“My father not here today,” he said. “You give me letter. I give to him.”
There was no way I was going to hand over a letter to Bobby Lee, who would undoubtedly open it and read it. I couldn’t remember whether I had said anything specific in it about looking for the girl, but I couldn’t take the chance. Bobby Lee obviously hadn’t been informed of the reason for my visits, or he would know why I was here today and would ask if I had been successful in my search. That meant that Mr. Lee didn’t want him to know.
“I’m sorry, but the information in my letter is for Mr. Lee alone,” I said. “I will return on another occasion when he is at home. Good day to you.”
I gave him a curt nod and walked out. When I was safely down Mott Street I let out a sigh of relief. Maybe it was the exaggerated rumors that one heard about Chinatown, but I had definitely not felt safe in that room with Bobby Lee.
* * *
I arrived back at Patchin Place to find a hive of activity. Sid was up on a stepladder, stringing paper lanterns across the garden. Gus was in the kitchen loading the contents of her basket into the pantry. “I hope none of this spoils before tomorrow,” she said, looking up as I came in, “but the market doesn’t operate on Sundays so I had to get the fruit and vegetables now. Luckily Mr. Klein has promised to deliver the smoked salmon and cheeses tomorrow, so I don’t have to worry about them. So—have you safely delivered your letter?”
“I couldn’t do so,” I said. “It appears the secretary has been sacked and Mr. Lee’s obnoxious paper son was only too anxious to get his hands on my letter, so I’ll have to go back at another time. I was told that Mr. Lee wasn’t there today anyway.”
“No matter,” Gus said. “You can put your worries aside for the rest of the day and have fun with us decorating the house.”
“Did you finally decide on your theme?” I asked, peering out at Sid on her stepladder.
“We toyed with another nuns and priests, or priests and prostitutes, but we thought they were not suitable as a celebration of marriage, so we’ve simply invited people to come in costume if they feel like it, and we will create a festive environment. We have strolling musicians and a fortune-teller. Sid really wanted fireworks, but it’s hard to set them off in our backyard without offending the neighbors, so we’ll limit those to sparklers.”
I was rather relieved that my wedding party was not to be turned into a Greenwich Village spectacle.
“You must go up to our costume box and choose yourself something to wear.” Gus straightened up as she put a box of peaches onto the pantry floor.
“Not the nun’s habit,” I said. “It was hot and uncomfortable.”
“Quite right. We’ve a lovely French maid or there’s Cleopatra or a milkmaid. I’m sure you’ll find something.”
I couldn’t tell her I’d rather just be myself and I was finding it hard to concentrate on the party, so I offered to help with the preparations. I needed to be busy to take my mind off things. I was in the middle of draping paper streamers across the living room ceiling when the doorbell rang. I looked out of the window to see Frederick Lee standing there.
“Miss Murphy,” he said, his face showing relief when I opened the door. “I am so glad to find you here.”
“I went to find you this morning,” I said, “but instead I met Bobby Lee, who told me that you had been sacked. Is that true?”
“I’m afraid so. A bad business.”
I remembered my manners. “Please, won’t you come inside? Can I fetch you a glass of water?”
“No, nothing, thank you,” he said. He perched nervously on the edge of the nearest chair as I sat opposite him.
“I should not bother you with my problems,” he said.
“I take it that Bobby Lee had something to do with your being sacked? He seemed very happy that you were gone.”
“He is a bad person,” Frederick said. “He is jealous that Mr. Lee relies on me and asks my advice. Also I know a bit about his underhanded schemes, so he wants me out of the way. He told Mr. Lee a horrible untruth about me, and Mr. Lee believed him.…” He paused, opening and closing his mouth nervously, like a dying fish. “Miss Murphy, I came to ask you—have you been successful in your search?”
“Not yet,” I said.
“But you are still searching? You haven’t given up?”
“No, I haven’t given up.”
I tried to read his face. He was staring at me in a worried way.
“Mr. Lee,” I said, “if you no longer work for Lee Sing Tai, why should you be interested in my looking for a possession he has lost?”
“I know,” he said. “I know what this possession is, and it is dear to me.”
“A piece of jade?” I asked.
“Not a piece of jade. I overheard your whole conversation—in fact I have to confess that I was listening deliberately. I know that his bride is missing and he is trying to find her. So I ask—have you found any trace of her yet?”
I didn’t know what to say. I was all too aware that this could be a trap. He went on, “You see, he sent me to Vancouver to bring Bo Kei to him. On the way back to New York Bo Kei and I were together on the train for several days. I have to confess that I developed—feelings for her. I could never reveal these feelings, as it would be disloyal to my employer. It broke my heart to deliver her to this cruel and sadistic old man, but what can I do? I had no choice. To betray my employer would be to betray my tong and my clan. Besides, I have no idea whether she returned those feelings or not. I believe that she did, so I wondered if she had run away and was looking for
