Ava went directly to her bathroom to look at the cut. It was longer than she’d thought, maybe fifteen centimetres, but the wound was shallow. She washed her arm in cold water, smeared some Polysporin on it, and wrapped it tightly in gauze.
She walked back into the room and sat on the bed to phone Uncle.
“Did Ko call Li?”
Andrew Hawkins had driven Leung’s hired killers from her mind. “Eventually,” she said.
“Eventually? Did you have problems with them?”
“None worth mentioning.”
“Good. I am glad it is over.”
“Li conveyed his apologies.”
“I will thank him from my end. He is a useful man to keep close.”
“You’ll be happy to know that Lily Simmons has decided she wants to keep close as well. They used her father’s executive assistant as the middle man. He says she’s prepared to execute the transfer.”
“That is good news.”
“But it isn’t done yet. I came to London needing just one signature, and after everything I’ve gone through, I still need that one signature. I’m not taking it for granted.”
“Still, we see movement in the proper direction,” Uncle said, blunting his optimism.
“I’m told we’re probably going to meet sometime later today at her lawyer’s office. They’ll want me to sign for our side. Will Ordonez have a problem with that?”
“I cannot see him objecting.”
“Well, let’s make sure of that. Before I go to the lawyer’s office I’d like something in writing from Manila that authorizes me to sign on behalf of the Ordonez Group, and that binds them to honour whatever I do sign with regard to this debt.”
“What is involved?”
“For starters, Roger Simmons wants me to say that I misinterpreted our conversation last night. That nothing was said that violated the terms of the blind trust. And that I invented the remarks he made about Asian businessmen.”
“And he never said Tommy Ordonez was a piece of shit that cannot be shined?”
“I guess I made that up too.”
“What do you want me to get from Manila?”
“You’d better make it a blanket authorization. Have them fax it to me here at the hotel. And then have someone on standby in Manila in case Simmons’s lawyer wants to call to confirm its authenticity.”
“I will call Chang. He will be pleased.”
“I’ll call you when everything’s wrapped up, Uncle.” Ava hung up the phone, then leaned back on the bed and closed her eyes. She was trying to calm herself by taking deep breaths and visualizing bak mai moves when her phone rang. An incoming call — mcintyre cullen appeared on the screen.
“Ava Lee.”
“This is Loretta Michaels, from McIntyre and Cullen. Is four thirty a suitable time for you to meet with Mr. McIntyre and Ms. Simmons?”
“Yes.”
“Our offices are just off Knightsbridge Road. The eighth floor, 88 Ford Street.”
“Tell them I’ll be there.”
Ava called her travel agent and asked her to book a seat on the eight-o’clock Air Canada flight from Heathrow to Pearson. One way or another, she had a feeling she was going to be on it.