His hand reached out through the darkness and grasped Xiang’s arm and pulled her close to him. He told her in Mandarin not to move and to be quiet. Very quiet. Her grip on the Glock, tucked in at her back, tightened. She could see the outlines of two figures outside the bakery shining their flashlights through the front window. The front door shook hard several times. Muffled tones were heard, followed by hurried footsteps. Now only the light from one flashlight splayed through the darkness and splashed onto the bakery floor through the front window. The person holding her did not let up on his grip. He encouraged her deeper into his spatial void. She did not resist. Her mettle steeled for action as they slid along the wall toward the baking area. When they slipped inside the kitchen, the exit sign above the door that led to the alley provided enough lighting to allow her to get her bearings. She peered at the man in front of her. It was not Rinchu.
He placed his forefinger over his lips. “X?!”
Beyond the exit door she heard men’s voices. There was an obvious scuffle. Then, suddenly, there was nothing. With bated breath they remained still.
Xiang’s phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out and read the message. Then punched in a number. “I’m listening.” Several minutes passed without her saying a word before she returned the phone to her pocket. “Where’s Mei? And why are you still here?”
“Mei left earlier…After we closed the bakery.” replied Qian in Mandarin. “As for me, I have fallen on tough times. While you have been gone this has become my home.” He peered at her suspiciously with a fixed gaze. “I must say that I found it strange that you thought I was Rinchu? Unless…Have you and my brother broken up?”
“Why would you ask that? And no. We haven’t.”
Qian hesitated before he replied. “You and he built Qianji from scratch. Made it the number one bakery in Chinatown. And it was very evident that the two of you were very proud of that achievement. Now, neither you nor Rinchu are present. It’s as if you have ghosted all that you love: friends, family, customers, and your bakery.”
“You read too much into what is happening.
“What is happening—really happening?”
“Look. You will have answers soon enough. Just not right now. I am more concerned about you.”
“Lost my job at S.M Financial about a month back. Couldn’t pay my rent. I’m sure you can figure out the rest. As it turned out, your unexpected invitation to work at the Bakery couldn’t’ve been timelier.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
He lowered his head. “I could say pride, but I think its more than that. Still a lot of things I’m trying to work out.”
“Come here,” she said. And she wrapped her arms around him. “We’ll find a way around this. Together.”
“I know,” he sighed.
Xiang stepped away and wiped her tears away. “Now, tell me, how long has what just happened been going on?”
“This is the second time.”
“And I’m now just learning about it?”
“The first time was two…maybe three weeks back. Never thought much of it. Put it down to rambunctious local teenagers. No damage was done. That’s why I never called you.”
“Did you call police?”
“Didn’t think I needed to. Your security appeared to have taken care of it.”
“Hmm…” She glanced at her watch and then scrutinized him. “What made you think it was my security?”
“Mei. She said it had something to do with some discussion she said she had with you. Anyway. From the first day that Mei and I arrived in the morning to get everything ready to open the bakery, sure enough, like Swiss clockwork, two men were stationed across the street. And I mean, every morning. Roughly eight hours later another pair showed up to relieve them. And so on.”
“Can you describe them for me?”
“I can do better than that. Well…Mei can. She used her cell to take photos of the men.”
” Huh! So, just out of the blue she decided to take their photos. Did she tell you why?”
“Not really. Except to say she was going to send them along to you.”
Xiang bit down on her lower lip.
“Is everything okay? You appear worried.”
“Just wondering where those photos ended up because I never received them. Are you hungry by any chance?”
““Not really. But…after what has just happened, I could really do with a drink.”
“Why don’t you head upstairs and scrummage around. I’m sure you’ll find something in the fridge. My crew should have dropped off groceries earlier in the week.”
“They did. And all the weeks previous.”
“Then I don’t need to tell you that the liquor cabinet is not empty. You know where to find the glasses.”
“Thank you!” And he embraced her tightly.
“I’ll follow shortly. I’ve got a call to make.”
Fifteen minutes later Xiang sat across from Qian watching him devour a ham sandwich. Beside him was a rum and coke.
“I thought you weren’t hungry?” she chortled.
“I couldn’t resist the ham slices. And this calabrese is delish,” he replied. He popped the last morsel into his mouth then sat back nursing his drink. “Xiang. Tell me what’s going on.”
“What makes you think something is going on?”
“The expression on your face for one,” he replied. “And I’ve known you a long time. To me you’ve always been like a sister I never had.”
“They were good memories,” she replied. “After my dad died…well…Your family was great!” She shrugged slightly. “I needed a place to hang out from time to time when living at home became unbearable. When mom got in to drinking heavily, I bore the physical results What was I? Fourteen at the time. Thought I knew it all and didn’t realize I knew nothing. I was a mess back then.”
“I think the military helped to fix that,” Qian replied. “Anyway, we were teenagers. We were all a bit of mess back then. Curious about something?”
“What?”
“Still play chess?” He glanced at her with a playful expression before he finished his drink and placed the glass on the table.
“I play a different kind of chess game now,” she replied, ominously.
Qian stared at her. “Is that what was going on this evening—a different kind of chess game?”
Xiang did not reply.
“From your silence, I’ll take that as a yes. Where is my brother?”
Xiang bit down on her lip. “I don’t know where Rinchu is.”
Xiang’s cell vibrated in her pocket. “I’m sorry I must take this call.” She stood and walked to the far corner of the room to answer it. She felt Qian’s gaze boring through her as she took the call. “Go ahead Jock.”
A few minutes later, she returned to the table and flopped down on the chair opposite Qian.
“Didn’t go well?” he asked.
She peered at him with an askance look.
“Your conversation,” he continued.
“No, it didn’t,” she sighed. “I was told that Mei didn’t arrive home. Furthermore, that this wasn’t the first time. Any idea where she might have got to?”
Qian shrugged.
“Why do I get the feeling you’re holding something back?”
“Maybe because I am.” He gazed at her sheepishly.
“Why?” Her eyebrows pinched together unable to hide her growing dismay.
“To protect my friend’s privacy.”
“She’s my friend too you know!” she replied. “And by the way, your timing could not be worse.”
“Pardon?” he challenged.
“You heard me!”
“Xiang! What the heck are you into? I saw that gun tucked into your back.”
“Darn it! Just answer me! Do you know where she might be?”
“I have an idea.”
She slammed her fist on the table like a hammer. “Then spill it! Her life may be in danger.”