Page 54 of Niccolo (Mafia Kings #7)

W e had to move fast. It would take five hours for Niccolo and Roberto to get to Nice, which would be the only chance I had to get a head start on them.

Luckily, Fausto had a private jet at his disposal and had already relocated it to a nearby airfield in case he needed to make a quick getaway.

Not only that, but he had millions in cash on hand.

Money you could easily use to pay me, I thought in annoyance.

By 5 PM, I was on the jet to Hong Kong with a briefcase full of euros.

I enjoyed the luxury of the flight. I’d never been on a private jet before, much less one I had all to myself. But I didn’t get to fully savor it since I needed to get a good night’s sleep. I took a sleeping pill at 9:00 and passed out shortly thereafter.

I groggily awoke when the pilot announced we were approaching Hong Kong.

It was 10:30 AM local time, but my body felt the time difference: it was still 4:30 in the morning back in Italy.

Once on the ground, I took the chauffeured town car Fausto had arranged and arrived at a skyscraper in the heart of Hong Kong half an hour later.

I informed the lobby guard in English that I had a meeting with Mr. Lau of the Hong Kong Gaming Syndicate. He directed me to a private elevator that carried me up to the 70 th floor.

I entered a lobby with a dazzling view of Hong Kong Harbor. There was a female receptionist out front, and I told her I needed to speak with Mr. Lau immediately.

“Do you have an appointment?” she asked with a British accent.

“No, but I need to give him this,” I said as I popped open the briefcase.

Her eyes widened.

“One moment, please.” She picked up her telephone handset and said something in Chinese. Whoever was on the other end replied, and she hung up.

“Please wait,” she said with a pleasant smile.

A minute later, a tall, handsome Asian man in a flashy suit appeared. He looked to be in his late 20s. Fausto had told me Lau was in his 60s, so I knew this wasn’t him.

“Who are you?” he asked in a cold voice.

“My name is Sofia Toscani. I need to speak with Mr. Lau.”

“Mr. Lau is unavailable.”

“If he can become available, I have a million euros in cash I’d like to exchange for five minutes of his time.”

“That’s a lot of money for such a short meeting.”

“Mr. Lau’s time is very valuable, as is mine,” I replied.

“What is this in regards to?”

“You have a client arriving in a couple of hours named Roberto Rosolini. He’s going to ask you to return his investment of 50 million euros. My employer has a counter-offer.”

The man looked at me in silence for a moment.

For a second, I thought he wouldn’t go for it –

And then he gestured for me to turn around. “I need to check you for weapons.”

I allowed the pat-down and showed him the contents of my briefcase and purse. Once he was satisfied, he led me through the glass doors of the lobby into a maze of hallways.

We reached a massive corner office with a closed door and a secretary out front – a grumpy-looking woman in her 50s.

The man knocked at the door. Someone inside answered in Chinese, and we walked into a beautiful office decorated in a minimalist style.

There was a wooden desk, several black leather chairs, and a stunning view of Hong Kong’s skyscrapers all around us.

Behind the desk sat a sixty-something Asian man.

He had a receding hairline, but his hair was still black.

He had a soft face and grandfatherly smile, but his eyes were sharp and cunning.

He wore a grey suit jacket with a Nehru collar that looked as though it had been in fashion when Mao Tse Tung was still alive.

“Thank you, Mr. Han,” the older man said in a British accent.

Han walked around the desk and stood beside the older man like a bodyguard.

“Well, well… this is quite a surprise, Ms…?”

“Toscani,” I answered. “Mr. Lau, I presume?”

“Correct. I understand you have something for me?”

“Yes,” I said, placing the briefcase on his desk and opening it. “A gift from my employer.”

“How nice,” Lau said, giving the money a cursory glance as though it were no more interesting than a potted plant. “And your employer is…?”

“Fausto Rosolini.”

“Ah,” he said as though he now understood the situation. “And what would your employer like in exchange for his most generous gift?”

“A phone call.”

I pulled out my cell and dialed. Fausto immediately picked up.

“Are you there with him?” he asked in Italian.

“I am,” I replied in Italian. “Here he is.”

I put the cell on speakerphone and placed it on the desk.

“Mr. Lau,” Fausto said in flawless English. “Thank you so much for taking my call.”

“Mr. Rosolini,” Lau replied in a pleasant voice. “I must admit, I was a bit surprised by Ms. Toscani’s sudden appearance, not to mention the gift she brought.”

“Forgive me for the abrupt nature of her visit. Time is of the essence, unfortunately.”

“I see. And what can I do for you today?”

“My nephews, Roberto and Niccolo Rosolini, are on their way to see you. I believe they will ask your gambling syndicate to return their family’s investment of 50 million euros.”

“‘Their family’s investment’?” Lau said. “So… not your family’s investment?”

“My nephews and I parted ways about eight months ago after the untimely death of their father, my brother.”

“So you did not send them?” Lau asked.

“No, I did not.”

“Odd, then, that you know so much about their intentions.”

“I make it my business to know as much of my nephews’ business as possible.”

“I see. However, since Roberto is a client of mine, I am not at liberty to discuss our arrangements with an outside party. Even if they are family.’

“I completely understand, and I appreciate your discretion. If I may be so bold, I would like to share some information that could impact your business with my nephews. You don’t have to respond, merely listen. Would that be acceptable?”

“I am assuming this line is encrypted and free from prying ears?”

“It is.”

“Then proceed.”

“Thank you. I shall speak plainly, Mr. Lau: I am at war with my nephews. No doubt you are aware that we are Cosa Nostra.”

“I am.”

“We are in a life-or-death struggle, which I hope to resolve within the next few days. It is of the utmost importance that I prevail in our conflict. If Niccolo and Roberto were to meet an unfortunate end in Hong Kong, as the next of kin, I would be more than willing to forfeit any claim I have on the investment they have with you.”

“‘Next of kin,’” Lau said with a chuckle. “As I recall, there are six brothers, are there not?”

“There are.”

“Have the other four met an ‘unfortunate end’ in Italy?”

“It’s in the works.”

“I see.” Lau’s voice went from pleasant to chilly. “I have to say, Mr. Rosolini, it’s not every day that someone propositions me in a murder-for-hire scheme like a common street thug.”

“I apologize for the unpleasantness of my proposal. The last thing I want to do is offend you. But there IS a war going on… my nephews are coming to you for money to fund that war… and if they DON’T get it, the war will be over shortly.”

“If they do get the money, how long could this conflict drag out?”

“Months, Mr. Lau. Perhaps even years.”

“I thought that the other four brothers’ imminent demise was ‘in the works,’” Lau said mockingly.

“If Roberto and Niccolo survive, and they have 50 million euros at their disposal, they will continue to fight until their dying breaths.”

“But if they don’t get the funds?”

“The conflict will last a week at most. And if neither of them were to return to Italy, it might be over in a matter of days.”

“Interesting,” Lau said. “Unfortunately, Mr. Rosolini, I am afraid I must disappoint you. I do not wish to become involved in any conflicts involving the Cosa Nostra . If I were to have Roberto and Niccolo killed, and you failed to prevail against the other brothers, I would undoubtedly become their next target. Not only that, if my other clients found out I had one of my own investors eliminated, well… that would be bad for business, as I’m sure you can imagine. ”

“Yes, I understand,” Fausto said pleasantly, as though he was discussing the weather. “But I was hoping 50 million euros might ameliorate the situation.”

“If the other brothers meet a decisive and unfortunate end while Niccolo and Roberto are still in Hong Kong, then we could revisit the subject. Until then, I must decline your offer.”

“I see. What if you withheld the 50 million euros?” Fausto asked. “Would THAT be acceptable? To give me more time to deal with the brothers?”

“I would have to confer with my other investors, but… it’s definitely in the realm of the possible. Under the terms of our agreement, Roberto isn’t allowed access to his initial investment for two years – although we occasionally make exceptions in emergencies. I could simply refuse this time.”

“Excellent, Mr. Lau – excellent. The longer you can stall Roberto and Niccolo in Hong Kong, the more time I’ll have to wrap up my business here in Italy. Might I make one suggestion?”

Lau arched one eyebrow in slight annoyance. “Yes?”

“I would not allow Niccolo to see you. He’s far more forceful and argumentative than Roberto. I believe he would be a great deal more… annoying to deal with.”

“Thank you for the advance warning,” Lau said in a cool voice, “but since my dealings have thus far only been with Roberto, I would not have received Niccolo in a business capacity.”

“Wonderful. My apologies for overstepping my bounds.”

“Not at all,” Lau said, his cheerful tone returning.

“Well, I look forward to speaking with you more on this subject. Ms. Toscani will give you my private number. Again, thank you for your time.”

“Not at all, Mr. Rosolini. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye,” Fausto replied, then hung up.

I picked up my cell phone and then laid down a business card with a phone number and no name or other information. “My employer’s private number.”

“Thank you,” Lau said with a grandfatherly smile. “Mr. Han, if you will, please take the funds to Mr. Gongsun and return Ms. Toscani’s briefcase.”

“You can keep it,” I said.

Lau’s smile stayed constant. “I would rather you take it with you.”

He probably thought we’d hidden listening devices inside it – or something worse. Like explosives.

“As you wish,” I replied.

“Mr. Han will see you out. Thank you for a most interesting visit, Ms. Toscani.”

“It was my pleasure, Mr. Lau.”

I followed Han out, then waited while he gave the cash to a corporate drone in a drab office. Then he handed me the empty briefcase.

Han didn’t speak another word until we reached the lobby.

“Goodbye,” he said coldly as he held open the glass door.

“Goodbye,” I replied, and took the express elevator back down to the ground floor.

When I got back in the chauffeured town car, the driver asked, “Where to now?”

“I need to get to the El Dorado Macau as quickly as possible,” I said. “What’s the best way?”