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Hulan held up Wu’s flyer “This cannot be a coincidence I think it’s why Zai sent me That, and the dam”
But that wasn’t at all why Zai sent her He’d given David and Hulan the gift of a second chance That Hulan was blowing it off wounded David more than he could absorb
“I’m suspicious of Stuart Miller’s presence here and his connection to the dam,” she continued, oblivious to his silence, “as well as Wu Huadong’s claim that he could stop it And—”
She stopped speaking The silence that weighted the room was much louder than the one they’d experienced back at the Wus’ hovel
He picked up his satchel and went to the door “Let’s find Fong”
It was a test to see just how much she wanted to exclude him from her activities But lided past hi had happened
He followed her down the hallway to Lily’s roo stepped into the hall He had quite a bit to say about the way he’d been brought to this backwater in ato hio, the nature of the facilities, and the conditions under which he had to work As per Hulan’s request, Lily’s body had not beenelse in her roo arrived, Lily had been dead for so he’d done was open theAll of this was beyond the pale as far as the pathologist was concerned
“Colish “I’ll show you what little respect you have for my position”
“I have the greatest respect for you, Pathologist Fong That’s why I requested you Only you—”
Fong snorted intables had been brought in Fong had set up his equipment on one and Lily on the other Flies buzzed over the dark, bloody outline on the bed where her body had been Vats of water occupied a corner, and extra lights exposed Lily’s body with clinical harshness She lay naked on the table With her veins emptied and her skin washed clean, she appeared desiccated, wrinkled, and tinged blue
“You moved her,” Hulan observed
“I sahat I needed to see on the bed, but I can tell you right now you should have just sent her to Beijing”
“You can take her tomorrow,” Hulan said “I wanted you to see her here Every criht”
“Stop trying to flatter me It doesn’t become you”
David watched in gri, then slid a pack of Marlboros across the table She didn’t s took a cigarette, lit it, and slipped the pack into his shirt pocket Temporarily placated, he described what he’d discovered