Li was impassive. He nodded and went out into the corridor and straight down to Chen’s office. Margaret looked to Lily for illumination. “What’s going on?”

“Deputy Section Chief Li in bi-ig trouble,” she said happily. “I come pick you up. Been waiting very long time.”

“Yeah, well, you can just wait a little longer,” Margaret snapped at her.

The Needle and his lawyer sat in soft seats by the window. The lawyer was young, perhaps thirty, one of the new breed of legal eagles cashing in on recent changes in the justice system allowing accused persons legal representation at an earlier stage in proceedings. He was confident and cocky, wearing a sharp suit and an expensive haircut. The Needle eyed Li with a slow-burning hatred. Chen sat behind his desk, his face grey and severe.

Li gave The Needle and his lawyer a friendly nod. “You wanted to see me, Chief?”

“Serious allegations, Li, have been made against you by this gentleman and his legal representative,” Chen said gravely. He did not invite Li to sit.

Li raised his eyebrows in surprise. “What allegations are those?”

The lawyer said, “That you coerced my client into accompanying you to the Beijing Workers’ Stadium. That you put a single round in the barrel of a revolver, placed that revolver against my client’s head and repeatedly pulled the trigger until he told you what you wanted to know.”

Li laughed. “You’re kidding me. A revolver?” He looked at Chen. “You know we haven’t used revolvers since the year dot, Chief. We use semi-automatic pistols that are only issued to officers on your specific authority.” Chen visibly relaxed. “And what possible information could I coerce from him that as a concerned citizen he wouldn’t be perfectly willing to volunteer?”

“You bastard!” The Needle hissed, and his lawyer placed a restraining hand on his arm.

“You did go to the Workers’ Stadium, though?” Chen asked.

“Sure. But there was nothing coercive about it. I went to the Hard Rock Café and asked him if I could have a word. Must have been two hundred witnesses in the place saw him walk out with me of his own free will. We went to the stadium for some privacy, because he wasn’t too keen on being seen in public talking to a cop.” He turned towards The Needle. “Something about street cred, you said, wasn’t it?”

The Needle glared back at him. His lawyer said, “There was a witness.”

Li frowned. “A witness?” Then, “Oh, you mean ‘observer.’ Dr. Campbell is an American pathologist helping us with a case.”

“Where is she, Li?” Chen demanded.