The Emperor's Pearl: A Judge Dee Mystery (Judge Dee Mystery Series)

by Robert Van Gulik

  When Judge Dee was back in his private office, he sat down at his desk and poured himself a cup of tea. He emptied it in one draught, then leaned his elbows on the desk. Knitting his eyebrows he tried to bring some order in the ideas his mind was teeming with. Something was wrong about this latest development, something connected with a vague intuition he had felt all along about this case. His soaking wet, grey robe was clinging to his back and shoulders, but he did not even notice it.

  After a long while he suddenly straightened himself. He muttered: ‘Yes, that could be the solution! Everything fits—except the motive!’ He sat back in his chair, and tried to make up his mind what would be the wisest course to follow. The explanation that had occurred to him was not beyond the bounds of probability; but was he justified to take action on the basis of an intuitive feeling only?

  Surely a theory arrived at by careful, logical deduction should take precedence over mere intuition? Or could he work out perhaps a scheme that would enable him to test his intuition and his logical reasoning—both at the same time? Stroking his long beard he again sank into deep thought.

  Thus the coroner found him when he came to report, half an hour later.

  ‘Dr Pien is doing all right, Your Honour,’ he said with satisfaction. 4 I have put an ointment on his chest, bandaged it, and placed his right arm in a sling. He can walk—with a stick, that is. The doctor asked whether he could go home now, sir. He wants to take a good rest.’

  ‘Tell him that he can take that rest here, in the tribunal,’ the judge said curtly. Seeing the coroner’s astonished look, he added: 4 I want to ask him a few more questions, later.’

  Not long after the coroner had taken his leave, Sergeant Hoong came in. Judge Dee motioned him to sit down on the stool in front of his desk, and asked eagerly: 4 Did you find Mr Kou at home?’

  ‘No sir. His house steward informed me that Mr Kou had said that it was too hot for taking a siesta inside, and that he would go to the Temple of the City god, to burn incense. The Amber Lady’s coffin has been temporarily placed there, pending an auspicious date for the funeral. Mr Kou came back just now. I told him to stay at home, because Your Honour would probably want to summon him to the tribunal later.’ Giving the judge an anxious look, he asked: 4 What does the attack on Dr Pien mean, Your Honour?’

  ‘It may well mean just what it appears to be,’ Judge Dee replied slowly, ‘namely an attempt at robbing the doctor. If that is so, then the incident doesn’t invalidate my theory about Dr Pien’s eventual guilt. If, on the other hand, it was meant as a murderous attack, then Dr Pien must be innocent; without realizing it himself, he must know something that could lead us to the real criminal—who therefore wanted to silence him. In that case we must concentrate on my theory about Mr Kou. His sentimental trip to the temple just now may have been a pretext to give him an opportunity for hiring a ruffian to kill Dr Pien. The doctor wanted to go home, by the way, but I ordered him to stay here, so as to prevent an eventual second attempt on his life. I am glad you instructed Mr Kou to stay home until further notice. That leaves only my third suspect unaccounted for, namely Mr Kwang Min.’

  ‘So it was indeed Kwang who is the third!’ Sergeant Hoong exclaimed. ‘But why did you add him to the list of suspects, sir? It’s of course true that Kwang could answer the description of Dr Pien’s assailant, but you had selected him already before this new development had taken place.’

  Judge Dee smiled faintly.

  ‘I had to include Mr Kwang, Hoong! As soon as I had discovered the meaning of a missing domino.’

  ‘A domino? ‘

  ‘Yes. A double-blank, as a matter of fact. Last night someone purloined a domino from the set I and my ladies were playing with on board my boat. The only persons who had an opportunity for taking that domino were Kou, Pien and Kwang. Pien and Kou when they came on board to report to me that the dragonboats were ready to start; the maid who was serving tea had then pushed the dominos in the pool aside, turning some of them with their face up. And Kwang had the opportunity when he came up on deck while I and my ladies had interrupted our game and were standing at the railing, admiring the festive water scene.’

  ‘But why should the criminal want a domino, sir?’

  ‘Because he has an alert mind,’ the judge answered with a wan smile, ‘much more alert than mine, as a matter of fact! When he saw a double-blank domino lying on the table, he was struck by its close resemblance to the markers used by the guards of the city gates. He saw that at once, but it took me quite some time before I realized it! It flashed through his mind that it would be awkward if his henchman Sia Kwang, returning to the city after closing time, should have to prove his identity to the guards at the south gate. If any inquiries were made later regarding persons returning to the city at a late hour, either in connection with Tong’s murder or the maltreatment of the Amber Lady in the deserted house, the guards might remember Sia, especially because of that scar on his face. The criminal therefore purloined the domino, on the spur of the moment. Later, he scrawled an arbitrary number on it, and gave it to Sia. Sia actually used it when he came back to the city to report to his principal what had happened in the pavilion. For the corporal at the south gate returned the false marker to me’

  ‘The criminal made a bad mistake there,’ the sergeant observed.

  ‘Not too bad. He couldn’t have known that I take dominoes so seriously that one missing piece would be enough to set me thinking about the implications. Well, enough of theorizing! We must set to work now, for there is much to do, and little time. We really ought to initiate an extensive investigation into the background and movements of all the suspects, of course, but unfortunately there’s no time for that. We can’t afford to have a fifth murder! We have to take action, but I can’t do anything before we have located Kwang. Go and have a look whether our headman has turned up yet!’

  The sergeant left hurriedly to make inquiries with the guards in the gatehouse. Judge Dee got up from his chair and walked over to the window. He pushed it open and leaned outside. He noticed with satisfaction that there seemed to be a faint current of air about. Then he bestowed a pensive glance upon the rock-garden. The small tortoise was happily plodding along among the plants that bordered the miniature goldfish pond. He moved his sturdy small legs with a purpose, his head eagerly stretched out. The judge turned round when he heard Sergeant Hoong come in.

  ‘Our headman hasn’t come back yet from the landing-stage, Your Honour.’

  ‘I hope Kwang hasn’t run away!’ Judge Dee said worriedly. Then he shook his head and added: ‘No, he won’t have fled. He is much too clever for that.’ He took his fan of crane-feathers, sat down again and resumed: ‘While waiting for Kwang I may as well explain my theoretical case against him. Then you’ll know exactly where we stand as regards the three gentlemen who head our list.’

  The judge draped a new wet towel round his neck.

  ‘I assume,’ he began, ‘that in the capital Mr Kwang Min leads an exemplary life. It is on his frequent business trips that he gratifies his depraved lusts. He is an uncommonly clever man, he keeps his perverted pleasures secret, very secret. He even takes the trouble to build up in the hostels he stays in the reputation of a perfectly normal person, a man who now and then has his fling with a professional woman, ordered from the innkeeper in the regular manner—healthy and cheap. But through his interest in the antique trade Kwang has come to know during his visits to Poo-yang. the students Tong and Sia. He employs first Tong, then Sia for his real pleasures—not so healthy and not so cheap. The same interest in antiques brings Kwang into contact with Kou Yuan-liang; Yang, the curio-dealer, told me that Kou occasionally bought from Kwang. We know that the Amber Lady acted as her husband’s secretary, sorting out and cataloguing his antiques, so Kwang must have met her a few times while visiting Kou. Kwang wants Amber, and for the same reason as I mentioned in my theory regarding Dr Pien: the urge to maltreat and humiliate a refined lady. Kwang orders Sia to warn him as soon as
the youngster sees a possibility for delivering the Amber Lady into Kwang’s hands.

  ‘Some days ago Kwang must have informed Sia by letter that he would be arriving at Marble Bridge yesterday morning. Anticipating Kwang’s wishes, Sia had hired the three ruffians to abduct the prostitute Lee whom Kwang had singled out as a future victim; Kwang had seen her at a party here, during one of his previous visits to Poo-yang. Yesterday morning Sia hurried to Marble Bridge. He told Kwang about his arrangements for the kidnapping of Miss Lee, but also the big news: Kwang can get the Amber Lady, the selfsame night. Sia then tells Kwang about the planned rendezvous of Amber and Tong in the deserted house for selling the pearl, and adds that he is willing to go there instead of Tong. Kwang agrees with enthusiasm, for as well as amusing himself with the Amber Lady, he will get ten bars of gold. Kwang probably does not believe the story about the pearl, but those doubts he keeps to himself. His first concern is how to get rid of Tong Mai. Sia informs him that before the races the crews will be entertained at Marble Bridge, and that Tong will be there as Dr Pien’s drummer. That solves Kwang’s problem. He sends a note to Dr Pien asking him to come and see him on his junk. Pien answers that he is busy, but that he’ll come later in the afternoon. All the better. Kwang lets Pien take him to the entertainment, and there he puts the poison in Tong’s wine-cup. Sia will keep the appointment in the deserted house, Kwang will proceed there as soon as Sia has reported to him that the Amber Lady has been locked up in the pavilion. Kwang will “ discover “ the distressed woman there the next morning, when he meets Dr Pien in the deserted house to have a look at his property. Since Kwang is a greedy man, he gives Sia the necessary instructions regarding the cornering of the bets. Finally, he orders Sia to cancel the agreement with the three ruffians. For Kwang’s mind is now on higher things than maltreating a common prostitute.’

  Judge Dee fell silent. He listened for a while to the roll of thunder. It seemed to be quite near, this time.

  ‘Why did Kwang visit your barge last night, sir?’ the sergeant asked.

  ‘I have been asking myself that same question, Hoong! The explanation must be that Kwang wanted to establish the fact that he was there during the boat race, and didn’t return to Marble Bridge till late in the night. The boatmen were drunk and Sun ill, so it would be difficult to trace Kwang’s movements. However that may be, Kwang purloins the domino, hands it to Sia, then hurries back to Marble Bridge. Later in the night he meets Sia there, and Sia informs him that all has gone wrong: that he had to kill the Amber Lady, and got only the gold because my arrival prevented him from making a search for the pearl Kwang regrets the lost hours with Amber, but—and this is perhaps even more important to him—he has gained ten gold bars. Then we get the same story as before: Kwang persuades Sia to go to the deserted house this morning, disguised as a carpenter, in order to make a thorough search for the pearl. Kwang has a good reason for his own presence there, namely his appointment with Dr Pien. After Sia has searched the pavilion, Kwang kills him. The last phase, the murder of the old procuress, is the same as I outlined in my theories regarding Kou and Pien. That’s all.’

  Judge Dee wiped off his face with a new towel, and Sergeant Hoong followed his example. It was stifling hot in the small office. After a while Hoong remarked:

  ‘A small point in Kwang’s favour is his becoming so violently sick at seeing Sia’s dead body. That’s not so easy to feign.’

  The judge shrugged.

  ‘Kwang politely turned his back on us, and our attention was concentrated on our gruesome discovery. Kwang may have rammed his finger into his throat, for all we know!’

  There was a knock on the door, and the headman came in. He began with a contented smile:

  ‘I had to wait a long time, sir, but I got Mr Kwang ! The captain of the junk told me that Mr Kwang and Mr Sun had gone into town directly after the noon rice, to do some shopping. Mr Sun came back alone, he said that Mr Kwang had some business on the waterfront. I went there at once, traced him to a small pharmacy, and collared him there. He is waiting now in the guard room.’

  ‘Good! Where is Dr Pien?’

  ‘The doctor is having a cup of tea with the coroner, sir, in the chancery. He has dictated his report on the assault. I have here also Mr Yang’s written statement. Mr Yang has gone back to his shop.’

  The judge glanced through the two papers. He handed them to the sergeant and asked the headman:

  ‘Did your men catch that footpad? ‘

  The headman’s face fell.

  ‘No, Your Honour. They questioned lots of people in Half-moon Street, and searched all likely places. But they found no trace of the ruffian.’

  He gave the judge an anxious look expecting a sharp rebuke. But Judge Dee did not scold him, he silently tugged at his side-whiskers. Then he spoke:

  ‘Tell Mr Kwang that I shan’t see him now, because I want Mr Kou and Dr Pien to be present when we have our talk. I want to keep that discussion quite informal, therefore I have decided to hold it in Mr Kou’s house. That is much better than here in the tribunal. You can now take Mr Kwang and Dr Pien to Mr Kou’s residence, in a closed palankeen. Tell Mr Kou that I want to hold our meeting in his library. That is a quiet room in a secluded section of his mansion, the same where Mr Kou received me last night. You may inform Mr Kou that I myself shall proceed there as soon as I have dealt with a few routine matters here. Have you got all that?’ As the headman bowed obsequiously, the judge went on: ‘After you have delivered Mr Kwang and Dr Pien to Mr Kou’s house, you come back here at once for further instructions.’

  When the headman had left, Sergeant Hoong asked eagerly:

  ‘Does Your Honour expect that if those three are cross-examined together, the guilty one will betray himself?’

  ‘That’s what I am hoping, at least! I have an errand for you now, Hoong. I need a wooden hand.’

  ‘A wooden hand, sir? ‘

  ‘Yes. Go to Mr Yang’s curio-shop and ask him whether he can help us. He’ll certainly have some spare hands of Buddhist statues lying about. As a rule those are carved from a separate piece of wood, and added to the statue only after the body has been completed. I want a left hand, life-size or larger, I want him to paint that hand white, Hoong, and to put on the forefinger a brass ring with some cheap red stone. You will explain to Mr Yang that I need that hand as an exhibit, during a meeting with Dr Pien and Mr Kwang which I am going to hold in Mr Kou’s library tonight.’

  A flash of lightning lit up the paper window, followed almost at once by a deafening thunderclap, Judge Dee resumed quickly:

  ‘You had better take a sedan-chair, Hoong, in case the rain should start. When you are back I shall explain what I am planning to do. Get going now, time presses!’

  XVI

  Dusk had fallen when the perspiring chair coolies put judge Dee’s large official palankeen down in the front courtyard. Six enormous lanterns of oiled paper hung from the eaves of the surrounding buildings, each bearing in large red letters the legend: ‘Kou’s Residence’. Their light shone on Kou Yuan-liang’s anxious face as he came running towards the palankeen, accompanied by his house steward. The two men had been standing in the courtyard for a long time, waiting for the magistrate’s arrival.

  Judge Dee descended from the palankeen, followed by Sergeant Hoong. Mr Kou made his deepest obeisance. The judge nodded, then addressed him affably:

  ‘I am sorry that urgent official business detained me in the tribunal, Mr Kou! Mr Kwang and Dr Pien have arrived already, I suppose?’

  ‘Indeed, Your Honour. We were getting worried, sir; we feared that the storm might start while Your Honour was still on the way here.’ As there was a flash of lightning, followed by a low rumble, he added quickly: ‘This way, please! ‘and hurriedly conducted them inside.

  He took judge Dee and the sergeant through the winding corridor to his library in the back of the compound.

  When the judge stepped inside he saw with satisfaction that the library was exactly as he
remembered it from the previous evening. The large, sparsely furnished room was lit by six tall candelabras, arranged in three pairs between the four windows in the back wall. To the left of the door stood a large cabinet with a fine display of antique porcelain and foreign glass. The wall on the right was taken up entirely by high racks, loaded with books and manuscript rolls. A thick-piled blue carpet covered the floor. In the centre stood a heavy square table of polished ebony, and four chairs of the same material. Dr Pien and Mr Kwang were sitting at the round tea-table in the farthest corner, by the window on the right.

  They rose hastily and came to meet the judge, Dr Pien supporting himself on a bamboo stick. Judge Dee was glad to see that the long wait in the hot, close room had evidently upset the two men. Their faces were haggard in the candlelight and their thin summer robes clung to their wet shoulders. He called out jovially:

  ‘Resume your seats please, gentlemen! Glad to see you are doing well, doctor. You should be careful though, don’t move about too much!’ He took his seat at the tea-table, and continued: ‘I am so sorry to have kept you waiting, but you know how it is, in the tribunal…’ Cutting short the polite murmurs of Mr Kou, he told him: ‘My assistant shall help your steward with the tea, Mr Kou. It’s a bit hot here, I must say, but you were right in keeping the windows shuttered. We’ll have a real tempest before long, I dare say. But, taking all in all, we shouldn’t complain about the climate here, you know. When I think of the severe winters up north…’

  There was a further exchange of polite remarks while the steward and Hoong served tea. The judge took a sip and said with a broad smile:

  ‘This tea is truly excellent, Mr Kou! As one would expect in the house of a man of such elegant taste!’

  Seeing Judge Dee’s high good humour the others had visibly brightened up. Dr Pien wiped the moisture from his forehead and asked: