Which usually implied there was something to hide.

Maybe they were all underestimating Cindy Liu. They'd relegated her role in Liu's plan to wreaking havoc on Wallace's emotions. But she was a very intelligent, very talented woman.

So maybe there was more to it. Maybe Cindy's talents were being used in a more diverse fashion.

Sloane logged on to one of the conference room computers and began her search.

Sloane lost track of time as her search took on a life of its own. She started digging deeper, and the slight niggle she'd been feeling going into this escalated into a full-fledged suspicion. The information she was uncovering wouldn't interest only Derek. It would also interest Rich. It smacked of being a major link connecting all the tentacles of this complicated and diverse case.

She'd just printed out some pertinent pages when the conference room door swung open and Derek strode in.

"There you are," he said, the frustration in his tone telling Sloane he'd been searching for a while.

"I was getting a little antsy. You vanished hours ago."

Sloane glanced at her watch, startled when she saw the time. She'd been in the conference room for over three hours. "Sorry. I had no idea I'd been in here so long. I checked in with my dad, and then got involved in some online research. I want to run my findings by you and Rich..." She broke off when she saw the intense expression on Derek's face. "You struck pay dirt. What did you find out?"

"More than I expected." He sat down beside her, crackling with as much energy as a live wire. "I got those phone calls I was waiting for. The first was from a former Army Ranger buddy of mine who's working in the U.S. Emba.s.sy in Beijing. He did enough digging to get us our answer as to why Liu's h.e.l.l-bent on executing all his plans urgently and simultaneously. He's dying. He's only got a month or two to live."

All the pieces fell into place in Sloane's mind. "Of course. Now it all makes sense. Liu wants to settle all his personal scores and fill the triad's coffers with a ton of cash before he dies." A pause.

"And I suspect he's getting a lot more cash than even we're aware of."

"Meaning?"

"I'll get into that in a minute." Sloane wanted to hear the rest of Derek's news first. "Who was your other phone call from?"

"One of my contacts at the Guardia di Finanza."

"The Italian special police force?"

"Yup. My kind of outfit-military corps and law enforcement all in one."

"I've dealt with them. They serve the Ministry of the Economy and Finance and investigate financial crime like credit card fraud and money laundering."

"And anti-Mafia operations," Derek added.

Sloane's brows arched. "Go on."

"It turns out they're investigating Wallace's leather company-which, incidentally, is totally controlled through a complex web of legal ent.i.ties, several of which are located in Hong Kong, all with Cayman Island bank accounts. The ownership is so convoluted that only Wallace is traceable."

"Why?"

"Good question. Even better answer. The Guardia di Finanza suspects that the company has been manufacturing counterfeit high-end leather goods and that it has strong ties to Albanian organized crime."

"d.a.m.n." Sloane exhaled sharply. "So Liu is not only robbing Wallace blind and setting him up to take the fall for a dirty business but he's also setting him up so the authorities will believe he has ties to Albanian organized crime."

"And you and I know exactly why. Liu's planning things so that when Rich and his squad close in on the Black Eagles, he'll miraculously discover that their funding leads straight to Wallace. Johnny Liu will have extricated himself entirely, and Wallace will be stripped of everything and charged with every crime in the book, including conspiracy, racketeering, major theft, and murder."

That prompted a question in Sloane's mind. "How long has Wallace had an ownership interest in this leather goods company?"

"A year. Why?"

Sloane shrugged. "I'm just surprised that Wallace didn't take on a more active role in the purchase.

He was an investment banker before Sophie died-a pretty brilliant one. It's out of character for him to blindly trust someone else to handle all the details on such a sizable transaction. Even if Wallace didn't have the wherewithal to take the reins in the acquisition, he'd at least do some due diligence. Clearly, he didn't. If he had, I'm sure he would have spotted something fishy."

"What are you getting at?" Derek asked.

"I'm not sure." Sloane studied Derek uneasily. "Could there have been a different motivating factor -one that would keep Wallace from asking any questions?"

"You mean like blackmail?" Derek mulled over the possibility. "Liu certainly pulled it off with Wallace's partners, through Xiao Long. But what would they have on Wallace to blackmail him with-other than those things Liu was unwilling to make him aware of?"

"You're right. I'm probably overthinking this."

"Maybe. Maybe not. We've spent a lot of time exploring Liu's ties to Wallace as they relate to Meili. We really should broaden the spectrum, investigate the entirety of their history."

"And while we're at it, I think we should include Cindy in that investigation. She and her amah."

"That woman Peggy Sun? Why?"

"Because she came to the U.S. with Cindy fifteen years ago. Since then, she's attended some very prestigious art programs-at Johnny Liu's expense, I'm sure. There's no way a governess could afford training like this. And the direction of the training..." Sloane held out the pages she'd printed right when Derek walked in. "Take a look at this."

Derek scanned the first page, then the second. He raised his head. "I have to make a quick phone call. But I think we should get this right to Rich."

"I agree."

Instantly, Derek punched in Rich's extension. Then he stepped out to make his call.

Liu motioned for his trusted adviser to enter his private library.

"Zhezhi." One word, uttered as a command.

His adviser understood. Literally, Zhezhi was the Chinese art of paper folding, a predecessor to origami. But in this case, Liu was instructing him to collapse all traces of his involvement-ties to the Italian leather goods company, to any paintings bought from and sold by Wallace's galleries, to shipping manifests for the stolen and forged paintings, and to his orchestration of the plan to destroy all the members of the art partnership.

In response, his adviser nodded. "It will be done at once," he said in the Loong Doo dialect.

"And my family?" It was phrased like an inquiry. It was anything but.

"As we speak, steps are being taken so that Cindy and her amah will have nothing to hide. Their home, their characters, will be beyond reproach. As for Xiao, he's ready to a.s.sume the role of Dragon Head as soon as he's needed. He'll leave for Hong Kong on your command. He knows that, as a precaution, a special bank account in the Cayman Islands has been arranged for him, to be used in the future should he miss his window of opportunity to escape and end up going to prison. He is humbled by your generosity. Your name will never be uttered."

"Excellent," Liu replied. "Then I can bring my life to a close, and join my daughter."

Derek was back from making his phone call when, five minutes after being summoned, Rich came striding through the conference room door.

"I had The Bird authenticated," he reported. "It's genuine. Unfortunately, it's also devoid of fingerprints or anything else that could link it to the Red Dragons." He looked intently from Derek to Sloane. "I doubt that's the reason for your urgent call."

"Read these." Derek gave Rich the pages of Sloane's research. "We want your opinion."

With a great deal more thoroughness than Derek, Rich pored over the sheets of information. Then he let out a low whistle. "My opinion is that we'd better do an exhaustive profile on Peggy Sun.

Ditto for Cindy Liu. And fast. I agree with Sloane-these two are doing a lot more to a.s.sist Cindy's uncle than manipulating Wallace Johnson's emotions."

Derek's cell phone rang. He flipped it open and glanced at the caller ID. private.

He punched the receive b.u.t.ton. "Yes?" he said cautiously.

"h.e.l.lo, Special Agent Parker," a polished voice with the slightest hint of an Asian accent greeted him. "Your extreme interest in me is flattering. I thought it was time I contacted you directly."

Derek's eyes narrowed. "Who is this?"

"I think you know. But if you need confirmation, that's fine. This is Johnny Liu."

"Johnny Liu," Derek repeated, his hard, pointed stare meeting Sloane's startled gaze, then flickering to Rich's intrigued one. Quietly pressing the speakerphone b.u.t.ton, Derek placed the phone on the conference table and pulled his chair up close beside it. "How did you get this number?"

"I would think by now you'd realize I'm a resourceful man. There's very little I can't acquire."

"Including the most efficient and devout followers," Derek replied. "Xiao Long has really proven himself to be a worthy Dai Lo. You must be very proud."

"By nature, I am proud. What I'm not is stupid. Don't insult my intelligence with pathetic attempts to bait me."

"Fair enough." Derek gripped his phone more tightly. "No games. Just tell me why you're calling.

Are you hoping to make some kind of deal before we have enough on you to make that impossible?"

"Again you insult me." Liu didn't even flinch at Derek's pointed question. "I make deals every day, Agent Parker. Business deals. I set the rules. I profit by them. What you're referring to isn't a deal. I believe it's what you Americans call bartering. That kind of negotiation is beneath me."

"I see. But criminal acts are not."

"That's actually the reason for my call." Once again, Liu evaded the question and led the conversation in the direction of his choice. "I have some helpful information to pa.s.s along to you. It might provide the answers you're looking for."

"I'm listening."

"One of the gentlemen you're investigating has an estate in East Hampton. It's been brought to my attention that he has his own private art collection buried deep inside his manor. No one is permitted to enter. He keeps it under lock and key. I've been told he has good reason for that secrecy. The paintings he owns are all valuable, many of them priceless masterpieces. Sadly, they're also stolen.

I'm a.s.suming that Special Agent Williams is with you now, being that you've put me on speakerphone. Am I correct?"

Rich didn't miss a beat. "I'm right here, Liu."

"Good. Then Agent Parker doesn't have to waste time relaying my message. I know how eager you both are for justice to be done. It would be a shame for others to be sent to prison for the crimes of one. Especially Matthew Burbank. He's already under arrest and suffering great strain-possibly beyond his endurance." A poignant pause. "How is his daughter holding up? The poor woman must be at her breaking point. I know how close you two are, Agent Parker. Losing her would be tragic."

Derek heard the underlying threat loud and clear. He gritted his teeth, fully aware that Liu wanted to get a reaction out of him. He wasn't going to get it.

Sloane opened her mouth to cut Liu off. Rich silenced her with a hard shake of his head.

"Thank you for your concern," Derek said in a calm, even tone. "Although I think you should reserve it for your own health. From what I understand, your time here is very limited."

The barest hint of a pause. "I'm at peace. I've accomplished all I set out to. And my honor will be my legacy."

"Good to know." Derek didn't pursue the point. "As for your tip about the East Hampton estate, I'm sure Special Agent Williams will take the necessary steps."

"I doubt a phone call from me will suffice. But my sources tell me a package should be arriving at your desk within the hour. It will give you more than you need for a search warrant."

"How considerate of your sources-and of you."

"I'm glad I could help. Have a nice day, Agent Parker."

The connection was broken.

"Unexpected," Rich commented drily.

"Desperate," Derek amended. "Liu knows we're getting close. He wants Wallace to go down-fast."

Sloane, who had remained unusually quiet, now spoke up. Her tone was strained as she strove for objectivity. "It's no news flash that Liu wants to destroy Wallace. But he can't fabricate a roomful of stolen paintings. We were just questioning what could be used to blackmail Wallace. It's possible we just got our answer."

Both men looked at her. "Why would Wallace a.s.sociate himself with stolen paintings?" Derek asked.

"I don't know. But Liu does. We've got to follow up on this lead."

"I intend to." Rich's wheels were already turning. "I'll call the a.s.sistant U.S. attorney and alert him to the fact that we're going to need a search warrant fast. As soon as we see what's in Liu's package, we'll act." A quizzical look at Sloane. "You know Johnson better than we do. How hostile a reception should we expect when we march into his house with a search warrant?"

Sloane glanced down at her watch. "No reception at all. My father convinced Wallace to go to a museum reception in Soho. Other than possibly whizzing by each other on the parkway, we won't be seeing him." She swallowed. "We also don't have to go through a whole production to gain entry. My parents have a spare key to his house. They go out to the Hamptons a lot over the summer.

Wallace insists they stay at his place."

"Sloane, this is going to be hard on you," Derek said gently. "You don't have to go."

"You couldn't stop me if you tried." Sloane gave him a wan smile. "I appreciate your compa.s.sion.

But I need to see this through."

"Understood."

"Then I'll make that call so our warrant will be ready when we are," Rich said.

"Make that two warrants," Sloane corrected. "Liu's sources weren't just Xiao Long and the Red Dragons. Not this time. Xiao had outside help. I vote for Cindy Liu. Between what we're beginning to piece together about the roles that she and Peggy are playing in Liu's operation, and the fact that Cindy just happened to have returned from a romantic weekend at Wallace's place..."

"As an architect, she'd remember the layout of the manor well and make a mental note of any rooms that were locked tight and off-limits," Derek finished for her.

"Exactly." Sloane was already back on the computer. "Rich, you go make those phone calls. Derek, stick to your desk till that package arrives. I'll call Diane and ask her to find out from my mother where in their apartment she keeps Wallace's key. Someone from the precinct can pick it up and drop it off here at the security desk. I'm not leaving this computer until I find something-anything -on Peggy Sun. Digging for information on Cindy won't do any good. Liu will have covered her a.s.s in every way possible. But Peggy's another story. He won't have been as thorough with her.

Which makes her vulnerable-especially since she's up against me."

Rich regarded Sloane with amused admiration. "I don't envy Peggy Sun. She doesn't stand a chance." His gaze shifted to Derek. "Neither do you."

"Not to worry. I give as good as I get. Plus, I love a challenge." Derek shot Rich a quick grin. "Besides, I don't know why you're surprised. Tony warned you she'd end up being this case's lead agent."