The Lost Imperial Seal by C. H. Henry Hsu

Author:C. H. Henry Hsu
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: FAMGO

Chapter 16

I’d just turned to reach for the handle when Jack and Audrey slid open the glass door and came out.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“Your phone call was too long,” Jack said.

“I know, sorry. Why? Are we leaving?”

“He was dozing off every other sentence after you left. We told him we will come back tomorrow morning.”

“Did he say where the Seal is?”

“No, man. But he did mention Hualien.”

“Hualien?”

“A coastal city on the eastern side of the island,” Audrey said.

I glanced at her, then back at Jack.

“How about the last painting?” I asked.

“Naw, bro.” Jack shook his head.

One thing I learned from working at the retirement home was this. Seniors may be blunt in their criticism, but they never get straight to the point in their own stories.

But at this moment, my mind was mostly occupied by the shocking news I’d just learned on the phone. If what Ben said was true, I’d better make the confrontation now.

“Hey Seb, are you feeling okay?” Audrey asked.

“Yeah, man. You look like crap,” Jack said.

Remember how I said I wasn’t very good at hiding emotions on my face?

I took a deep breath and turned to Audrey. “Who are you?”

“Sorry?”

“Who are you? Tell us the truth.” I raised my volume.

“What do you mean?” She looked puzzled. Or acted puzzled.

“Seb? What are you talking about, man?” Jack asked. His face was genuinely puzzled.

“I just got off the phone with Ben, my colleague from the retirement home. He told me,” I paused intentionally to focus on Audrey’s expression. “Both the police and retirement home office, neither of them could find any record indicating that Grandpa Liu had a family.”

“Okay...?” Jack said. “Maybe he wanted to keep his privacy? I don’t see the purpose, of course, but didn’t Grandpa Wu say something similar?”

“The office in the retirement home keeps a log record,” I said. “Over the years, he had visits from friends, but never once a single visit from a family member.”

“Didn’t you say Grandpa Liu wanted you to find his granddaughter?” Jack said. “Right before he passed away?”

“I will get to that part,” I answered. “On Grandpa Liu’s profile, it shows he was a single-status honourable citizen (politically correct term for old war veterans). His emergency contact was Hou Shu-hui. Even when he first moved into the retirement home, there was no mention of any family accompaniment.”

“Well…” Jack began, but couldn’t say anything else. Then he also turned to Audrey for an answer.

I looked straight into her eyes. “I saw you on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival BBQ. Then, only a few hours later, Grandpa Liu died? And somehow you showed up with Wang the next day? You know what I think? You and Wang drugged Grandpa Liu and inserted the idea of ‘granddaughter’ in his head.”

Audrey made no reply.

I’d completely overlooked all the unusual things about her. I’d judged her based on her looks. It’s like what people say: attractive people draw trust more than others.

I went on. “You are articulate and unusually knowledgeable about Taiwanese and Chinese history for a young Taiwanese Canadian today.

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