Close to Death

‘My first wife is not dead,’ he said. ‘She left England five years ago, on October the seventeenth, 2009. I remember the date because it’s the day after my birthday. She didn’t go straight to Hong Kong. She took a flight from Heathrow to New York because she had friends there she wanted to see. I’m sure the records are still available. You only need to check them out. I drove her to the airport. Our marriage wasn’t a great success, but that was largely my fault. Chess has been my life. At least you correctly described that part of my character. It’s my obsession. Wendy had no interest in it whatsoever and I should have known that this would be a recipe for disaster. It seems that I don’t quite have the foresight you ascribe to me. She felt left out and that led to our separation.

‘But you’re wrong to suggest that it was acrimonious. Wendy and Teri are cousins. They speak regularly. She and I have stayed in touch too. We’re more friendly now that we’re apart.’

‘I have them!’ Teri called out from the kitchen.

She came back to the sofa, carrying three pieces of mail, which she handed to Khan. The first was a postcard from Macau showing an extraordinary skyscraper shaped like a flower with the words GRAND LISBOA shining out at the top. Each floor was swathed in different-coloured neon lights. Khan turned it over and saw a message, written in blue ink.

This place is crazy. I’m scared I’m going to lose all my money so I haven’t even put a ten-avo coin in a slot machine. Liu says hello. Will call when I’m home.

Wendy x

‘Who is Liu?’ Khan asked.

‘It’s Wendy’s friend,’ Teri replied. ‘He works in Macau. She often goes to see him.’

‘Why has she written this in English?’

‘If you look, Detective Superintendent, you will see it’s addressed to both of us. Adam can’t read traditional Chinese.’

‘You may be able to see the postmark,’ Strauss added. ‘It was sent four months ago, I think. Not from beyond the grave. The second one was just for Teri, so it’s in Chinese.’

The second card showed Hong Kong harbour. Because of the Chinese characters, it was difficult to see if it had been written by the same hand, but it was certainly the same colour ink.

‘There’s a PS,’ Teri said. ‘It’s in English.’

Tell Roderick I said hello. Will write again soon. W.

‘Roderick was her dentist,’ Teri explained. ‘They were friends when she was here.’

Meanwhile, Adam had taken out his iPhone and was scrolling through it as he talked. ‘The other card came in February . . .’

Khan was already examining it. There was a picture of a jade horse on the front. The message inside, written in the same hand, was short:

Be happy. Love, Wendy

‘She always sent us a card at Chinese New Year,’ Strauss explained. ‘This is the Year of the Horse.’ He found what he was looking for on his phone and handed it over to Goodwin, who was seated nearest to him. ‘Here’s a photograph she sent at the same time . . .’

There was a photograph of a smiling young woman – Hong Kong Chinese – holding up a hand and waving.

‘You can see the date it was taken,’ Strauss continued. ‘I’m not quite sure where it is, but I think it’s Hong Kong.’

Goodwin turned the phone towards Teri. Hawthorne and Dudley both saw the image too.

‘Is this your cousin?’ she asked.

‘Yes. It’s my cousin!’ Teri agreed.

‘This is ridiculous,’ Strauss exclaimed. He snatched the phone, scrolled through it a second time and touched the screen. ‘It’s early evening in Hong Kong,’ he explained. ‘Wendy works at the Maritime Museum, next to the Star Ferry. You can check that out too if you want.’

‘What are you doing?’ Khan asked.

‘I’m FaceTiming her.’ Adam passed his phone across. ‘She should have got home by now. I won’t say anything. You speak to her.’

The phone was making the warbling sound of a FaceTime call. It rang for about ten seconds before a woman appeared in her own little box, which then expanded to cover the entire screen. It was the same woman Strauss had just shown them in the photograph. She was in a kitchen with a window behind her.

She said something in Chinese.

‘Excuse me,’ Khan interrupted her. ‘My name is Detective Superintendent Tariq Khan. I’m calling you from Richmond in England.’

The woman looked concerned. ‘Has something happened to Adam?’ she asked, speaking now in English.

‘No. Mr and Mrs Strauss are fine. May I ask who I’m speaking to?’

‘I’m Wendy Yeung.’

Khan frowned. ‘I’m not speaking to Wendy Strauss?’

‘Yes! Yes! I am Wendy Strauss, but that is not the name I use any more. My husband and I divorce.’ Her English was excellent but not perfect. ‘Why are you calling?’

‘Ms Yeung, can you confirm that you left the UK about five years ago?’

‘Yes. I went back to Hong Kong.’

‘Did you go straight to Hong Kong?’

‘I’m sorry?’

Khan repeated the question.

‘No. I went first to America. I stayed with friends.’