Chapter 20 Chapter Nineteen

Qiao Qian kept his promise and called early in the morning, so early that I was still asleep. "Oh God" he heard my muffled voice. "I woke you up, didn't I?" "It doesn't matter." "I'm sorry, Ah Jin, can we fight later?" "No, no, I'm fully awake." "How many hours did you sleep?" "About seven hours." "You're lucky," he said, "I've only had three hours and had black coffee. Listen, Jin, I'm busy today, and I need you to do me a favor." "Say." "Don't tell the police about these things. I can't drive you to East Sixty-fifth Street to find out the number of the building that Havani went into-the apartment is rented by Wang. Can you go there and copy the number and call me today? I Leave a message when you’re not there. With the apartment number, you can check the files; who owns the house, who rented it, etc., can you do it?”

"No problem, can I copy the number when I go? I'm so stupid that I can forget it." "You're not stupid, Ah Jin, didn't you have something to tell me last night?" I said Wu Yinuo's long-distance call again, a friend in Rotterdam and a broker in Beirut wanted to sell ancient coins. "Damn me," Gian said, "this is a damn bad thing—sorry for the foul language." "I've heard thicker ones," I said. "Did you tell John Ma about this?" "yes." "How did he react?" I told him John Ma's theory of thieves——Wan Osen stole the ancient coins first, and the second person went to Beirut to sell them after he got them.

"There's a problem," I said, "I don't see a chance for Van Ossen to switch." "I agree." Qi An said. "But you said someone ransacked his apartment." "It seems to be, but it doesn't mean that the person they are looking for is Demarisin. They are looking for something. I told you that the two thousand dollars on the table next to the bed are intact." "How did you know his apartment was raided?" "Van Orson's little blond girlfriend, who spends weekends there a lot, knows how things are kept, and she swears the room was searched."

"Qian, I want to talk to her, do you think I can?" "Of course! She's not being detained as a witness. You can go to her and maybe find something we haven't noticed. Her name is Dorian Lee, it's in the phone book, and she lives on East Sixty-sixth Street." "Sixty-six?" "Yes, it's right behind the Wang's apartment, isn't it interesting?" "Yes," I said slowly, "interesting, coincidence?" "In my line of work," he said, "you should learn not to believe in coincidences, and see if you can find anything out. We'll talk about it later, Jin."

He has a habit of hanging up the phone suddenly without saying goodbye, and I don't care. I showered, shaved my legs, got dressed and went out to buy Times and croissants, and at ten-thirty I called Dorian Lee, and her "Hello?" was a high-pitched, little girl's voice. I gave my name and said that I was a friend of the Hai family, had met Wan Aosen several times, and hoped to pay her respects for his passing. "Scary, isn't it?" she said. "I've never seen anything so dreadful." The same goes for Orson, I suppose. "Miss Li," I said, "The Hai family hired me to investigate the theft of ancient coins from his home. I think Orson must have mentioned it to you. I hope we can meet and talk."

"About what?" she said. This man is not very bright. "Talk about the disappearance of the ancient coins," I said patiently. "Can you give me a few minutes today? I promise you it won't be long." "Oh, I don't know," she said hesitantly, "my agent said not to talk to people." "This is not a newspaper interview, Miss Li, it is completely confidential." "I'm going to take a photo at noon," she said with a chuckle, "wear a three-point style, and I'll be the cover girl." "Excellent!" I said.

"Red," she said after a moment of thought, "knitted." "How about three o'clock?" I urged her. "I can come to your place. It won't be long." "Well... I guess so, what did you say your name was?" she asked. I say it again. "My name is Dorian Lee," she said. "I know," I said, "see you at three." Call! I still have a few hours, so I had an impulse to call Zhu Hebai from Gurdson & Sons and asked if I could invite him to lunch. He was very happy, and we agreed to meet at the health restaurant on the corner of Gurdz & Sons at 12:30 .

"I'm treating you," I insisted, "and I'll tell you about De Marie's new robbery, and the meal will be paid to the Hays." "Okay." He said happily. We eat mushroom burgers, alfalfa salad, carrot juice, all delicious and good for your health.He told me about the company, God's hemorrhoid attack, Du Lisa dyed her nails green, and He Bai got a batch of Mark Twain letters to the company for auction. "He Bai, that's great!" I said to him, "Congratulations, have they found someone to replace me?" "No," he shook his head, "I'm still alone. I heard that asshole lawyer Hua Limen said that he won't let you resume work until the case is solved and the reputation of Geshi Company is cleared. He said to 'suspend' your work—you understand what he means."

"How do they authenticate coins?" "Appoint an independent agent, pay an advisor, God pays a lot of money—I'm glad you know, Jin, at least we should add fifty dollars a week." "At least," I agreed, "He Bai, when is Hai's Tibetan coin going to be auctioned?" "Not yet. The sale of this batch of goods is 'suspended'. The lawyers and the insurance company all think that it is better to wait until the case is solved. The coins are stored in the company's vault." "I don't think Hedgehog will be happy," I said.

"Yes, I understand that he yelled and murdered—who can blame him? He has no coins at present, and he has no money. You know the standard contract signed by Hatch. The auction will be arranged within a month. Hey, Ah Jin, what do you think of Wan Aosen being killed?" "I have no idea." He Bai likes to gossip, he leaned forward leaning on the table, "Did you hear something that wasn't published in the newspaper?" "How many," I said, "it doesn't matter." He moved closer to me again, "I have a piece of valuable news for you," he said in a low voice, "Van Osen is a member of the so-called Manhattan gay society, not active, only occasionally participating."

"Impossible!" I said. He Bai leaned back, "Trust me, Ah Jin, I know." "But he has a girlfriend for many years!" "Huh? A lot of gays come from both sides. As far as I know, Wan Osen is a hot commodity. He spends his money like there is no tomorrow, so everyone can tolerate him." After we broke up, there was still an hour before Li Daolin's appointment, I decided to walk to her place, I could think of something on the way, and I also stopped by East Sixty-fifth Street to write down the number for Qi An. The weather is stuffy, I walk slowly, July is coming, New York is the season with the highest humidity in midsummer, the sky is hazy and low pressure, the sun is full of halo, I am glad to come out without a coat. I recalled my lunch conversation with Zhu Hebai. Although Qiao Qian and Ma Yuehan interceded for me, I was not disappointed that I could not be reinstated. Maybe I could be a female detective for a few more days.In fact, even before the Gurdji Company hired anyone, they said they would wait for me to go back. To my regret, there is no deadline for the auction of ancient coins. What interested me most in He Bai's words was that Wan Osen was both male and female. I don't know what this means for the new theft of Demarie and his murder, but at least there are new clues to Wan Osen's personality.I don't know if Qi'an and John also know?If you know, why don't you tell me?Maybe they are afraid of my embarrassment, ridiculous! I walked slowly hoping not to break a sweat, noticing that the pace of the city had slowed down, most of the men were hanging around with their coats on their arms, even the speed of the cars had slowed down, maybe it was just my imagination; it seemed that the taxi horns were quieter too. I first stopped at East Sixty-fifth Street and copied the number of Wang’s apartment in a small book, then I went around East Sixty-sixth Street to find Li Daolin’s address. I stood on the side of the road and looked up, it was not a residential area side by side. This is a new giant apartment with a tall glass and steel frame, so high that it reaches the sky. Li Daolin lives on the forty-second floor, with a spacious living room, a beautiful hospital-like corridor, and white apartment doors, giving people a sense of maze.She came to open the door herself. "I'm Dorian Lee," she said with a smile, "and you?" "Bai Meilu." I said it for the third time, knowing that her attentional organs were not perfect. My first impression was surprise——she was very short, no more than five feet two, wearing high heels, similar to what Gian and John had said; young, blond, curly hair, petite, plump, with tender skin that almost blown away broken. What they didn't mention was her innocence. She wore a tunic with an oriental print, and by the ankles, thighs, arms I glimpsed occasionally, her body was almost hairless, and she didn't shave her legs at all. She led me into an apartment that reminded me of something my father said before when he took me to a similar place, "It's like a whorehouse," he said. Velvet bedspreads, soft pillows, heavy curtains, mirrors, porcelain beasts, decorative patterns, nude paintings of women on the walls, some nudes on the table, plush carpets. We sat on the very soft couch, and she looked around blankly, as if asking herself where she was, who I was, and what day it was today. "Thank you for meeting me, Miss Lee," I said, "It's very kind of you." "Dorian," she said, "everyone calls me Dorian. What do they call you?" "Ajin." I admitted. "Ah Jin," she murmured, apparently not wanting to ask me the origin of my nickname. "Okay, Jin." "How's the photography?" I asked her, "Are you wearing red three-pointers?" "Oh!" she said, "it's fun! The photographer said I had a beautiful body. He called me Venus with the breasts. Okay?" "Good." I said. "He wants to take nudes and send them to Playboy—auditions, you know. But my agent wants money first, and money comes first, right?" "Of course." I said. I sat high next to her and looked down at her; she was soft and small and helpless.I don't know why she is seen as a victim, she seems powerless to defend herself. "About Wan Osen..." I reminded her, "I came here to ask about him." "Scary, isn't it?" she said hesitantly, "Scary!" "Yes, Dorian. How long have you known him?" "Oh..." she said, "about five years, maybe more." "Is he nice to you?" "Of course," she said, "but he's a madman." "madman?" "We're crazy together." "I believe." "I mean we use cocaine, for everything." "Dorian, did you tell the police about this?" She tried to remember. "Perhaps," she said, "I can't remember. Lots of police came for questioning." "How did you and Orson meet?" "At a party, maybe in a bar." "What did you do before you met him?" "I'd like to be an announcer," she said, "with a music show, it'd be fun--don't you?" "of course." "I love music, all music. Is there anything you want to hear? I have a lot of music tapes." "Thank you," I said, "not now. Then you got acquainted with Van Osson, and—" "He can be said to take care of me." "Is he generous?" "Oh yes. The horse bought me this apartment to furnish. Isn't it beautiful?" "It's beautiful." I said. "Yes," she said, looking around. "Beauty. What do you think it will do? The apartment is in his name, and he pays for the management and maintenance. Do you think his will will leave me?" "I have no idea." "Well, I don't care," she said with a smile, "I'm earning my own money now, and maybe I can keep this apartment. Or give it to someone else..." I was so sad that I wanted to cry. "Dorian," I said, "think about who might try to kill him?" "Oh, no," she said at once, "he's a good man. Crazy, but kind." "Do you love him, Dorian?" "Well..." She looked away, "We will maintain this relationship." "Has he ever told you about the theft of coins from his uncle's house?" "No," she said after a moment's thought, "I don't remember that happening." "Is he rich?" "Very rich," she said, smiling cheerfully, "bought me a mink fur last winter. We're going out together." "Going out? Vacation? Travel?" "No, long stay. We want to live on the French River." "On the French River? Do you mean the Riviera?" "Yes, yes, the French Riviera [Côte d'Azur]. We went to live there. He said to me, it's great, you can go to the beach without a bra." "When are you going?" "Soon, about a month." "That's a big deal, Dorian." "Well, Ma said he got an inheritance, a rich relative." "When did he tell you he was going to France?" "Oh, I don't know. Maybe a few weeks. Hey, would you like some music? Ma buy me a VCR, I've got some good tapes." "Next time, Dorian," I said, standing up. "Thank you for seeing me." She stood up too and undid her belt and opened her toga.She looked down at her naked body, and I thought she had a kind of puzzled look in her eyes. "Do you think Playboy would be interested?" I watched her for a while. "I think they will," I told her. "Maybe I should go on a diet," she said. "No," I said quickly, "no need." She walks me to the door. What kind of women are we? "Come again," she said. When I got home, for some reason I found several illustrated coin books.I stared at the new photo of DeMarie.To most people it is just a flat coin, a medium of exchange.But Wu Yinuo taught me what it means in the eyes of collectors. You remember how old it is, how it was cast, what it was used for; dowries, bribes, ransoms, donations, taxes, salaries, investments, and so on.Think again how many ancient people and modern people have come into contact with it? Just talk about this DeMarie New!It is a story of human bravery, fragility, conquest and death.Even a US dime!Take one out of your pocket and let your imagination run wild.Who did it belong to before?What is their life like?Is this coin important to them?It could represent the difference between life and death; quite possibly. Now it's Demarie, a nearly 2,500-year-old metal that has shaped the fate of a string of people, from the playful girl Dorian Lee to the austere Haijibao.This is the mystery of money, the mystery that moves people, affects people's futures beyond their own imagination. I closed the book and looked up at the ceiling.The conversation with Lee Do-rim blew me away.First, her gentleness, her unthinking trust, made me think twice about my life—what did I want?What do I plan to do in the future? I couldn't figure it out after thinking about it, so I decided to take a nap. It was six o'clock when I woke up in a daze.I turn on the air conditioner, and the window machine sends out cool air.I went in to take a shower, halfway through the phone rang, and I rushed out.John Ma. "Hi, Jin," he said cheerfully, "what are you doing?" "I'm taking a shower," I said, "and I'm covered in water." "Excuse me," he said, "do you like curry?" "Like it." I thought of the tasteless hamburger at noon. "Okay, there's a new Mexican restaurant on West Twenty-third Street. How about meeting there in an hour? Curry rice and meatloaf, onions and cheese, frozen Mexican beer. What do you think?" "I like it, but I get stomach problems." I said. He gave me the address and I finished the shower.I don't know what to say to John Ma and Qiao Jian.Maybe they're hiding something from me too, we're competitors.I can't tell them all about Zhu Hebai and Li Daolin, if they want to exchange, that's another matter. The taqueria was crowded, hot, and smoky, but also fragrant.We had to wait half an hour at the bar to be seated but it was well worth the wait and the food was delicious.It's spicy enough to make your forehead sweat. John Ma doesn't waste time while we eat...   "Tell me," he said, "what's the news about the new DeMarie case?" "Okay," I said cautiously, "nothing to catch the eye. I spoke to Dorian Lee today." "Really?" he said. "How?" "It's nothing. Is she my competitor?" I don't know why I said this, and I feel embarrassed when I finish. He looked at me with a smile, "No, Jin, she's not as good as you. No one is. Dorian is an empty head." I suddenly defended her again, "She is kind, stupid, innocent, and is being used by men." "Oh," he said, "don't be feminist. Dorian Lee is a professional whore, and she lives off a man. If she gets old, I don't know what she'll do." He is right. "I still think of her as a victim." "Ah Jin, we are all sufferers," he said patiently. "What did she say to you?" "Van Osen was very generous and bought her that apartment." "I know," he said, "where did that guy get his money? His parents died, and he got a bit of an inheritance. But five years ago, he spent a lot of money! I still wonder how he got it." Got ancient coins?" "He can't," I said. John sighed. "That's odd," he said. "What else did Dorian say?" Time to trade. "It's nothing important. How is your side? Received another blackmail letter?" "Not a word. We're sending someone to look out for Beirut you're talking about, and maybe we'll hear soon. Did Joachim tell you about East Sixty-fifth Street?" He's pushing me, and I don't like it. "No," I said, "not a word." I wanted to throw another soft ball to whet his appetite. "Also," I said leisurely, "did you know that Van Osen is gay? Only occasionally." He stared at me, "You're kidding." "No. Reliable sources." "Jesus," he said, drinking half a glass of beer in one gulp, "God, I never thought this would happen. Jin, what do you think? It doesn't matter how stupid you are." "No," I said, "I don't understand either." "Okay, eat some ice cream to cool your stomach." We went out, and the night still had the heat of the day. "My car is parked at the corner of the street." John said and took the lead. Instead of walking, he seemed to be dancing past.In fact, it was just an impression in my mind, light and pleasant. When he got to his black car, he checked it. "Nothing is missing," he said cheerfully. "No window broken, dented, or scratched. Good luck tonight." But I am not.I thought I'd go to his cabin and roll on the comforter.No.He walked me straight home, thanked me, and gave me a kiss on the cheek. Gentle gentleman.The bastard!