The Chinese LakeMurders

longer.'

'On the contrary!' Judge Dee said quickly. 'This conversation is most instructive. I always like to learn as much as possible about the background of all persons connected with a criminal case. We have not talked yet about Liu Fei-po. Do you think he could tell me more about the dead courtesan?'

'I hardly think so, Your Honor. He must, of course, have known her because she regularly danced at banquets. But Mr. Liu is such a serious, silent man; he hasn't the slightest interest in frivolous amusements. Before Mr. Liu started building his summer villa here in Han-yuan, he stayed in our house for a week or so. I noticed that when there was a party, he just sat there with a rather bored air. Except for his business, he is interested only in old books and manuscripts; they say that he has a magnificent collection of those in his house in the capital. And, of course, his daughter! He would brighten up as soon as my father inquired after her. It was a link between those two, you see, because father also has only me. Moon Fairy's death has been a shattering blow to poor Mr. Liu; father says he has become a changed man…'

She went to the lampstand and refilled the oil from an earthenware jar standing below it. Judge Dee looked pensively at her delicate profile and the graceful movements of her slender hands. Evidently she was very close to her father-but Han would have taken good care to conceal his evil mind from her. After Han's story, the judge suspected him of murder and a sly attempt at intimidation. He suppressed a regretful sigh, then asked:

'In order to complete our list, have you ever met the old Councilor Liang or his nephew?'

Suddenly Willow Down blushed.

'No,' she replied quickly. 'Father has paid the Councilor a courtesy visit, but he never came to our house. Of course, he didn't need to, seeing that he is such a high-ranking official…'

'I was told,' Judge Dee remarked, 'that his nephew is a dissolute young fellow.'

'That's a wicked slander!' Willow Down exclaimed angrily. 'Liang Fen is a very serious young man; he works regularly in the library of the Temple!'

Judge Dee gave her a searching look.

'How do you know that?' he asked quickly.

'Oh,' the girl said, 'I sometimes go with my mother for a walk in the Temple garden, and I saw Mr. Liang there.'

Judge Dee nodded.

'Well, Miss Han,' he said, 'I am very grateful for all this most useful information.'

He turned to the door, but Willow Down quickly stepped up to him and said softly:

'I do hope that Your Honor will find those awful people who maltreated father. I can't believe it was a prank. Father is a bit stiff and formal, Your Honor, but he really is such a good man. He never thinks ill of anybody! I am so worried about him; he must have some enemy without himself even suspecting it. They are out to harm him, Your Honor!'

'You can rest assured that the problem has my full attention,' Judge Dee said.

Willow Down gave him a grateful look. She said:

'I want to give Your Honor something as a small souvenir of this visit to Hermit Han's chapel. But you must not tell father about it, because it should really be given to members of our family only!'

She went quickly to the altar, and took a roll of paper from a recess beside it. She peeled off one sheet, and presented it to the judge with a deep bow. It was a carefully-traced copy of the inscription on the altar.

Judge Dee folded the sheet up and put it in his sleeve. He said gravely:

'I feel greatly honored by this gift!'

He saw with pleasure that she still wore the two roses, which became her very well. The girl led him through a long, winding corridor to the gatehouse. She unlocked the heavy door; the judge bowed silently and stepped out into the deserted street.

Eleventh Chapter

MA JOONG HAS SOME DISAPPOINTING EXPERIENCES; JUDGE DEE LEAVES TOWN TO INSPECT HIS DISTRICT

The next morning, just after dawn, when two servants went to Judge Dee's private office to sweep the floor, they found him fast asleep on the couch. They quickly withdrew, and warned the clerk who came to prepare the morning tea.

An hour later Judge Dee woke up. Sitting on the edge of the couch, he lifted a corner of the plaster and inspected his side. He saw that the wound was healing well. Rising stiffly, he made a perfunctory toilet, then sat down behind the desk and clapped his hands. When the clerk appeared he told him to serve breakfast, and call his three lieutenants.

The sergeant, Ma Joong and Chiao Tai sat down on tabourets. While the judge was eating his rice, Hoong reported that he had just come back from a visit to the tea merchant. Koong had told him that he and Dr. Djang had been so distressed about the finding of Candidate Djang's belt that they hadn't thought of asking the fisherman who discovered it for his name. It wouldn't be easy to locate the man.

Then Ma Joong reported that nothing worth mentioning had happened during the night in the Djang mansion. That morning he and Chiao Tai had left there, leaving two constables in charge.

Judge Dee laid down his chopsticks. Sipping his tea, he told them about his adventure in the noodle restaurant. When he had finished, Ma Joong exclaimed, disappointment on his face:

'Why didn't Your Honor take me along on that trip?'

'No, Ma Joong,' the judge said, 'I by myself attracted too much attention! And you'll meet Mao Loo anyway, for I want you to get him here, so that I can verify whether he met his cousin the night he was murdered, and whether he knows something about Moon Fairy's death. Go now to that Inn of the Red Carp, Ma Joong, and ask the head of the beggars where you can find Mao Loo. Arrest him and bring him here. At the same time you can give the gray-beard these two silver pieces; the fellow did me a good turn. Say that he gets that money from the tribunal as a bonus, because it came to my knowledge that he maintains a strict discipline among the beggars.'

Ma Joong turned to go, but Judge Dee raised his hand.

'Just a moment!' he said. 'I haven't yet finished my story! It was rather a long night, yesterday!'

Thereupon he told them his conversation with Han Yung-han. He didn't mention the White Lotus Society; that dreaded name should not be used lightly. He merely said that Han's kidnaper had claimed to be the leader of a powerful robber band. When he had concluded, Chiao Tai burst out:

'I have never heard such an improbable story! I trust Your Honor didn't believe one word of what the rascal said?'

Judge Dee said calmly:

'Han Yung-han is a cold-blooded and wily criminal. Of course, he overheard what the dancer said to me that night on the flower boat; he only feigned to be asleep. Thus he knew that she was about to tell me about the nefarious scheme he is working on. When I visited him yesterday afternoon, he tried to talk me into hushing up the murder of the courtesan. When he saw that I didn't let myself be persuaded, he resolved to try intimidating me. Last night he did so, and very cleverly too! He told intentionally a most improbable story, not in order to hoodwink me, mind you, but only because he wanted to disguise his threat in such a manner that I could never accuse him of attempted intimidation. You can imagine what the higher authorities would think of me if I accused Han, quoting that fantastic story! They would argue that if Han really had wanted to deceive me, he would certainly have concocted a better tale! And it was cleverly staged, his telling me the story in the presence of his daughter, his showing her and me the bruise-which was self-inflicted, of course. You see what a dangerous customer the fellow is!'

'Let's put the fat crook on the rack!' Ma Joong exclaimed angrily.

'Unfortunately we haven't a shred of direct proof!' Judge Dee retorted. 'You can't question a man under torture without convincing proof of his guilt. And there'll be much difficult work ahead before we have collected that proof! Well, I gave Han to understand that I got his hint and told him that I suspected one of the oarsmen. I hope that