The Chinese Nail Murders

Thirteenth Chapter

Judge Dee halted his horse in front of the paper shop and called out to the clerk standing by the door that he wanted to see Yeh Pin.

The old paper merchant came hurriedly outside and respect­fully invited the judge to come inside for a cup of tea. But Judge Dee did not descend from his horse; he said he only wanted to know whether Yeh Tai had come back.

"No, Your Honor," Yeh Pin said with a worried look, "he still hasn't turned up! I have sent my clerk around to the restaurants and gambling clubs he frequents, but nobody has seen him. I am really getting afraid that he has met with an accident."

"If he isn't back tonight," Judge Dee said, "I'll have placards put up with his description, and I'll warn the military police. I wouldn't worry, though. Your brother didn't impress me as a man who is an easy victim for footpads or other crooks. Let me know after the evening meal."

He spurred on his horse and rode to die street where Pan Feng lived. It struck him again how desolate that part of the city was. Even at this hour, when the time for the evening meal was draw­ing near, the street was completely deserted.

The judge descended in front of Pan's compound and fastened the reins of his horse to the iron ring in the wall. He had to knock on the door many times with the handle of his whip before Pan came to open it.

He looked very surprised when he saw the judge. Leading him to the hall he apologized profusely that there was no fire. He said: "I'll bring here immediately the brazier from my workshop!" "Don't bother," Judge Dee said, "we can have our talk there. I always like to see the rooms where people work."

"But it is in terrible disorder!" Pan cried out. "I had just begun sorting my things out!"

"Don't worry," the judge said curtly. "Lead the way." Upon entering he saw that the small atelier was indeed looking more than ever like a lumber room. A number of larger and smaller porcelain vases stood about on the floor together with two packing cases, and the table was littered with books, boxes and packages. But the coal in the copper brazier was glowing and kept the small room well heated.

Pan helped the judge to take off his heavy fur coat, and made him sit down on the stool next to the brazier. While the curio-dealer scurried to the kitchen to prepare the tea, Judge Dee looked curiously at the heavy chopping knife that was lying on the table, on an oily rag. Evidently Pan had been busy cleaning it when the judge knocked on the door. His eyes fell on a larger square object standing by the side of the table, covered with a piece of wet cloth. He was just going to lift the cloth in idle curiosity when Pan entered.

"Don't touch it!" he called out.

As Judge Dee shot him an astonished look, Pan hurriedly ex­plained:

"That is a small lacquer table I am repairing, Your Honor. Wet lacquer should not be touched with bare hands, it will cause a violent skin infection."

Judge Dee vaguely remembered having heard about the painful effects of lacquer poisoning. While Pan filled the cups, he said:

"That seems a beautiful cleaver you have there!"

Pan took the large knife up, and carefully felt the edge of the blade with his thumb.

"Yes," he said, "it's more than five hundred years old. It was used to kill the sacrificial oxen in the temple. But the blade is still perfect."

Judge Dee sipped his tea. He noticed how still it was in the house; he did not hear a sound.

"I regret," he said suddenly, "that I must ask you an awkward question. The man who murdered your wife knew beforehand that you were going to leave town. Your wife must have told him that. Do you have any indication that she had relations with another man?"

Pan Feng grew pale. He gave the judge an uneasy look.

"I must confess," he said unhappily, "that for the last few weeks I had been noticing a certain change in my wife's attitude to me. It's hard to put these things in words, but . . ."

He hesitated. When the judge made no comment he went on:

"I don't like to proffer wild accusations, but I can't help thinking that Yeh Tai had something to do with it. He often came to see my wife when I was out. My wife was not an unattractive woman, Your Honor; sometimes I suspected that Yeh Tai was trying to persuade her to leave me, so that he could sell her to a wealthy man as a concubine. My wife liked luxury, and I could of course never give her any expensive presents, and . . ."

"Except for those golden bracelets set with rubies," Judge Dee remarked dryly.

"Golden bracelets?" Pan Feng exclaimed, astonished. "Your Honor must be mistaken! She had only one silver ring, which her aunt gave her."

The judge rose.

"Don't try to fool me, Pan Feng," he said sternly. "You know as well as I that your wife had two heavy golden bracelets and several hairpins of solid gold."

"Impossible, Your Honor!" Pan said excitedly. "She never had anything like that."

"Come along," Judge Dee said coldly, "I'll show them to you."

He went into the bedroom, Pan following on his heels. Point­ing to the clothes boxes the judge ordered:

"Open the one on top, you'll find the jewels inside!"

When Pan had lifted the lid Judge Dee saw that the box was half-filled with an untidy pile of ladies' garments. He remembered clearly that the other day it had been packed with neatly folded clothes, and that Tao Gan had carefully replaced them after he had searched the box.

He watched intently while Pan took the clothes out and piled them up on the floor. When the box was empty Pan exclaimed with relief: "Your Honor sees that there are no jewels here!"

"Let me try," Judge Dee said, pushing Pan aside. Stooping over the box he lifted the cover of the secret compartment in the bot­tom. It was empty.

Righting himself he remarked coldly:

"You are not a very clever man, Pan Feng. Hiding those jewels won't help you. Tell the truth!"

"I swear, Your Honor," Pan said earnestly, "that I never even knew about that secret compartment."

Judge Dee stood thinking a moment. Then he slowly surveyed the room. Suddenly he stepped up to the left window. He pulled at the iron bar that seemed to be bent. It came out in two pieces. Feeling the other bars he found that all had been sawn through, then carefully replaced in their original position.

"A burglar has been here during your absence," he said.

"But none of my money was missing when I came back from the tribunal," Pan Feng said, astonished.

"What about those clothes?" the judge asked. "When I exam­ined this room, that box was full. Can you tell me what garments are missing?'

After he had rummaged through the crumpled-up clothes, Pan said:

"Yes, I don't see two rather valuable robes of heavy brocade with a sable lining that my wife got as a marriage present from her aunt."

Judge Dee nodded slowly. Looking around he said:

"There seems to be something else missing too. Let me see now ... Of course. There was a small red-lacquered table standing in the corner over there."

"Oh yes," Pan said, "that is the one I am repairing now."

The judge stood very still, deep in thought. Letting his whiskers glide through his fingers he saw a pattern gradually emerging.

What a fool he had been not to see this earlier! The due of the jewels had been there all the time. From the very beginning the criminal had made a big mistake. And he had failed to notice it! But now everything fell into its place.

At last the judge roused himself from his thoughts. He said to Pan Feng, who had been watching him anxiously:

"I believe you are speaking the truth, Pan Feng. Let's go back to the other room."

While Judge Dee slowly drank a cup of tea, Pan Feng put on a pair of gloves and lifted the wet cloth.

"This is the red table Your Honor spoke about," he said. "It's quite a good old piece, but I had to put on a new coat of lacquer. The other day, before leaving for Five Rams Village, I had put it in the corner of the bedroom to dry. Unfortunately somebody must have touched it afterward, for when I inspected it this morning I found a large smudge on the top. I am now repairing that corner."

Judge Dee put his cup down. He asked:

"Could your wife have touched it?"

"She knew better than that, Your Honor!" Pan replied with a smile. "I have warned her often enough about lacquer poisoning, she knew how painful it is! Last month Mrs. Loo of the cotton shop came to see me. She had a nasty case of it, her hand was swollen and covered with sores. She asked me how it should be treated. I told her ..."

"How do you know that woman?" Judge Dee interrupted.

"When she was still a child," Pan said, "her parents lived next door to my former house, over in the west city. After she had married I lost sight of her. Not that I minded much, for I never cared for the women in that family. Her father was a decent merchant, but her mother was of Tartar descent and dabbled in black magic. Her daughter had the same weird interests, she was always preparing strange potions in the kitchen, and sometimes would fall into a trance, and then say gruesome things. Apparently she knew my new address, and so came to consult me about her poisoned hand. She also told me then that her husband was dead."

"That is very interesting indeed," the judge said. He gave Pan a pitying look, then added: "I now know who committed this foul crime, Pan Feng. But the criminal is a dangerous maniac, and such people have to be handled with great care. Stay at home tonight and nail boards over that window in the bedroom. And keep your front door locked. Tomorrow you'll know."

Pan Feng had been listening dumbfounded. Judge Dee did not give him time to ask questions. He thanked Pan for the tea and left.