by Rhys Bowen
“Live in sin?”
“The brute never intended to marry her. He brought her over here as his concubine,” Mrs. McNamara said, hands on hips.
“I go to hell if I am with a man and not married to him. That is what nuns say.”
I put my hand on her arm. “That’s not true. If you were forced to do things you didn’t want to, then it’s not your fault. You won’t go to hell, I promise you.”
She gave me a sad smile. “When man come to mission and say that rich Chinaman in America want me for bride I am happy. Nuns say Western life very civilized, say it’s good I live in Christian country where women are respected. And I be bride of rich man. Never go hungry. But I come here and I find he already has one wife. He call me wife number two, but that is not true. Jesus say only one wife.”
“So he already has one wife?”
She nodded. “She old woman. Very mean. Not want me there. She call me concubine. Tell me terrible things.”
So those had been the fingers I had seen of the person behind the drapes. The old woman who did not welcome a new young bride.
“She tell me I no better than slave. I have to do what master want. Do what she want. And if I no give master a son pretty quick, he put me away, send me to house of fallen women.”
That was no idle threat, as I had witnessed.
“I’ll do what I can to help you,” I said. “Where would you like to go?”
She gave a helpless shrug. “I know no one in America. I can’t go home. No money and family not want to feed me. That’s why they sent me to nuns when I was small. Too many daughters. Not want to feed me. But then when man come to village, my father happy to get money for daughter he didn’t want.”
It sounded as if she’d had a rotten life all around so far.
“Were the nuns kind to you?”
“Nuns okay. Very strict,” she said. “Punish with stick. But I learn reading, writing. I like learning. I good student, so not punish much.”
At the very least she could be a nursemaid or companion, I was thinking.
“So what I do now?” she asked.
I was trying to think. What on earth could she do? “I tell you what,” I said. “You stay here until it’s dark. Then I’ll come back with clothes for you and we’ll find a way to get you out of Chinatown without anyone seeing you.”
“Okay!” Her face lit up. “You kind lady, come save Bo Kei.”
I’m a lady who is about to get herself in a lot of trouble, I thought to myself.
Twelve
I left Bo Kei and followed Mrs. McNamara down the stairs and out of a side entrance onto Park Street. This was still part of Chinatown, but at least I wasn’t directly opposite Mr. Lee’s Golden Dragon Emporium and his front balcony. It might be possible to spirit away Bo Kei from here, as halfway down Park Street the flavor turned from Chinese to Italian. Since I couldn’t do anything until it was dark, I decided to go home. I had been on my feet since early morning. One big advantage a male detective has over a female one (and there are many) is that they wear much more comfortable shoes. Female shoes are not designed for walking miles, and my toes were throbbing in the heat.
I boarded the Third Avenue El at Chatham Square and endured being packed like a sardine until I was finally back in home territory. Sid and Gus’s front door was rarely locked, so I let myself in, not wanting to disturb them if they were involved in their creative pursuits. Instead I heard the sound of laughter from the back garden. I went through and found my hosts sitting in the shade with a third woman. I went to back away, but I was too late. Sid looked up.
“Molly! The wanderer returneth. Or is it the conquering hero?”
I laughed uneasily. “I don’t know about that.”
“Have you located your missing piece of jade?” The third person turned to face me. It was Sarah.
I pulled up a wicker chair beside them and nodded my greeting to Sarah. “The answer is yes, in a way.” I paused, looking from one expectant face to the next.
“And you’ve recovered it and your employer is overjoyed?” Gus added.
I took a deep breath. “I’m really not sure I should be telling you any of this. In fact my employer would probably be furious, but I do need to discuss this with someone, and you’re the wisest women I know.”
“We shall remain silent as the grave.” Sid gave Gus a grin.
“Well, this is how things stand,” I said. “It turns out that the missing prized possession was not jewelry after all. It was a woman whom he had imported from China to be his concubine.” Then I related the whole story, ending with her daring escape across the rooftops. They were suitably horrified and angry.
“We must rescue her instantly,” Gus said as she handed me a glass of lemonade.
“But what are you going to do with her?” Sarah asked. “If this man is powerful among the Chinese community, is it wise to incur his wrath? They are ruthless people, you know, and he may well seek vengeance.”
“What, come as far as Greenwich Village to gun us down?” Sid didn’t seem overly concerned.
“Probably send an emissary to do so,” Sarah said. “We’ve had dealings with the Chinese at the settlement house and we’ve received awful threats when a prostitute manages to flee from one of their brothels and comes to us. In fact we’ve a young woman with us now. She escaped from a Chinese brothel.”
“Actually she was thrown out, because she has developed consumption,” I said.
Sarah looked astonished.
“I met her,” I said. “I was at your house today.”
“You were?”
“I thought that maybe the Chinese girl might have fled there. And I expected to find you there.”
“Ah,” Sarah said, and she sighed. “I’m afraid I won’t be going there again.”
“Too busy before the wedding?”
“Not exactly. Monty has forbidden me to work there anymore. He doesn’t want me running the risk of being in such a dangerous neighborhood, he says, although I keep telling him I’m in no danger.”
“And you will obey because he has forbidden you?” I asked.
She flushed. “I don’t have much choice, do I? In a month’s time he’ll be my husband and then I must obey him. I’m sure he’s only doing it for my own good, and I don’t want him to have to worry about me and to give up his precious time to escort me to and from the house.”
“I saw him this afternoon.”
“At the settlement house?” Her eyebrows shot up.
“In that general area, coming from the direction of Elizabeth Street. He looked as if he was in a hurry and he walked straight past me. I assumed he’d just dropped you off at the house.”
“How strange,” she said. “What was he doing there? He told me he had to visit his tailor, and he’s up on Thirty-ninth Street.” She put her hand up to her mouth suddenly. “Oh, my. You don’t think he went there to tell them that he’s forbidden me to come anymore? He can be so overbearing and arrogant at times.”
“So what are you going to do about it?” Sid demanded. “You can’t start off married life under his thumb, you know. Look at Molly. She doesn’t let Daniel browbeat her.”
“I don’t want to upset Monty at the moment.” Sarah stared down at her hands, twiddling the diamond ring on her finger. “He hasn’t been at all well recently, and add to that the strain of the wedding.”
“I thought he looked not very well yesterday,” Gus said. “Rather frail in fact.”
“I know. I’m worried. He used to be so robust, you know. A keen mountain climber and all-around sportsman. And he did wonderfully brave things when he was in the army in India.”
“Do they know what’s wrong with him?” I asked.
She bit her lip. “His doctor thinks it’s nothing serious, but … I’m hoping his health will improve when we’re back on his estate in England and he can get out in the fresh air every day.”
“I’m sure it will,” I said, remembering how much I had worried about Danie
l when he had been so sick in jail. “So, Sarah, I was wondering if your settlement house might take in my Chinese girl. What do you think?”
“For the short term, maybe,” Sarah said.
“In spite of the threats from vengeful Chinamen?” Gus asked.
“We’ve done it before. I think they know that the offspring of important Americans work at that house—children of congressmen, senators, and bankers. I like to think that protects us a little.”
“I thought that perhaps we could take her there in disguise and after dark,” I said. “Then nobody in Chinatown would ever know.”
“Molly, how would you disguise a Chinese person so that she wasn’t recognized?” Gus asked. “They do have a rather distinctive look, don’t they?”
“I’ve been thinking. She sneaked into the church with a sheet draped over her head, to make herself look like a nun. You two have so many costumes up in your attic. You must have a nun’s habit or two.”
“As a matter of fact we do.” Sid jumped up. “We gave a wonderful nuns-and-priests party once. Such fun, wasn’t it, Gus. We had confession booths set up and you should have seen the wicked penances we handed out.”
“Too bad we’ve already sent out the invitations for Molly’s party on Sunday. It would have been fun to do that again,” Gus said. “Especially since the happy couple are of that persuasion and know all about priests and nuns.”
“You’re not taking this seriously,” I said, as they were both laughing merrily now. “It’s a girl’s life that’s at stake here.”
“Of course it is, and we will do whatever you want us to,” Gus said, her face becoming sober again.
“I’d like to borrow any nun costumes you might have. The girl was right. It’s rude to stare at nuns. If two or three nuns come out of a Catholic church, it’s going to look perfectly natural and nobody’s going to see past the habit.”
“I wonder how many we have, Sid,” Gus said. “I hope there are enough for all of us. Wouldn’t that be ripping fun? A gaggle of nuns.”
I’m afraid I rather thought that those two would spoil the whole thing by giggling or doing something awful at the wrong moment, and was glad when we found only two nun’s habits in the costume box.
“I had better go ahead and talk to the workers at the settlement house,” I said, not relishing yet another expedition into the Lower East Side. “I can’t just land her on their doorstep. They might even say no.”
“Why don’t I go and speak to them?” Sarah said.
“I thought you were forbidden to go there again?” Gus pointed out.
Sarah flushed. “Monty can’t stop me from saying good-bye to my coworkers, can he? Besides, I’d like to set things straight with them, in case he’s been rude to them. And I have some personal items to collect there anyway.”
“That would be most helpful for me. Thank you,” I said.
“I wish I could be there when you bring in the girl, but Monty is coming to dine with my parents tonight.”
“Don’t worry. If they can just take her in until I come up with a plan for her, I would be most grateful. Tell them I’ll be bringing her under cover of darkness.”
“‘Under cover of darkness’—doesn’t that sound deliciously exciting,” Sid said. “Gus and I want to join in the game, you know. Are you sure we can’t come along—as fallen women, perhaps?”
“Holy Mother,” I muttered. “The whole object is not to attract attention to ourselves. And if you two masquerading as fallen women doesn’t attract attention, then I don’t know what would.”
This set them off laughing again.
“Spoilsport, Molly,” Gus said. “We have always been dying to be partners in your cases and soon it will be too late and you’ll be home having tea parties instead.”
I smiled at her fondly. “My dear friend, if it weren’t so serious, I’d be glad to let you come along. But if anyone spots my girl, then it’s all over for her. Either Mr. Lee will take her back as a virtual slave or he’ll have her killed. You do see that I can’t risk it, don’t you?”
“Of course,” Sid said before Gus could answer, “but I’m concerned about you, Molly. Aren’t you running a terrible risk yourself by crossing such a powerful man? If he finds out you were the one who spirited her away…”
“I know,” I said, “but I have to listen to my conscience. How would you like to live at the mercy of a man who has made it clear to you that if you don’t produce a son quickly, you’re headed for one of his brothels? You wouldn’t want me to return her into those circumstances, would you?”
“Of course not,” Sid said.
“You and Gus could help out by asking your friends if any of them would take in the girl as a nursemaid or companion. She’s been educated by Western nuns and she told me she was a good student, so I’m sure she’d be a quick learner.”
“We can do that, can’t we, Sid?” Gus said.
And so it was agreed. Sarah was to go and pave the way, and I would follow as soon as it got dark. Sid and Gus helped me into the nun’s costume. It wasn’t exactly authentic, but it gave a good enough impression and it helped to hide the face under an impressive white starched coif that curved forward then out like miniature sails on either side. I feared that I would be struck down by the Almighty as I stepped out into the balmy night air. I was also sure that I looked like a complete fake until the police constable on the corner saluted me and said, “God bless you, Sister.”
Then, of course, I grinned to myself for the next four blocks.
A man jumped up to offer me a seat on the El. People stepped aside for me on the stairs and others murmured, “God bless you, Sister.” I could see this was a disguise that would prove useful in the future—until I remembered there wasn’t going to be a future in this profession.
Mott Street was more lively than I had seen it during the day. The restaurants were doing a roaring trade and interesting odors wafted out into the street—frying oil and sweet spices, not at all unappetizing. From an open door came the sounds of strange music—a voice singing in a high, tuneless manner against a background of screeching strings. Not what we’d call musical, but it appeared that the place was packed. I could see men standing just inside the doorway. I also noticed figures slinking into the alleyways between buildings and wondered if they were going to the famous gambling parlors and opium dens. I was interested to note that not all the evening revelers on Mott Street were Chinese; a young American couple was waiting in line for a table at one of the restaurants—the Port Arthur, it was called, and I wondered about the origin of the name. Then I saw a distinctly Western form slinking into one of those alleyways, heading for the opium den, I presumed.
The crowd on Mott Street streamed past me, giving me a wide berth. My hopes rose for accomplishing this successfully. I reached the back door of the rectory and tapped lightly. Mrs. McNamara opened it. “Can I help you, Sister?” she asked. “Father Barry is occupied at the moment.”
“Mrs. McNamara, it’s me, Molly Murphy,” I said.
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,” she exclaimed and crossed herself. “Whatever next? Well, I certainly wouldn’t have recognized you. Come on in. Himself is just having his supper,” she said. “He won’t notice a thing while he’s eating.”
Up the stairs we went. Bo Kei looked amazed and delighted when a nun came into the room, then even more excited when she realized it was I. I showed her I had brought her a similar costume. I helped her into it and a few minutes later two nuns came out of the church rectory and melted into the Italian crowd on Park Street. Then it was an easy walk through the noisy Italian streets to the house on Elizabeth.
Hermione was still on duty. “Well, I never,” she said when she saw us, and burst out laughing. “Come in, do.” She whisked us inside and shut the door behind us. “Come on through to the kitchen and I’ll make us some tea.”
“I presume that Sarah came by and warned you about this,” I said.
“She did indeed. Welcome.” She held ou
t her hand to the frightened girl. “You’ll be safe here. And I expect you’d like to get out of that nun’s habit. If you take a look in that closet you’ll find some clothing that will fit you. Help yourself. And I’ll go and make us some tea.”
I followed Hermione down the hall.
“I hope you don’t mind keeping Bo Kei here at least for a few days?” I asked.
“We’re not about to turn her out onto the streets,” Hermione said, then lowered her voice, “but let’s just hope that nobody finds out she’s here. I don’t particularly want to find our house firebombed or our staff with their throats cut.”
“I know I’m asking you to take a big risk,” I said. “I’d take her in myself but my future bridegroom is putting the finishing touches to my house, and he must not find out that I’m doing this.”
“I quite understand,” she said. “Sarah Lindley is having the same problems with a bossy bridegroom.”
“She is. I gather he came here today. Sarah was most embarrassed.”
Hermione shook her head. “No, we haven’t seen him today. Sarah thought he’d come here for some reason, but he hadn’t.”
“But I saw him on Bayard Street, just around the corner, so I assumed he’d come to escort Sarah. She was worried he’d come to tell you in person that he’d forbidden her to come here anymore.”
“I don’t know why he’d need to come in person after he already wrote us a letter,” Hermione said. “I hope he wasn’t spying on her to make sure she hadn’t come here.”
“A letter?”
She went across to a bureau and opened a drawer. “Read this. It will make your toes curl.”
The letter was written in a tall, elegant script with extravagantly flourishing curls on the capital letters.To whom it may concern. Please be advised that at my request Miss Sarah Lindley will no longer be working as a volunteer at your establishment. She needs to devote her full energy and attention to the preparations for our wedding.Yours faithfully, M. P. G. Warrington-Chase (The Honorable)
