Ming, Ken and James Thomas saunter down the stairs and through into the main reception room. Arthur is talking with Aaron Thomas, who appears cross.
Aaron Thomas: Nevertheless, I would have expected your fellow officers to greet the owner of the property before they started rifling through his daughter's possessions and asking peremptory questions. I am starting to have grave concerns about involving your unit at all.
Arthur shoots a pleading expression to the rest of you.
Outside...
Nic approaches the bushes warily. His shouts seem to have some effect, however, and an indistinct figure bolts from their hiding place and tries to leap up the garden wall. The attempt is completely botched, and the figure falls and twists an ankle. As Nic moves closer, he notices a lens cap lying in the brush where the figure was hidden. Nic stops a few paces away, and sees a man in a balaclava, with an expensive camera on a strap around his neck.
Inspector Huang sighs. He does not like being the faceman of the team right now, but he doesn't have much choice here.
Huang: Mr. Thomas. I apologize for not making your acquaintance earlier. My name is Inspector Ken Huang. You've already met Arthur Lee. My other partner is Li Ming Shi. Nic Bennet is currently conducting his part of the investigation outside, and should be with us shortly concerning what he's found. Your brother was the first one to make our acquaintance, and he was the one who led us to your daughter's room. Arthur was given the task of talking with you concerning Mingxia, and in particular what you heard from her, while we pursued other leads.
If we have offended you by taking a somewhat unorthodox approach to the investigation, then let me be the first to apologize.
Aaron looks slightly mollified, but it's clear he's still rather cross. James looks slightly sheepish.
Aaron Thomas: All the same, it is only polite to introduce yourself to the owner of the house when entering. And while I commend your zeal, surely anything of interest there would have been uncovered during the first investigation?
He seems to slump.
I'd nearly given up hope. When I heard her voice, I thought- I thought we'd get her back. Please don't let me lose that hope.
Outside, Nic points his cane authoritatively at the man in the balaclava, and lifts his shirt to show the badge on his belt. He approaches quickly, standing just out of reach from the figure, and keeping an eye out for any fast moves from his injured target.
Nic: Police! I need you to take off the mask, and I need to see some identification, slowly! Then I need you to keep your hands where I can see them. Then, tell me in excruciating detail what you're doing here on this property. If you manage all that without irritating me further, I'll get you someone to look at that ankle, and just possibly might not arrest you. Got it, amigo?
Nic shouts back over his shoulder towards the house, without taking his eyes off the "perp":
Nic: Hey, Arthur! We got uninvited company out here!
Huang remembers something. He sighs, rolls his eyes and smacks the side of his own head.
Huang: (correcting himself) Ni Ming Shi. I usually just call her Ming. Easier to remember.
He shakes his head sadly. He hates coming off as an idiot.
Huang: I must have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Apart from the phone number thing, nothing's going right for me today.
Huang pulls out the notepad with the number and reads it off to Aaron.
Huang: We found this number while going through her internet history. How CIS missed it, I have no clue, but it wasn't in our file. That's why your brother popped in earlier asking about bills. Now, I will be giving you a receipt for the --
And then he hears Nic yell something about uninvited company. And with that, he swings into action.
Huang: Stay where you are. I'll handle this.
And with that, Huang advances toward where Nic has cornered the intruder, ready to pull his gun if he should be armed.
The figure holds his hands up, then slowly strips off his balaclava to reveal a young but drawn Chinese face with a scruffy goatee and dyed blond hair.
Intruder: I was just taking pictures, you know? Thought I could get a scoop if there was new movement on the case. But when you guys showed up, there was a new angle- something like 'Police Snub Tycoon - Freak show assigned to missing persons case'. Got some lovely pictures of you watching fish.
He holds up a business card
Intruder: Benny Wei, Hong Kong Enquirer.
Huang storms out of the house, vaulting over the Goldwing and towards where he sees Nic standing just outside the cover of trees. He bursts through a bush, scattering leaves everywhere, into the tableau.
Nic takes the card from Benny's hand, slipping it into his pocket. He doesn't look over at Huang and Ming as they pop from the bushes, but he points towards Huang as he stares down at the photographer.
Nic: Benny, this is Inspector Huang. He's not happy to see you. He doesn't like reporters getting in his business, and his hand is probably hovering near his sidearm. So, your choices are, either tell me everything you know or have heard about this case, and release all your pictures to the lovely Officer Ming immediately, or I'm going to turn this interrogation over to the inspector, here. Right after I tell him that you just referred to him as a "freak".
Nic: Oh, and I'll need a piece of your hair.
Nic quickly reaches out and plucks a few stray blonde hairs from Benny's head, putting them in a small plastic pouch.
Nic: (holding up the pouch) It's just this little thing I do. Now, start talking.
Right on cue, Inspector Huang directs one of his steel-hard glares Benny's way. He sincerely hopes that he will not have to raise his voice or get rough with Benny. But Huang has never liked the media on general principle, and this shutterbug/trespasser on private property has put him in a seriously bad mood.
Don't think you can come the heavy with me, either. A little trespassing is hardly a capital offence, and you and I both know that regular HK police don't carry guns-
His eyes stray to Huang's holster. He raises an eyebrow.
On the other hand, maybe I've been too hasty in dismissing three fine police officers. If you'll give a moment to rewind the film, I'll gladly hand it over.
Nic: (to Benny) You're a reasonable man, Benny, and I like that about you.
Nic steps very close to Huang and Ming, speaking quietly so that only they can hear.
Nic: First of all, the girl is being held captive, alone, in a small room. Obviously against her will, so she didn't just run off, she was definitely taken. I can't see where she is, but it can't be too far from here. She doesn't seem hurt, but I only got a quick glimpse. I think we need to check out the area where she disappeared for clues.
Second of all, if we don't want this Wei guy printing anything about us, I can put a whammy on him. (Nic wiggles his fingers.) Make him believe it'd be bad for his career to get involved in this story. But, on the other hand, if we actually want him to post something tantalizing in tonight's news about us and our investigation, but without much detail, maybe we'll draw some bad guys out of hiding to check us out.
Nic gives a little excited jump and snaps his fingers even before his companions can answer.
Nic: Oh! And the pendant! Has some hair in it that matches the hair of one of Mingxia's friends. I don't know what it means, but we also definitely need to talk to this girl, and find out what her part in this whole episode is. At the very least, she'd know if anything odd had happened to Mingxia before the disappearance.
Nic frowns and looks around.
Nic: Hey, where's Arthur? (Smiles impishly.) Think he'd mind if I took his bike?
Huang keeps his own voice low so Benny can't hear.
Huang: At least we know Mingxia is still alive. That means that there's still hope of getting her back. Our next stop should be the scene of her disappearance. Arthur should be able to put his special skills to use.
Huang gives a hard look to the media guy, then turns back to Nic, still keeping a low voice.
Huang: I do not want anything in the papers about us or this case. Especially anything by him. He has shown no respect for us or Mr. Thomas. And the last thing that Mr. Thomas needs right now is to get hounded by the goddamn media about his daughter.
Nic turns towards Wei as he slips one of his necklaces out from under his shirt collar. The small, polished wooden disk on the end of the necklace has a looping pictograph burnt into its surface. Nic casually rubs this pendant with his fingertips as he speaks to Benny. He stares directly into Benny's eyes, and speaks clearly and firmly.
Nic: Benny Wei, you will NOT, under any circumstances, impart any information at all, through any method of communication, about us or this investigation, to anyone except us.
Nic slips the necklace back into his shirt. Nic turns towards Ming and Huang.
Nic: I know it doesn't seem like much, but that command ought to keep him in line. It's like a Jedi mind trick.
Nic waves his hand infront of the two officers and smiles.
Nic: These aren't the droids you're looking for. Move along.
Nic: Now, what are we gonna do with him? Throw him back?
Ming's mouth curls into an impish smile as she watches Huang walk back to the house. Then she sprints back to the sedan in the driveway, and climbs into the driver's seat. After a few seconds of fiddling with wires, she has the radio blasting psychodelic House music, and is revving the engine with wild abandon.