9 Dragons

yesterday morning and when she opened it, Peng was there, burning an offering. He was using her altar.”
    Bosch nodded but he was sure there was something the woman had left out or was lying about.
    “What did he burn?”
    Sun asked the woman. She looked down the whole time she gave her answer.
    “She said he burned paper money.”
    Bosch stood up and went to the door. Outside he turned the ash can over on the walkway. It was smaller than a conventional water bucket. Smoking black ash spread across the walkway. Fengyi Mai had obviously burned a sacrifice within the last hour or so. He grabbed an incense stick from the altar and used it to poke through the hot debris. There were a few pieces of unburned cardboard but for the most part it was all ash. Bosch pushed it around some more and soon uncovered a piece of melted plastic. It was charred black and shapeless. He tried to pick it up but it was too hot.
    He went back inside the apartment.
    “Ask her when she last used the altar and what it was she burned.”
    Sun translated the answer.
    “She used it this morning. She also burned paper money.”
    Bosch was still standing.
    “Ask her why she’s lying.”
    Sun hesitated.
    “Ask her.”
    Sun asked the question and the woman denied lying. Bosch nodded when he received her answer, then walked over to the table. He lifted the dish of salt off the five bills and put them back in his pocket.
    “Tell her we pay nothing for lies, but that I’ll pay two thousand for the truth.”
    The woman protested after hearing Sun’s translation but then Sun’s demeanor changed and he angrily barked at her, and the woman clearly got scared. She put her hands together as if to beg his forgiveness and then walked into another room.
    “What did you tell her?” Bosch asked.
    “I told her she must tell the truth or she would lose her apartment.”
    Bosch raised his eyebrows. Sun had certainly kicked it up a notch.
    “She believes I am police officer and you are my supervisor,” he added.
    “How’d she get that idea?” Bosch asked.
    Before Sun could answer, the woman came back carrying a small cardboard box. She went directly to Bosch and handed it to him, then bowed as she backed away. Harry opened it and found the remains of a melted and burnt cell phone.
    While the woman gave Sun an explanation, Bosch pulled his own cell phone and compared it to the burned phone. Despite the damage, it was clear the phone the woman retrieved from her ash can was a match.
    “She said Peng was burning that,” Sun said. “It made a very foul smell that would be displeasing to the ghosts so she removed it.”
    “It’s my daughter’s.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “I bought it for her. I’m sure.”
    Bosch opened his own phone and went to the photo files. He scrolled through his photos of his daughter until he found one of her in her school uniform.
    “Show her this. See if she’s seen her with Peng.”
    Sun showed the phone to the woman and asked the question. The woman shook her head as she responded, putting her hands together in prayer to underline that she was telling the truth now. Bosch didn’t need the translation. He stood up and pulled out his money. He put two thousand Hong Kong dollars on the table-less than three hundred American-and headed to the door.
    “Let’s go,” he said.

32
    T hey knocked on Peng’s door once again but got no answer. Bosch knelt down to untie and retie his shoe. He studied the lock on the doorknob as he did so.
    “What do we do?” Sun asked after Bosch stood back up.
    “I have picks. I can open the door.”
    Bosch could see reluctance immediately cloud Sun’s face, even with the sunglasses.
    “My daughter could be in there. And if she isn’t, there might be something that tells us where she is. You stand behind me and block anyone’s view. I’ll get us in in less than a minute.”
    Sun looked out at the wall of duplicate buildings surrounding them like giants.
    “We watch first?,” he said.
    “Watch?” Bosch asked. “Watch what?”
    “The door. Peng could come back. He could lead us to Madeline.”
    Bosch looked at his watch. It was half past one.
    “I don’t think we have time. We can’t go static here.”
    “What is ‘static?’”
    “We can’t stand still, man. We have to keep moving if we are going to find her.”
    Sun turned from the view and looked directly at Bosch.
    “One hour. We watch. If we come back to open the door, you don’t take the gun.”
    Bosch nodded. He