The Hungry Ghost Murder by Chris West

Author:Chris West [West, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sharpe Books
Published: 2021-01-04T22:00:00+00:00

12

Bao took out a crushed packet of Panda – he was still keeping to his resolve of three a day – and told himself that now was an acceptable time for one. Once it was lit, he fetched another item, his notebook. He hadn’t intended bringing one on the trip. This was a holiday, after all. But then he’d considered that some thoughts might come to him that he would wish to recall. Now one of the little black books was being put to its usual use. He sat on the verandah, writing in it and twirling the pencil between his fingers whenever he paused for thought.

Everything about the case so far.

What is known and what is presumed.

What are the ‘pressure points’ and what action should be applied there.

His ‘method’.

A double page for each suspect.

Lian Gang. What had been in that letter? Information about the Snake Pass traitor? To the effect that the traitor was definitely Wu Changyan? Was Lian a revenge-hungry ghost, who had gone to confront the traitor, executed his rough justice, then fled? It would explain all the secrecy and deception.

But if so, why had Wu been looking forward to meeting his evening visitor? Maybe Lian had lied about why he was in the village. Bao allowed himself unworthy pleasure in the thought of the Secretary, puffed up with self-importance after having banished the unwelcome outsiders, waiting to greet Lian, who had told him some flattering lie, then being confronted with his own treachery.

But of course, there was no proof. Come on, Wheels, find me Sergeant Han Haotong!

Wu Weidong. He was clearly hanging around here for a reason, against his wife’s wishes. Why? His father had no money. Except, Bao thought, the paintings. Maybe they were worth more than people seemed to think. Or maybe Weidong erroneously thought they were … He shook his head. Even in Jinan, they would be difficult to sell on the quiet and realize anything like their true value – if they had any value.

Ah, but what would pay off Weidong’s debt at a stroke was the kickback from the construction companies. Back in 1988, the Secretary had no doubt earned such a kickback from the company that made the road into the village – and had given it to his son, who had no doubt come up with some story about setting himself up in business but had blown it on a car. Now there was more money in the offing. But that made Wu Changyan more use to his son alive than dead. Unless ...

Bao pondered, giving the pencil a long, powerful twirl. Maybe …

Next, Francine. Perhaps Rosina was right. Francine might have thought that the old man was rich, and that on his death Weidong would become rich too. Maybe she’d been trying her charm on the old man of late. Maybe she was the one that he was looking forward to entertaining. She clearly liked playing the frail female, but was no doubt physically capable of picking up a bust of Marx and crashing it down onto someone’s head.

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