The white sheet covered most of the body beneath the overpass, leaving only the lower legs exposed. Even from that limited view, the victim was clearly female.
Li Zhongzhi's breathing ca short and rapid as he stared at the covered form.
Detective Somchai fell back slightly from Li Zhongzhi's position, moving closer to Selene and her team. He spoke quietly, pitched for their ears only. "I had dinner with Yuan Ming recently. I'm curious what brings New York branch to our city."
Selene glanced at the detective with minimal interest. "Mr. Li's daughter is missing. We accepted the commission."
Somchai recognized evasion when he heard it but knew better than to press in this environnt. Knowing their identities was enough for now. He could report to his father-in-law later.
Li Zhongzhi took a deep breath and stepped forward with heavy, reluctant movents. He knelt beside the shrouded form and carefully pulled back the white cloth.
His examination lasted perhaps ten seconds—long enough to see the face clearly, long enough to feel simultaneous relief and guilt.
He recovered the body gently and closed his eyes, exhaling slowly.
Not his daughter. Thank God. At least hope remained.
Li Zhongzhi stood and turned to face Selene's team. "That's not her. My daughter has been missing for six days now."
His legs gave out. He dropped to his knees, hands pressed flat against the sand. "My daughter is my only family. I can't lose her. Please, I'm begging you—"
Eddie moved imdiately, grasping Li Zhongzhi's arm and pulling him upright. Behind them, dia caras captured everything. Eddie didn't want footage of a desperate father kneeling before foreigners—the optics would generate headlines that served no one.
"We promised you," Eddie said firmly. "As long as your daughter is alive, we'll bring her ho."
Detective Somchai watched the exchange without surprise. If Li Zhongzhi's daughter still lived, the Assassin Brotherhood's resources would find her. Bangkok police lacked the manpower—this was technically just a missing person case, not worthy of major investigation deploynt. But New York headquarters sending personnel? That ant unlimited resources and absolute commitnt.
Selene's voice cut through. "Since this isn't your daughter, we're beginning our search imdiately. Let's leave the cri scene."
Li Zhongzhi nodded, and the group departed—two Rolls-Royces pulling away from the beach with their distinctive luxury incongruous against the grim setting.
Detective Somchai drove back toward the police station, mind cataloging the evening's developnts. His phone rang—wife's number.
"Somchai, I'm bleeding," Ploy's voice carried panic. "Not much, but—"
"I'm calling ergency services now," Somchai interrupted, already pulling to the curb and dialing. "Stay calm. I'm coming ho."
His wife was six months pregnant. Any bleeding at this stage qualified as dangerous.
The ambulance dispatcher confird they'd send a unit imdiately. Somchai abandoned his return to the station and raced toward ho instead, heart hamring.
Mayor's Residence, Bangkok
Director Surasak—chief of the Bangkok tropolitan Police and Somchai's father-in-law—arrived at the mayor's residence in response to an urgent summons. He'd been pulled from dinner with his wife, told only that the mayor required imdiate consultation.
The mayor's chief of staff, Chatchai, t him at the entrance. The man's usually composed expression showed strain.
"Is the mayor well?" Surasak asked carefully.
Chatchai's smile held no warmth. "What have you heard from outside sources?"
"One dia outlet published reports about an attack," Surasak said. "Minor coverage. Nothing widespread yet."
Chatchai remained silent for two seconds, then gestured for Surasak to follow. They walked through elegant hallways to a closed conference room door.
Chatchai pushed it open.
Inside, the mayor—a man who'd held office for twelve years, who commanded the loyalty of police, business interests, and criminal networks alike—lay on a gurney receiving ergency dical treatnt. Oxygen mask. Cardiac monitor. Two physicians working with quiet urgency.
Surasak stepped inside and stopped, breath catching. He turned to look at Chatchai with genuine shock.
They exited imdiately, letting the doctors work undisturbed.
"I know Yuan Ming at the Assassin Brotherhood," Surasak said carefully. "Their dical services—the wax baths—have proven remarkably effective for physical recovery."
Chatchai sighed heavily. "The mayor has a heart condition. No wax bath will repair congenital valve defects and progressive heart failure."
He t Surasak's eyes directly. "He's waiting for transplant surgery. He needs a new heart."
Surasak felt cold understanding settle into his stomach. "Why are you telling this?"
Chatchai produced a manila envelope from his jacket and handed it over. "Because you're our friend, Director."
Surasak opened the envelope. Inside—docunted evidence of tax irregularities, undeclared inco sources, property transfers that hadn't been properly reported. Everything the Revenue Departnt would need to destroy his career and prosecute him criminally.
Except the docunts were stamped CASE CLOSED—NO PROSECUTION RECOMNDED.
"The Revenue Departnt was investigating you," Chatchai said softly. "We sorted it out. Made it disappear."
Surasak's hands tightened on the papers. "What do you want from ?"
"The Hong Kong man looking for his daughter," Chatchai said. "Li Zhongzhi. Tell your son-in-law to stop pursuing that case so aggressively."
Surasak said nothing, mind racing through implications he didn't want to acknowledge.
Chatchai's expression grew colder. "You're about to beco a grandfather, aren't you? Your daughter is six months pregnant. You wouldn't want anything unfortunate to happen to your family."
The threat hung naked in the air between them.
Chatchai patted Surasak's shoulder with false camaraderie. "Think about it, Director. We're all just trying to help people we care about."
He turned and walked back toward the mayor's treatnt room, leaving Surasak standing alone with the weight of impossible choices.
Later That Night
Detective Somchai arrived at his father-in-law's house after midnight. Ploy was safe—the bleeding had been minor, caused by the baby's active movents rather than anything dically dangerous. Doctor's orders: rest and reduced stress.
Easier said than done.
Director Surasak answered the door personally, expression grave. "Somchai. Co in. How's Ploy?"
"She's fine. The doctor said it was just the baby being active—kicking caused so minor internal irritation. Nothing serious." Somchai managed a tired smile. "We're having a very energetic child."
"Good. That's good." Surasak gestured to his study. "I'm glad mother and baby are healthy. You'll need to be more attentive during this period. Won are emotionally vulnerable during pregnancy."
"I will, Father." Somchai followed into the study, sensing this wasn't just a family check-in. "Did you need to discuss sothing?"
Surasak poured two glasses of whiskey—unusual for him. "I heard the Hong Kong man's case attracted dia attention today."
Somchai nodded. "Yes. A body was found on the beach, so Li Zhongzhi ca for identification. dia were already at the scene. He... reacted emotionally when he thought it might be his daughter. The caras caught everything."
He continued, "It turned out not to be her. But the dia ran with the story—desperate father searching for missing daughter, pleading with mysterious foreigners for help."
Surasak's frown deepened. He'd learned the full situation from Chatchai earlier—learned things that made his police officer's instincts scream for justice while his survival instincts demanded silence.
Li Zhongzhi's daughter was in soone's hands. Soone connected to the mayor. Soone who needed healthy organs for transplant. And Surasak's career, his family's safety, his future—all of it depended on not interfering.
"Somchai," Surasak said heavily, "after you hand over your case files tomorrow, stop investigating this matter."
Somchai blinked. "Father?"
"The case will resolve itself soon," Surasak continued. "You don't need to pursue it further."
Somchai's expression showed relief rather than concern. "Oh, you already know then. I was planning to tell you tonight."
He leaned forward enthusiastically. "I actually think we should continue coordinating with them. The dia coverage creates public interest. When they resolve the case and Li Zhongzhi leaves with his daughter, the credit will reflect on our departnt. It'll demonstrate Bangkok's commitnt to protecting tourists."
Surasak stared at his son-in-law, confusion replacing dread. "Wait. What do you an, 'them'? Who are you talking about?"
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