The Chinese Nail Murders

Sixteenth Chapter

The next day, toward noon, three horsemen, their fur caps covered with snow, halted in front of the tribunal. They saw many people filing into the main gate.

Ma Joong said, astonished, to Chu Ta-yuan:

"It seems there is a session!"

"Let's hurry," Chiao Tai muttered.

Tao Gan came to meet them in the main courtyard.

"His Excellency had to convene a special session of the tri­bunal," he informed them. "Some important facts have come to light which need immediate attention."

"Let's go to the judge's private office and find out," Chu Ta-yuan said eagerly. "There may be news about the Sergeant's mur­der."

"The session is about to begin, sir," Tao Gan remarked, "the judge said he was not to be disturbed now."

"In that case," Chiao Tai said, "we'd better go straight on to the court hall. If you come with us, Mr. Chu, we'll get you a place near the dais."

"The front row is good enough for me," Chu Ta-yuan replied, "but you can take me in by the back entrance, so that I won't have to elbow my way through the crowd. There seem to be quite a lot of people."

The three men entered the corridor, and went into the court hall by the door behind the dais used by the judge. Ma Joong and Chiao Tai went to stand by the side of the raised platform; Chu Ta-yuan walked on and stood himself in the first row of spectators, behind the constables.

A confused murmur of voices rose from the packed hall. All were eying expectantly Judge Dee's empty armchair behind the high bench.

Suddenly there was silence. The judge appeared on the dais. As he sat down Ma Joong and Chiao Tai noted that his face was even more haggard than the evening before.

Letting his gavel descend on the bench, the judge spoke: "This special session of the tribunal of Pei-chow has been con­vened to deal with important new developments in the case of the murder in the house of the curio-dealer Pan Feng." Looking at the headman he ordered: "Bring the first exhibit!" Ma Joong shot Chiao Tai a bewildered look. The headman came back carrying a large package wrapped up in oil paper. He carefully put it down on the floor, then took a roll of oil paper from his sleeve and spread it out on one end of the bench. He took the package up and put it there.

Judge Dee leaned forward and quickly undid the top. A gasp rose from the audience as the wrappers dropped down. On the bench stood the head of a snowman. The eyes were represented by two glowing red stones that seemed to look at the audience with a malevolent glare.

The judge said nothing. He looked fixedly at Chu Ta-yuan.

Chu slowly came forward, step by step, his eyes on the head. At a peremptory sign from the judge the constables quickly drew aside. Chu walked up to the bench till he stood directly below the head. He stared up at it with a strange, vacuous stare.

Suddenly he said in a queer, petulant voice:

"Give me back my red stones!"

As he raised his gloved hands, Judge Dee's hand shot out. He tapped with his gavel the top of the head, and the snow crumbled away. The severed head of a woman stood on the bench. The face was half-covered by the wet hair locks.

Ma Joong uttered a fearful curse. He made to jump down from the raised platform to throw himself on Chu Ta-yuan, but the judge clutched his arm in an iron grip.

"Stay where you are!" he warned him. Chiao Tai sprang to Ma Joong's side and held him back.

Chu Ta-yuan stood stock-still, looking at the woman's head with a dazed expression. Dead silence reigned in the hall.

Slowly Chu averted his gaze and looked down. Suddenly he stooped and picked up the two rubies that had dropped down with the snow. He took off his gloves and placing the stones in the palm of his left hand, swollen and covered with blisters, he rubbed them with the forefinger of his right. A childish smile spread over his broad face.

"Beautiful stones!" he whispered. "Beautiful red stones, like drops of blood!"

All eyes were on that uncanny, hulking figure, smiling happily like a child over its toys. No one noticed the tall veiled woman whom Tao Gan led before the bench. As she stood facing Chu Ta-yuan, Judge Dee suddenly asked:

"Do you recognize the severed head of Miss Liao Lien-fang?"

At the same time Tao Gan ripped down the veil from the woman's face.

Chu seemed suddenly to wake up from a dream. His eyes darted from the face of the woman opposite him to the head on the bench. Then he said to the woman with a sly smile:

"We must quickly cover it up with snow!"

He fell on his knees and groped over the stone flags.

A murmur rose from the crowd, quickly increasing in volume. But it stopped when the judge imperiously raised his hand.

"Where is Yeh Tai?" he asked Chu.

"Yeh Tai?" Chu asked, raising his head. Then he burst out in loud laughter. "Also in the snow!" he shouted, "also in the snow!"

Suddenly his face fell, he looked frightened. With a quick glance at the woman he cried out in a plaintive voice:

"You must help me! I need more snow!"

The woman shrank back against the bench. She put her face in her hands.

"More snow!" Chu Ta-yuan suddenly shrieked. He frantically groped over the stone floor, tearing his nails in the grooves between the flagstones.

Judge Dee gave a sign to the headman. Two constables grabbed Chu's arms and pulled him up. He fought back wildly, shouting and cursing, foam bubbling from his mouth. Four other constables sprang forward, and with great difficulty the raving man was put in chains and led away.

Judge Dee announced gravely:

"This court accuses the landowner Chu Ta-yuan of having murdered Miss Liao Lien-fang, and suspects him of the murder of Yeh Tai. Mrs. Pan was his accomplice."

Stopping the angry voices from the audience with his raised hand, he continued:

"This morning I searched the residence of Chu Ta-yuan,- and found Mrs. Pan living alone in one of the secluded courtyards. The head of Miss Liao was found in a snowman, in one of the back gardens. The exhibit before you now is a wooden dummy."

Then Judge Dee addressed the woman, saying:

"Mrs. Pan, nee Yeh, shall now truthfully state her relations with the accused Chu Ta-yuan, and describe how the said Chu Ta-yuan abducted and subsequently murdered Miss Liao Lien-fang.

"This tribunal has clear proof of Mrs. Pan's complicity in these crimes, and shall propose the death penalty for her. But a full confession may result in this court recommending the death penalty in one of its milder forms."

Slowly the woman raised her head. She began in a low voice:

"This person first met Chu Ta-yuan about one month ago, in front of a jeweler's counter in the covered market. He bought a golden bracelet set with rubies, and he must have noticed my envious glance. For, when later I was purchasing a comb from a vendor farther down the passage, I suddenly found him standing by my side. He struck up a conversation, and when he heard who I was he said that he often bought antiques from my husband. I felt flattered by his interest in me, and when he asked whether he could come and see me I soon agreed, and mentioned an after­noon when my husband would be away. He quickly put the bracelet in my sleeve, and went away."

Mrs. Pan fell silent. After some hesitation she went on with bent head:

"That afternoon I had put on my best robe, heated the oven-bed and prepared a jug of warm wine. Chu came and spoke very kindly to me, treating me as his equal. He quickly drank the wine, but he did not make any of the suggestions I was expecting. When I took off my robe, he suddenly became ill at ease, and when I slipped out of my undergarments he turned his face away. He told me curtly to put on my dress again, then continued in a kinder voice that he found me very beautiful and would like very much to make me his mistress. But I would have to prove that I could be trusted by doing him a service. I readily agreed for I wanted very much a liaison with this wealthy man who would certainly reward me liberally. I hated the life I led in that lonely house, the little money I saved was always taken away by my brother Yeh Tai . . ."

Her voice trailed off. On a sign of the judge the headman of­fered her a cup of bitter tea. She greedily drank it, then went on:

"Chu told me there was a girl who used to visit the covered market on certain days, together with an old woman. I was to go with him there, he would point out the girl to me, and I was to lure her away without the old woman noticing it. He indicated a day and a meeting place, gave me another golden bracelet and left.

"I met Chu on the appointed day, and he followed me, his face partly covered by a black hood. I tried to approach the girl, but the old woman stayed close by her all the time, and I had to give up."

"Did you recognize the girl?" Judge Dee interrupted.

"No, Your Honor, I swear I didn't!" Mrs. Pan cried. "I sup­posed she was some famous courtesan. A few days later we tried again. The pair had strolled to the southern section of the market, they were looking at a Tartar with a performing bear. I stood myself next to the girl and whispered as Chu had instructed me: 'Mr. Yu wants to see you.' The girl followed me without another word.

"I took her to an empty house nearby that Chu had indicated; he followed close behind. The door was ajar, and Chu quickly pushed the girl inside. He told me he would see me later, and locked the door in my face.

"When I saw the placards I realized that Chu had abducted a girl of a well-known family. I hastened to his house with a faked message from my husband, and begged him to set the girl free. But he said he had already secretly removed her to a secluded courtyard in his own mansion, and that no one would ever know she was there. He gave me a sum of money, and promised that he would soon come to visit me again.

"Three days ago I met him in the market. He said that the girl made trouble, she tried to attract the attention of the other mem­bers of the household, and he did not get anywhere with her. Since my house was located in a lonely neighborhood, he wanted to take the girl there for a night. I replied that that very day my husband would be away for two days. Chu came that night after the evening meal, dragging the girl along disguised as a nun. I wanted to speak to the girl, but Chu pushed me to the door, and ordered me to go out and not come back before the second night watch."

Mrs. Pan passed her hand over her eyes. When she spoke again her voice sounded hoarse.

"When I came back I found Chu sitting in the hall, half-dazed. I anxiously asked him what had happened, and he told me in­coherently that the girl was dead. I rushed to the bedroom and found that he had strangled her. Frantic with fear I ran back to Chu and told him I would call the warden. I didn't mind helping him in a love affair, but I certainly refused to become involved in a murder case.

"Suddenly Chu became very calm. He curtly said that I was already his accomplice and guilty of the death penalty. But he would perhaps be able to cover up the murder, and at the same time take me into his house as a concubine, without anybody ever suspecting it.

"He took me back with him to the bedroom and forced me to strip. He carefully examined my entire body, and when he saw that I had no scars or large birthmarks, he said that I was lucky and that everything would be all right. He took the silver ring from my finger and told me to put on the nun's cloak that was lying on the floor. I wanted to put on my undergarments first but he became very angry, threw the cloak over my shoulders and pushed me outside, ordering me to wait in the hall.

"I don't know how long I sat there, shivering with cold and fear. At last Chu came back, carrying two large bundles. "I have taken the girl's severed head, and your clothes and shoes,' he said calmly. 'Now everybody will think the body is yours, and you shall be safe in my house as my cherished mistress!' 'You are crazy!' I cried out, 'that girl is a virgin!' He suddenly flew into a terrible rage, he started cursing, foam came on his lips. 'A virgin?' he hissed at me, 'I saw the lecherous slut together with my secretary, under my own roof!'

"Trembling with fury he put one of the bundles in my hands, and we left. He told me to lock the front door from outside. We went to his house, walking in the shadow of the city wall. I was so afraid that I didn't notice the cold. Chu opened a back door at the rear of the house, placed one of the bundles under the shrubs in the corner of the garden, and led me through several dark corridors to a separate courtyard. He said I would find everything I wanted there and left.

"My rooms were luxuriously appointed, and an old deaf-and-dumb woman brought me excellent food. Chu came the next day. He seemed very preoccupied and only asked where I had put the jewels he had given me. I told him about the secret compartment in my clothes box, and he said he would get them for me. I asked him to bring also some of my favorite robes.

"But when he came the next day he said the jewels were gone, he gave me only the robes. I asked him to stay with me, but he said that he had hurt his hand, and would come another night. I did not see him again. This is the complete truth."

At a sign from the judge the senior scribe read out his record of Mrs. Pan's confession. She agreed listlessly that it was correct and affixed her thumb mark to the document.

Then Judge Dee said gravely:

"You have acted very foolishly, and you'll have to pay for it with your life. But since Chu Ta-yuan instigated you, and later forced you to go on helping him, I shall propose for you the death penalty in one of its milder forms."

The headman led the sobbing Mrs. Pan to the side door where Mrs. Kuo stood waiting to take her back to jail.

Judge Dee said:

"The coroner shall examine the criminal Chu Ta-yuan. In the course of the next days it will become apparent whether his mind is permanently deranged. Should he recover, I shall propose for him the death penalty in its most severe form, for as well as Miss Liao and presumably Yeh Tai, he also murdered the Sergeant of this tribunal. We shall at once institute a search for Yeh Tai's body.

"This court wishes to express its sympathy with the cruel loss suffered by Guildmaster Liao. At the same time, however, the court is obliged to stress that when daughters have reached mar­riageable age, it is not only their father's duty to select at once a suitable husband, but also to see to it that the wedding takes place as soon as possible. The wise men of old who drew up the rules for us to live by did not do so without very good reasons. This admonition is also meant for all other householders present at this session.

"Pan Feng shall restore the coffin containing Liao Lien-fang's body to Guildmaster Liao, so that it can be buried together with the recovered head. As soon as the higher authorities have decided how the murderer shall be dealt with, blood money will be paid to Mr. Liao out of Chu Ta-yuan's estate.

"For the time being that estate shall be administered by the comptroller of this tribunal, assisted by the secretary Yu Kang."

The judge closed the session.