Half the World Away - страница 39

Peter Dunne, the consul, is balding and tanned, with short silver hair and a close-clipped beard. He wears a white chambray shirt, open at the collar, and black trousers. Wire-rimmed glasses. Some citrus type of cologne. His greeting is warm and sympathetic as he shakes hands and checks that everything is OK with our accommodation.

We meet in a private lounge on the ground floor of the hotel. He orders tea, asking if we want black or green. We choose green. It is grassy and refreshing.

He checks his watch and explains we’re expected at the police station in an hour.

‘There are some things we can sort out now before we meet the police,’ Peter Dunne says. ‘You’ve arranged to have posters and leaflets printed?’

‘Yes,’ Tom says. ‘We’ve draft copies here.’ He pats ‘the file’, the growing sheaf of papers related to Lori’s disappearance. ‘Just need to email the document to the printer and they’ll do them for us overnight.’

‘May I see?’ Peter Dunne says.

Tom finds a copy and Peter Dunne reads it through. It’s similar to the text on the Missing Overseas website, but also gives a number for the PSB, the Chinese police, that Edward at Missing Overseas found for us.

‘Good,’ Peter Dunne says. ‘And you’ve got an interpreter for yourselves?’

‘Yes,’ Tom says. ‘Missing Overseas have found someone for us. We’re meeting him this afternoon.’

‘I’ve brought you a city map,’ Peter Dunne says. ‘It’s in English as well as Mandarin – there are useful numbers and so forth on the back.’ He unfolds it and shows us the three ring roads. Points to where we are, near the second.

‘Thank you,’ I say. ‘We want to talk to Lori’s friends. Dawn’s getting people together for us this evening.’

‘Excellent,’ Peter Dunne says. ‘My understanding is that the police have already spoken to them and we should hear about that in the meeting. I would like to stress that the police will be in charge of the investigation and they will determine the direction of enquiries. Anything you feel might be relevant, please tell me and I’ll pass it on to the investigator.’

‘Yes,’ I say. ‘Also we want to visit Lori’s flat.’

‘Of course. I’ll explain that to the PSB.’

‘We’ve heard nothing from them in all this time,’ Tom says, ‘apart from the fact that they checked her apartment-’

‘Hopefully anything further they do know will be made clear,’ Peter Dunne says. ‘Had there been any breakthroughs, I can assure you we would have heard and you would have been informed. If you will address any concerns, queries and so on through me, we can ensure things go as smoothly as possible and that nothing gets lost in translation, as it were.’ His voice is light, his manner gracious, but there is warning in what he is saying. ‘The authorities are understandably cautious in cases like this. Imagine if the situation was reversed and a Chinese family came to the UK looking for their daughter. We would expect them to understand that the police are the investigating authority and have the resources, experience and, most importantly, the legal powers to undertake a comprehensive inquiry. And for the family to be guided by them as to campaigning activities.’

He adjusts his glasses, then tugs at his shirt cuffs. ‘The authorities are committed to resolving the situation. Chengdu is a growing city, a hub of economic development, eager to welcome overseas partnerships, foreign visitors and workers. They bend over backwards to extend hospitality to the international community so they’re understandably concerned that Lorelei is missing.’

‘What publicity has there been here?’ Tom says.

Peter Dunne twists his cup to and fro. ‘The consulate has issued an appeal for information.’

‘Where?’ Tom says.

‘On our website, on the Chamber of Commerce site and on English-speaking networking sites.’

‘How do people know it’s there? They have to visit these sites?’ Tom says.

‘Yes.’

‘Can’t we get it on television – in the papers?’ Tom says.

‘I hope so. That’s one of the matters we’ll discuss today,’ Peter Dunne says. ‘It’s a sensitive time. The anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre is coming up – twenty-five years.’