Bless the Bride

by Rhys Bowen

  “That’s beside the point,” he began, then stopped. “My mother actually told you that you didn’t measure up to my other lady friends?”

  “All the time. In a very subtle and genteel way, of course. ‘Dear Miss So-and-so. Daniel was so fond of her when they were growing up and such a good family too. And the way you sew, your poor children are going to run around in rags.’”

  “She said that?”

  “I didn’t mean to tell you,” I said. “But you pushed me into a corner. That’s why I couldn’t wait to escape. But I’m sorry I took this stupid case. I’m sorry I deceived you. If you want to know the reason I was at Mr. Lee’s house this morning, it was to hand him a letter tendering my resignation. Only I arrived to find Captain Kear in charge and Mr. Lee lying dead in the street.”

  “A tricky business, Molly,” he said, speaking quietly now. “You know nothing of the way things work in Chinatown. This Lee was a wily old fox and a powerful figure in one of the tongs. Until a year ago there was the most awful bloodshed on a daily basis—men gunned down as they ate in restaurants, firebombs thrown into shops. We worked hard to bring about a peace that was beneficial to both sides. This death could start the whole thing off again. That’s why I felt I had to step in.”

  He was frowning down at me, like an earnest schoolmaster giving a pupil a stern lecture. “And I really don’t want to be known as the police officer whose fiancée started a new tong war.”

  “Daniel, that’s absurd,” I said angrily. “I was asked to look for a missing girl. How could that have had anything to do with Mr. Lee being killed?”

  “We’ll just have to see, won’t we?” He started striding out around the corner into Pell Street. “I’ve always been suspicious of coincidences. Something happened to make a person choose last night to kill Lee Sing Tai, rather than any other night. So the immediate thought that comes to mind is whether the girl realized you were hot on her trail and took the ultimate step not to be returned to the old man.”

  “I don’t believe that,” I said.

  “Oh. Why not?”

  I hesitated, debating whether to tell him that I knew where the girl was. “If she was frightened enough to face being alone in a big city rather than staying where at least she got food and shelter, then I can’t see she’d want to risk going back there,” I said. “And for another thing, how would a young girl be strong enough to throw a man off the roof?”

  “Then Kear was probably on the right track. She and Frederick Lee formed an attachment on their way to New York and he carried out the murder with her help. Let’s hope that’s how it turns out. At least it will satisfy the tongs.”

  We reached the corner of Pell. A crowd was still milling around. Daniel turned back to me. “I’m going to take a quick look at the body and then get it moved off the street. We don’t want the whole world gawking at it and spreading rumors of tong killings. However, you don’t need to come any farther. I will spare you having to look at an unpleasant sight.”

  “I’ve already seen the body,” I said. “Captain Kear asked me to make a positive identification because none of the Chinese would do so. And when you look at it, take note of the wound to one side of the head. He was obviously struck before he was thrown off the roof. I didn’t have a chance to examine the apartment carefully, but I’m sure if you go back there you’ll find blood spatters—on the bedding would be my guess.”

  “Good God,” Daniel muttered. He shook his head. “You never fail to astonish me, Molly. No wonder my mother thought you were different. Most other women I know would swoon at the very mention of blood spatters.”

  I chuckled. “You see, there will be some advantages to having a wife who understands your profession.”

  “I don’t doubt it. Now if I can just persuade that wife to stay home and not go rushing out to solve my cases for me, I’ll be happy.” He reached out to touch my cheek in a playful half-slap. “Go on, off to home with you, and for mercy’s sake, stay well away from any crime scene in the future. This is now in the capable hands of the police.”

  “Yes, Daniel,” I said in my dutiful bride voice. “And don’t forget that Sid and Gus are giving a party for me tonight. I’m sure you’ll be too busy to attend and it’s a costume affair, so I’m sure it wouldn’t be your idea of fun, but it would be nice if my friends could at least meet my bridegroom.”

  “I can’t promise anything,” he said. “I have enough on my plate already, but given the potential for serious repercussions in this case, I have no alternative but to assign some of my men to assist Captain Kear.”

  “I take it you don’t think much of him?”

  “I have my reasons,” he said. “I especially have reasons for not giving him carte blanche with a case involving the Chinese tongs.” He looked up. “Ah, here’s the morgue wagon now. Off you go and enjoy your party.”

  Then he hurried off, leaving me standing there. I knew I should do as he said and go straight home, but I couldn’t. I had been too late to save Frederick Lee, but it would only be a matter of time before they found Bo Kei if every policeman in the city was looking for her. I had to go and warn her immediately. I made my way with all haste to Elizabeth Street. Hermione wasn’t on duty and I was surprised to find Sarah coming down the stairs toward me.

  “Molly!” she said. “How nice to see you.”

  “What are you doing here?” I asked. “I thought his lordship had forbidden you from coming here.”

  “He changed his mind,” she said. “He said that he could see how much this work meant to me and it was wrong of him to deprive me of these last weeks of satisfaction, so he would not object as long as I allowed him to escort me. Wasn’t that sweet of him?”

  “Very understanding,” I said, mentally reversing my opinion of Monty as a spoiled, arrogant, and stuck-up Englishman.

  “I’ll only be helping out occasionally, as there is so much to do for the wedding,” she said. “Isn’t it incredible how many fittings are needed for a wedding dress that one will only wear once in one’s life.”

  “My mother-in-law is making mine,” I said. “I was supposed to be helping but my sewing was so terrible that she banished me to undergarments. I am a hopeless failure, according to her.”

  Sarah laughed. “Oh, dear. In-laws are not all they should be, are they? Monty’s mother looked through her lorgnette at me as if I was something that had crawled under the door. Have you come to see your Chinese girl?”

  “Yes, I have.”

  “She’s doing awfully well. In fact they both are. The other girl seems to have a new lease on life since Bo Kei arrived. We thought she wouldn’t be long for this world and that the consumption was at a late stage, but now she seems so much brighter that we have hopes she may even recover.”

  “I’m glad,” I said. “May I go up to see Bo Kei?”

  “Of course,” she said. “She’s in the room facing the stairs on the third floor.”

  “Not with Annie?”

  “We’re keeping Annie in isolation as much as possible. It wouldn’t be wise to have anyone sleeping in a room with her, considering how sick she is. I don’t think consumption is horribly contagious, but one can’t be sure.”

  I started up the stairs, hesitated, then made up my mind. “Sarah, can I be frank with you?” I said, looking up and down the hallway to make sure we were not being overheard. “The police will be searching for Bo Kei. They think she might somehow be involved in a murder that took place last night.”

  “But that’s absurd. She was here last night.”

  A wave of relief came over me. Of course she had a perfect alibi.

  “Would you swear to that? The doors are locked, and nobody comes and goes?”

  “Well, no,” she said. “Our doors are never locked. We are known to be a haven for battered women and prostitutes escaping from brothels.”

  “So it would be possible for anyone to enter or leave during the night if they wanted to?”

  “I’m afraid it would.”


  “Oh, dear,” I said. “I’m sure she’s innocent, but you know what some of the police are like, and she doesn’t know anything about life in America. They can probably trick her into confessing anything. Would you be prepared to hide her?”

  “Hide her?”

  “If the police came to the door, I mean. Would you be prepared to lie and say that she wasn’t here? Or hide her away in a cupboard if they wanted to search the place?”

  Sarah looked worried. “If I was hiding someone in my own home it would be different,” she said. “But I’m just one of many volunteers here. I can’t risk the future of this house by lying to the police and harboring a fugitive. They’d shut us down, and then who would do the good work that we do here?”

  I did see her point. “Then I’ve no choice,” I said. “I must get her away as quickly as possible. Could you send someone to hail me a cab? I’ll go upstairs and get Bo Kei ready. That way, if anyone asks you if she is with you, you can truthfully deny it.”

  Sarah sighed. “I really think that would be best. But where would you take her?”

  “I’ll see if Sid and Gus would be prepared to take her in,” I said. “If not, then my own house is across the street and nobody’s living in it at present. I could hide her there, at least until we decide what to do with her.”

  Sarah put a hand on my arm. “Is this wise, Molly? You’re going to marry a policeman and yet you are deliberately and knowingly going against the law.”

  “But I don’t think she killed anyone, Sarah, and I really don’t think she’ll get a fair trial. You should have heard that Captain Kear concocting the perfect case against Bo Kei and a young man.”

  “Captain Kear? Oh, we know all about him. As crooked as they come. He even suggested to us that we pay him protection money. As if we have any spare money.”

  “So what did he say?”

  She smiled. “Luckily one of our workers at the time happened to be the son of the New York state attorney general. It was suggested that he leave us alone.”

  “It’s good to have friends in high places,” I said. “But I shouldn’t stand around talking. I should remove Bo Kei before the police come looking for her.”

  “I hope you are not taking too great a risk, Molly. You’ll be harboring a fugitive, won’t you? You can go to jail for that. And think of the disgrace for your future bridegroom.”

  I hesitated. What she was saying was actually true. I had already incurred Daniel’s wrath once today. Could I knowingly take this risk? But if I didn’t, Captain Kear’s men would drag her off in no time, and once they had her and Frederick in custody, they wouldn’t bother to look any further for the real killer.

  “I have to do this,” I said. “Sid and Gus have a strong sense of justice. They’ll understand and want to help me.”

  With that I went up the stairs. I tapped on the door and thought I heard scurrying as I entered. Bo Kei was perched warily on the edge of her bed, as if poised for flight, but her face broke into a smile when she saw me.

  “Missie Molly?” Bo Kei said. “You have found Frederick for me? You will take us to safety?”

  “I’m afraid it’s not as easy as that, Bo Kei.” I sat down beside her. “Something terrible happened last night. Lee Sing Tai was murdered—pushed off his roof.”

  “Oh!” She put her hand to her mouth in horror. “Last night? Somebody killed him last night?”

  “That’s right.”

  She sat there, hand over her mouth, just staring as if she was taking it in.

  “But this is good news for me, isn’t it?” she said shakily. “Now Lee Sing Tai is dead, I am free. I do not belong to anyone. I can go with Frederick.”

  “It’s not good news, Bo Kei. The police think that you and Frederick may have had something to do with his death.”

  She looked horrified. “Me and Frederick? How do they even think that we know each other? We have not spoken since I was delivered to Lee Sing Tai’s house. You did not say anything to them to make them think this, did you?”

  “Of course not. It was Bobby Lee who suggested that Frederick might be the murderer, because his father had dismissed him from his position. And because he was attracted to you. He suggested you two had planned the crime together.”

  “Bobby Lee said this? He is a wicked man. He tried to force me to do a terrible thing, Miss Molly. He wanted my body for himself. He say his father is too old and he can give me the son instead. Make his father happy. Father will never know. Now he wants revenge because I pushed him away.”

  “I believe you,” I said. “Bobby Lee is a most despicable man.”

  “Then I will go to your police and tell them that Frederick and I are innocent. The nuns say that American law is fair and just.”

  “I wouldn’t do that, Bo Kei. Not all policemen are fair and just, in fact I am told that the policeman handling this case is known to be crooked. He would concoct a case against you, because it would satisfy everyone and look good for him.” I looked at her terrified face with sympathy. “The fact that you ran away makes you a suspect in the eyes of the police, Bo. There will be policemen all over the city looking for you.”

  “Then I am not safe here.”

  “No.”

  “And Frederick—are they looking for him?”

  “They have already found Frederick and the police have gone to question him. I’m worried for him, Bo Kei.”

  “Then what must I do?”

  “We must hide you somewhere for now. This is exactly the sort of place that the police will come hunting for you. I have friends who have connections outside of the city. Maybe they will find somewhere for you to hide. I wish I had been able to warn Frederick; then we could have spirited the two of you away.”

  “He will go to jail now? They will say he murdered Lee Sing Tai and they will execute him?”

  “I hope it won’t come to that,” I said.

  “But he didn’t do it, I swear to this.”

  “You can’t swear to it, Bo. You weren’t with him last night. You can believe in his innocence based on his character, but that’s not the same as swearing.”

  “I understand. But I know in my heart he is not the killer. They will find out who really killed Lee Sing Tai, won’t they?”

  “American policeman are smart and I’m sure they could find enough clues to point to the real killer if they want to. The problem is that they may not want to. They don’t want to do anything that might start another tong war, you see.”

  “So it is like China here. Magistrates decide who they want to be guilty and nobody can say anything or they will be guilty too.”

  “I hope it’s not quite as bad as that,” I said. “I’ll do my best, Bo Kei. My future husband is an important policeman and he is not crooked. I will try to make him find the real killer and to have Frederick set free.”

  “You are wonderful woman, Missie Molly.” She reached out and shyly touched my hand.

  I didn’t feel like a wonderful person. I felt sick and scared. I wasn’t at all sure that I was doing the right thing. But I needed to buy time. “We must go now, Bo Kei.”

  “We can take Annie with us?” she asked. “She also will not be safe here.”

  “I don’t think we can take Annie,” I said. “She’s sick, and I can’t bring someone with consumption into my friends’ home. Besides, she has nothing to worry about from the police. She’s not involved in this at all and she’s in good hands here.”

  “No, the police will see Chinese girl and make her answer their questions. Maybe they will hurt her.”

  “Don’t worry. The ladies who run this place come from important families. They will tell the police that Annie is not the girl they look for. The police will listen to them. Annie will be quite safe, I promise.”

  I could see her thinking this through, wanting to say something, but not daring to. Finally she said, “I have to say good-bye to her.”

  “That may not be wise, Bo Kei,” I said. “She should not know th
at you are going with me. The less she knows, the better. If she doesn’t know where you have gone, then the police won’t be able to get it out of her, will they?”

  “You say police not harm her!” Bo Kei wailed. “You promise.”

  “They won’t harm her, but they may ask her questions.”

  “Then we must take her too,” Bo Kei insisted. “She can sleep in my bed. I don’t mind. I am strong. I will not catch this disease. Please, Missie Molly. We can’t leave her here.”

  “We have to. I’m sorry, Bo Kei, but she will be well looked after here and the police won’t bother her.”

  “I don’t know.” Bo Kei still chewed at her fingertips, her face an agony of indecision.

  “Are you worried that the police might mistake her for you? Or is it because of her previous connection with Lee Sing Tai? Don’t worry. The police don’t need to know about that, and the workers here will testify that she has been lying at death’s door all week. So let’s go quietly now, Bo Kei. We’ll ask Sarah to tell Annie that you’ve gone away. It really is much safer for us all.”

  She shook her head vehemently. “Then I not go either.”

  “Don’t be silly. You’re the one who is in danger, not Annie. Come on.” But she shook herself loose from my hand.

  “I must speak with her before I go. I promise I’ll not tell her that I go with you. Just a few words. I must.”

  “Very well,” I sighed. “But you realize you may be signing your own death warrant.”

  She shook her head. “No. Annie would never betray me. Never. She is my family, and family takes care of each other.”

  With that she marched defiantly to Annie’s room.

  Twenty-two

  The cab was waiting outside the front door. I bundled Bo Kei in, her face hidden behind a shawl, and we set off for Patchin Place. Gus greeted me with a worried face when I knocked at the front door. “Molly, where have you been? We were so worried when we arose this morning and found your bed empty. And then when you didn’t return and didn’t return we thought something must have happened to you.” She broke off as she noticed Bo Kei, standing behind me.