Tuesday

Kim turned his head toward Danny and said nothing. For a moment he looked into Danny’s eyes. He slid the door on the glass case closed and yelled something in Chinese. From the back, a man answered in the same language. “Please follow me, “ said Kim.
He led Danny and Davy out of the front door of his store and to the next door which was an intricately carved and gilded portal. They entered. The inside was a beautiful room filled with Chinese art. On the front wall was a magnificent Buddha surrounded by small offerings. Seated in front of the statue was an old man and two women obviously in prayer. The room was as solemn as any of the cathedrals Danny and Davy had seen. Kim motioned the two to sit in one of the seats at the back of the room. While they took their seats, Kim lit an incense stick and stood it in a small vase on the wall.
“I have no idea how you know these things. I also have no idea why you would be concerned. We are not your people. I would guess this is first time either of you have been in a Buddhist temple.”
Danny and Davy nodded. Then Danny said, “Must one be Buddhist to realize the beauty it has to offer?”
For a full minute, Kim said nothing. Then, he looked at the two visitors and asked, “Why do you concern yourselves with our problems?”
“If I asked, would you not concern yourself with problems we might have?”
“You preacher man, you know that is our way.”
“Mr. Kim, can it not be our way also?”
Kin looked Davy in the eye then squeezed his hand. “Come, I will show you.”
“Kim led the two to a place on the north wall of the temple. He pointed to a charred area and said, “up until last week a small statue of the Buddha sat in a cove right here. We came in one morning and this is what we saw. The Buddha was over a thousand years old. What kind of monster would do such a thing?”
Danny looked at Davy. Neither tried to answer.
“Can you tell us anything about these people?”
“What? They come in, demand money and when I say no, they destroy things. I give them money, they want more. When I say have no more, they do this. Nothing else to tell.” Kim reached in his pocket and pulled out a business card. “Ask him. I do what is right. I tell police. Police do nothing. Ask him.”
Danny and Davy both shook the man’s hand and left.
“We didn’t say we were going to do anything,” said Davy as they walked to the car.
“Let’s see what this Detective says, because Kim really didn’t tell us anything.”
Danny called the Detective and they agreed to meet at the precinct house.
The two Pastors introduced themselves.
The detective did little more than grunt to acknowledge the two. “Reverend West filled me in on your concerns and I am aware of the problem. Now, what can I do for you?”
“I guess my question, Detective, is what can we do to help?”
The man looked surprised. “You want to help?”
“We would like to.”
“You ever hear of the Sing Wa?”
“No sir,” answered Danny.
“The Sing Wa is probably responsible for a couple of dozen deaths a year right here in town. And you know how many convictions we’ve got? How many convictions we’ve ever got?”
Both Danny and Davy shook their heads.
“Not a damn one.”
“You people probably have some notion that these Chinese punks are just another street gang. Something like the Sharks and the Jets. Let me tell you, these ain’t the Sharks and they ain’t the Jets and this ain’t West Side Story. The Sing Wa are smart. They don’t get caught and they don’t leave witnesses. My advice to you is to head home and do prayafying or whatever it is preachers do.”
Wrong thing to say to Davy, thought Danny.
“Thank you, Detective, and I appreciate your advice. Just a couple of questions and we have to go. I have baptisms going on and I wouldn’t want the people to drown. Where would we find these, what did you call them, Sing Wa?”
“They’re smart, but they’re like the rest of the street punks. Just follow the drug trail.”
Davy had looked the man in the eye since he made the ‘preacher’ comment. He continued to stare. “And just where would that trail be?”
“Just go down Canal, there’s a house. You’ll know it.”
“Thank you, Detective, for your hospitality. I ‘spect we best jus’ mosey on along.” Bastard, thought Davy.
As they walked out of the station, Davy looked at Danny. “Well, that was a royal waste of time. I can see why Mr. Kim feels so confident about the police. They’re not going to do squat.”
“I assume we are.”
“Oh yes, we are,” smiled Davy. “We’ll drive down Canal. That detective said we would know the Sing Wa when we saw them. I have absolutely no idea what he meant, but let’s just ride.”