Chapter 3

The driver made no attempt to speak to Roger as they drove into San Francisco and when Roger asked something the driver gave one word answers. After they had driven for a couple of miles Roger stopped trying to engage the driver in conversation.

When they pulled in front of the New China Hotel the driver stopped in front of the hotel and parked illegally. He opened the door for Roger and then walked in front of him into the hotel. The driver walked up to the desk and told the pretty woman behind the desk that Mr. Roger Boring was here for Mr. Chu's apartment. After a quick glance at Roger the woman ran back to an office behind the counter. In a minute a young man came out of the office and greeted Roger. The driver turned and walked out to the car. Roger saw the car pull away.

"Mr. Boring. My name is John Hung. We have been expecting you. Mr. Chu said to make sure that your stay is pleasant. He said to tell you that his tailor would be by later to take your measurements for your suit. Now I'll take you to the apartment."

The young man led Roger to an elevator set off by itself in the elevator lobby. He took his key ring out and turned it in the lock and the door opened. They got in the elevator and Hung pushed the button.

Roger turned to Hung, "Hung is a common name in China isn't it?"

Hung smiled, "The Hung name was the family name of the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. We are very proud of our name. The Ming Dynasty was the golden age of China."

"I'll have an elevator operator on duty, for this elevator, while you are here Mr. Boring." Mr. Hung said.

"That's not necessary," Roger protested.

"I'll have someone on the elevator as soon as I return downstairs," Hung said as if the subject was closed.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened and Roger stepped into a Chinese palace. The apartment was furnished as was the houseboat in the finest Oriental antiques available anywhere. Roger knew that the furnishings alone in the huge apartment were worth millions of dollars.

"Wow, how much does this place rent for a night?"

Hung smiled, "This is Ben Chu's personal apartment, and it is never rented. No one except Mr. Chu has ever stayed here until now. I'll go now. If there's anything that you need please just pick up the phone. We have a complete menu of American and Chinese food and Mr. Chu said to make sure that we anticipate your every wish."

Hung headed for the elevator and stepped in. The door closed and Roger heard it going down the elevator shaft.

Roger walked around the apartment. He mentally took measurements of the rooms and figured that it had to be about three thousand square feet. There was a huge sitting room, a full kitchen, a bedroom that held the largest bed that Roger had ever seen and a bathroom that was bigger than any living room that he had ever been in. He shook his head as he thought to himself that Ben Chu really knew how to live. The tub was large enough for two and was made of marble and Roger could see that it had whirlpool jets.

Roger walked into the bathroom and turned on the water in the tub. He adjusted the water until it was as hot as he wanted and went to find a robe to put on or something he could wear to bed. He found an expensive silk robe and a terry cloth one in a closet in the bedroom; Roger decided to wear the terry cloth robe. There was a radio on a shelf and he turned it on and tuned it to the station that he always listened to at his apartment. Roger roamed around the apartment, looking at everything but fearful of touching the antiques, and then tried to find a magazine to read in the tub. The few magazines he found were all in Chinese. He shrugged and started to strip.

As he lowered himself into the bathtub, Roger grinned widely. This was living. He slid down until only his head was above the water and then closed his eyes. The warm water started to make him half-sleepy and he closed his eyes.

Roger heard the elevator coming up the shaft and he snapped his eyes open. The elevator only ran to this apartment; there were no other stops between the lobby and this floor. He listened and the elevator door opened. There was no sound; no called out and Roger heard no voices. He knew that the thick, padded oriental rugs would muffle any sound. When he didn't hear any sound for a minute, Roger closed his eyes again. His eyes snapped open again when he heard the sound of glass coming from the living room. After listening for a minute and hearing nothing more; Roger closed his eyes again.

"Well Tiger, you've had a busy day today."

Roger sat up in the tub quickly, "Who ... How did ... I didn't know anyone was in here."

In the doorway was the most beautiful Chinese woman that he had ever seen. Her long black hair caught the sun shining through the window and her hair hung down to her waist. Her hair framed her face and the effect was to draw your eyes to hers. She was wearing a silk cheongsam that came to just below her knees. Her high heeled shoes accented her flawless legs.

"I'm Lee, well not really, but that's what everyone calls me," she said as she walked to him with two drinks in her hand.

She handed Roger a martini and sat on the edge of the tub and began to sip her drink. The slit in the side of her cheongsam opened and revealed the tops of her stockings.

She took another sip of her martini and then lowered it to her lap, "I talked to the Dai Dai Lo a while ago and I had to meet the man that saved his life. I hope that you don't mind me walking in here."

"Are you ... I mean why ... What... ?"

Lee got a mischievous grin on her face, "Am I a call girl? No, Ben and I are old friends and I had to meet the man that saved his life. Really he has been like my father since my father died. Ben and my father came from mainland China many years ago. They were like brothers. During the troubles a few years ago my father took a bullet meant for Ben. Ben always pays his debts. He makes sure that my mother and I want for nothing. He paid for my college education and I now work for him as his lawyer. Now Ben owes a debt to you. You are a very fortunate man."

Roger shook his head, "I tried to tell Ben that he didn't owe me anything. I didn't even think about what I was doing. I saw the gun and I just reacted."