Murder of Sable Cicada

Chapter 3

The Convoluted Plot


May 4,1939 Sable Cicada to be Buried Today

Lu Xun looked at the paper as he fumbled with his keys to open the office door. He was less interested in the details about the funeral and more interested in his boss's plans to attend. He swung the door open and listened for any movement. He knew better, she was probably still sleeping. "Good Morning!"

Sun Shang Xiang groaned as her eyes fluttered open. The world looked bizarre and it took her a moment to figure out why. She looked at her feet which were propped up on the back of the couch and realized she had fallen asleep in some gravity defying position. Her first move would be crucial if she was going to avoid falling on her head.

Xun heard a thump that sounded like a body hitting the floor. Concerned he peaked in her office and looked at a Shang in a heap holding her head. "Sunny, what are you doing?"

"Rediscovering gravity." She grunted and just decided to lie down on the floor.

Xun tossed the newspaper at her and sat down in the chair at the desk to start reading the latest comic he picked up. Detective Comics was his favorite series and it looked like they were introducing a new character, "The Bat-man".

Shang rubbed her eyes and looked at the paper. "Oh, yay. I get to go to a funeral. I hope you did your homework and found out what kind of guy Zhang Liao is."

"Yeah, I did." Xun mumbled as he was drawn into the comic.

"Good." Shang sat up and tossed the paper on the couch. "I'm sure he looks amazing in black. I need a dose of reality to keep my mind off that."

"He's not that bad. Might no be such a bad idea for you to start seeing someone again."

Shang squinted at him. "Why do you waste money on those comics?"

"I collect them." He said with a smile. "They'll be worth something someday."

"More than ten cents?" She asked and pulled herself on to the couch to prepare to stand up and feel the pains.

"You'd like this hero. He's a detective." Xun showed her the cover. "He's a millionaire whose parents were murdered. He uses his money to become a masked hero and kill criminals."

"He's wearing his underwear on the wrong side of his pants." Shang stood up and went to the mirror to see how bad she looked after sleeping like a bat. "God help us all if Cao Cao decides to follow that example."

"What about Zhang Liao?" Xun asked slyly.

"God help me." She whistled. "So what did you find out?"

"People are really scared of him. There are some police reports that say he scared some businessmen so bad they peed themselves. The cop actually wrote down the details about the piss."

"Makes me wet myself too." She mumbled and ran a comb through her hair.

"We're not talking about the same thing, are we?" Xun asked. "You're really hung up on this guy."

"He's taking me to Yuan Shao's ball this weekend." She looked at her image in the mirror and just didn't care what her hair looked like today. Curling it would take too long, so she'd just go with a flapper style for a retro look.

"Wow." Xun thought about the ramifications of that. "Are you sure about that? He's a criminal and your client that you shouldn't be advertising you're affiliated with. What about your Dad? He's going to be there and that's not going to be good."

"I plan on having this solved by then."

"Something you're not telling me about?" Xun asked.

"You first. Tell me more about Liao."

"Liao, huh?" Xun pulled his notes out. "Style name, Wenyuan. Born 1908 as Nie Liao then changed his name to Zhang. I can only assume because he didn't want to be associated with the assassin Nie Zheng who lived in Pu Yang."

"That guy in the song?" Shang asked. Cai Wengi was a blues singer in one of the nightclubs in town and her most popular song was based on a story her father told her as a little girl, "Nie Zheng Stabs the Han King".

"Weird huh?" Xun shrugged. "I don't know if he's related to the guy who killed the governor, but I wouldn't be surprised. He has a reputation of being incredibly skilled and people think he had something to do with Dong Zhuo's assassination."

Shang sat down in her chair. Well she knew that to be the case thanks to Lu Bu's shameless honesty. What was worse, gangster or assassin? "Great."

"I don't know, I always thought there was something really noble about what Nie did. Killed a governor who he felt was corrupt and then carved up his own face so nobody would know it was him, sparing his family the humiliation and shame."

"Like Robin Hood?"

"No…like the Bat-Man!" Xun flashed a smile at her and winked.

"Alright, so I'm probably employed by the son of an assassin who makes his living on the wrong side of the law with his best friend Lu Bu." She frowned.

"I also found out that Lu Bu was officially adopted by Dong Zhuo before he died, which means that he was entitled to everything the guy owned. The insurance company wouldn't release the life insurance policy since nobody was convicted in the killing and the prime suspect was Lu Bu. I guess most of Dong Zhuo's assets were seized by the government anyhow."

Shang perked up. "So what does he still own? Something that is valuable enough to frame him for murder and have him executed?"

"Still digging." Xun looked through his notes. "I only had time to wade through birth, marriage and death certificates."

"Nothing on Chan?"

"No. I need more to go on."

"Pang Tong said she was in her 20's and Lu Bu said she remembered him in the parade from the War." She groaned. "This isn't helping. I'll have to talk to Wang Yun and see what he has to say."

"Sunny, are you sure you want to do this? Last time you went around questioning people Gongsun Zan shot his family, set his house on fire and hung himself."

"Why does everyone say that like it's a bad thing? I mean, he was guilty of laundering money for his old classmate Liu Bei."

"Um…the six kids weren't." He said with a frown.

"I didn't put the gun in his hand! He panicked when confronted with the consequences of his actions." She glared at Xun. She was tired of people trying to place the guilt on her for that.

"All I'm saying is that we might be digging too deep. Back then you just wanted to find out about Liu Bei and you did. However it wasn't good enough and you kept looking for answers to things that didn't concern you. Those people might still be alive..."

"Two minutes ago you were ready to wear your underwear wrong, put on a cape and don a mask to avenge the wrongs and bring people to justice."

"Yeah but…."

"Sometimes the truth hurts. That's not going to stop me from looking for it. Justice might be blindfolded, but that might just be her problem."

"Ok." He let his shoulders slump in defeat. "I'll let Meng know we need his help. Anything I need to research?"

"The Xu Dam. Yuan Shao's bank was tied up in that land sale somehow. Cao Cao was trying to dangle that in front of my eyes for some reason I want to know what he has to gain from that."

"Yuan Shao is his biggest rival. I'm sure if you could get him to shoot his family and hang himself, Cao Cao would be thrilled."

"I also need to find out what the racetrack has to do with my father's casino."

"I can answer that." Xun grabbed the paper and opened it to the sports section. There was an article about the upcoming Kentucky Derby above the fold, but a more local report of the upgrade of Liang Down's facilities below the fold. "Here. Ma Teng's track is expanding the clubhouse to have a casino."

"No way." Shang grabbed the paper and her eyes grew wide.

"He was instrumental in having a new gaming commissioner appointed in order to have his license approved. Liu Biao?"

"Oh Daddy, that must really be keeping you up at night."

"There's a little bit about this new commissioner in the paper. Says he wants to remain neutral in regards to his position and that he won't overlook corruption."

"Alright. We meet here tonight. I need to run a few errands and make sure I put in an appearance at Chan's funeral. Tell Meng that this story is going to be huge."


Shang peered around the corner of the huge hanger door and looked for signs of life. She had come out to the airport to interrogate Xiahou Dun about his involvement with Diao Chan but it appeared that he was not alone. It wasn't a bad thing, if his extended family was here she hoped they might just be able to decode the encrypted message that Cao Cao had left her with after his discussion on the train. His help made no sense and if anyone could tell her what he wanted it was his family. She waited in the shadows to see if there was anything she could use against the man, though she doubted he'd keep evidence of his smuggling where it was all too accessable.

"Wrench." Xiahou Yuan demanded.

Xiahou Dun leaned against the side of the Ford Tri-Motor airplane and lit a cigarette. He bent down and picked up a wrench and handed it to the plump outstretched hand then went back to waiting. "Hurry up, Ren, he's not going to stay in there forever and I don't want to grease him back up and shove him in again."

Cao Ren put his glasses back on and scrutinized the engine plans again. "You know, the Germans are using Zeppelins more and more these days. Not as quick but certainly more efficient."

"If I wanted to fly an unsightly blob filled with explosive gas, I'll tie a kite string to my brother and kick him off the roof." Dun thumped his head against the plane impatiently.

"Ha ha." Yuan responded from inside the engine compartment. "Let's see how far you get without a mechanic or navigator, hot shot!"

"Let's see how far you get without me to pull you out of that access compartment." Dun replied.

"Oldsmobile announced an automatic transmission for their new models next year. Can you imagine that?" Ren's finger traced over the prints and he frowned.

"Yuan…" Dun groaned.

"Just tell him you'll take him to the World's Fair, Dun. He'll stop." Yuan threw the wrench on the ground and his hand emerged. "Screwdriver."

"I have a whole list of interesting facts to talk about, cousin." Ren smirked.

Sun Shang Xiang had been standing by the hanger door eavesdropping on Cao Cao's family hoping to hear something incriminating, but so far these three seemed like ordinary guys. She walked into the hanger and immediately picked out Xiahou Dun. Not that it took a detective to find the man wearing an eye patch in a crowd of two, but his aura seemed to scream 'cocky'. He looked over at her and said nothing. He was dressed simply, slacks and a blue shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

"Hello…" Ren set his glasses down on the table and looked at the woman who was scrutinizing them. "This is a private hanger, are you lost?"

"She found what she was looking for." Dun threw the cigarette on the ground and put it out with his foot. "Didn't you lady?"

"Find what? A fire hazard? Dammit Dun, this stuff is flammable…" Yuan hissed as he tried to reach an oil stained rag with his foot before the cigarette butt ignited it.

Dun casually reached over for an old cup of coffee and threw it on the smoldering cloth. "You a reporter?"

"I'm a private eye." Shang replied.

"Great. A broad with a gun." Dun scoffed and began to walk towards her to drag her out of the hanger.

"Watch yourself or you might end up losing that other eye." Shang threatened.

"There's a better chance of you putting my eye out with what's on your chest, not what's strapped to it." Dun kept walking and was surprised when she began to walk toward him.

"You're a real ladies man, aren't you? I can see what Diao Chan saw in you: her condescending abusive father. No wonder you were her guilty little pleasure."

"Dun!" Ren ran up and put himself between his cousin and the young woman.

"Dammit! I'm stuck!" Yuan whined as his legs swung freely around the side of the plane. "Is she hot?"

"Perhaps you can tell me about your relationship with Sable Cicada, or do I need to tip off the ATF on what your cargo is that plane over on Xu Dam?" She snapped hoping that Sima Yi's information was accurate.

"You want to just hear the graphic details or do you want me to show you?" Dun asked as his cousin shoved him back towards the plane.

Shang coldly replied. "Now I understand why Germany started rearming itself. I'd want another chance to shoot at you too."

"Is she taking her clothes off?" Yuan hollered and struggled some more. "Ouch!"

Dun rolled his eyes and went to rescue his brother from the confines of the plane. "Stop struggling."

"I don't want to miss anything!" Yuan whined and let his brother help him out of the plane. He hit the hanger floor with a thump and immediatly looked at the woman standing there staring at them. "Wow. She's a fox."

"Excuse my brother," Dun reached for his cigarettes. "He has extremely low standards."

She already knew this was a waste of time. This wasn't the kind of man who would try to get away with murder, he would probably ask for a medal for doing the world a favor. "I'm investigating the murder of Sable Cicada. Do you deny that you had relations with her?"

"Nope. I did her." Dun lit his smoke and looked at the girl. "So now we're back to those details you're dying to find out about. You look like a back seat kind of girl, best I can do here is that LaSalle over there."

"Dun!" Ren snapped. "She's a lady!"

"I see pants, a poorly concealed revolver and a nice rack." Dun shrugged. "Looks like someone's little girl trying to assert her independence and I'm sure her innocence is already long gone. How good is my detective work, Miss Sun?"

She wasn't surprised he knew who she was. The other two seemed surprised, but somehow she expected as much from him. Cao Cao's favorite cousin and confidant would know as much as the railroad baron himself.

"I do like women in pants." Yuan nodded appreciatively.

"How would you know?" Dun threw a rag at him as he walked towards the office on the upper level of the hanger. "Your eyes haven't left her tits since you fell out of that plane."

She held her hand out for the man next to her to shake. "Sun Shang Xiang, private investigator."

"Cao Ren, engineer." Ren bent slightly to kiss her hand in a gentlemanly gesture.

Yuan heard his brother's footsteps as he marched up to the office and rolled out from under the plane. He wiped his hands off and jumped to his feet. "Xiahou Yuan, sidekick extraordinaire. Navigator, mechanic…exceptional lover. Everything my brother isn't."

Shang shook his hand and smiled. That smile disappeared as the door to the office upstairs slammed as Xiahou Dun disappeared. "I'm just looking for information."

"I'm looking for a long-term commitment from an independent woman who isn't afraid to dominate me socially and sexually. I also enjoy Swing dancing and long walks on the runway." Yuan gave her his most adorable grin. "I like puppies too."

"I'll keep that in mind." Shang took the rag from his hand and wiped a wad of grease from his cheek. "However I'm still recovering from a bad relationship."

"Was he a Sable Cicada fanboy?" Yuan asked, curious as to why a pretty girl would be submerging herself in a murder mystery.

"Actually he was a bootlegger who blew up his manufacturing plant, killing his wife and abandoning his son."

"So he was a married man…you do like living dangerously." Yuan threw his hands in the air. "I'll save myself for you! When your undeniable love for me is too much to bear, I'll be here waiting for you."

Ren watched him begin to dance his way back to the plane. "They are my distant cousins."

"You're going to the World's Fair?" She asked, wanting to put herself on someone else's good side.

"If we ever fix this plane." Ren said with a heavy sigh. "However your problems are a bit more urgent. Are you sure you still want to question my cousin?"

"Yes." She then thought about something as they passed the table with all the engine schematics. "You said you were an engineer?"

"Not the kind that runs the trains." Yuan poured himself another cup of coffee. "That would be too interesting."

Ren ignored him. "Yes."

"Did you work on the Xu Dam?" She knew it had no relevance to the case, but after seeing those pictures in Xia Pi, she thought there might be another crime that needed to be solved if she survived this case.

"Yes, that was my work." He paused. "Though I can't be proud of it knowing how many lives it claimed…"

"Not your fault." Yuan shook his head. "You built it, you helped save Chang An from drying up."

"Alfred Nobel thought his inventions benefited humanity, however…" Ren sighed.

"Those people were misled and died because of it." Shang squeezed his arm. "They believed they owned property that wasn't theirs and thought that their occupation would mean something. They died for that decision and one day whoever deceived them will be brought to justice."

"What a woman." Yuan hugged himself. "Solving crimes, bringing wrongdoers to justice….a huge gun! Our children will save the world!"

"If I can help your investigation, please let me know. That project still haunts me. The hydroelectric plant was another misguided effort. It's now in the hands of the co-op and electric bills have doubled instead of decreased."

"The electric plant." Shang said. "That's owed by the town."

"No, its articles of incorporation have it as a co-operative so it's not able to be governed by the State Utilities commission. It's an elected board of directors, so they can get away with just about anything."

"Who is the chairman?"

"Yuan Shu."

"The Police Chief?"

"More like a self- proclaimed Emperor." Yuan scratched his back with a wrench.

"This city will remain corrupt as long as he is in power of key offices." Ren lamented. "You're not here to solve that crime though; you're here about that poor actress."

"Is he going to talk to me?" She asked and looked up at the closed office door.

"Doubtful." Ren said. "He's probably calling security now."

"However…" Yuan said as he tasted his coffee. "He won't have much of a choice if you stowaway in the cabin of the Ford here. We're almost done tinkering; he's going to have to take her on a test flight."

"I do believe you're very close to winning my heart, Mr. Xiahou."

"Give me a peck on the cheek and I'll log that your fare has been paid." Yuan grinned.

Ren held out his pack of chewing gum. "Start chewing this before you get in the cabin. You'll need it to help equalize the pressure in your head as the plane gains altitude. If Dun smells Spearmint as soon as he gets in the plane, I'm sure he'll figure out something is going on."

"Thanks." Shang smiled and took the offered stick and began chewing.

"The parachutes are stowed under the seats. Just in case…." Ren informed her.

Shang's eyebrows rose. If it was safer to march up those stairs and point a gun at Dun's head…

"In case my brother gets pissed and decides to 'repel boarders'." Yuan gave her a confident smile. "Trust me, none of my planes will ever come down due to mechanical malfunction. I'm just that good."

"That's…comforting."


Shang threw the canvas tarp off when she figured the plane was safely in the air. She spit the gum out and stood up. The engine noise made her ears ring even though she was back in the passenger area. She couldn't see this mode of travel ever catching on even though Pan Am had already announced the successful trans-Atlantic flight of their plane Yankee Clipper. Who would pay to endure this discomfort?

"Goddammit Yuan." Dun mumbled as he turned to see what the rustling was in the cabin. He reached for his box of smokes, shook it and then placed the exposed one on his tongue. He struck a match on the roof of the cockpit and lit it.

Shang slipped into the co-pilot's seat and buckled in. She wasn't really too convinced this war hero wouldn't throw her out of the plane. "I like the convenience factor of having a private railroad spur that leads to your armament warehouse. Waterfront property, right on a lake famous for decomposing bodies in the water so there won't be any tourists watching you load guns on your shiny cargo plane."

Dun smiled. Two could play at that game. "Not true. I hear they're having a fish fry over at the lake this Sunday. Liu Bei is frying up catfish he and his pauper pals caught in the lake to feed the poor. That's almost like eating people, considering those damned bottom feeders eat nothing but garbage. The fish, I mean but I guess that applies to Liu Bei's followers too. Unless he runs with a different crowd than those refugees in Guanling now?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Oh, that's not why you broke up with him?" Dun said with a mischievous grin. "He married Mi Zhi's sister so that he could use the man's money to fund his little refugee camp. The money ran out, the supplies vanished and the poor folks turned to cannibalism."

"Where the hell is Guangling? I've never heard of it." She said, wondering if he'd just make up some story like that. He and his cousin seemed to enjoy twisting the truth more than spinning lies.

"South of Xu Dam. Under the river now thanks to the Dam." Dun blew some smoke out and thought about his cousin Ren's restless nights. "That Dam should have been a blessing wiping out Xu and Guangling after all the horrors that happened there. Instead my family is plagued by humanitarians who want to blame us for those fools that followed Zhang Jiao into that valley before the floodgates opened."

She grabbed a hold of the armrests as he circled around a radio tower for the fun of it. "Zhang Jiao? That traveling magician?"

"The con artist." Dun corrected her. He leveled out the plane and let it climb to the necessary altitude to clear the ridgeline of the mountain. "Why? Do you think my cousin flooded Xu so I could have a parking lot for my plane?"

"Quite a coincidence."

He laughed. "Good thing you have your looks lady. That's a pretty weak motive."

"What about Yuan Shao's bank owning the notes on the property down there? The same bank that those people had their money with when the stock market crashed?"

"Don't know." Dun banked sharp to the left and headed towards Tong Pass. "Sounds like something you should ask my cousin next time you play train robber. He was friends with Yuan Shao, not me."

She shivered and dropped her pencil. "Damn it's cold up here."

"My brother's old greatcoat is behind the seat. It won't be that big, he was a bit slimmer back then. This new Swing dancing hobby of his is turning him into a steer. I guess you owe him a date for letting you on this plane."

"Cheap flight, it only cost me a kiss." She said and slipped into the gabardine coat. "More of the ballroom dancer kind of guy, yourself huh?"

"Want to see how well I Waltz?" He gave her a mischievous grin. "Hang on doll."

She felt her stomach fly into the roof of her mouth as the plane dove down towards Silk Road. "Are you crazy?"

"Possibly." He said and pulled up and leveled out.

"You're not seriously going to fly through Tong Pass Tunnel?"

"Yup."

"It's too small!"

"I'm pretty good with slipping into tight spaces." Dun tapped the ashes off his cigarette as they entered the tunnel and she cringed. "I guess that's irrelevant since we're supposed to be talking about Sable Cicada."

Shang closed her eyes as a box truck entered the tunnel. "Oh god."

He dropped the plane down lower and watched a box truck come to an abrupt stop. Then it quickly shifted into reverse and Dun smiled. "That's what she said."

As the truck backed out into oncoming traffic, the plane barely glided over the top of it. She took a deep breathe. "I don't think I'm ever flying Cao Air again."

"Can't test out a plane without seeing what she'll handle." He let the plane gain altitude again. "Good thing you weren't around back in the days of bi-planes. Those things were nothing but wood planks, glue and canvas."

"I'll count my blessings when I get back on the ground."

He blew smoke in her face. "Remember that next time you try to get free fare."

"Were you just with Chan, once?" She could see the airport in the distance and had yet to ask him anything about her actual case.

"Yup. That war memorial dedication." He shrugged. "I wasn't going to say no."

"Did you want to rekindle the moment?"

"Nope." He shook off more ashes in the coffee cup.

She almost didn't want to ask. "Why?"

"Something just wasn't right about her. It wasn't lust or libido; it was some sick self-destructive need to destroy her body. Not my style."

"You got all that from one quickie at a ribbon cutting ceremony?"

"No, I got that from a night long discussion about her when I was playing Monopoly with my cousin. Do you have any idea how long that game takes to play?"

"Sorry, my family game night always revolved around real money." She looked at the landing strip and tried to come up with more questions before her time was up. "Why were you even at that ceremony? You really don't seem to be a people person."

"My cousin got it in his head that I'm going to be governor one day. He threatened to keep me grounded if I didn't go."

"I thought you two were close, practically brothers."

"He likes getting his way." Dun shrugged. "Nobody likes being around him when he doesn't."

"Sounds like my mother." If that's how he dealt with his closest friend, than why the hell was he so friendly on the train? "Governor, huh?"

"I guess he figures I'm the kind of guy who will cut off the hands of the corrupt officials greasing their palms." Dun began to prepare for landing. "Or at least that's what he tells me."

"I wouldn't think you'd be anyone's choice for a puppet."

Dun grinned as they nearly touched the tarmac, then jerked up on the stick and reveled in the scream as the plane looped over itself and then touched its wheels down as he first intended. "Thanks for flying CaoAir."


Shang sat on a tombstone and held her binoculars to her face. She had wanted to go to the funeral but she figured Lu Bu would be himself and come up and talk with her. She didn't need him broadcasting to the world that she knew him, half the town knew she was working this case and thankfully nobody drew any conclusions as to who she was working for yet.

"Miss Sun, why doesn't it surprise me you have no respect for the dead either."

Shang ground her teeth as she put her glasses down. She looked up at the boyish face of the man whom she simply couldn't stand. "Zhao Yun, that drab government issue uniform suits you."

Yun frowned. He was wearing a suit, not a uniform. "Miss Sun, it's Special Agent Zhao now."

"I heard." She jumped off the tombstone and began to walk away. "That must mean you're here to take credit for my work again to upgrade agencies. What's next? The Secret Service?"

"You were a person of interest in that Gongsun murder. Perhaps you don't fully understand the gravity of the situation you placed yourself in."

"I am fully acquainted with gravity and what a bitch she is." She growled and kept walking though she felt the bump on her head throb.

"I say that because you have managed to put yourself in the same position, yet again. Miss Sun, Lu Bu is the prime suspect in this murder and you are working for his associate to find evidence to clear him. That makes you an accessory."

"Then arrest me." She stopped and turned back to look at him.

"I am just doing my job, Miss Sun."

"By putting me under surveillance?"

"You are connected to multiple suspects. You also have a history of harassing people to the point of suicide."

"And we're back on the subject of your next promotion." She stared at him and crossed her arms.

"No, we're on the subject of caution. I think you've once again stumbled on something that you shouldn't have. You have a knack for it."

"You're threatening me?"

"No." He watched the funeral crowd begin to disperse. "However I will if that makes you more inclined to heed my warning."

"What are you trying to hide? I know you love the government more than anyone, so which branch are you protecting? The Federal Reserve for not coming down on Yuan Shao? The TVA for the construction of the dam?"

"Be careful, Miss Sun." Yun nodded and looked down at Zhang Liao. "Especially with your client."

"Maybe you should be studying him, might give you a few ideas on how to talk to women."

Yun looked over his shoulder as two policemen arrived. "These kind men are here to escort you out of the cemetery and give you a place to spend the night."

"You're placing me under arrest? For what?" She snapped and marched toward him.

"Assaulting a Federal Officer." He replied and closed his eyes as her fist made contact with his jaw. He stumbled backward and licked the blood from his lip. "Thank you."

"Alright, what exactly is going on here?" Huang Zhong twirled his baton and frowned when his rookie partner drew his gun and pointed it at the two people. "Kid, put that damned thing away."

"It's protocol." Jiang Wei whined. He hated being wrong all the time and his partner was always quick to point it out.

"Easy, kid. Don't want to misfire. It happens to a lot of youngsters." Zhong walked up and took a look at the man who had been assaulted and the girl who looked ready to pummel him into oblivion. "What's wrong pretty boy? More than you can handle?"

"Officer, I want her placed under arrest for assaulting a Federal Agent."

Zhong stroked his white beard and laughed. "You expect me to believe that you're capable of firing up a woman like this, Agent Zhao?"

"Just do your job, sir." Zhao Yun turned and began to walk back to his car.

"Prick." Zhong growled.

"I don't understand. How did he know he was going to be attacked? He called dispatch almost half an hour ago." Jiang Wei put his gun away and pulled out his handcuffs. He frowned as the lady and his partner stood there staring at him like he was an idiot. "What?"

"They issue you a crystal ball when you get your FBI ID. That way you can see the future and act quick." Zhong rolled his eyes.

"So he set her up?" Wei asked.

"You're catching on kid." Zhong shook his head. "Sorry, he's book smart but street stupid."

"So am I under arrest?" She asked and looked down at the funeral that she was missing. So much for talking to Wang Yun.

"Psht." Zhong sat down on the tombstone and looked at her. "Nope. Why don't you tell us what you two were discussing?"

"He was threatening me because my client hired me to find out who killed Sable Cicada. In the course of my investigation I might have found something that I wasn't supposed to."

"Like what?" Zhong asked. "It sounds like you might need a few friends who still believe in justice."

"Not to mention career suicide." Wei mumbled.

"Why do you think we're patrolling the worst neighborhood? You're not on the take so you're a liability." Zhong looked at the young woman who was quietly watching them. "Miss Sun, it's a pleasure to meet you. Pang Tong asked us to watch out for you. I'm Huang Zhong and this youngster is Jiang Wei."

"Shiyuan sent you?"

"Yeah." Zhong rubbed his knee. "He said you might be able to help us out with the little Yuan Shu problem we're having. So why don't you come with us, get in the back of our police car and listen to two cops talk about work while we drive you around the block a couple of times."

"Especially since Agent Zhao is waiting for us by our car." Wei frowned.

"Cuff me." She said.

"Hand your gun to the young man. I don't need him going in that jacket to fetch it and my heart can't take that kind of excitement either." Zhong scratched his beard. "I'm getting forgetful in my old age, what was it you were doing wrong?"

"Is that a rhetorical question?" Jiang Wei asked and frowned.

"My god, Junior, are you really that gullible?"


Huang Zhong began humming to himself. "Whoops, missed the turn back to the station."

Shang wasn't really thrilled with being in the back seat of a police car, but it was free transportation and she wasn't really upset about that. "This is the second time today that I've had someone mention Yuan Shu."

"Oh, who was the first?" Zhong asked, curious as to who else he could befriend.

"Cao Ren." She said.

Jiang Wei nodded and smiled. "He's a really good guy."

Shang raised her eyebrows. "And how do you know him?"

"I worked for Cao Cao as a clerk before I was accepted into the police academy. Cao Ren was kind enough to teach me how to read blueprints."

"You used to work for Cao Cao?" She clarified.

"Don't hold it against him." Zhong listened to some chatter on the radio and decided to hurry things along. The police force was overwhelmed with crimes these days and he really needed to pass along the information to her before they had a real problem they had to attend to. "Don't hold it against the cops that things are what they are either. Funding dropped for us too and we had to take a 20% paycut back in '33. A lot of the guys had families to feed, they weren't left with much choice than accept bribes to make ends meet. I know that doesn't make things better, but it's a hard time for everyone."

"What about Yuan Shu?" She asked and pulled out her notepad. "Is he related to Yuan Shao?"

Jiang Wei piped up, it was now his turn to shine. "Yuan Shu is his younger bastard half-brother. So they grew up as cousins since they had different moms and in the Victorian era it was pretty risqué to admit an affaire like that. Eventually Shu found out and wanted what his birthright entitled him to, but Shao refused to give him anything. So he had to make his own way in the world by accepting money from anyone who would give it to him. He was part of some alliance with Yuan Shao to try and unseat Dong Zhuo from his position as chief crime boss in the city, but Shu ratted him out and got the Police Chief job as a reward."

Shang sighed. This wasn't helping. "Does he have anything to do with Sable Cicada's death?"

"Might." Jiang Wei turned around to look at her. "When Dong Zhuo was killed, he proclaimed himself his successor. He said that it was logical because he controlled the police who could 'exorcize the demons of Chang An. Organized crime, bootlegging and bribery run deep and the profits clearly end up in the pockets of the already rich.' He actually stood in front of all the reporters, on the steps of city hall and said that Lu Bu, Cao Cao, Sun Jian and Yuan Shao were the evils causing the city to bleed out it's prosperity. All the cops were lined up on the steps behind him to prove what he had backing him."

"I remember that." Shang shook her head. "I didn't think anyone took him seriously. I remember my father laughing so hard he cried."

"I don't think anyone really did. However he used that to his advantage and took control of everything he said he would destroy." Zhong interjected. "Now he needs to eliminate the competition and your pal Lu Bu is first on his list."

"Why?" Shang asked. She wasn't drawing any conclusions from this story other than the Yuan brothers needed therapy.

Wei smiled. "He's the weakest organization with the most assets that Yuan Shu wants. Lu Bu still controls the extortion business here in the city and he does a really good job of it. He is scary and so is his buddy Zhang Liao. However they've expanded to blackmailing Yuan Shu's established black market holdings, underground gambling houses, brothels, you name it."

"Really." Shang had to smile. She really had to like Lu Bu and Liao's motives. It might have still been a crime, but it just seemed like justice.

"Shu can increase his assets and wealth before he targets the big boys." Zhong chimed in. "That girl's death put a spotlight on this town. Now the nation knows where Chang An is and we're seeing reporters from the New York Times, the Washington Post, Life….who ever thought we'd be so famous."

Shang looked at her hand and noticed it was swelling a bit now. "We are even blessed by the return of everyone's hero, Zhao Yun."

"That's because he used to work for Yuan Shao." Jiang Wei pulled out his own notepad. "Gongsun San and Liu Bei."

Shang felt her heart stop. "I'm sorry, say that again."

"Zhao Yun's a whore." Zhong summarized it.

Jiang Wei slapped his notepad shut. "The jury is still out on what he's really trying to do. We know the FBI has some rather unscrupulous tactics in waging their 'War on Crime' so I wouldn't put it past him to be trying to infiltrate the organizations he thinks are the enemy."

"Whores do what pays them most." Zhong said and went to loop around the block again. "Where do you want us to drop you off, kid?"

Shang looked at her watch. "I better get back home. I have an office on Market St." Meng is not going to believe this!

"We really don't know what side he's on." Wei said.

"Don't really care either. This is our town and it's up to us to clean it up." Zhong slammed his fist on the steering wheel.

Shang began to make the connections. "So if Yuan Shu had this actress killed, he stands to gain more than just Lu Bu's empire. National attention would certainly start dredging up some details about Cao Cao and Yuan Shao as well."

"Speaking of dredging," Zhong looked at her in the rearview mirror. "What do you know about Xu Dam?"

Wei jumped at the opportunity to answer this question correctly. "Did you know that there is no record of the police being called to escort those people out of Xu?"

"Cao Cao never called?" She asked.

"The page is missing from the dispatcher transcripts for that day." Wei grinned.

"Easy way to get a noose made for both Cao Cao and Yuan Shao." Zhong said with a shake of his head.

"You two really haven't given me many answers, just more questions." Shang grunted as they turned onto Market Street.

"I have a good one for you." Zhong said. "Since you're working to clear Lu Bu, why don't you ask him why Yuan Shu wants to marry his daughter?"

"Lu Bu doesn't have a daughter." Shang looked to Wei who was ready to explode now that she stepped into the trap.

"When he went to Europe to fight in the Great War, he got a nurse pregnant. Yuan Shu must have used it against him; he intercepted a letter from the girl's mother begging Lu Bu to take the girl. Said the kid was preparing to join the resistance and was already doing spy work against the Nazis. Her Mom was concerned for her daughter's safety and Lu Bu was trying to get her to the US and to safety. Yuan Shu found out about it, he has people in every division of the city."

"Yuan Shu gave Lu Bu a marriage license instead. Obviously looking to marry the girl for her citizenship as well as buy him Lu Bu." Zhong looked up at the mirror again as he stopped the car. "'Put it on before you put it in', that's what they tell the boys these days. Probably should have done a better job of it the first time we went to Europe."

"How did you find all this?" Shang asked as Zhong got out of the car to open her door for her.

Zhong smiled. "Junior's planning on being a detective when he grows up."

Jiang Wei smiled. "I broke into Yuan Shu's office to find incriminating evidence and found it."

"We're still working on teaching him how to not say everything that comes into his head." Zhong held out his hand to help the girl out of the car, then handed her revolver back. "Be careful kid. Your investigation hasn't gone unnoticed. Don't put it past the career criminals to frame you for something."

"I think opening someone else's mail is a Federal crime. Maybe you should tip off Zhao Yun, that's his jurisdiction." Shang squeezed his hand as she heard the radio in the car crackle to life. "Thank you."

Jiang Wei's voice hit a pitch he didn't think possible after puberty. "Zhong! Holy cow! Wang Yun has been killed!"

"That's weird. I thought that guy was just an incestuous pig. Think your boy Lu Bu did this?"

"I think if he wanted him dead, we wouldn't be talking about it now." Shang shrugged.

"Well, if we find out anything we'll tell Pang Tong." Zhong winked.

Shang watched the older cop jump back into the car and take off. "Dammit. I'm not getting paid enough for this job."


Lu Meng took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. "Why don't you focus on what you're being paid to investigate?"

Lu Xun answered for his boss. "She's too distracted by her client to focus."

"Am I invisible?" Shang snapped. "Is that why you two are talking about me like I'm not in the room?"

"Perhaps," Meng pulled a flask out of his inside pocket, "It's a skill you should try to acquire. Your public hunt for the truth is only going to lead down the same road as that Gongsun Zan fiasco. Do you know what the meaning of discreet is?"

"I'm not in the mood for a lecture." She growled.

"Sunny, I think Meng is right. I mean the whole town is talking about you." Xun sighed. "That's only going to get worse when you go to that ball with Zhang Liao."

"You are going on a date with your client?" Meng gasped.

"It's the only way I'm going to get close to the important men in this city." She shook her head. "I don't care what it looks like."

Xun sat up in his chair and began to read off the summarized notes from the meeting thus far. "So with the new information about Yuan Shu and Lu Bu's daughter, who exactly is the prime suspect?"

"For the murder of Sable Cicada." Meng said and took a swig of moonshine. "In case you forgot your priorities."

Shang sat back in her swivel chair and stared at the newspaper on her desk. "I think it's all relevant. It isn't just a simple murder. I think Yuan Shu is trying to control Chang An. My first suspects were Cao Cao and Sima Yi so I started my investigation with them. If an outside reporter were to look deeper into the Xu Dam incident, I don't think it would be hard to crucify Cao Cao for it. Sima Yi seems amused by it all; I don't know what he'd get out of it."

"Chang An." Xun said. "You said it yourself, nobody takes Yuan Shu seriously. Well maybe once he does the dirty work, Sima Yi will take over where he left off? He is really cunning, when you look at a historical account of his business dealings you get a feel for how he likes to play."

"Cheating at cards is his hobby." Shang said quietly. "I can imagine how he uses that to his advantage elsewhere. Otherwise he couldn't be a millionaire at age 27."

"A man who made millions in an economic depression." Meng said and put his glasses back on. "The man's a genius."

"What about Yuan Shao?" Shang asked. "Does he look as guilty in the hall of records for the Xu Dam incident as I thought?"

"Worse." Xun said quietly. "Much worse."

"Which I will take care of." Meng stretched. "I do see an expose worthy of front page news."

"What about my Dad?" Shang was avoiding asking the question.

"I think that's going to depend on the newly appointed Gaming Commissioner, Liu Biao." Meng shook his head. "The world is changing, Shang, and your father still thinks he can use his prestige and courage to bully his peers."

"I know." She took a deep breathe. "So our focus is on Yuan Shu."

"Which puts us in serious danger." Xun added.

"As can be seen by the recent death of Wang Yun." Meng said quietly then thought on that a little more. "Who would want him silenced?"

"Lu Bu?" Xun suggested.

"Why would Sima Yi care about the racetrack?" Shang suddenly thought about that detail as she opened up the paper and began browsing the articles.

"Ma Teng." Meng said quietly. "He's going to try and destroy your father. When that happens, a rather lucrative business will open up."

"Ma Teng." Xun said quietly. "That name is familiar."

"He tried to assassinate Cao Cao." Meng said quietly. "He and Liu Bei, but it failed."

"So I guess I know who tipped off the ATF to the moon shiner's haven at Chang Ban. My book club president, Cao Cao." Shang said and then added. "Let me guess, Ma Teng was a member of the Populist Party."

"Yes." Meng said with a nod. "He grew up in poverty, he married a migrant worker and together they had half-breed children. Due to that he would never be welcomed by Society's snobs no matter how hard he worked. He worked the land, trained wild horses to race and farmed. Populists hated the railroads that hauled their grains to market and made them pay dearly for it and the banks that provided them with high interest loans. They were enslaved by those two necessary evils and lost most of their profits to them. I'm actually surprised they haven't made more attempts on Cao Cao's life."

"Awesome." Shang sighed. "Looks like I might have to dance with Cao Cao."

"Don't forget to give him back his book." Meng stood. "Last thing you want is to be indebted to him for anything."

"One more thing." Shang said and thought about Xiahou Dun's comments from earlier. "What does Zhang Jiao the magic man have to do with those people returning to Xu?"

Meng thought about it. "Zhang Jiao. I wrote an article trying to expose him as a fraud a couple of years ago. He used to perform some cheap parlor tricks for people and try to peddle some medicines and charms."

"Is it possible that he was involved with those people at Xu? Could he be the one who sold them on the idea that the land was worth something?"

Meng smiled. "Not only that, but I'm sure he actually sold those notes to the gullible and made a profit."