Donovans 02 - Jade Island

grandchildren of Mao’s cohort intermarrying with the most successful criminal entrepreneurs of the twenty-first century.”
    “In other words,” Archer said, “the Tangs have ample reason to want to undermine the Suns’ success.”
    “Yes, but what does that have to do with Farmer and the jade shroud?” Lianne asked.
    “Remember the old saying, ‘Grasp the stinging nettle firmly’?” Kyle said, coming back to the table.
    She nodded.
    “Well,” he continued, “making a fist around the stingers is one way of doing it. Very direct. Very Western.” He slid into the breakfast nook and sat close to her again. Hip to thigh. “Like me.”
    Lianne smiled in spite of herself.
    “Better yet,” Kyle said, smiling slowly at her in return, “you get someone else to grab the nettle for you. Then it doesn’t matter how the damn thing is grasped. Nothing’s stinging you .”
    “Very indirect. Very Eastern,” Lianne said. “Quite clever, actually.”
    “Yeah, it’s great…unless you’re the guy stuck with a double handful of nettles.”
    She looked at her own hands, wrapped around the empty coffee mug as though it was some kind of lifeline. Slowly she forced herself to let go of it. Then she stared into the dregs as if she could read her future in it.
    Archer started to speak, but stopped at a look from Kyle.
    “You’re saying that I was deliberately set up by the Tang family for the purpose of making Dick Farmer or SunCo lose face?” Lianne asked.
    “I’m wondering if it’s possible,” Archer said.
    “Why?” she asked starkly.
    “I’m looking for a convincing motive for someone else to steal those jades.”
    Kyle’s eyes narrowed. He studied his oldest brother as though he had never seen him before.
    “Why?” Lianne asked again, surprised.
    “Because he finally woke up and smelled the coffee,” Kyle said. “He believes you didn’t do it.”
    She stared at Kyle, then at Archer.
    “Right,” Archer said. “But believing isn’t proving. We need something that will convince the Feds. That will let both her and us off the government hook.”
    “Why are you on the hook in the first place?” Lianne asked.
    “It’s a long story about Russian czars and amber,” Kyle said. “I’ll tell you later. Right now, our problem is finding a convincing suspect whose name isn’t Lianne Blakely.”
    “There’s a whole world out there,” she retorted.
    “We only want the ones who have motive, means, and opportunity,” Kyle said.
    “Always a good starting point,” Archer said. “At the moment, the Feds know that Lianne had the means and opportunity to rifle the Tang vault.”
    “But no motive,” she said.
    “Wrong, sweetheart,” Kyle said. “Revenge.”
    Her eyes widened. Then her expression closed down, revealing nothing except wary, whiskey-colored eyes watching him. “I see. Bastard daughter gets even with the legitimate Tangs by stealing them blind. Is that how the scenario goes?”
    “Yes. But since you didn’t do it, we need to look at everyone else who has access to the Tang vault.
    “Wen, Joe, Daniel, me.”
    “That’s it?” Archer asked. “No wives or girlfriends, no household staff, no lock maintenance people or pest inspectors or electricians or household security?”
    Lianne shook her head. “No one. You have to understand; by American standards, the Tang family is paranoidabout protecting itself and its wealth. By Chinese standards, the Tangs are simply prudent. Deeply secretive.”
    “What kind of security system does the vault have?” Kyle asked.
    “The locks are old. Very solid, mind you. Just not high-tech. They’re the kind you would find in late-nineteenth-century banks.”
    “Damn,” Kyle said. “Tumblers and dials and no electricity. Sounds like your meat, Archer.”
    “Locks like that get cranky without maintenance. Who keeps them oiled?” Archer asked.
    “Wen used to,” Lianne said. “I assume he taught Joe, but Joe is rarely in Vancouver, so Daniel has been doing the maintenance.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “Wen told Daniel when I mentioned that one of the locks was getting sticky.”
    “Daniel isn’t real fond of you, is he?” Kyle asked quietly.
    She lifted her chin and didn’t answer.
    Kyle brushed the back of his hand down her cheek in a gentle caress. “I know you don’t want to point any fingers at your half brother, but who else is there? He had to be the one who told Wen about the missing jades.”
    Lianne fought the dry, hot