“Are you always so grumpy first thing in the morning?” Helena said, both her hands raised, she walked deliberately out into the morning sunlight.
“I’ll be damned. That is a good disguise. I’m not even sure I would recognize you in the sunlight if you didn’t speak. Now you need to think of some way to disguise your voice. Make it deeper.”
“Like this?” Helena tried to mask her voice, making it sound more of a tenor from her natural alto, but she sounded more like a female impersonator than a female impersonator.
“We’ll need to work on that, or you could always play deaf and dumb,” Lane chuckled at his joke.
“And you don’t have to play dumb,” Helena took a swing at Lane’s midriff and caught him in the stomach by surprise. She blinked, surprised Lane’s stomach felt like a rock even when he wasn’t ready. She had to shake out her wrist after the punch.
“If you want to learn how to fistfight, I can teach you, but right now we need to head back up to the house Sigmund’s looking for you,” Lane turned and started walking to the main house.
“I know what we need to do today, we will need Bessie. Thanks for staying up last night getting her ready.”
“Machines are just like animals, they need to be taken care of. I was raised humans are the last ones to go to sleep, all the animals get taken care of first.”
“Next time you wash Bessie I want to help. I also want you to teach me how she works.”
“Sure thing,” Lane opened the servants’ door, and they both walked in.
“Look what I found looking over Bessie.”
Sigmund walked up, “Miss, please if you’re going to go walking around the grounds, let somebody know.”
“Miss Andrea knew I went to the barn, did you ask her?”
“No, I did not think to ask in the kitchen. I will not make that mistake again. I apologize. Now you had time to sleep on your decision where would you like to start the search this morning?”
“Yes, there is a Chinese Girls School in an alley near Montgomery and Jackson. It is run by Miss Tsang Mei I think we should start there.”
Sigmund didn’t ask where she got her information, but her idea sounded as good as any he had. “Very well, that sounds like an excellent first move. Lane do you know the area?”
“Course I do, that’s Chinatown.”
“Then I suggest you get Bessie ready, we will leave as soon as we are able, if Helena agrees,” Lane did half a salute before he left.
“I think it’s a great idea. The more we investigate, I have a growing foreboding that it is more than merely a missing friend.”
“I tend to agree with you. How are you feeling?”
“I was exhausted last night, this morning I feel energized. Can you tell the other staff to let Gertie and Wai Han rest in my room today? They stayed up late last night helping me prepare for today. When we find a chance, I would like to discuss the staff, their hours, their pay, and how we normally provide for them. I want to learn how the estate is run.”
“Of course, in all respects. I will handle the ladies in your room. Shall I meet you out front?”
“Yes,” Helena began to like the feeling of her new-found independence.
She almost grabbed a parasol as she went out the door, but instead looked at her dirty face under her flat-cap in the hall mirror. She barely recognized herself. “Wonder what other disguises I can come up with,” she said to herself.
She stepped outside when she heard Bessie coming down the path from the barn. In no time she had herself in the backseat waiting for Sigmund to join them. It would be a quick trip downtown.
Lane let them out at the corner of Montgomery and Jackson. “Don’t get lost. Let me find parking, and I’ll join you soon,” then Lane pulled off, leaving the pair in the hustle and bustle of downtown San Francisco on a bright sunny day. Helena beamed as she tried to take in every sight and sound going on around her, the horse traffic alone, more than she had ever seen. She never left the estate unless to visit someone else’s house for a dinner, a party, or some other occasion. It all amazed her, she’d missed so much.
They had been on the street less than a minute before the couple became swarmed by a mob of children, all patting their bodies, asking for money. Sigmund did his best to shoo the urchins off, but one of them found Missy’s locket before he scattered them. Helena beamed happily, she loved the children. In her mind, they were just a little younger than her and wanting to play. Then one of them screamed, the others ran while Helena turned to find that Sigmund had picked a tiny child up by the scruff of her neck and held her feet off the ground.
“Sigmund, what you doing? Don’t hurt her,” Helena hissed through her teeth, “People are looking.” People really weren’t looking that sort of thing happened all the time. The pickpockets would mob an unsuspecting tourist, or sailor or anyone that looked fresh off the boat and steal whatever they could. Pick them clean if they weren’t careful.
“Give it back, or I’ll snap your neck like a twig and take it off your dead body,” Sigmund directed towards the little girl. In a much calmer voice he looked at Helena, “She lifted the locket, if you ever want to find Missy, we will need that locket.”
“Set her down. Let me try, just keep her from running,” Sigmund did as ordered, the last thing he wanted was to have the police involved.
Helena started talking to the mousy little girl, kneeling to be at her level, “Honey I’m looking for a lost girl, and I need that locket to be able to find her. If you were lost, and somebody came looking for you wouldn’t you want them to have every chance of success? If you give me the locket, I will give you a dollar, does that sound like a fair trade?”
The silent little girl shook her head yes and rapidly produced the locket from one of the many folds concealed in her rags that passed as clothing.
Once Helena had the locket firmly in her grip, she turned her back to the street and put it somewhere no one would, be able to find it. Turning towards Sigmund, “Give her a dollar.”
He looked ready to complain but shrugged like that would be a battle for later. He produced a shiny silver dollar from a chained coin purse under his coat. The young girl grabbed it, and as soon as Sigmund loosened his grip, she ran off like a shot.
Helena turned seeing the group of children that had helped to rob her. “Sigmund, those children look hungry, we need to buy them some food.”
Lane came from around the corner and said, “What’d I miss?”
“You have come back in time to go feed those children,” Sigmund pointed to the group Helena had indicated, giving Lane a dollar to handle the cost.
Unknown to the trio no less than ten pairs of eyes watched the entire episode. Some watched from sewer grates, their actions noted.
Chinatown:
Helena grew angry by how rude the passersby acted, Lane started looking for the school by asking Westerners walking by about a Chinese Girls’ School. Most people passed without answering, those that did respond, didn’t know. After Lane failed, Sigmund, on the other hand, asked the first Chinese person, and they rattled off something Helena didn’t understand, but they pointed in the correct direction. Helena watched the two former soldiers, Lane bowing to Sigmund and motioning for him to take the point. It required two more inquiries, and they stood at the head the very dark alley.
Not wide enough for a wagon, Helena followed Sigmund down the narrow gap between structures, colorful laundry hung over their heads, like flags of celebration. No more than forty paces in the tunnel and it opened onto a small courtyard. Helena watched pony-tailed girls playing some sort of hopscotch-jump-rope-game, a thin line suspended between the four legs of two girls a third jumping patterns into the line with her feet.
“Stay behind me Miss until we find out if we’re in the right location,” Sigmund said.
Helena did her best to peek around Sigmund’s bulk. She could see what looked like a handsome white man with black curly hair sp
eaking to a gracefully dressed Chinese woman on the stairs leading into a building across the courtyard.
“Who’s that?” Helena asked.
“I’m not sure, but we will find out presently,” Sigmund led the way into the square with Helena following close behind. They hadn’t gone ten paces when the girls in front of them screamed and started running away, leaving their string lying on the ground.
“Good job Sigmund, you scared the little girls,” Helena said.
Before Sigmund replied, the pair heard a rapid-fire voice speaking Chinese with a furious tone coming from behind.
The couple spun around to face three aggressive men behind them, Helena instinctively getting behind Sigmund. “This can’t be good,” he said.
After a quick glance behind, “What do they want?” she asked, noticing that everyone had disappeared from the small yard.
Sigmund answered, “I’m not sure, but they don’t look pleased,” speaking to the three Chinese men, “I’m sorry, but I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“Where’s Lane?”
Before Sigmund could reply the three men rushed the pair, each carried a three-foot-long piece of wood meant for guiding cattle.
Both knelt into a fighting crouch. Helena thought: not very fair three against two, just before the man on the right cleaved straight down towards her head. Helena’s fencing training did her well, even without a saber she still had better footwork than her attacker. She glided to her right as her attacker overextended himself, with no weapon she tried to fight dirty and struck at his kidney with her bare fist. To her astonishment her fist didn’t hit flesh, but what felt like metal rings sewn into leather concealed by the attacker shirt.
“They have armor!” Helena shouted.
“I am well aware of that, go for their eyes.”
Entirely focused on her attacker, Helena never noticed that Sigmund had already disarmed one attacker, broken the arm of another, and bounded to her aid with the stolen sticks.
Helena saw her attacker’s eyes grow wide as Sigmund came up behind her, sticks in hand ready to thrash the man. Before he attacked, the bandit turned and retreated as fast as possible followed by the last assailant.
“I’d heard rumors the gangs down here wore medieval armor under their clothing I would’ve never guessed that was true,” Sigmund said.
“I’m more concerned about where Lane is. How did we lose him in the narrow alleyway? I paid such close attention to you I never saw him leave,” Helena said looking down the backstreet they had earlier walked down.
Before further discussion on Lane’s whereabouts happened, they heard the door close behind them. Turning and saw, the white man at the top of the stairs, pistol in hand, seven-pointed silver-star distinctly visible on his chest.
“Who are you? What do you want? And why did you just attack those Hop Sings?” the man holding the gun asked.
Helena stepped forward her clearly feminine voice breaking her disguise, “I might ask why you ran off as soon as we were attacked aren’t you supposed to be a police officer?”
“My first responsibility is for the children,” that she understood, “I am Detective Longstreet, I am here looking after some residents in my precinct. Now asking again, who are you? What do you want? And why did you attack those men?”
“Officer, my name is Sigmund, and I am employed by the Brandywine estate, this is my... ward, Hell... Manfred. And those men attacked us,” Sigmund said.
“Oh, you can give it a rest Sigmund, my disguise is ruined as soon as I open my mouth. I’ve got to learn how to speak differently. Officer, I’m Helena Brandywine, heir to the Brandywine estate, we are here for two reasons. First, a friend of mine has gone missing, and the second a friend of mine asked me to deliver a message for Miss Tsang Mei Yan who I presume runs the school behind you,” Helena said.
“Miss Helena, most police officers, are not to be trusted, they are typically bought and paid for by politicians,” Sigmund whispered.
“You know I can hear you?” Doyle holstered his pistol and about to wave them up when the door behind him burst open.
The Chinese woman he had been speaking to rushed through the door. “I am Tsang Mei Yan. Please come in so you can give me my message.”
Doyle said, “I was about to say that.”
Both Helena and Sigmund heard a shuffling noise coming from behind. They both witnessed Lane walking down the alley holding a handful of bamboo skewers each piercing bite-size chunks of meat, busy devouring one as he entered the courtyard. “What’d I miss?” he mumbled from around a mouthful of barbecue.
“Must you always be stuffing your face?” Sigmund asked.
“You missed a fight. We won,” Helena added.
“If he’s your friend, bring him as well,” Doyle waved them all into the school.
They were led into a small one-room apartment. The seven girls huddled in the back corner until Miss Tsang Mei Yan in perfect English said, “It’s all right these people are friends,” she then translated it into Cantonese. Given the all clear, the girls swarmed the Westerners all wanting to practice their English. The four instantly hit with rapid questions such as, ‘where are you from, how old are you, and what your name.’ The group also learned every student’s age, English, and Chinese name, and how much they liked America, all in about the span of thirty seconds. Miss Tsang gave the students free rein and then shooed them back to their seats so they could begin practicing their writing.
“Please take a seat,” Miss Tsang motioned as she went about fixing some tea with a kettle on the small gas stove, “I am sorry I don’t have much to offer. Our school does not make much money,” she finally sat at the table placing her hands in her lap, “You said you had a message for me?”
Helena didn’t say anything until Sigmund nudged her leg, “Yes, I’m sorry. I am just amazed that you have done so much with these children. They are all wonderful. We found Lo Wai Han, she is safe at my house. She wanted us to let you know she is well and misses you.”
A wave of relief washed over Miss Tsang’s face, “I’m so glad you have been able to help her, she is such a brilliant child. It broke my heart when the Hop Sings came for her.”
“Hop Sings?” Sigmund asked.
“Those were the men you attacked. I hope they don’t realize who you are, or there might be a bounty on your heads before nightfall. I’m hoping they will keep the attack to themselves since they lost,” said Doyle.
“How can you tell who they are?” Helena asked.
Doyle pulled from his satchel his red notebook and began taking notes. “The white headbands signify the Hop Sings. I guess it makes them look scary, in Chinese culture white has the meaning of death or the demons. There’s a lot of Chinese culture I still don’t understand.”
“But why did they attack them?” Lane pointed at Helena and Sigmund with one of his empty skewers before reaching for another.
“I don’t think they came here for them. They have been trying to kidnap one of my students. She has recently turned sixteen and has no family to protect her.”
“Why would three men need a sixteen-year-old girl?” Helena wished she hadn’t asked the question, remembering the story that Wai Han had told her. A look of disgust filled her face before she angrily pointed the finger at Doyle, “Why don’t you do something to protect these people?”
“That’s why I’m here, I’d learned they might strike. Miss Tsang, you must go to one of the other Tongs and ask for protection. The only way the Hop Sings will leave you alone is if they feel it will start a war to bother with you,” Doyle reached for Mei Yan’s hand as he tried to convince her.
“The only Tongs influential enough to compete with the Hop Sings would be the Suey Sings. They can be nearly as bad as the Hop Sings, they may want to take the girls to sell as well,” Miss Tsang said.
“Why won’t the police protect these children?”
“There’s no profit in it. Chi
nese can’t vote, so why would the politically controlled police force want to risk their lives to protect non-voters? I’m not here as a policeman, I’m here as a friend. I tried to gather support from the department, they threw me out of the Chief’s Office. The Aldermen won’t touch this, as far as they’re concerned this is a Chinese problem,” Longstreet said.
“This isn’t right. This isn’t fair. These people need protection. I have a temporary solution if Miss Tsang will accept it,” Helena said.
“What do you propose?”
“I will provide temporary security until we can move you to a more secure location. I will collect money, or pay for it out of my pocket, for the Brandywine Chinese School for Girls. This can’t be allowed to happen, and Sigmund before you stop me, I still think the Brandywine name has some power when it comes to donations.”
“No Miss, I think you have come up with a wonderful idea. I think your parents would be very proud,” Sigmund said.
“Miss Tsang, do you agree?” Helena asked.
“I, I don’t know what to say,” Miss Tsang said.
“Say yes,” Doyle said.
“Then yes, on one condition. I hate to ask a favor, but the Hop Sings are after only one girl now. I would feel much happier if she could be taken out of this environment and move somewhere safer.”
“Of course, we can take her to my house where she can stay until you feel the school is safe for her to return. Even though we will take her with us, I still think you require some added security until our name is on your new building. Sigmund, can you arrange some Pinkerton men? Armed Pinkerton men will guard the school until things are finalized.”
“It might take a few hours, but I will find some guards. Lane can I trust you not to get lost attempting to feed your stomach while I handle this. You will now be guarding Helena alone, please don’t lose her,” Sigmund said.
Lane grunted and nodded continuing to gnaw on the meat. At the same time, Helena said, “Women! I forgot about Missy. We are here looking for someone. I know she used to spend a lot of time in Chinatown, and the Coast. I hoped you might give us some information as to where she might be,” Helena pulled the locket out of her bindings and slid the open jewelry towards Miss Tsang.
Pretty Waiter Girls Page 5
