The meeting took place in a private, soundproofed conference room at the Jade Palace casino.
The air in the room was cool. It smelled like polished wood, leather chairs, and the faint trace of cigarette smoke that had been scrubbed out of the walls. The lights were low. They came from a long crystal fixture above the table. The light was warm and yellow. It made the surface of the mahogany table shine.
I sat at the head of a long mahogany table, wearing a sharp, tailored suit. The fabric was smooth against my skin. The jacket pulled slightly across my shoulders. The cuff of my shirt was crisp.
Vivian Chau, the casino manager and our primary laundering asset, sat to my right, projecting an aura of legitimate corporate wealth. Her perfume was subtle. Floral and clean. She smelled expensive. The leather portfolio in front of her made a soft sound when she set it down.
