Death Doesn't Forget by Ed Lin

Author:Ed Lin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Soho Press

CHAPTER 16

Jing-nan read every story he could about Captain Huang’s murder. It was a bigger shock to his system than the torture session less than 24 hours ago. This story said that Boxer and the captain had been killed by the same person, but another said it couldn’t have been. Was Captain Huang decapitated or was he strangled?

They were still seated in a busy campus dining hall, although Siu-lien had gotten up twice to get more coffee and a candy bar.

“Jing-nan,” said Nancy after nearly 15 minutes of silence. “I don’t think it’s good for you to keep reading those stories.”

“I just want to know every detail of what happened,” said Jing-nan.

“These journalists,” said Siu-lien, “they don’t know anything. Either they make it up, or they take the word of some cop. They write anything to get you to click on their stories and save their jobs.”

“I know something no one else knows,” said Jing-nan. “Well, one other person knows now. Nancy, I told you that Captain Huang brought me down to the station for questioning, but I didn’t tell you that he tortured me to try to get a confession.” Her hands gripped the edge of the table, while Siu-lien stroked an earring. “It wasn’t that bad, although it was headed in that direction. He handcuffed me to the chair and brought in a guy to twist my arm. Just when they thought they had me, I punched myself in the face, to show evidence I was being beaten. I had a bloody nose, too.”

“Why the hell didn’t you tell me this?” asked Nancy.

“It wasn’t something I wanted to say on the phone or a text,” said Jing-nan. “You know, if you had stopped by Unknown Pleasures when you came to the temple . . .”

“That was smart, Jing-nan,” said Siu-lien. “I’ll bet seeing blood all over the place made them stop.”

“The guy torturing me ran out of the room!”

Siu-lien touched his wrist and looked over his nose. “You turned the tables; good for you. Still, I’m sorry I got you involved in all this, Jing-nan.” Her hand crept back to her nearly empty coffee cup. “I thought he would be so shocked by seeing you, he’d hand over the rest of the money. I had no idea he’d spend it so quickly. Well, everything’s more expensive these days.”

“I’m sorry we didn’t stop by that night, Jing-nan,” said Nancy. “It was a really stressful situation. Captain Huang harassed us that night, too. I went to the bar after we talked on the phone, and he surprised me by showing up there. He was saying all this stuff about Boxer right in front of Arlen Chen.”

Jing-nan slapped the table. “Arlen Chen! He was in one of the news reports I saw. I’ll bet he gossiped to all his friends.”

Jing-nan’s phone buzzed. He and Nancy both saw the caller. “I think my day just got a little worse,” said Jing-nan. He picked up the phone and said, “Hi, Peggy, how are you doing?”

“How am I doing?” asked Peggy.

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