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h。 At once the shovel in Poon's hands whirled in an arc and crunched into the back of Dog…eared Chen's head and he collapsed with a sigh on top of Kin Pak。 The others laughed and one said； 〃Eeeee； you used that like a foreign devil cricket bat！ Good。 Is he dead？〃
Goodweather Poon did not answer； just looked at the last Werewolf； Smallpox Kin。 All their eyes went to him。 He stood rigid in the rain。 It was then that Goodweather Poon noticed the string tight around his neck。 He took up the flashlight and went over to him and saw that the other end was dangling down his back。 Weighing it down was a broken half…coin； a hole bored carefully into it。 It was a copper cash and seemed ancient。
〃All gods fart in Tsao Tsao's face！ Where did you get this？〃 he asked； beginning to beam。
〃My father gave it to me。〃
〃Where did he get it； little turd？〃
〃He didn't tell me。〃
〃Could he have got it from Number One Son Chen？〃
Another shrug。 〃I don't know。 I wasn't here when they killed him。 I'm innocent on my mother's head！〃
With a sudden movement Goodweather Poon ripped the necklace off。 〃Take him to the car；〃 he said to two of his fighters。 〃Watch him very carefully。 We'll take him back with us。 Yes； we'll take him back。 The rest of you fill up the grave and camouflage it carefully。〃 Then he ordered the last two of his men to pick up the blanket containing John Chen and to follow him。 They did so awkwardly in the darkness。
He trudged off toward the Sha Tin Road； skirting the puddles。 Nearby was a broken…down bus shelter。 When the road was clear he motioned to his men and they quickly unwrapped the blanket and propped the body in a corner。 Then he took out the sign that the Werewolves had made previously and stuck it carefully on the body。
〃Why're you doing that； Goodweather Poon； heya？ Why're you do… 〃
〃Because Four Fingers told me to！ How do I know？ Keep your fornicating mouth sh… 〃
Headlights from an approaching car rounding the bend washed them suddenly。 They froze and turned their faces away； pretending to be waiting passengers。 Once the car was safely past they took to their heels。 Dawn was streaking the sky； the rain lessening。
The phone jangled and Armstrong came out of sleep heavily。 In the half…darkness he groped for the receiver and picked it up。 His wife stirred uneasily and awoke。
〃Divisional Sergeant Major Tang…po； sir； sorry to wake you； sir； but we've found John Chen。 The Were… 〃
Armstrong was instantly awake。 〃Alive？〃
〃Dew neh loh moh no sir； his body was found near Sha Tin at a bus stop； a bus shelter； sir； and those fornicating Werewolves've left a note on his chest； sir： 'This Number One Son Chen had the stupidity to try to escape us。 No one can escape the Werewolves！ Let all Hong Kong beware。 Our eyes are everywhere！' He w… 〃
Armstrong listened； appalled； while the excited man told how police at Sha Tin had been summoned by an early…morning bus passenger。 At once they had cordoned off the area and phoned CID Kowloon。 〃What should we do； sir？〃
〃Send a car for me at once。〃
Armstrong hung up and rubbed the tiredness out of his eyes。 He wore a sarong and it looked well on his muscular body。
〃Trouble？〃 Mary stifled a yawn and stretched。 She was just forty； two years younger than he； brown…haired； taut； her face friendly though lined。
He told her； watching her。
〃Oh。〃 The color had left her face； 〃How terrible。 Oh； how terrible。 Poor John！〃
〃I'll make the tea；〃 Armstrong said。
〃No； no I'll do that。〃 She got out of bed； her body firm。 〃Will you have time？〃
〃Just a cuppa。 Listen to the rain 。。。 about bloody time！〃 Thoughtfully Armstrong went off to the bathroom and shaved and dressed quickly as only a policeman or doctor can。 Two gulps of the hot sweet tea and just before the toast the doorbell rang。 〃I'll call you later。 How about curry tonight？ We can go to Singh's。〃
〃Yes；〃 she said。 〃Yes； if you'd like。〃
The door closed behind him。
Mary Armstrong stared at the door。 Tomorrow is our fifteenth anniversary； she thought。 I wonder if he'll remember。 Probably not。 In fourteen times； he's been out on a case eight； once I was in hospital and the rest 。。。 the rest； were all right； I suppose。
She went to the window and pulled the curtains back。 Torrents of rain streaked the windows in the half…light； but now it was cool and pleasant。 The apartment had two bedrooms and it was their furniture though the apartment belonged to the government and went with the job。
Christ； what a job！
Rotten for a policeman's wife。 You spend your life waiting for him to e home； waiting for some rotten villain to knife him； or shoot him or hurt him … most nights you sleep alone or you're being woken up at all rotten hours with some more rotten disasters and off he goes again。 Overworked and underpaid。 Or you go to the Police Club and sit around with other wives while the men get smashed and you swap lies with the wives and drink too many pink gins。 At least they have children。
Children！ Oh God 。。。 I wish we had children。
But then； most of the wives plain about how tired they are； how exhausting children are； and about amahs and school and the expense 。。。 and everything。 What the hell does this life mean？ What a rotten waste！ What a perfectly rotten …
The phone rang。 〃Shut up！〃 she shrieked at it； then laughed nervously。 〃Mary Mary quite contrary where did your temper go？〃 she chided herself and picked the phone up。 〃Hello？〃
〃Mary； Brian Kwok； sorry to wake you but is Rob… 〃
〃Oh hello； dear。 No； sorry； he's just left。 Something about the Werewolves。〃
〃Yes； I just heard； that's what I was calling about。 He's gone to Sha Tin？〃
〃Yes。 Are you going too？〃
〃No。 I'm with the Old Man。〃
〃Poor you。〃 She heard him laugh。 They chatted for a moment then he rang off。
She sighed and poured herself another cup of tea； added milk and sugar and thought about John Chen。 Once upon a time she had been madly in love with him。 They had been lovers for more than two years and he had been her first。 This was in the Japanese Internment Camp in Stanley Prison on the south part of the island。
In 1940 she had passed the Civil Service exam in England with honors and after a few months had been sent out to Hong Kong； around the Cape。 She had arrived late in '41； just nineteen； and just in time to be interned with all European civilians； there to stay until 1945。
I was twenty…two when I got out and the last two years； we were lovers； John and I。 Poor John； nagged constantly by his rotten father； and his sick mother； with no way to escape them and almost no privacy in the camp； cooped up with families； children； babes； husbands； wives； hatred hunger envy and little laughter all those years。 Loving him made the camp bearable。 。。。
I don't want to think about those rotten times。
Or the rotten time after the camp when he married his father's choice； a rotten little harpy but someone with money and influence and Hong Kong family connections。 I had none。 I should have gone home but I didn't want home … what was there to go home to？ So I stayed and worked in the Colonial Office and had a good time； good enough。 And then I met Robert。
Ah； Robert。 You were a good man and g