The Phantom of the Temple

XI

The next morning at dawn, Ma Joong and the young constable called Fang burned Seng-san's body and head in the brick oven behind the prison. Afterwards Ma Joong had breakfast with Sergeant Hoong in the guardroom, giving the sergeant a circumstantial account of his adventure on the preceding night. Then they went together to Judge Dee's private office.

The judge briefly repeated his conclusions for the benefit of Sergeant Hoong. 'So we have now a double task before us,' he wound up. 'To discover the hidden gold, and to catch the murderer. This morning we shall proceed to the deserted temple with — Yes, come in!’

The headman entered. After he had wished the judge a good morning he said, 'The retired prefect, the honourable Mr Woo, wants to see Your Honour on an urgent matter. He is accompanied by Mr Lee Mai, the banker.'

'Ex-prefect Woo?' Judge Dee asked crossly. 'Oh yes, I remember. Met him once or twice at official functions here. A very lean man, with a slight stoop?' As the head­man nodded, the judge went on: 'Quite a dignified, elderly gentleman. He was a diligent and scrupulously honest official, but his career came to an untimely end through an unfortunate affair. His uncle went bankrupt and Woo insisted on paying all the debts, although he was not bound in law to do so, of course. It nearly ruined him, for, since the uncle died soon afterwards, Woo never got a single copper back. He tendered his resignation, left his native city and settled down here, because the stan­dard of life is much lower here than in one of the larger cities, and there are fewer social obligations. Who is that other man? Lee Mai, you said?'

'Yes, Your Honour. Mr Lee Mai owns a small gold- and silver-shop in the east quarter, and he conducts some banking business there also. He is a friend of the Honourable Woo.'

'Lee Mai's the brother of Lee Ko the painter, sir,' Ma Joong put in.

Judge Dee rose with a sigh. 'Well, go and receive our guests, Sergeant. Bring them to the reception hall. In the meantime I'll change.'

Ma Joong helped the judge to don his official robe of green brocade. A retired prefect had to be received with the honours due to his rank. While putting on his winged cap, the judge said with a bleak smile, 'Woo's visit comes at a most inopportune moment, but as an experienced official he'll at least state his case clearly and concisely!’

As the judge crossed the central courtyard with Ma Joong, he looked up at the sky. The heat was less oppres­sive than the day before; it promised to become a fairly cool day. They ascended the broad marble staircase that led up to the main entrance of the reception hall, built on a raised platform. Sergeant Hoong stood waiting for them between the red-lacquered pillars, and he led Judge Dee inside.

The two men seated at the tea table rose hurriedly when they saw the judge enter. The elder one came for­ward and made his bow. He had a long, sallow face adorned by a wispy goatee and a long grey moustache, and was clad in a long dark-blue gown with a flower pattern embroidered in gold thread; he wore a high square cap of black gauze with a green jade ornament in front. While the judge made the prescribed polite inquiries of the retired prefect, he covertly observed the tall, broad-shouldered man who stood behind him. He had a pale, round face with heavy-lidded eyes, a short jet-black moustache and a diminutive chin-beard. He wore the grey gown and small cap of a merchant.

The judge bade the prefect resume his seat. He him­self sat down opposite the distinguished guest. The banker remained standing behind the prefect's chair. Ma Joong and the sergeant sat down on low stools, somewhat apart.

After a clerk had served tea, Judge Dee settled back into his chair and asked, jovially, 'Well, esteemed col­league, what can I do for you, so early in the morning?'

The old gentleman fixed him with a sombre stare. 'I came to ask what news there is about my daughter, sir.' Seeing Judge Dee's uncomprehending expression, he added impatiently: 'Since you issued that proclamation last night, you must have news about Jade.'

Judge Dee sat up. He poured his guest another cup of tea. 'Before we continue this conversation, sir, may I ask why Mr Lee is accompanying you?'

'Of course. One month before my daughter's disappear­ance, I had promised her in marriage to Mr Lee. He has not married since, and therefore he has a right to know.'

'I see.' Judge Dee took a fan from his sleeve and began to fan himself. After some time, he said, 'All of this happened last year, before my arrival here. Since my information is mainly based on hearsay, I would greatly appreciate it if you would tell me briefly the circumstances of your daughter's disappearance. I failed to discover any concrete data in the archives here, you know.'

The old prefect frowned. Stroking his goatee with his thin hand he said, 'Jade is my only child, by my first wife who died three years ago. She is a rather clever but very headstrong girl. When she was getting on for eighteen, I selected Mr Lee Mai here as her future husband. I may add that Mr Lee had been assisting me in some financial matters, and I have found him a straight and well-educated man. Also, we are natives of the same district up north. My daughter approved of my choice. Unfortu­nately, however, I had engaged as secretary a young student called Yang Mou-te. He is a local man, well-behaved, and he came with good introductions. Alas, my advancing years are evidently blurring my powers of judgement. Yang turned out to be a scoundrel. Behind my back he made advances to my daughter.'

The banker bent and started to say something to the prefect, but the old gentleman shook his head vigorously.

'Hold your peace, Lee. Let me tell this in my own way! My daughter is ignorant of the ways of the world, and Yang succeeded in winning her affection. On the night of the tenth day of the ninth month, I told her after the even­ing rice that the following day I would consult a diviner about an auspicious day for her wedding to Mr Lee. Imagine my shocked astonishment when she coolly told me she would not marry Lee because she was in love with my secretary Yang! I had the scoundrel summoned at once, but he had gone out, and I spoke harshly to my daughter, very harshly, I admit. Who wouldn't, when confronted with such an outrageous affair? She jumped up and ran away.'

The prefect took a sip from his tea, shaking his head.

'Then I made a big mistake, sir. I assumed that Jade had run to her aunt, an old lady who lives in the street behind ours. She is a sister of my first wife, and Jade liked her very much. I thought that my daughter had gone to seek consolation there, and would be back the next morn­ing, to apologize to me. When, at noon, she had not yet returned, I sent my housemaster to fetch her. He was told that Jade hadn't been there at all. I summoned Yang, but that rascal disclaimed all knowledge of her disappear­ance, and also brazenly stated that he had never exchanged more than a casual remark with her. I called him a liar, and had inquiries made. Yang had indeed passed the evening in a house of assignation. I dismissed the fellow anyway, of course. Then I called Mr Lee, and we made the most exhaustive inquiries, sparing no costs. But Jade had disappeared without leaving a trace. The logical conclusion was that she had been kidnapped when on her way to her aunt.'

'Why didn't you report this immediately to the tri­bunal, sir?' Judge Dee asked. 'In the case of a missing person, the authorities can take a number of effective routine measures and—'

'In the first place,' Woo interrupted, 'your predecessor was an ass, sir. And a coward to boot, for he didn't dare to lift a finger against Chien Mow, that abominable rene­gade who usurped power here.' He angrily tugged at his goatee. 'Second, I am an old-fashioned man, sir. The honour of my family means a great deal to me. I didn't want the fact that my daughter had been kidnapped to become public knowledge. Mr Lee entirely concurred with that view.'

'I plan to marry her, Your Honour,' the tall man said quietly. 'Regardless of what may have happened to her.'

'I appreciate your loyalty, Mr Lee,' the judge said dryly. 'But you gave Mr Woo wrong advice. The only correct course would have been to report the disappear­ance, and at once.'

The ex-prefect brushed the remark aside with an im­patient gesture.

'Now, what did you learn about my daughter, sir? Is she still alive?'

Judge Dee put the fan back into his sleeve, and took from it a sheaf of papers. He leafed through them till he found his notes concerning Ma Joong's visit to the sor­ceress. Looking up, he asked, 'Was your daughter born on the fourth day of the fifth month, of the year of the Mouse?'

'Certainly, sir. You can find that in the records here in your chancery.'

'Exactly. Well, to my regret I can only tell you that the information I received regarding your daughter is very vague. At the present stage I could tell you nothing without running the risk of either unduly distressing you, or causing you to entertain hopes that may prove false. That's all I can say at this moment.'

'You'll handle the case as you see fit, sir,' Woo said stiffly. 'I have, however, one humble request to make of you. If your investigation reaches the stage that you feel compelled to take legal action, I'd be most grate­ful if you'd kindly appraise me in advance of the evidence.'

Judge Dee sipped his tea. He was wondering what his guest meant. The request seemed perfectly superfluous. Putting his cup down he said, 'I would've done so as a matter of course, sir. I—'

The prefect rose abruptly.

'Thank you, sir. Come along, Lee!'

The judge had risen also. Conducting his guests to the door, he said to the banker, 'I hear you have a brother who is quite a good painter, Mr Lee.'

'I know next to nothing about fine art, Excellency,' Lee replied, rather curtly.

Sergeant Hoong led the visitors downstairs.

'So that girl Jade exists, after all!' Ma Joong burst out excitedly. 'The sorceress must have known her, for the date of birth which she gave me was correct! That last message from her we found in the ebony box must be perfectly genuine, sir! Good Heavens, we must at once—'

'Not so fast, Ma Joong!' Judge Dee pushed his heavy cap back and wiped his moist forehead. 'I perceive strange undercurrents. It would not have been polite to press the prefect for details, but ... What is it now, house­master?' He looked astonished at the greybeard who came shuffling inside, his thin face rather upset.

'Something quite unusual occurred in the women's quarters, sir. The First Lady sent me.'

'Well, speak up, man!'

'Just now the Third Lady came to see her ladyship, bringing a sealed envelope. She reported that a veiled woman came to the back door, in a closed sedan chair. Having inquired from the maids who was the youngest mistress, and having learned it was the Third Lady, she requested an interview with her, on a personal matter. When the maid asked her name, she handed over that sealed envelope. The First Lady opened the envelope, and found the visiting-card of Mrs Woo, the wife of the retired prefect. Her ladyship sent me here at once to ask for Your Honour's instructions.'

Judge Dee raised his eyebrows. 'I don't like my ladies to get mixed up in a case I am dealing with,' he told Ma Joong with a worried frown. 'On the other hand, I have a distinct feeling that Mr Woo wasn't telling me the full story. Well, I shall take counsel with my First Lady. Tell the sergeant that we shall meet later, in my office.'