Blue Dragon

into each other’s mouth, but we didn’t stop. For a long time.
    Leo, Michael and I went to Sha Tin, where Helen’s family lived, on Monday. Leo parked in the car park of City One, a large estate of high-rise residential blocks, about fifty of them, all white-tiled and around twenty storeys. They were spread around a central market and shopping centre, but still very close together. Some of them had a view over the Shing Mun River. Each floor of the apartment blocks held about eight units.
    ‘Block thirty-three,’ I said as we walked out of the car park.
    The three of us attracted some attention as we made our way through the estate. A small Caucasian woman, an enormous black man and a blond half-Chinese were hardly the usual sort of people seen in an estate like this.
    The entrance to block thirty-three was standard: a large metal gate with a keypad beside it. I pressed the floor and flat numbers for the Leungs’ unit and moved back.
    ‘ Wei? ’
    Michael moved his head next to the intercom microphone. ‘ Mgoi, Pak Gai. Hui mun. ’
    The door buzzed.
    ‘She does order things from the supermarket,’ I said as Leo opened the gate and gestured for us to go in. ‘Well done, Michael.’
    ‘Gold helped me,’ Michael said.
    The security guard wasn’t asleep. He watched us curiously as we waited for the lift but didn’t challenge us. Understandable: Leo was huge. I smiled and waved to the guard and he smiled slightly in return, but still watched Leo.
    ‘I still think we should have brought weapons,’ Leo said as we stepped out of the lift into the lobby of the nineteenth floor.
    ‘The guard would be on the phone to the police right away.’ I gestured towards the apartment door. ‘Michael.’
    I opened the door for the stairwell and Leo and I stood inside, out of the line of sight of the apartment. Michael pressed the button for the bell.
    The door was opened by a young, innocent-looking Indonesian domestic helper. She studied Michael through the bars of the metal gate.
    Michael grinned broadly. ‘ Pak Gai! ’
    ‘Did we order?’ she said with a thick provincial accent.
    Michael’s grin didn’t shift. ‘ Pak Gai! Mgoi, hui mun! ’
    The domestic helper unlocked the gate.
    Michael grabbed the gate and threw it open, and Leo and I moved quickly. The three of us stormed into the apartment, pushing past the domestic helper, who shrieked and ducked.
    Mrs Leung sat in the dining room, reading the newspaper. She saw the three of us and shot to her feet.
    ‘We won’t hurt you,’ I said. ‘Come with us, we want to talk to you.’
    Her English was perfect. ‘Who are you?’ she said, obviously trying to control her terror. ‘It’s not a good idea to mess with me. I have friends.’
    ‘We want to talk to you about a little pink stone turtle,’ Leo said.
    ‘I have no idea what you are talking about,’ she said, but her face was ashen.
    ‘We won’t hurt you,’ I said. ‘We just want to ask you some questions.’
    She cast around, looking for a way to escape. Then she gave up. ‘Please don’t hurt me,’ she whispered.
    An elderly Chinese lady came in from the hallway. She stopped when she saw us.
    ‘Go inside, Mummy,’ Mrs Leung said in Cantonese. ‘I can handle this.’
    The old lady squeaked and scurried back down the hallway.
    I turned and gestured. ‘Please, come with us.’
    ‘Who are you?’ she said once we were in the car and Leo was driving us back to the Peak. ‘What are you?’
    ‘Wait until we get there and then we can talk,’ I said.‘Will Helen be okay if this takes a while? If you need us to, we can collect her from school as well.’
    ‘Don’t you go near her!’ Mrs Leung snapped. ‘I have enough trouble with that Kwok woman as it is! You stay away from her!’
    ‘Thought so,’ Leo said.
    When we reached the front door to our apartment I stopped and studied Mrs Leung carefully. ‘There are seals on this apartment,’ I said. ‘Big ones. If you’re a demon, then tell me now. I don’t want you destroyed by trying to walk in the door.’
    ‘I am not a demon,’ she said stiffly.
    ‘Michael?’ I said.
    ‘She’s not,’ Michael said.
    Leo opened the door and we guided her in. We all kicked off our shoes, even Mrs Leung.
    John charged out of his office, slamming the door loudly behind him. He stormed up the hallway towards us, his face a grim mask of fury. He raised his hand and Dark Heavens sprang from its clips and flew into it. He quickly drew the sword,