The Poisoned Pen: A Guardian Story

Chapter Fourteen: The Irrational Thinking

Shen Wei set his round-rimmed glasses to one side and reached for his wine.  It usually took him an hour to finish a single glass, but this one, and the second, had depleted rather quickly.  He stood up and made his way over to the drinks cabinet.  Another few mouthfuls wouldn't hurt.

Through the silence, he heard the grandfather clock in the hallway outside the study strike ten.  One of the most intense days he had experienced for a while was not far from being over.  Just two more hours.  Suddenly feeling that the air in the room was oppressive and warm, he reached up and undid another shirt button.  Then, having refilled his glass, he walked over to the patio doors and opened them just a little.  Immediately, he felt cool air on his exposed collarbone and sighed with relief.

He thought back to his meeting with the staff before dinner, once all of the workmen and contractors had left.  They had all been incredibly supportive and understanding.  Much more so than he had expected, and probably deserved after keeping them in the dark for so long.  He had of course given them the option to leave, either for good or until the case was resolved, but no one had taken him up on it.  The only exception was that Butler Lao had already decided earlier in the day after reading the newspaper that it was a good time to ask his wife if she wanted to go and visit their daughter, a few hours out of town.  It was not a hard sell.  Mrs Lao always complained that she did not see their only child often enough.

As for the others, Butler Lao insisted on remaining in the cottage, Gardener Ming had already been called and told not to return from his current vacation just yet, and the other staff had been firm in their desire to remain in Shen Wei's employment, but had consented to being put up in a nearby hotel overnight instead of the onsite accommodation, all paid for by Shen Wei of course.  It was the least he could do.

Consequently, at the present time, there were only three people left on the vast estate.  Himself, Lao Li in his cottage up near the main gates, and his assistant, who he assumed was resting in his room, if not already asleep.

His assumption was wrong.

Zhao Yunlan sat back in his chair and stretched his arms out, arching his back like a cat.  All in all, it had been a rather productive day, he concluded.  The estate was now shut down like a fortress, photographs of the suspicious vehicle's tyre tracks had been emailed across to a suitably qualified contact for analysis, and Da Qing had finally managed to track down a company that made red envelopes in the same size and shade as those being delivered to Shen Wei.

It was a small, family-owned business, and they had been more than willing to talk, but that was primarily because there was little private information they could give out.  A few months ago, they had received a parcel which contained a typed order for 100 envelopes, enough cash to cover the cost, and instructions to deliver the items to a PO Box at a downtown office building which was home to several different businesses.  Given the secrecy of the transaction, the detective doubted it was a coincidence.

Da Qing was going to look into all of the commercial tenants, but it was equally possible that whoever was renting the box was doing so externally, probably under a fake name, and had nothing at all to do with the people inside the building.  Still, it was something, and he had told his partner to share the information with Chu Shuzhi.  Perhaps there was some CCTV in the area that the police could get hold of.  Although, given that several months had passed, it was likely that the footage would have been wiped by now.

He glanced at his watch.  He should check in on his employer one final time before he turned in.

Shen Wei listened carefully to the sounds of the night as he stood in the now fully open patio doorway.  The slight rustle of the trees as a gentle breeze moved through their branches.  The low hoot of an owl as it hunted in the darkness.  He thought he could even make out the hum of distant traffic on one of the main roads into Dragon City, far away from where he was standing.  It was almost hypnotising.