“Working for him?” Daniel was now glaring at me.
“Daniel, that’s not how it sounds,” I began, but he held up a warning hand. “We’ll discuss this later, Molly. So who was this man?”
“Lee Sing Tai. I take it you’ve heard of him.”
“Lee Sing Tai—oh, Mr. Lee and I are well acquainted. Protection racket, drugs, prostitution, and the On Leong tong. Not a very nice man, was he, our Mr. Lee? I’m just surprised he lived as long as he did. So someone finally put a bullet through him, did they?”
“Pushed him off his own roof, actually,” Captain Kear said.
“And how did anyone manage to get into his house to throw him off the roof?” Daniel demanded. “Don’t these On Leong types usually keep a pack of bodyguards around?”
“I’ve sent someone to find the bodyguards,” Captain Kear said, “but these two are the servants that have just been brought in. They’d run off before I got here.”
“Run off before their master was killed or after?” Daniel asked, looking at the still-trembling men.
“Well?” Captain Kear barked. “You heard the policeman. What have you two got to say for yourselves? Do you realize that by running off I’m going to think that you killed your master?”
This was duly translated and a great wail came from the houseboy.
“I no do this terrible thing,” he said in English. “It must be demon who do it. How he get in master’s house? I sleep on my mat in hallway, same as always. Nobody come past me. This I swear.”
“And your master slept on the roof?” Captain Kear asked.
“On hot nights.”
“Why didn’t you sleep up there beside him?”
“He no like me beside him. He say he need me to guard hallway—like watchdog,” the boy said. “I swear nobody got into master’s house. All doors were locked, same as always.”
“And what about you?” Daniel pointed at the cook. “Who are you?”
“This man is the cook,” the interpreter said after the cook had given a long speech with much hand waving. “He says he sleeps in little space behind kitchen. Far from front of house. He does not hear anything all night. This morning he gets up and starts to make breakfast when houseboy comes and says that master is dead and policemen are coming. They are frightened that policemen will think they did this terrible thing, so they run off.”
“Not very bright, was it?” Daniel said drily. “By that very act you make yourselves appear guilty. And who are these other people?”
“I Mr. Lee’s son,” Bobby said. “And this his number one wife.”
“Paper son,” Captain Kear corrected. “Bobby Lee. You may have come across that name too.”
“Ah, yes, Bobby Lee. Familiar name from the last tong war. You’ve been out of the picture for a while, haven’t you, Bobby?”
“I run Father’s factory in Brooklyn,” Bobby said. “I do what Father want, like good son.”
“I’m sure you do.” Daniel smirked, then pointed at the other men who had now moved off to one side, hoping to slip around the screen unnoticed. “And what about these two? Are they the bodyguards?”
“They are On Leong men. They found the cook and houseboy for us.”
“Nice work, boys,” Daniel said. “Did you tip them yet?” When the captain frowned but didn’t answer, Daniel reached into his pocket and handed them some coins, which the men accepted with cupped hands, bowing low.
“You can go now,” Daniel said. If I hadn’t felt so sick and scared, I would have been amused by the way that Daniel had simply taken over against Captain Kear’s wishes. It was clear in police hierarchy that he was the superior officer.
One of the men muttered something in Chinese. Daniel looked at the interpreter.
“This man asks if Hip Sing did this terrible thing like everyone is saying.”
“Definitely not,” Captain Kear snapped the answer. “You can tell them this does not look like the work of Hip Sing and we are pretty sure who the culprit was. He will soon be arrested. You will see that American justice is fair and swift.”
“So you’ve already figured this one out, have you?” Daniel asked.
“I think we’re well on our way,” Captain Kear said. “Old Lee had just had a new bride brought in from China.”
“A new bride? For him? At his age?”
“It wouldn’t be the first time,” Captain Kear said. “They’re vain, these old Chinamen, and money buys anything over there.”
“So where is she?”
“She’s run off and your young lady here, Miss Murphy, was hired to find her and bring her back. And then there’s Lee’s former secretary, Frederick Lee, who was fired yesterday for putting his hands on the new bride. Either one is a good suspect—not involved with the tongs in any way. In fact I’m inclined to think that they planned it together. They certainly had time to get very pally on their train trip across Canada together. And he’s young and she’s young and Lee was definitely past his prime.”
“Have you spoken with Frederick Lee yet?”
