“The people who operate the prison must have figured out the switch.”
“Clearly.”
“Did you know the woman?” he asked.
She nodded. “She was old and very sick. She had little time left. She had children that needed help. I gave them enough money for the rest of their lives, and in return she agreed to do what she did. The children know nothing of it—only she did.”
“She looked exactly like your mother.”
“Yes, which was why she was selected. Although small things were altered through one surgery, but it was done delicately because of her fragile condition. She was schooled on information having to do with my mother so that if they questioned her, she would be able to pass any sort of test conducted by them. But I suppose it was inevitable that our charade would be found out at some point. Only I hoped she would die of natural causes before they discovered the truth.”
“Well, Hao betrayed you. It could be that these people also found out about the substitution from him or another source within your camp.”
“Hao knew nothing of the plan.” She looked up at him. She wore a neck scarf to hide the bandaged wound. “Which means we may yet have another spy among us.”
Nash thought of Masuyo and her cryptic messages left in an ice cream container on a park bench.
“The police spoke with me while you were in surgery,” said Nash.
“I am aware of this, because they came and saw me while you were arranging for the car home.”
“What did they say to you?”
“I believe that they are quite unhappy I survived.”
“I don’t think they will do much to find out who tried to kill you.”
“Why should they help someone like me?”
“Well, murder and attempted murder are against the law.”
“The law is not for people like me. They wanted me to die. They are glad my men are dead. I can understand this completely.”
“You’re being brutally self-honest.”
“Honesty must always be brutal or it grows dangerously close to self-deception and then on to lies, and that helps no one, least of all the liar.”
“Okay, what do you want to do now?”
“In Hong Kong we are not safe.”
“So we pick up and go somewhere else then?” he asked.
“You have wanted to return to the United States?”
“Yes.”
“Then we shall go there. All of us: you, Thura, my mother, and Hiroko-san.”
“Where will we go?”
“I own a home. It is actually near the estate of Rhett Temple. It is secluded. We can. . .feel safer there until I can regroup and think things through.”
“And your enemies?”
“Trying to kill me and sending me the poor woman’s head was only the beginning. They will obviously keep trying until I am dead. But then we shall see what we shall see. I have survived much.”
“Victoria-san?”
