The Jade Garden (The Barrington Patch Book 2) by Emmy Ellis (reading diary txt) 📗

the ground, a hand up at his gaping throat. He fell, his head wobbling where so much had been cut, its anchor all but gone. The thud upon landing seemed so loud, so wicked.

“Fuck. Fuck.” The man flung the machete aside, and it skidded along the ground, coming to rest at the edge of the lit patch of flagstones, blade on display, the handle in the darkness.

Yenay screamed and rushed to Jiang, going down on her knees, slapping her hand over the wound to stem the flow. Their unwanted guest shot forward, barging into Dequan and Tai, a hand on each of their chests, pushing them with some strength considering he was so wiry. Li Jun’s sons righted themselves as the horrible person vaulted the fence, and they moved to go after him.

“No,” Li Jun said, his heart heavy at the sight of his dear nephew dead on the flagstones. “No. There has been enough bloodshed tonight. Let him go. Cassie Grafton can deal with this. It is her job, not ours. We signed to sell, to protect the drugs, not go after a madman. We do not get paid enough for that.”

He took his work phone out and brought the screen alive. Kicked the pot away so the door closed. He didn’t want any customers peering in, seeing Jiang like this, and calling the police.

He couldn’t recall the code word he was supposed to use for a life-or-death situation—or was he supposed to phone her for that?—so chose one he remembered, sending it to his new boss: Problem.

Then, by the light of his torch app, he watched his sons and Yenay crying for Jiang, holding back tears himself. He would cry later, in private, and only after the man had been caught.

“So you thought you recognised his voice,” Cassie stated.

Li Jun nodded, tired now he’d relived that dreadful experience. “I… It is there, his name, on the tip of my tongue.”

“As soon as you remember it, let me know. A phone call, no matter the time of night. I don’t want his name in a text.” She leant against the fridge she’d not long closed and folded her arms. “We have a leak.”

She wasn’t telling Li Jun anything he didn’t know. “My family, they would not be the ones passing information. They all keep quiet. We do not want to go to prison.”

Cassie nodded. “I wouldn’t suspect any of you. You’ve kept your mouths shut for years.”

Li Jun managed a smile, glad she didn’t think they’d given out confidential information. “And I heard how you have been putting your mark on the Barrington. I do not fancy barbed wire in my face. None of us do. We also do not want to meet that Marlene lady.”

“No, I’m sure you don’t.” She pushed off the fridge and opened the door a tad to peer into the kitchen. “Your family are like me. Working as usual, no matter what.”

“Lenny expected it of us, and now you do, too.”

“Unfortunately, you’ll have to grieve in your own time.” She closed the door. “If the takeaway’s shut, it’ll bring questions. Ones we don’t need. I appreciate you all carrying on.”

He didn’t remind her they had no choice, that doing as they were told was part of the deal. But if he wasn’t mistaken, he sensed sincerity there, that she was sorry they wouldn’t be able to act any differently. It could have been a trick of the eye, though. He didn’t know her new persona well enough to understand all her nuances yet. Lenny’s, well, he’d had a long time to study those.

“I know you said you’re a chef down.” She rubbed her forehead. “But the yard will need cleaning. The blood. I’ll get rid of the machete. One of the coppers takes backhanders. He might be able to get prints off it and match them to someone in their database.”

“The masked man had gloves on.”

“Maybe to come here, yes, but he sounds incompetent. He may have touched it beforehand.”

Li Jun shrugged. He didn’t much care for the finer points at the minute. Yes, there was justice to be had for Jiang, but he needed peace, the routine of running the takeaway until closing time—after he’d cleaned up his nephew’s blood. Later, in bed, he’d think about that man’s voice, try to remember his name.

For now, he had work to do, and that was pretending everything was normal.

He stood and waited for Cassie to open the door again.

‘Where’s the fridge?’ The man’s words floated in his head. ‘What I’d like is a beef curry and a portion of egg fried rice…’

“It’s one of three men,” he blurted.

Cassie paused at the open door and glanced back at him, her auburn eyebrows high. “You’ve remembered?”

“Perhaps. The food. Beef curry, egg fried rice. Three people always ask for it.”

“And they are?”

Li Jun prided himself in getting to know his customers on a first-name basis. It made for many return visits if he got people thinking they were his friends. “Graham, the customer who bought the big order before this happened—I do not think it was him, he is round, not skinny. Brett, a thin man who always looks dirty. Greasy hair and—”

“Brett Davis, the druggy?”

“Yes. And Jimmy Lews.”

“The scrote with the face like a pizza?”

Li Jun winced. The poor boy couldn’t help his acne. “Yes. Brett and Jimmy sound the same, their voices. And Jimmy’s just as thin as Brett.”

“I’d agree with that. Are you sure you can only think of three who ask for that order regularly?”

“That is all I have.” He tapped his temple, thinking of how his sons would put it. “I am not firing on all cylinders.”

Cassie moved as if to pat his shoulder then dropped her hand to her side. “I’ll find whoever it is, and