Hong Kong’s streets, window-shopping. They went down to the harbour to watch the boats, or they picnicked in the park, people-watching. They went to the malls and markets to look at clothes and took pictures in photo booths, and pasted them all around the flat.

When Max picked Lucy up for work in the evenings she was glad to get out of the house. She was beginning to feel like a stranger in her own home.

On Friday evening Max picked her up as usual. He watched her in his mirror. She was checking her makeup, busy adding a highlight here and a touch of gloss there. She looked up and caught him staring.

‘You all right, Max?’

‘Of course.’ He turned his attention back to the road, adding, ‘Make sure you take care tonight, Lucy.’

‘Oh, I think I’m pretty safe.’ Lucy smiled sweetly, grateful for his concern. ‘Whoever it is seems to be targeting Gwaipohs.’ She snapped the compact shut and met Max’s eyes in the mirror. ‘Or so the police think.’

‘Have they been to see you?’ he asked, his eyes flicking from the road to her face.

‘Yes.’ Lucy stared out of the window. ‘I’m surprised they haven’t asked to interview you, Max.’

‘I had to make a statement this morning. I don’t know why.’

‘Because they’re speaking to everyone who knew Roxanne. You knew her quite well.’

Max shifted uneasily and was just about to object; but then instead he just shrugged.

Lucy continued: ‘Well, you did. When you think of all the times she got in your cab, you probably knew her as well as anyone.’ Lucy hid her smile behind the compact mirror, as Max started to shake his head in denial. ‘Oh well, we all need to help them find this madman, or madmen. Who do you think it could be, Max? Any ideas?’ Lucy laughed. ‘Don’t look so worried, Max, they can’t think it’s you!’

Lucy was in a good mood, and Mamasan Linda was pleased to see her. She greeted her outside the Dressing Room. She was always happy to see her best girl arrive at work.

‘Has the big American been in?’ Lucy asked.

Mamasan Linda thought for a moment. ‘Big Flank?’

‘Yeah, Big Flank, has he been here?’

‘No.’

Lucy was disappointed. She still held out hope that one day she would be able to get herself and Ka Lei out of Hong Kong. Then they could put all this bad luck behind them – get back to being just them again. Lucy had felt Georgina coming between them. She felt her sister slipping away from her little by little. Lucy needed to get back on track – get a passport – get out – find a good husband for Ka Lei. Big Frank was her latest hope.

Lucy walked into the Dressing Room, momentarily deflated by the disappointing news about Big Frank. Candy sauntered over.

‘Hey, Lucy, how’s things?’

Lucy screwed up her face and shrugged. ‘No bad. And you? Deli in New York ready now?’

‘Yeah, almost, shelves are goin’ in, stock is ordered.’

‘Good, huh? You pleased, huh?’

‘You know, Lucy, I am pleased, just somethin’ inside tells me I need to be careful. It’s hard to trust in this business. I really hope Giovanni is getting the right stock in. I told him I want those big fat silver anchovies in those ornate little jars. Don’t get those cheap shitty little ones in salt – nobody classy eats those! Oh well …’ She shrugged. ‘What the fuck! I just have to trust, right?’

‘Right!’

Candy looked about her to make sure no one was listening and whispered: ‘I’m working my butt off, trying to get me as much money as I can. I wanna get outta here. Christ knows who’s gonna get killed next. It’s scary!’ she said, with her eyes wide and her mascaraed lashes like squashed spiders. Then she looked around. ‘Still no Georgina?’

Lucy shrugged.

‘She’s not coming back or what? She’s scared about the murders, isn’t she? First of all, no one wants to tell us anything. They want to keep it quiet. Now everyone’s talkin ’bout it.’

Lucy sat down in front of the mirror and began retouching her make-up. An amah brought her a bowl of food. Candy sat down next to her. Lucy picked at her food, placing each morsel at the end of the chopsticks and depositing it carefully inside her mouth so as not to disturb her lipstick.

‘Did you hear about Roxanne?’

Lucy nodded.

‘And then there’s that other woman. God knows what they found of them! I couldn’t make it out, body parts. They were talking about parts, not wholes! And because some of the bodies were found near a restaurant, people are sayin’ that they have got into the food chain – that they’ve been made into some kind of dumplin’ thing. Like what you’re eatin’ now!’

Lucy spat her food out into the bowl and went back to applying her make-up. ‘What about Bernie, huh? Any news?’ She looked up from pencilling in her eyebrows.

‘Nope!’ Candy shook her head dramatically. ‘Christ, Lucy! It could happen to any of us! We could be next!’

‘I know, I know, we better make money now, huh? Maybe soon too late!’ She chuckled as she zipped up her make-up bag. Secretly smug that for once in her life it paid not to be white.

‘Yeah, you’re right. Hey, what about her stuff – you know, Roxanne’s things at your flat? You said you were going to bring them in for Mamasan to look after.’

‘Oh yeah – police took them. Sorry, huh? But don worry, I save you manicure set. Hundred Hong Kong, okay?’

Before the two had time to strike a bargain, Lucy was called to Chan’s table.

Chan waited till Mamasan Linda left them alone. Lucy’s heart hammered in her chest. She dreaded what was to come.

‘So, Lucy. I thought we had a deal? No cousin? That’s disappointing to me.’

‘I am sorry, Mr Chan. I did my best. I am working very …’

He held up his hand for silence. ‘And I am under a lot of pressure, Lucy, to recover the debt. Your sister Ka Lei must come and work here instead of your cousin.’

Lucy gasped. ‘Please, Mr Chan. Not Ka Lei. She is innocent. She is so young. She …’

‘Innocent? With a sister like you?’

‘I promise you, Mr Chan, she is a good girl. She’s never even had a boyfriend. Please don’t make me do it to her.’

Chan sat back. He smiled smugly. He was enjoying this game immensely. He had all the information he needed. An innocent – perfect.

‘Okay, Lucy. Because I am fond of you I am willing to compromise.’

In the gloom Lucy saw that his eyes were alight with malice.

51

Lucy stood beside Ka Lei in front of the mirror. Everything inside Lucy told her that it was wrong, but she had to ignore it – she had a job to do. It had to be done and she’d better get on with it. She busied herself in the preparations. It took time to choose an outfit: young but not too girly, sexy but innocent.

Lucy placed her hands on Ka Lei’s shoulders and assessed the result of her preparations. Ka Lei looked like your average department-store worker in her smart clothes: neat blouse and tight pencil skirt.

Ka Lei stared numbly back at her reflection and said nothing. She had said nothing for two hours, since Lucy had told her what she had to do. She was about to sell her virginity to a man she’d never met. She was to become just another commodity on the open market. She needed Georgina so badly, but Lucy had tricked Georgina into leaving early for the pub, and now Ka Lei must face it alone.