The Chinese Tapestry

CHAPTER XX. KU LUAN’S MESSAGE

DAVE and Colin had reached the Oriental Museum. They were standing in front of the granite building when a large car pulled up. By a glimmering street lamp, Dave recognized the hired limousine in which he had ridden that afternoon. Before he could make a comment, a man stepped from the car. It was Doctor Barnett Lestman.

“Here’s the curator,” chuckled Colin. “Leave it to me, Dave. I’ll explain to him—”

He stopped abruptly. Two others were also stepping from the car. The light showed the faces of Weldon Dryer and Mark Eldreth. Following close behind Lestman, they paused when they spied Colin on the steps with Dave.

“So this is our answer!” exclaimed Dryer, in a harsh tone. “We never thought that you would be here, Colin! Come! Explain yourself!”

“Why should I make explanations?” demanded Colin. “It seems to me that they should come from you. Who asked you to join us, Dryer? Or you, Mark?”

It was Lestman who replied.

“I was the one responsible,” acknowledged the curator. “I realize now that I misunderstood Mr. Kelroy. When he said that he was bringing Mr. Eldreth, I thought he meant Mark — not you, Colin.”

“What did you do?” queried Colin. “Call Mark up to make sure?”

“I merely thought it best to ask about Mr. Dryer,” returned Lestman. “I happened to know that he stays in town, at times, when the bay is very foggy. That was why I called Mark Eldreth’s home. I learned that Mr. Kelroy was not there.”

“So I told Doctor Lestman to call Mr. Dryer,” added Mark, his rounded face meeting Colin’s scowl. “I thought that perhaps Mr. Dryer was staying over night at the St. Francis. It chanced that he was.”

“Your question is answered, Colin!” snapped Dryer. “It is your turn, now, to tell us how you happened to meet Mr. Kelroy; and why you instructed him to hoax Doctor Lestman.”

“Hear that?” asked Colin, turning to Dave. “I told you what would happen if Dryer and Mark were called in. Well, we’ve kept our appointment. Suppose we stroll along. We can come to see you tomorrow, Doctor Lestman. Kelroy and I, alone.”

As Colin tried to draw Dave from the steps, a roadster pulled up at the curb. From it stepped a stocky man who approached with long strides.

“This is Inspector Romson,” remarked Dryer, eyeing Colin. “Perhaps he can prevail upon you to alter your decision. I called the inspector after I heard from Doctor Lestman.”

“What about Mare Island?” gibed Colin. “Did you call there, too? Or did you think it was too foggy to invite the marine corps over from the Navy Yard?”

Dryer made no answer. He was turning to greet Romson. Briefly, the lawyer related circumstances to the inspector. Colin shook his head wearily and turned to Dave.

“More explanations needed,” he declared. “Romson will have to know who you are — why you came from Shanghai — whether or not you are actually missing—”

“Cut it,” snapped Romson. “I saw Mr. Dryer earlier this evening. He told me all about the case. I intended to see you tomorrow, Kelroy. We’re making it tonight instead. Give me that box you’re holding. Humph. So this is what the Chinamen were battling about. They and Zack Ruggey’s outfit. Come on — let’s be getting inside.”

DOCTOR LESTMAN rang the night bell of the museum. A minute passed; eyes appeared through an opening wicket. Then the door swung wide. Lestman looked at the watchman who admitted them.

“Why are you here alone, Perry?” demanded the curator. “I thought I gave orders for both you and Singledon to be together when you answered the door.”

“I haven’t seen Singledon for some time, sir,” returned Perry. “That was why I came alone. Ah! Here is Singledon.”

The sour-faced attendant had arrived. Lestman questioned him. Singledon replied that he had been in a far corner of the second floor when he first heard the bell.

“We shall go directly to the Chinese Room,” decided Lestman. “Come along, Singledon. You have the key.”

They reached the Chinese Room. Singledon was wearing a smug smile when he unlocked the door. He had good reason; for he had visited this room when he first heard the curator’s ring.

Inside, Singledon had signaled by taps beside the Manchu statue. He knew that all would be silent when these visitors entered. Close against the door, Singledon’s face was hidden. No one observed his smile.

Lights turned on, the group assembled in the Chinese Room. Only Perry was absent. Lestman had sent the watchman back on duty. The curator motioned to Singledon to leave; the attendant did so, pulling the door almost shut behind him. Lestman looked about the room.

It appeared to be totally undisturbed. Dave watched the curator, then looked toward Colin, who changed a frown into a smile and gave a pleased nod.

“Everything looks excellent,” observed Colin, blandly. “I must compliment you, Doctor Lestman, on the way you keep up the standard of the museum. It has been quite a while since I was here in this Chinese Room. I had forgotten what the place looked like. Too bad we have to do some excavation.”

“What do you mean?” stormed Lestman. He had detected sarcasm in Colin’s first remarks.

“Excavation?”

“Certainly,” returned Colin. “Bring out some picks and shovels. We are going to wreck the pedestal of this large statue.”

“You will never receive my permission!” shouted the curator, infuriated by Colin’s statement. “Inspector Romson, I demand you arrest this man!”

“I’ll do it,” put in Romson, gruffly, “as soon as he starts something.”

“Let me explain matters, Doctor Lestman,” put in Dave. “We found a message on the tapestry in the teakwood box. It says that the treasure is beneath the large statue.”

DAVE turned to Romson, who was holding the box. The inspector opened it; he allowed Dave to remove the tapestry. Noting two small hooks at the sides of a niche in the end wall, Dave hung the tapestry from them. Plucking up the prayer papers, he began to arrange them on the floor, just below the tapestry.

“Where did you find these prayer papers?” queried Lestman. “They are ones that bear translations.”

“They belong to me,” asserted Colin, stepping up to the curator, as the latter stooped to read the papers.

“They tell their own story. They give the reason why you will have to demolish the large statue.”

Dave was pointing out the message. Lestman read it slowly; shook his head.

“‘Key small find,’” he objected. “Who has the small key to begin with—”

Dave was producing his ring of keys. The curator gestured disparagingly. “Those keys are not small. As for the rest of the message, some of it is plain; the rest obscure. ‘Unlocks gold treasure, large statue beneath’ — that part is passable. But who ever heard of a ‘casket one single’?”

“Pidgin English,” assured Colin. “It means one single casket. That’s what holds the treasure. Clear enough when you read it carefully.”

“Pidgin English?” queried the curator. “Bah! Even an untutored Chinese would not speak in such ridiculous fashion!”

Colin shrugged his shoulders. He turned to Dave, who was pondering as he studied the tapestry.

“Come along, old man,” suggested Colin. “We can take this matter up again in the morning. In the meantime, Doctor Lestman, do a little thinking of your own. As I recall it, Ku Luan reserved certain rights to this room. I remember my grandfather mentioning the fact. Dave Kelroy comes from Ku Luan. He can assert his rights if he so chooses.”

“That can be considered later,” announced Lestman. “If Mr. Kelroy is willing to contract for the removal and replacement of the bronze statue, and can pay for the work, I shall cooperate. But the matter must first be discussed with the directors of the museum.”

Turning from Colin, Lestman spoke to Dave.

“You heard my statement,” he affirmed. “I do not blame you for this trouble. Come here tomorrow, alone, and I shall receive you. But you will have to bring better evidence than that obscure message on this silk tapestry.”

Dave was about to speak, when Colin again interjected an argument.

“Remember, Doctor Lestman,” he warned. “We shall hold you responsible in the meantime. If anything should happen to the treasure, you will be liable—”

“You are threatening me!” roared the curator. “That is enough! Out of here! I order you from the premises!”

Colin glared stubbornly. Romson thrust forward and gripped him by the shoulder. Colin twisted away from the inspector. Mark leaped forward to join the scuffle. With an open hand, Colin gripped his cousin’s chin and shoved Mark backward. Romson pinned Colin’s arms as Mark went sprawling.

“Next time,” jeered Colin, looking toward the floor, “it will be a punch that lands on that big moon face of yours, Mark. You’ve mixed in too many businesses that don’t concern you.”

“Arrest him, inspector!” blurted Mark, coming to his feet. “Take Colin out of here, before he makes more trouble. I shall go with you, to prefer charges against him. Bring the others as witnesses to the fact that he assaulted me.”

ROMSON started Colin moving toward the door, where Singledon had appeared, attracted by the noise of the fray. Colin was laughing as he went along.

“How the newspapers will like this!” he chortled. “Moon-faced Mark, on the front page. Too bad I didn’t hand you a fist massage while I had the chance, Mark.”

“There will be other charges against you, Colin!” stormed Mark. “Mr. Dryer has had a private investigator following you. His name in Durling. He has seen you around the Club Monterey, giving money to a gambler named Mellick.”

Inspector Romson stopped short. He stared at Mark; then at Dryer. The two exchanged looks; then Mark spoke:

“Thirty-five hundred dollars,” he declared. “That’s the amount Durling saw you hand over. It was early in the evening, the same night that Kelroy ran into trouble.”

“What about this?” queried Romson, turning to Dryer. “Was Durling working for you?”

Dryer nodded.

“He was giving me confidential information,” explained the lawyer. “I had chosen not to make it public. I was within my rights, inspector.”

“Maybe you were.” Romson looked at Colin, who seemed shaky. “Well, fellow, since you know Hype Mellick, maybe you know Zack Ruggey, too.”

“I met him once,” replied Colin, slowly. “It was in a poker game. He and Hype trimmed me.”

“And that’s what you slipped Hype the dough for?”

“Yes.”

Romson snorted.

“Maybe you’d better call Mare Island and talk to the marines,” he said to Colin. “This business is beginning to look mighty phony. That teakwood box was what crooks were after; they got hold of it, and it shows up in your apartment. You have the prayer papers that translate it. What’s more, you seem to know a lot about this museum.

“How about it, Kelroy?” Romson swung to Dave, who was standing by the far wall. “Come clean. How long have you been traveling around with Colin Eldreth?”

“I met him a few days ago,” began Dave. “But—”

“I thought so,” interrupted Romson. “We’re getting the real dope, now. Come along — all of you, down to headquarters! You, too, doctor. Forget those prayer papers.”

LESTMAN was still stooping near the wall, almost oblivious to the argument. As he heard his name mentioned, he popped up from the floor. A gleam showed on his face as he pointed excitedly with his left hand.

“I have it!” exclaimed the curator. “I have it! The message on the tapestry! It changes everything! We can search for the treasure, here tonight!”

Eager faces peered toward Doctor Lestman as he indicated the tapestry with one hand, the prayer papers with the other. In that moment of tenseness, feuds and accusations were forgotten. Colin and Mark stared with the others; even Dryer looked interested, as he stood at the foot of the steps.

Behind the lawyer; Singledon was crouching, just within the door that he had pushed ajar behind him.

The attendant’s face showed a wicked gleam. He, too, had interest in whatever might develop within this Chinese Room.