“This time I’ll speak in plain terms, Mr. Liang! I tell you that I suspect you of being concerned in a despicable crime. It’s because I want to spare the old Councilor’s feelings that I question you here instead of presently during the session of the court.”
Liang’s face turned ashen. He wanted to speak but the judge raised his hand.
“In the first place,” he continued, “your touching story about the Councilor’s reckless spending can also be explained as an attempt to cover up the fact that you are taking advantage of his condition for appropriating his money. Second, I have found in the room of the dead dancer, Almond Blossom, love letters written in your hand. The most recent letters proved that you wanted to break off the relationship, presumably because you had fallen in love with Willow Down, the daughter of Han Yung-han.”
“How did you find that out?” Liang Fen burst out. “We had-” But again Judge Dee cut him short, saying:
“You can’t have murdered the dancer because you were not on board the flower boat. But you did have a liaison with her, and had secret meetings with her in your room. You could easily let her in by the back door of your small garden. No, I haven’t finished! I can assure you that I haven’t the slightest interest in your private life; as far as I am concerned you may entertain all the damsels of the Willow Quarter. But you shall tell me all about your affair with the dead dancer. One foolish young man has already obstructed my investigation, and I will not have another repeating that stunt! Speak up, and tell the truth!”
“It isn’t true, I swear it, Your Honor!” the young man wailed, wringing his hands in despair. “I don’t know that courtesan, and I have never appropriated one copper of my master’s money! I admit, however, and do so gladly, that I am in love with Willow Down, and I have reason to assume that my feelings are reciprocated. I have never spoken to her but I see her often in the temple garden, and- But since Your Honor knows this, my deepest secret, you must also know that all the rest is not true!”
Judge Dee handed him one of the dead dancer’s letters and asked:
“Did you write this or not?”
Liang Fen carefully examined it. Giving it back to the judge, he said calmly:
“The handwriting resembles mine; it even reproduces some personal peculiarities. Yet I didn’t write it. The person who forged it must have had many examples of my handwriting at his disposal. That is all I can say!”
The judge gave him a baleful look. He said curtly:
“Wan I-fan has been arrested; I shall presently question him. You shall attend the session. You can go to the court hall now.”
When the young man had taken his leave, Sergeant Hoong remarked:
“I think that Liang spoke the truth, Your Honor.”
Judge Dee made no response. He motioned the sergeant to help him don his official robe.
Three beats on the gong announced the evening session. Judge Dee left his private office, followed by Hoong and Tao Gan. When he had seated himself behind the bench, he saw that there were only a dozen or so spectators. The citizens of Han-yuan had apparently for the time being given up hope of hearing sensational news. But he noticed Han Yung-han and Liang Fen standing in the front row, and behind them Guildmaster Soo.
As soon as he had called the roll, Judge Dee filled in a form for the warden of the jail. He gave it to the headman and ordered him to lead Wan I-fan before the bench.
Wan I-fan seemed completely unperturbed by his arrest. He gave the judge an impudent glance, then knelt down and answered in a steady voice the formal questions about his name and profession. Then Judge Dee spoke:
“I have obtained proof that you have lied to this court. It was you who tried to persuade Dr. Djang to buy your daughter. Do you want to hear the details, or do you confess?”
“This person,” Wan I-fan replied respectfully, “acknowledges that he has misled Your Honor. He let himself be led astray by his eagerness to help his friend and patron, Mr. Liu Fei-po, in the latter’s case against the professor. Since, according to the law, I can be freed on bail for this offense, pending the payment of a fine, I beg Your Honor to fix the amount due. No doubt Mr. Liu Fei-po will be found willing to put up bail, and pay the required sum.”
“Second,” Judge Dee said, “this court has also proof that you, taking advantage of the Councilor’s lapsing into his second childhood, persuaded him to engage in reckless financial transactions, to your own personal gain.”
This second accusation didn’t seem to make any impression on Wan either. He said placidly:
“I deny emphatically ever having financially injured Councilor Liang. Mr. Liu Fei-po had introduced me to His Excellency; it is on Mr. Liu’s advice that I recommended the Councilor to sell some of his estates which in the expert opinion of Mr. Liu were due to diminish considerably in value in the near future. I beg Your Honor to have Mr. Liu deliver testimony.”
“I shan’t be able to do that,” Judge Dee said curtly. “Mr. Liu Fei-po has left without any previous warning, taking away with him his liquid funds and important papers.”
Wan I-fan jumped up. His face had a deadly pallor as he shouted:
“Where did he go to? To the capital?”
The headman wanted to press Wan down on his knees again, but the judge quickly shook his head. He said:
“Mr. Liu has disappeared and his household is ignorant of his whereabouts.”
Wan I-fan was rapidly losing his self-control. Sweat pearled on his forehead. He muttered, half to himself: “Liu has fled… .” Then he looked up at the judge and said slowly: “In that case I shall have to reconsider some of my previous statements.” He hesitated, then went on: “I beg Your Honor to grant me time for reflection.”
“Your request is granted,” Judge Dee replied at once. He had seen the look of frantic entreaty in Wan’s eyes.
When Wan had been led back to jail, Judge Dee raised his gavel
to close the session. But just at that moment Guildmaster Soo came forward, together with two members of his guild. One proved to be a jadeworker, the other a retail dealer in jade. The latter had sold to the artisan a block of jade, but upon splitting it up into smaller pieces the jadeworker had found it had a defect, and he refused to pay. Since he had discovered that the block was faulty only after he had cut it up, he couldn’t return it to the dealer either. Soo had tried to make them accept a compromise, but the men had rejected all his proposals.
Judge Dee listened patiently to the long-winded explanations of both parties. Letting his eyes rove over the court hall, he noticed that Han Yung-han had left. When Soo had again summed up the position, Judge Dee spoke to the dealer and the jadeworker:
“This court finds that both of you are at fault. The dealer, as an expert, ought to have noticed that the block was faulty when he purchased it, and the jadeworker, as an experienced professional, ought to have discovered the defect without cutting up the block. The dealer bought the block for ten silver pieces, and sold it to the jadeworker for fifteen. This court rules that the dealer shall pay the jadeworker ten silver pieces. The cut pieces shall be divided equally among them. Thus each pays a fine of five silver pieces for his lack in professional skill.”
He rapped his gavel and closed the session.
Back in his private office Judge Dee said contentedly to the sergeant and Tao Gan:
“Wan I-fan wants to tell me something he didn’t dare to reveal in the public session. It is against the rules to question a prisoner in private, but in this case I feel justified to make an exception. I shall have him brought here now. You’ll have noticed that he said that Liu Fei-po fled. Now we shall hear more about-”
Suddenly the door flew open and the headman came running inside, followed by the warden of the jail. The former panted:
“Wan I-fan has killed himself, Your Honor!”
Judge Dee crashed his fist on the table. He barked at the jail warden:
“Didn’t you search the prisoner, you dog’s-head?”
The warden
fell on his knees.
“I swear that he didn’t have the pastry on him when I locked him in, Your Honor! Somebody must have smuggled that poisoned cake into his cell!”
“So you have admitted a visitor to the jail!” the judge shouted.
“Nobody from outside has come into the jail, Your Honor!” the warden wailed. “It’s a complete riddle to me!”
Judge Dee jumped up and went to the door. Followed by Hoong and Tao Gan, he crossed the courtyard, passed through the corridor behind the chancery, and entered the jail. The warden led the way with a lighted lantern.
Wan I-fan was lying on the floor in front of the wooden bench that served as bed. The light of the lantern shone on his distorted face; his lips were covered with foam and blood. The warden pointed silently at a small round piece of pastry on the floor, next to Wan’s right hand. One piece was missing; Wan had evidently taken only one bite from it. Judge Dee stooped. It was a round cake filled with sugared beans, as sold by every baker in town. But there was impressed on its top, instead of the usual baker’s shop sign, a small picture of a lotus flower.
The judge wrapped the cake up in his handkerchief and put it in his sleeve. He turned round and walked back silently to his office.
Sergeant Hoong and Tao Gan looked worriedly at Judge Dee’s tight face as he sat down behind his desk. The judge knew that the sign of the lotus had not been meant for Wan, for it was dark in his cell when a messenger brought him the deadly gift. The sign of the lotus was intended for him, the magistrate! It was a warning from the White Lotus. He said in a tired voice:
“Wan was murdered in order to seal his lips. The poisoned cake was given to him by a member of the personnel. There’s treason here in my own tribunal!”
Sixteenth Chapter
TWO VAGABONDS HARASS THE DISTRlCT CHIANG-PEI; A DASTARDLY ATTACK ON A PEACEFUL RIVER BOAT
MA JOONG and Chiao Tai had studied in the chancery a map of the province, and had made a provisional plan for their expedition.
They selected two good horses, and left town in an easterly direction. After they had descended into the plain they followed the highway for half an hour or so. Then Ma Joong halted his horse and said:
“Don’t you think that if we cut across the paddy fields on the right here, we should come soon to the boundary river? Say fifteen miles downstream from our military post at the bridge?”
“That should be about correct,” Chiao Tai agreed.
The two men drove their horses along the narrow path that led through the fields. It was very hot and sultry here, and they were glad when they saw a small farm. They drank deeply from the pail of well water the peasant gave them. It was arranged that for a handful of coppers he would look after their horses. As soon as the man was walking the horses to the stable the two friends rumpled their hair and bound it up with rags. Then they exchanged their riding boots for the straw sandals they had brought along in their saddlebags. As he rolled up his sleeves Chiao Tai called out:
“Ho, brother! This is like the old days when we were still in the green woods together!”
Ma Joong clapped him on his shoulder, then each pulled a thick bamboo pole out of the fence, and they walked down the path to the river.
An old fisherman was drying his nets there. He ferried them across for two coppers. While he was paying him Ma Joong asked:
TWO BRAVES TAUNT THE CONSTABLES OF CHIANG-PEI
“There aren’t any soldiers around here, are there?”
The graybeard gave them a scared look. He shook his head and scurried back to his boat.
The two men walked through the tall reed till they came on a winding country road. Chiao Tai said:
“That checks. According to the map this road leads to the village.”
They shouldered their bamboo poles and walked on, lustily singing together a ribald song. After half an hour they saw the village.
Ma Joong went ahead and entered the inn on the small market place. He sat down heavily on a wooden bench and shouted for wine. Then Chiao Tai came in. As he sat down opposite his friend he said:
“I had a look around, brother. All is safe!”
Four old peasants seated at the other table gave the newcomers a frightened look. One put up his hand with index and little finger crooked-the sign for highwaymen. His companions nodded sagely.
The innkeeper came running in with two jugs of wine. Grabbing him by his sleeve, Chiao Tai rasped:
“What do you mean by that, you dog’s-head? Take those miserable jugs away and bring the whole jar!”
The innkeeper shuffled out. He came back with his son, carrying between them a wine jar three feet high, and two bamboo ladles with long handles.
“That’s better!” Ma Joong called out. “No fussing with cups and jugs!” They dipped the ladles into the jar and drank the wine in greedy draughts, for the walk had made them thirsty. The innkeeper brought a platter with salted vegetables. Chiao Tai scooped up a handful. He found it was mixed with a generous amount of garlic and red pepper. Smacking his lips, he said happily:
“Brother, that’s better than those rickshaws you get in the city!”
Ma Joong nodded with his mouth full. When the jar was half-empty they ate a large bowl of noodles and rinsed their mouths with the country tea, which had a pleasant bitter taste. They stood up and reached in their belts for money. The innkeeper hurriedly refused, assuring them that it had been a great honor that they visited his house. But Ma Joong insisted, and added a generous tip.
The two friends walked outside. They lay down under the large fir tree and soon were snoring loudly.
Ma Joong was roused by a kick against his leg. He sat up and looked, then poked Chiao Tai in his ribs. Five men armed with clubs were standing over them, surrounded by a group of gaping villagers. They scrambled up.
“We are constables of the tribunal of Chiang-pei!” a squat man barked. “Who are you and where do you come from?”
“Are you blind!” Ma Joong asked haughtily. “Can’t you see that I am the Governor of this Province, traveling in disguise?”
The crowd guffawed. The headman raised his club threateningly. Ma Joong quickly grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket, lifted him two feet from the ground and shook him until his teeth rattled. The constables wanted to help their chief, but Chiao Tai pushed his bamboo pole between the legs of the tallest man and made him topple over. Whirling the bamboo round, he let it swish just over the heads of the others, narrowly missing them. The constables ran away, jeered at by the crowd. Chiao Tai ran after them in pursuit, cursing loudly.
The headman was no coward; he fought hard to loosen Ma Joong’s grip and placed a few nasty kicks against his legs. Ma Joong put him down with a thud and quickly took up the bamboo pole. He therewith parried the club blow that the headman aimed at his head, and hit the headman a sharp blow on his arm. The man let the club go, wanting to come to grips with Ma Joong, but the latter kept him off with a few blows with the bamboo that narrowly missed his head. The headman saw that he couldn’t keep up this unequal fight. He turned round quickly and ran away.
After a while Chiao Tai came back.
“The bastards escaped!” he panted.
“You gave them a good lesson!” an old peasant remarked contentedly.
The innkeeper had been following the proceedings from a safe distance. Now he came up to Chiao Tai and said in an urgent whisper: “You two had better get away quick! The magistrate has soldiers here; they’ll come soon to arrest you!”
Chiao Tai scratched his head.
“I didn’t know that!” he said ruefully,
“Don’t worry!” the innkeeper whispered. “My son’ll take you across the fields to the Great River. There’s a boat there. In an hour or two you’ll be at Three Oaks Island. The people there’ll help you; just say that old Shao sent you!”
They thanked him hurriedly. Soon they were stealing through the paddy, following the youngster. After a long walk through the muddy fields the young fellow halted. Po
inting at a row of trees ahead, he said:
“You’ll find a boat hidden in the creek there. Don’t worry, the current will take you there all right; only watch out for the whirlpools!”
Ma Joong and Chiao Tai easily located the boat among the shrubs. They stepped inside and Ma Joong poled it out from under the low-hanging branches. Suddenly they saw the river.
Ma Joong put the pole down and took the paddle. They drifted down the mud-brown stream; the bank soon seemed far away.
“Isn’t this a very small boat for such a big river?” Chiao Tai inquired anxiously, gripping the gunwales.
“Don’t worry, brother!” Ma Joong said with a laugh. “Remember that I am a native of Kiangsu. I was reared on a boat!”
He paddled vigorously to avoid a whirlpool. They were in the middle of the river now; the reed banks appeared like a thin line in the distance. Then they disappeared entirely; there was nothing but the broad expanse of brown water around them.
“Seeing all that water makes me sleepy!” Chiao Tai said testily. He lay down on his back. For more than an hour nothing was said. Chiao Tai slept, and Ma Joong had to concentrate his attention on steering the boat. Suddenly he called out:
“Look, there’s some green!”
Chiao Tai sat up. He saw a number of small green patches ahead, barely a foot above the water level and overgrown with weeds. After half an hour they found themselves among larger islands, covered with shrubbery. Dusk was falling and all around them they heard the eerie calls of water birds. Chiao Tai listened intently. Suddenly he said:
“Those are no ordinary birdcalls! They are secret signals as used by the army when reconnoitering!”
Ma Joong muttered something. He had difficulty in steering the boat through a winding creek. Suddenly the paddle was pulled from his hands. The boat rocked violently. A wet head appeared from the water near the poop, and two others emerged behind it.
The Chinese Lake Murders Page 17
