Chapter 147 - Old Connections

It was an hour past midnight when Finn and Edwin arrived at the front gates to the Zhao manor. The police carriage pulled up under the yellow light of a street lamp, stopping in front of the estate’s black iron gates.

Finn hopped down from the driver’s seat and tied the horses to the lamp post. After a few moments Edwin emerged from within the carriage, stepping lightly down onto the cobblestone road.

“Who goes there?” A voice called out from behind the closed gate. The light of a lantern came into view as a guard walked up. The lantern was hooded and the area behind the gate was dark, making the man’s features difficult to make out.

“Officer Finn Mackenzie, I’m escorting Edwin Mak back to the manor.” Finn announced clearly as he approached the gate. Edwin walked up beside him. As he was lit up by the street light, the large stains of blood on his clothes came into full view.

The guard on the other side hesitated as he said, “What happened? Is everything alright?”

“We are unharmed.” Finn replied, “But as you can see there was an incident, which Edwin assisted me with. It is nothing to worry about now.”

“Stay over there.” The guard said, “Don’t move.”

The guard turned around and pointed the lantern toward the manor. There was the creaking of a hinge and snapping of a shutter as the guard flashed the light on and off several times.

After a moment a light closer to the manor blinked several times in a pattern in response.

“Officer Mackenzie, you said? And Edwin.” The guard confirmed, “Stay put for a few more moments.”

Another person arrived shortly thereafter and exchanged words with the guard before rushing off into the night. A few minutes later he returned and they spoke softly amongst themselves again.

The black iron gates creaked as the started to swing outward.

“Please, both of you come in.”

Finn raised an eyebrow, making eye contact with the guard. He had originally intended to return back home after seeing Edwin safely off. After all, he had no business at the manor. However, the guard’s tone of voice and steady gaze indicated that he was in fact receiving a direct invitation, and not just out of politeness.

“Very well.” Finn said.

“I will see to your horse and carriage.” The guard said, “Please, make your way to the front foyer, there will be servants there to greet you.”

The guard gestured for Finn and Edwin to proceed, though neither he nor the other guard moved to escort them. Instead, they proceeded alone down the unlit path toward the manor.

Strange.

There was a different air to the manor grounds that night. Finn picked up on it as soon as he stepped past the gates. In the dim light of the moon Finn could pick up the silhouettes of multiple sentries keeping watch and patrolling the grounds. Furthermore, the lights around the manor were still lit.

Finn recalled that Edwin had mentioned that there was an event that evening, but aside from the guards there was no movement around the manor. The grounds were too quiet, too tense.

“Something happened?” Finn ventured a question.

“You’ll have to ask inside.” Came the cryptic reply.

At this point Finn knew that something was up.

They climbed up the front steps, leaving the cold darkness of the night and entering the warmly lit foyer. Two maids were present to greet them, one of whom was the ever-quiet and doll-like Chloe, who Finn had met on the journey up to the shrine with Char Char.

The second maid gasped as soon as she saw Edwin, who was covered in dried blood.

“Edwin, you’re not injured, are you? Come, let’s get you cleaned up!” The excitable maid rushed forward and directed Edwin down the hall, leaving Finn and Chloe alone.

“Please, come with me officer.” Chloe said softly, bowing politely to him with her hands clasped properly at her waist.

Finn nodded and followed Chloe through the manor.

If Chloe recognized him from the visit to the shrine, she didn’t give any indication. Nor did she give any hints as to where she was taking him or who was waiting to see him.

However, it was likely something quite serious.

Perhaps something had happened at the event tonight. This would explain the unusual number of guards around the manor. These kinds of high society events usually lasted well into the night. If it was enough to end the party early it would also explain why the grounds were quiet and empty.

However if it were just an ordinary matter, Finn would have been asked to wait in the front sitting room as he had done the first time he’d visited the manor. Therefore, this was something serious.

Was it related to the white maiden? after all, he had visited the shrine along with Chloe and Char Char. Or perhaps it was related to the monks, something serious enough that Edwin wouldn’t be invited to due to his youth.

In the end Finn didn’t have enough information to make an accurate guess.

Chloe took him through several rooms and hallways eventually ending up in a small chamber. The room appeared to be a small library or recreation room of sorts. Its walls were lined with books and there was a small bar with wine glasses in the corner. An unlit fireplace adorned one wall with several upholstered chairs facing it. A large turqoise rug with intricate patterns occupied the center of the room.

At the far end of the room across from the entrance was a set of double doors, that presumably led to a proper study. Presumably beyond those doors was Sansen Zhao, awaiting his arrival. Finn could not think of any other person who would receive him in this way, at this time of night.

But as for the reason for the invitation, Finn was unclear. He hadn’t bothered to ask Chloe, sensing that she would simply and politely deflect the question.

“Officer, please hold out your hand.” Chloe said, walking around him to stand between him and the double doors.

Finn raised an eyebrow, but did as he was told.

The maid withdrew a small pearly flower petal from a pocket on her blouse. Without explaining what she was doing, she reached out to Finn’s hand and placed the petal in his palm.

He looked down at the petal, confused. It didn’t seem particularly special, though it had a rainbow-like sheen that was quite pretty.

“Yes?” Finn asked, after a moment, “Is there something I need to do with this?”

Chloe’s eyes closely examined the petal for a few moments before she retrieved it from Finn’s hand, shaking her head, “You are clear. Please, enter.”

She gestured to the double doors and bowed lightly to him.

Finn resisted the urge to throw a puzzled look her way or ask questions. The petal seemed to have some unspoken significance, though Finn didn’t know what it was.

The mansion tonight truly carried a different air than his previous visits.

The double doors swung open as he approached them, allowing him to enter unobstructed while Chloe followed at a respectful distance.

This room had a stately, distinguished air about it. The floor was lined with a diamond patterned royal blue carpet, the coffered ceiling was tall and intricately detailed. An elegant chandelier hung in the center of the ceiling, brightly lighting the windowless room.

The people in the room were gathered around a sofa with serious expressions on their faces. There was a person lying motionless on the sofa, though Finn couldn’t see who it was from the doorway. The three people around the sofa looked over at Finn as he entered, appraising him seriously.

“The petal?” Sansen Zhao asked, directing the question to Chloe.

“No change, sir.” She replied.

Aside from Sansen Zhao, there was an old, podgy man in evening robes and a scholarly looking woman in a blouse and skirt. After Chloe’s affirmation the old man returned his attention to the person on the couch. The woman, however, stared at him intently with an inquisitive expression.

Sansen Zhao nodded, a subtle look of relief in his eyes. He left his spot by the couch and approached Finn with a warm smile, “Good evening, Finn.”

“Good evening.” Finn replied, somewhat surprised by the tycoon’s warm greeting.

The slight confusion on his face was not missed by Sansen Zhao, who nodded, “You may not recognize me, the last time we met was when you were still a child. Your father and I were good friends, before he passed away.”

So, this is the connection I was missing. Finn mused to himself.

“I wasn’t aware.” Finn said smoothly, “I don’t believe he ever mentioned that he knew you.”

“I employed him for a few jobs, back when he had just opened up his detective practice.” Sansen nodded, “I suppose he wouldn’t have considered me a ‘friend’. Dylan was always quite particular about keeping the client-customer relationship clear.”

Finn nodded. Though he tried to keep his eyes on Sansen out of politeness, he could feel the woman’s stare boring into him from across the room. Sensing a break in the conversation, he took the initiative to glance over to the sofa, “Excuse my manners, but may I be so bold to inquire about why you have invited me here? I have the feeling that there is more to my invitation than simply catching up with an old friend’s son.”

“Just like your father, I see.” Sansen nodded with a grin before his expression turned serious, “In fact, it is a rather convenient coincidence that you have showed up tonight. We were just wondering how to best find you.”

“Find me?”

The old tycoon didn’t answer immediately, instead leading Finn toward the others.

“Good evening, Finn.” The woman said as Finn approached. Even up to this point she hadn’t taken her eyes off of him, a fact which Finn had pretended not to notice. Now that he was standing before her he met her gaze firmly.

At first he thought that she was either hostile toward him or sizing him up, but there was no aggression in her eyes. Instead, she seemed suspicious of him, as if there was something she was trying to figure out.

“And you are?” He asked, not intimidated in the slightest.

“Quill.” She replied without embellishment. She cast a side glance towards Chloe who was standing quietly in the corner of the room, “Are you sure he’s clear?”

“Yes, miss. The petal showed no response.”

“Response to what?” Finn asked.

Quill frowned, thinking deeply for a moment. She seemed to come to a decision and stood up, pulling a pearly petal out of one of the deep pockets in her coat. The petal was quite similar to the one Chloe had shown.

“Hold out your hand.” Quill said sharply. She was thin, but fairly tall, only an inch or two shorter than Finn. Throughout this exchange she was completely on guard and didn’t break eye contact with him once.

“Tell me what this petal is, first.” Finn said, crossing his arms.

“Mental contamination.” Quill said, “If your psyche has been infected by someone or something else, the petal will turn to ash. Chloe already checked you outside, so you should be clear.”

“Then why check me again?”

“Call it a necessary precaution.” Quill said.

Mental contamination would certainly explain the shadow insects and whispers that he’d suffered from for the past few days. It also matched Zwei’s research into the reports of people suffering from hallucinations and paranoia in the past. If so, then Locke must have infected him and Zwei when they met him that first time.

But why? Finn contemplated this point for a moment while staring down Quill. In fact, he had already considered this option and was fairly certain that he was right, given the facts that he knew. Furthermore, since the battle with Ming Ru and the final ‘sigh’ that he heard from the Locke in his mind, he had not seen any strange movements in the shadows.

Finn cautiously held out his hand and allowed Quill to place the petal on his palm. Once again, the soft, glossy petal didn’t react.

If he could trust these people and their method, this meant that the psychic infection had expired. Perhaps the exertion from fighting the monk was too much for it to handle?

“So I’m clear, then.” Finn said, “Now can you explain to me what’s going on?”

Quill retrieved the petal, looking it over carefully as if not believing the result. Once again she dodged his question with one of her own, “You’ve met Locke, right? What happened during that meeting?”

At the mention of Locke’s name Finn grew cautious. The only people who knew of his connection to Locke were Chief Fang and Zwei. How did the people in this room know about it?

“You don’t have to lie. This isn’t an interrogation” Quill said, anticipating that Finn was about to play dumb, “We already know most of the pieces, but it’s strange that you did not react to the petal.”

“Why do you think I would be contaminated?” Finn asked.

“It’s a reasonable expectation, given the circumstances.” Quill stepped aside, gesturing to the person lying on the couch.

Finn barely contained his surprise when he saw that it was Zwei. The lanky boy was dressed casually and was lying on the couch with his hands folded on top of his abdomen. His eyes were closed and he appeared to be sleeping or otherwise unconscious.

“I believe you two are partners.” Quill said, “We’ve already heard Zwei’s side of the story, now we want to hear yours.”