Chapter 8 – When things get weirder
The investigations of the theft of the vase were not going very well. However Leon's intuition said it was better to find clues in Chinatown. Leon wasn't a detective, much less FBI agent. His job was to patrol, arrest criminals, face shooting… Maybe if he was promoted, maybe he could participate in investigations. But even so he wouldn't stop doing what he wanted.
When Leon decided to visit Ada at 20:00h (8 p.m.) in her apartment in Chinatown, he saw a Philippine man knocking in her door. He decided to walk until the half of the stairs to a floor above Ada's, so he could be hidden from the man.
Ada opened the door and said:
- What?
- Han and a friend called Yuri want to see you now. Come on, I'll take you in my car.
- Be right back.
Ada took her jacket, left the house, locked the door and went down the stairs of the building.
Leon went downstairs and made a huge effort to not be seen. There, in that building in the corner of Mulberry street and Bayard street, there was a light blue car, a Ford Crown Victoria 1980.
He memorized the license plate. When the car started to move, he looked for a taxi as fast as he could. It is very difficult to take a taxi in Chinatown. The streets were always full of normal cars, trucks for the little markets, groceries stores in all over the neighborhood.
When miraculously appeared a cab, Leon asked the drive to make the same path of the car, and when he found the car, he asked the driver to follow the car he was pointing. The distance was not too far. The car stopped in the Grand Street, in the Lower East Side. Leon forced the driver to stop the car 15 meters from the philippine man's car. The driver got annoyed and started asking questions. Leon just got his badge and showed to the driver, saying "don't ask".
The drive understood immediately and got quiet. Ada and the fat philippine entered a building, while Leon was looking for a place where he could hide and wait for the moment that Ada would come back. There was a grocery store nearby and he went there. In the magazine section, he picked up a travel magazine and tried to read.
Half an hour later, Leon no longer could stand read about Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey… Then, Ada and the philippine man appeared to enter the car again. Unfortunately, there wasn't a taxi nearby, making him miss the car at sight. He got angry for the fact he doesn't use his car as often as he should use. Plus, his father was always complaining about how much he loses points in his license. Leon had his license because of luck, because he was always losing points.
He managed to take a cab and gave Ada's address to the driver. The driver drove until the address. At this moment, Leon was already thinking that Ada would be in her apartment again. He went upstairs, knocked on Ada's door and she appeared. However he didn't know what to think. What if Ada has a lover? What if Ada is a prostitute with a pimp? Who was that guy? So many possibilities…
- Hi, love – he said. He tried to look as normal as possible.
- Leon – Ada said a little in chock – I wasn't expecting you today.
- I know. I came to visit you, make a surprise… I missed you – Leon put his hands on Ada's waist, smiling more than normal. – By any chances, are you going out right now? You're wearing shoes, jacket… - Leon was hoping Ada didn't suspect anything, despite his needs of taking any information of her.
- Oh, yes… Actually, I came back from the streets about few minutes. I still didn't take off my shoes – she said a little nervous – I was visiting a friend – she said trying to look calm, as Leon was trying to do too. Ada closed the main door right behind Leon, and pointed the couch for him to sit.
Leon sat on the couch and waited for Ada say anything. He was worried about the place she went and he wasn't looking like a boyfriend, but a strange person who smiles all the time, waiting for a reaction.
- Do you want coffee? There is some in the coffee bottle. I think it's still hot – Ada said while she was stand between the TV and the center table in front of Leon.
- Yes, I do! Shall I go in the kitchen with you or should I stay here? – he asked
- You can stay here.
- Ok. Coffee with sugar, please – he smiled.
Ada went to the kitchen and prepared the coffee to Leon, while he was thinking how to mention the philippine guy. She came back and gave a brown ceramic mug to Leon. He took the mug, took a sip of the sweet coffee and said:
- You live in a apartment full of foreigners neighbors, huh. When I was walking up the stairs, I saw a fat guy that didn't seem to be Chinese… or American. I think he was Indian… Or Indonesian, something like that… But he wasn't Chinese. – he smiled and took a sip of his coffee.
Ada froze inside herself. She didn't want to say anything about P.J.
- Really? Well, I guess he doesn't live in this building. Or maybe he's a new neighbor, or friend of someone, I don't know. To be honestly, I don't know my neighbors very well, even the ones from upstairs.
Leon said an "humph" and came back to drink his coffee. However Ada didn't want to Leon to ask more question, so she decided to distract him with something that distracts all men: seduction. She sat at his right side (in this case, in his left side by her point of view), she took his mug from hid hand while he said a "hey, why are you doing this?", put the mug in the center table, held his face and kissed him. Quickly put her hand in his left thigh and slipped her hand in the inner part of his thigh. On impulse, Leon's body reacted with a little leap as he kissed her.
- Ada…
- Your breath taste like coffee – she interrupted - But I can take it. – She smiled while petting his face – I missed you too – she kissed him.
Leon thought in something to say, but he was too involved in that moment.
- I remembered something – she said after stopping roughly kissing him.
- What?
- Leon ... You'll have to promise me you won't come visit me without telling me before.
- Why not?!
- Leon! - She raised her palm up and showed the room. - The house is a mess! I don't want you to see this mess again!
Leon felt it was a well-disguised excuse about Ada have gone out with that Philippine man.
- So you're admitting that you hide from others your dirty things? That you are lazy to clean?
- More or less. Leon, I am half American, half Chinese. I can't have you in my apartment in this whole mess!
Leon got serious, thoughtful. Ada was serious, hoping that Leon was understandable.
- Okay. - He said.
She smiled. Hugged him and started kissing his neck.
- Can I ask you something? - Ada said
- What?
- Let's dine out? Please! I really wanted to go to a Japanese restaurant. But you'll have to pay, because I have no money.
- Okay. Which Japanese restaurant in this Chinese neighborhood pleases you most?
- None. I want to go to Kamisama, which is not in Chinatown. Please… - she bit slightly Leon's neck – sometimes, I feel so alone here – she said almost sad – it's depressing – She laid her head on Leon's shoulder.
He closed his eyes and threw all hid thoughts to the back of his mind. He kissed Ada's forehead and said:
- Of course. But if this is all a punishment because I saw your messy apartment, I will punish you too.
- Only if you punish me the way I want – she grinned and went to change her clothes.
Leon and Ada went in the restaurant Ada asked. It was one of these restaurants that sells Chinese and Japanese food and despite not being in Chinatown, it had a more typical and expensive decoration than any other restaurant in Chinatown. Maybe the money well spent on a decoration really modifies all the comfort of the place. It was well lit, it has a glass fountain in the entrance, paper lanterns, yellowish lighting… At that time, Leon had forgotten why he was so suspicious about Ada. He just enjoyed the moment with his girlfriend while eating sushis, sashimis and other foods.
While eating, one of the photographers of the restaurant asked to take a picture of them. Ada tried to deny, but Leon insisted He was sitting in front of Ada but he pulled a chair of a lonely table and put the chair at Ada's side. He sat, put his arm around her waist. As a result, the photographer took the photo.
Few days later, there was a report in the police department about a picture of U$30.000 that was stolen from an auction. Leon knew that by the police and by an article in the New York Times wrote by Alyssa Ashcroft The police had eyes wide open to all the thefts of art pieces.
Returning from the cinema, Leon and Ada walked down an deserted street when Leon broke the silence saying:
- Ada… You already know my dad. When I going to meet your parents?
Ada got serious.
- Well, maybe, when we go to Shanghai one day then you will meet them. If you have patience, maybe one day, who knows?
- Okay. It's that… I'll always imagining if your father is one of that tough fathers, if he will threat me or something… - he gave a shy smile.
- Own – she grinned – if you want, I can tell him I'm the man in this relationship. Then you can skip to the part where you talk about wedding and children with my family… You know, these things you like.
Leon stopped walking and stared to Ada. She couldn't get serious so she started to chuckle.
- I'm sorry, but when a roaches, or a centipede appears, it doesn't seem I'm the woman in the relationship, you don't think like that. Neither in the times you keep begging me some things – Leon mocked.
Ada got resigned to his answer; despite keep grinning to him, that happy moment didn't last long. In little time, an armed thief appeared to rob Leon and Ada. He was right behind them and began to ask quickly for them to raise their hands and keep stand still as much as possible.
Leon knew that his gun was hidden in his back but that was a situation where he was unable to get the gun. He would have to disarm the thief.
- Pass the money! Pass the money! – the thief was wearing a gray sweat coat and he kept shaking his revolver whenever he asked for something.
- Easy, easy! I'm gonna get my wallet, ok? Please… - Leon said – Please, don't shoot.
- Come on! What do you think? That I have all the time in the world, motherfucker? Pass the money! Pass before I…
In this time, the thief pulled Ada's arm to use her as a human shield. However Ada reacted and gave a punch in the thief's face. When she was about to take his gun, the thief held Ada's hands, in a way he was about to pull the trigger against her. Leon wasn't reacting properly. He didn't know what to do; he picked his gun.
- Drop the gun RIGHT NOW! You're arrest! – Leon screamed.
But it wasn't enough to make the thief to drop his gun. Ada tried to hit him with her head, tried to twist his wrist, but the thief was stronger than she thought. And, unfortunately, in that fast moment the thief shoot and this shot hit Leon Kennedy.
- Leon! – Ada screamed when she saw Leon falling in the ground without realizing where the shot hit. She no longer worried about to the thief.
The thief started to run away. Shoot in Manhattan would make everyone wake up. He ran until he was out of sight, going to a subway station.
Ada quickly fell down on her knees, already crying too much. She turned Leon's body in a way his face would be looking to the sky. A lot of blood was coming out of Leon. Fortunately, the bullet grazed Leon's shoulder. But the pain and the burning sensation he felt was enough to make him wince. In addition, Leon felt so unable to stand up due his shock of the shot. He felt the shot hitting his shoulder, but the sound of the shot made and seeing a gun pointing to him was like he would be close to death.
- Leon, are you ok?! – Ada was so worried, her hands were shaking.
- Yes – and then he fainted.
In the Lower Manhattan Hospital, a doctor was already finished of taking care of Leon's shoulder. His shirt and his coat were destroyed where the shot hit. Despite washing his hands in the hospital, his clothes were still dirty of blood. And he had no choice but to go home and change clothes. Ada was waiting in the corridor waiting for Leon. She was thoughtful, almost crying.
The doctor had said that the shot almost hit the intersections of the humerus and the scapula. Leon gave a smile of relief, but he couldn't stop thinking about something: how much scared he was of losing Ada. He is a police officer and most of times he is not scared of anything during his work, but to see Ada in that situation made him almost panicked. The fright of taking a shot and fainted were the results of the possibility to see Ada Wong death in front of him. Or maybe himself dying.
But one thing Leon started to wonder: where Ada learned to fight like that?
When Leon left the room, he walked towards Ada. His shoulder was bandaged.
- So… Let's go home? – she asked.
- No, Ada. I want to go to the police department. I need to look for this thief in the files, I need to talk about the whole thing… I need to do something. But before that, I can take you home, I just…
- No, Leon. You don't have to. I'm going home. Go to the police department, do what you want to do – she said a little sad.
- Hm, ok. Oh, I remembered something. How did you learn to fight like that? – he asked surprised.
- Oh, Leon… - Ada smiled – I am a daughter of a oriental man, right? I learned how to survive in this world.
- Hm – Leon accepted that answer.
After few days, there had been a progress on the picture theft in the auction case. There was a report about a Chinese man called Han Yang. He lives in a penthouse in a building in Grand Street, in the Lower East Side. When Kevin told Leon about it, the handsome blond cop didn't know how to react. It was exactly the same building he saw Ada and that fat philippine man entering. And joining the sketch of the suspect of the theft of the vase, things got weirder. One part of his brain was saying Ada wasn't capable of doing such things. But one part of his brain was saying she was behind all that.
The police sent detective Sommers along with Lieutenant Richard Woods to interrogate Han. Detective Sommers is a good friend of Leon and he was always saying things about some investigations.
When detective Sommers and Lieutenant Woods went to Han's penthouse, they were well welcomed. The penthouse was huge and in the upper floor there was a huge greenhouse. The apartment has its luxury. It was easy to see Han's passion for arts. Lieutenant Woods and detective Sommers noticed how Han was always using sarcasm, as if he was very irritated inside.
After Sommers passed all the information to Leon of the cases and his visit to Han's penthouse, and about the connection of Chineses behind that, Leon felt a little bit of concern and disappointment. Why Ada?
Now he had to worry about whether people would find out it was her. And what would happen if they found out? Would Leon be accused of complicity?! Would this cost his job?
Leon avoided talking on the phone with Ada. And she preferred to visit him than he visiting her. Leon mentioned about the cases of the theft of art pieces with her. He mentioned in a sad and serious way. Almost like a disguised warning. Ada started to giving excuses of how busy she was because of her new shift in the cinema she works. Little by little, one was avoiding the other.
Although it sounds stupid, Leon was feeling like Batman dating Catwoman and only found out about these things in a critical point; the cop and the thief. However he didn't want to say in Ada's face that she was a thief.
