Murder in Canton

XV

In the meantime Judge Dee had eaten his noon rice in his private dining-room, together with Tao Gan. They had lingered over their tea, waiting for Chiao Tai. When it was getting on for two o'clock, and Chiao Tai had not yet made his appearance, the judge rose and told the majordomo to take them to the Council Hall.

The Governor and Prefect Pao stood waiting just inside the en­trance, and by their side a bearded man in shining armour. The Governor introduced him as the garrison commander, and the other, slightly younger officer standing behind him as the harbour master. After Mr Liang Foo and Yau Tai-kai had also greeted the judge, the Governor led him to the head of the large conference table that had been prepared in the centre of the hall.

It took some time before all these distinguished persons had been seated in the proper order. At last, after the scribes had taken their places at two lower tables somewhat apart, and moistened their writing-brushes to take down the proceedings, Judge Dee opened the conference. After he had outlined briefly the problem confronting them, he called upon the garrison commander to give them an outline of the strategic situation.

The commander did so in a commendably succinct manner. Within half an hour he had completed his description of the lay­out of the city, and the distribution of the garrison forces. He was interrupted only once, when a clerk came in and handed a letter to Prefect Pao. The Prefect glanced through it, then asked the judge to excuse him for a while.

Judge Dee was just going to ask the commander what safety measures he would recommend, when the Governor rose and be­gan a speech, intended, as he was careful to point out, to present the city's main features from a broader, administrative angle. While he was talking, Prefect Pao came back and resumed his seat. The Governor spoke for more than half an hour, going into much irrelevant detail. Judge Dee was just beginning to shift im­patiently in his chair, when an adjutant came in. He asked Judge Dee in a whisper whether he might show in Colonel Chiao, who wanted to speak to him urgently. Judge Dee, welcoming this opportunity to stretch his legs, decided to disregard official pro­tocol by going outside to see him. He rose and asked the company to excuse him for a few moments.

In the anteroom Chiao Tai quickly told him what had happened in Captain Nee's house.

'Go to the Arab quarter and arrest Mansur at once!’ Judge Dee said angrily. 'This is the first direct proof we have against the scoundrel! And Ahmed and Aziz were the two the Censor men­tioned in his note. Take my four agents with you.' As Chiao Tai turned to leave with a happy grin, the judge added, 'Try also to get Captain Nee. If he is not yet back, tell the tribunal to issue a warrant for his arrest to all the city wardens. I want to have a talk with that sea captain! A mystic forsooth!’

After Judge Dee had resumed his seat at the head of the con­ference table, he said gravely:

'One of the items on our agenda is what measures to take con­cerning Mansur, the leader of the Arab community here. I have just received certain information that has obliged me to issue orders for his immediate arrest.' As he said this, he quickly sur­veyed the faces of the persons round the table.

All nodded in approval except Mr Yau, who looked very doubt­ful.

'I too have heard rumours about an impending Arab revolt,' he said. 'But I dismissed them at once as based on irresponsible gossip. As to Mansur, I think I may say that I know him well. He is a quick-tempered, haughty man, but I am certain he would never even dream of engaging upon such a treacherous undertaking.'

The judge threw him a cold glance.

'I admit,' he said evenly, 'that I have no concrete evidence against Mansur — as yet. But since he is the head of the Arab community, he is personally responsible to us for everything happening among his compatriots. He will now have every oppor­tunity to prove himself innocent. Of course, since we must reckon with the possibility that Mansur is not the ringleader after all, his impending arrest does not make precautionary measures super­fluous. I request the garrison commander now to formulate those measures.'

When the commander had done so, in his customary crisp manner, the harbour master added a few suggestions regarding a restriction of the movement of Arab vessels in port. After agree­ment had been reached on these proposals, Judge Dee ordered Pre­fect Pao to draw up the texts of the necessary orders and pro­clamations. It took considerable time for all the texts to be com­pleted and approved, but at long last Judge Dee could sign and seal the papers. Just as he was about to close the conference, the Governor took a bulky package of notes from his bosom and put it on the table. He cleared his throat importantly, then spoke:

'I deeply regret that the sudden cropping up of this Arab affair has taken so much of Your Excellency's valuable time. Since I am not oblivious of the fact that the purpose of Your Excellency's visit here is to review the foreign trade situation, I have had the port authorities draw up a report, which quotes in detail the im­port and export figures of all more important commodities. If Your Excellency will allow me, I shall now, on the basis of these documents, briefly describe the general position.'

Judge Dee was about to remark sharply that he had better things to do, but checked himself in time. After all, he had to keep up appearances. And the Governor had shown commendable zeal. Thus he nodded and resignedly leaned back in his chair.

While the Governor's voice droned on, he thought over what Chiao Tai had told him about Captain Nee. The fact that Mansur had intended Nee to be accused of Chiao Tai's murder seemed to prove that the captain was not involved in the nefarious scheme.

Was he perhaps working together with the blind girl? When Chiao Tai was visiting him, the captain had received a written message, and when Chiao Tai had left the blind girl's package had been put into his sleeve. The judge wanted to whisper something to Tao Gan, but saw that his lieutenant was listening in rapt attention to the Governor's speech. He sighed. He knew that Tao Gan was always keenly interested in financial matters.

The Governor's speech lasted more than an hour. When he was through at last, the servants came in to light the silver candle­sticks. Now Liang Foo rose and began to discuss the figures quoted by the Governor. Judge Dee was glad when he saw the adjutant come in again. With a worried face he said quickly to the judge:

'The warden of the north-west quarter is here, Excellency, with an important message for the Prefect.'

Pao looked questioningly at the judge. When he nodded his assent, the Prefect hastily got up and followed the adjutant out­side.

Judge Dee had just began to compliment the Governor and Mr Liang on their masterly speeches, when suddenly Prefect Pao came rushing inside, his face a deadly pale.

'My wife has been murdered!' he brought out in a choking voice. 'I must...'

He broke off as he saw Chiao Tai come in. Chiao Tai quickly stepped up to the judge and said contritely:

'Mansur has completely disappeared, sir. And so has Captain Nee. I can't understand what...'

Judge Dee cut him short with his raised hand. He quickly ordered the Governor, 'Send out your men to arrest Mansur. And also the sea captain Nee. At once!’ Then he told Chiao Tai that Mrs Pao had been found murdered. He turned to the Prefect. 'Accept my sincere sympathy, Mr Pao. I shall accompany you to your house now together with my two lieutenants. This new out­rage ...'

'It didn't happen in my house, sir!’ the Prefect cried out. 'She was murdered in a house south of the Kwang-siao Temple, an address I have never even heard of! On the south corner of the second street!’

Mr Yau uttered a suppressed cry. He stared at the Prefect with his mouth open, his bovine eyes enlarged by fright.

'Do you know that place, Mr Yau?' Judge Dee asked sharply.

'Yes, indeed. I ... it belongs to me, as a matter of fact. I use it for entertaining business associates.'

'I order you to explain how...' the Prefect began, but Judge Dee cut him short.

'Mr Yau shall accompany us to the scene of the crime. He shall give further explanations there.'

He rose briskly, told the Governor to execute at once the measures agreed upon, then left the Council Hall followed by his two lieutenants, Prefect Pao and Yau Tai-kai. In the front court­yard the guards were lighting the lanterns already. While the judge stood waiting there for his palankeen, he asked Pao:

'How was it done?'

'She was strangled from behind with a silk scarf, sir,' Pao answered in a toneless voice.

Judge Dee gave his two assistants a meaningful look, but he refrained from comment. As the stepladder of the palankeen was being lowered, he told the Prefect:

'You'll ride together with me, Mr Pao, there's plenty of space inside. Warden, you'll take Mr Yau in your litter.'

He made Prefect Pao sit next to him, and Chiao Tai and Tao Gan took the seat opposite. As the bearers hoisted the long shafts on their calloused shoulders, Chiao Tai said eagerly:

'Yau mentioned that address to me last night, sir! It seems he keeps a couple of nice girls there. He put a woman in charge and...'

'Now I know why that worthless wife of mine went there!’ the Prefect burst out. 'She went there to meet that lecher, Captain Nee! They were lovers before I — old fool that I was — married her. I often suspected they had been continuing their sordid affair behind my back. Cheap adultery! And Yau connived at it. I demand that Yau and Nee are placed under arrest, sir, and I...'

Judge Dee raised his hand.

'Calm yourself, Mr Pao! Even if your wife went there to meet the captain, that does not prove that it was he who murdered her.'

'I shall tell you exactly what happened, sir! My wife knew that I would be in the palace the whole afternoon, for the conference, and therefore she made the appointment with her paramour. But although she is flighty, and often rather foolish, she is funda­mentally a decent woman ... I am to blame, sir, I neglected her. Had to, the Governor always kept me so busy, I had no time...' His voice trailed off. He shook his head and passed his hand over his face. Then he took hold of himself and resumed in a soft voice, as if to himself, 'This time my wife must have told Nee that she wanted to put an end to the sordid affair, once and for all. Nee flew into a rage, and killed her. That must have been how it happened.'

'The fact that Nee seems to have gone into hiding may indeed point to his guilt,' Judge Dee remarked. 'But let's not indulge in premature deductions, Mr Pao.'