"Were you in one, Eddie?" Rhyme asked.
The detective polished his stylish glasses as he responded defensively, "For a while. It was a kid thing."
"Is there anybody at one we can talk to?" Sachs asked.
Deng thought for a moment. "I'd give Tony Cai a call. He helps us some--up to a point--and he's one of the best connected loabans in the area. Lot of guanxi. He runs the Eastern Chinese Public Association. They're on the Bowery."
"Call him," Rhyme ordered.
Coe shook his head. "Won't talk on the phone."
"Bugged?"
Deng said, "No, no, it's a cultural thing. For some matters you have to meet face-to-face. But there's a catch--Cai won't want to be seen around police, not with the Ghost involved."
A thought occurred to Rhyme. "Get a limo and bring him here."
"What?" Sellitto asked.
"The heads of tongs . . . they have egos, right?"
"You bet," Coe said.
"Tell him we need his help and that the mayor's sending a limo to pick him up."
While Sellitto called about the car Eddie Deng rang up Cai's community association. The conversation was in the clipped and singsongy cadence of rapidly spoken Chinese. Eddie put his hand over the mouthpiece. "Let me get this straight--I'm telling him this is at the mayor's request."
"No," Rhyme said. "Tell him it's the governor's office."
"We oughta be a little careful here, Linc," Sellitto said delicately.
"We'll be careful after we collar the Ghost."
Deng nodded, returned to the phone and they spoke some more. He hung up. "Okay. He'll do it."
Sonny Li was patting the pockets of his trousers absently, looking for cigarettes undoubtedly. He seemed uneasy.
"Hey, Loaban, I ask you something. Maybe you do me favor?"
"What?"
"I make phone call? Back to China. Cost some money I not have. But I pay you back."
"That's all right," Rhyme said.
"Who're you calling?" Coe asked bluntly.
"Private. My business."
"No. You don't have a private life around here, Li. Tell us, or no call."
The cop offered a cold glance at the INS agent and said, "Call is to my father."
Coe muttered, "I know Chinese--Putonghua and Minnanhua. I understand hao. I'll be listening."
Rhyme nodded at Thom, who got an international operator on the line and placed the call to the town of Liu Guoyuan in Fujian. He handed the receiver to Li, who took it uncertainly. He glanced at the plastic hand piece for a moment then turned away from Rhyme and the others and slowly brought it to his ear.
Rhyme suddenly saw a different Sonny Li. One of the first words he heard was "Kangmei"--Sonny's formal name. The man was obsequious, slumped, nervous, nodding like a young student as he spoke. Finally he hung the phone up and stood looking down at the floor for a moment.