My Kind of Town
>> PanAm Building A paid schemer
While it was possible that Machiavelli Yang was coming to visit HPD Detective Sherlock Gomes' sister Donna at her Uku Miles Travel office because his employer, Sen. Donovan Matsuda-Yee-Dela Cruz-Bishop-Kamaka, told Yang about being busted by Gomes last night, Gomes had his doubts. The senator seemed awfully uncommunicative last night, in no condition to deal with the harsh realities of his situation.
More significantly, the senator seemed the sort who preferred keeping his demons private, away from even his closest allies, and certainly away from his girlfriend Dr. Laurie Tang -- with whom Gomes would be having dinner in a few hours. But this was no time for romantic thoughts. Focus on the matter at hand.
And based on the facts, and on a few logical assumptions, Gomes was betting that something other than the senator's new legal difficulty was on Yang's mind. The man was, after all, a paid schemer.
"So you say that Mr. Machiavelli Yang called to ask you to lunch, just to talk, and that his visit has nothing to do with travel plans?"
"That's what he said."
"I believe, then, that my physical presence would not be a positive contribution to your conversation. May I make a quick call on your phone?"
"Of course. But hurry, he's due here any time."
Gomes hit the speaker phone button, quickly dialed a number. His cell phone rang and he hit the answer button.
"See you later," Gomes said, stepping into the storeroom with his phone to his ear. Pulling the door closed behind him, Gomes heard a knock on the office door.
Listening on his phone, Gomes heard Donna exclaim, "So nice to see you again, Mr. Yang! To what do I owe this non-business visit?"
"Oh, this is business. But also pleasure, I hope."
This guy, Gomes could tell, was smooth. Butter dripped from every word. But in the silence that followed, Gomes could hear his sister seeing through Yang's veneer. "Please have a seat."
"Thank you. Actually, Donna, what I am proposing is a little old-fashioned matchmaking."
>> Queen's Medical Center
Though he remained unconscious, Quinn Ah Sun was obviously responding to her touching. But Gwen Roselovich's fantasy required that she also kiss his lips. And as she leaned down and softly touched her lips to his, her cleavage quit threatening to be liberated from her low-cut top and went for it.
That's when the door opened. But Gwen was too lost in the moment to notice the familiar visitor.
Don Chapman is editor of MidWeek.
His serialized novel runs daily in the Star-Bulletin
with weekly summaries on Sunday.
He can be emailed at dchapman@midweek.com