Red Mandarin Dress

trial?”
    “Yes, things are coming to a head. It’s a much-publicized case. If we arrest him right now, people will jump to political interpretations, whether or not we have evidence. On the other hand, that may be to our advantage. The trial is very important to him. He, too, must be anxious for it to proceed as scheduled.”
    “Yes, there is too much of a coincidence in the date. People would make a martyr out of him if we failed to produce convincing evidence,” Yu said. “But let me try to detain him one way or another, at least for twenty-four hours, so he won’t be able to get away tonight. Officially, I don’t know anything about the housing development case. If I make a blunder, it might not be a big deal.”
    “No. Let me trap him tonight. I have something more than simply an excuse—a trick never tried before, yet worth trying. If it doesn’t work, then you can do it your way. After all, I’m not officially responsible for either case.”
    “What are you talking about, boss?” Yu cut him short. “Whatever you are going to do, you have to count me in.”
    “Well, you’ll have something to do too. Remember the traffic violation trick in the national model case?”
    “Yes. You want me to search his car?”
    “While I keep him busy this evening, you tow away his car for a complete search. For that, you’ll have help from Old Hunter. I’ve already contacted him.”
    “But what if I find nothing in the car?”
    “If I am not wrong,” Chen said, tearing open the small red envelope Xia had given him, “this is the key to the side door of his office. Oh, there’s a drawing of the parking spot, too.”
    “She gave the key to you!” Yu was amazed. Peiqin might be right about Chen’s problem with women, but he surely had a way with them too.
    “If you don’t find anything in the car, drive it to his office building. Security will recognize the car and let you in. According to the drawing, you can park in the corner spot and get in through the side door. No one will see you.”
    “No one will see me. I see. But what are you going to do with Jia?”
    “I’ll take him to a restaurant on Henshan Road. Here is the address. Have some plainclothes cops outside, but tell them not to do anything until I give the order.”
    “But will he agree to meet you? It’s already Thursday afternoon. He must have a plan for the night, and for the trial tomorrow.”
    “Let’s find out.” Chen reached for his phone, pushing the loudspeaker button for Yu’s benefit. “Hello, I want to speak Mr. Jia Ming.”
    “This is he.” It was a voice full of assurance and confidence.
    “This is Chief Inspector Chen Cao, of the Shanghai Police Bureau.”
    “Oh, Chief Inspector Chen. What can I do for you today?” A trace of irony seemed to come into Jia’s voice. “About the housing development case, I guess. The trial date is tomorrow. You should have called me earlier.”
    “No, that’s your case, not mine. I need your help for something totally unrelated,” Chen said. “I’m writing a story that requires a lot of legal and psychological expertise, and I think you are the ideal consultant for it. So I would like to invite you out to dinner tonight.”
    There was a short spell of silence on the other end of the line. Jia must have been confounded by the invitation. Yu was no less surprised. It was such an unlikely move.
    “I am flattered that you thought of me for your story,” Jia said, “but unfortunately, it’s not a good night for me. I have to prepare for the trial tomorrow. I don’t think I have the time tonight.”
    “Come on, Mr. Jia. The trial is just a formality, as both you and I know. You don’t really have to prepare for it. But for my story, I have to know whether it’s a convincing one, or even publishable at all. And there’s a deadline for it.”
    “How about tomorrow evening? My treat. To paraphrase a line from a Tang dynasty poem, ‘It’s worth tons of gold to meet Chief Inspector Chen.’ ”
    “Let me tell you something, Mr. Jia. It has not been so easy for me to arrange a meeting tonight. Some people are patient, but some people are not so patient.”
    “A lot of things are possible tonight before such a trial, with the media paying such close attention to it, both domestic and foreign. Some people must be very busy tonight.”
    They had started throwing out hints at each other, Yu observed, in a context understandable only to themselves.
    “Well, talking about