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and had eventually become enslaved by one of the triads. She angered one of the mid-level bosses and he beat her to death with a teakwood club. Yu Kam-Chai wanted to avenge her death, but his sister’s killer was a
shan-chu
, a protected enforcer of the 14K Triad. Kam-Chai was willing to give his life to avenge his sister, but he was not willing to surrender the lives of his own wife and children, who would be killed along with him. An American agent, posing as a businessman, approached him and offered to help. The American agent said he would kill the
shan-chu
in exchange for information about the 14K’s narcotics trade and its relationship with Taiwan. The American told Kam-Chai his name was Lessert, but Kam-Chai would later learn that it was Reese. A sniper’s bullet took care of the
shan-chu
. A year later, things got hot for Kam-Chai and Reese smuggled him and his family out of the country and set them up in the States. Yu Kam-Chai became David Chang.
    Now Chang paused. “John, are you all right?”
    Reese said, “I need your help.”
    Reese felt uncomfortable in their living room.
    He had always liked Chang’s wife, who had taken on the name Mary since coming to the States. And he was glad to see her now. It had been fourteen years since he had brought them here. Mary Chang was still slim and attractive. She called him John and insisted he have some tea.
    Reese said that would be nice. Then he told her he was sorry for imposing. She told him to shut up and then left him alone with her husband.
    Reese said, “The children.”
    Chang said, “Ben is an engineer in San Francisco. Julie is a senior at NYU.”
    “A senior in college?”
    “Yes. She’s been accepted to medical school.”
    “My God. I remember when she was practically a toddler.”
    “It goes fast,” Chang said.
    “It does and it doesn’t,” Reese said, thinking, Depending where you are. “I’m sorry to do this.”
    “Don’t insult us,” Chang said. “You are our guest. And we are indebted to you.”
    “You are not indebted to me. When I helped you, it was for my benefit. I always acted in my own interests. Or my country’s. Your welfare was secondary.”
    “You sound like a man trying to persuade himself.” Chang shrugged. “Whatever your purpose was, I and my family are indebted. You are familiar with the expression ‘No good deed goes unpunished.’ Perhaps by coming here, you lift a burden from me.”
    Reese said, “I don’t understand.”
    “You don’t need to.”
    “I’m a fugitive. Probably wanted for assault and battery.”
    “Assault?”
    Reese told him about the incident in North Dakota.
    Chang frowned and said, “But why? You were locked up. Why did they take you out?”
    “They couldn’t kill me while I was in prison. Beyond that, I don’t know. I don’t know why they wanted to kill me. They already had, in a way.”
    A moment passed and Chang said, “John. What about your wife?”
    “She died. Five years ago.”
    “I’m sorry,” Chang said.
    Reese shook his head, did not make eye contact with his friend. He feared what would happen if he did.

SIX
    Hastings called the members of his homicide investigation team into his office and gave them the news. The men on his squad at that time were Sgt. Joe Klosterman, Detective Tim Murphy, and Detective Howard Rhodes.
    Klosterman said, “So Wulf screwed us, then.”
    “He didn’t screw us,” Hastings said. “He’s forced into a place he doesn’t want to be.”
    “Sounds like he’s still siding with them,” Klosterman said.
    “All right,” Hastings said. “That’s enough. I don’t want to hear any more criticism directed at Wulf.”
    They were all quiet for a moment. Then Rhodes said he was sorry.
    Murph said, “What are you sorry for? You didn’t do anything wrong.”
    Rhodes said, “Well, now you’re all being punished because of me.”
    “It’s not because of you,” Hastings said. “It’s because of me.”
    “Oh, the hell with it,”