The Red Pavilion by Robert van Gulik

Author:Robert van Gulik
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9789085241522
Publisher: For the Benefit of Mr. Kite
Published: 1960-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

Ten

Judge Dee sat down again and slowly emptied his tea cup. Gradually he was getting an interesting insight into the relations of all these people. But it didn’t help much in solving any of his problems.

He rose with a sigh and strolled back to the warden’s office.

Feng Dai was waiting there for him, together with Ma Joong. Feng conducted them ceremoniously to the palankeen.

When they were being carried away, Ma Joong said:

“That old curio-dealer lied, of course, when he said at the session that he went home straight from the banquet – that we knew already. But the rest of his statement fits more or less, I am sorry to say! Commissioner Hwang told me that he had indeed an appointment with Wen, for this evening, he thought. But now that Wen maintains that it was for last night, Hwang admits that he may have been wrong. So that is Wen. As to Kia Yu-po, his statement was a bit sketchy, so to speak. The old hag in charge of the courtesan’s dressing-room didn’t have at all the impression that Kia entered there by mistake. For the first thing he asked was whether Autumn Moon and Silver Fairy were there. When she replied that they had left together, he turned round and rushed out without another word. The manager of the inn Kia is staying in – that small hostel next door to ours – told me that he happened to see Kia pass by when he was standing in front of his door, about half an hour or so before midnight that was. He had expected Kia to turn in, but the fellow walked on and entered the alley to the left of the hostel. And that alley leads to the pavilion of the Queen Flower – now deceased. Kia came back home towards midnight, the manager said.”

“Curious story!” Judge Dee remarked. Then he told Ma Joong what Tao Pan-te had said about his father’s alleged murder, and his suspicions of Feng Dai. Ma Joong doubtfully shook his large head.

“It’ll take some time to sort all that out!” he said.

The judge made no comment. He remained deep in thought the rest of the way.

When they had stepped down from the palankeen in front of the Hostel of Eternal Bliss and were entering the hall, the portly innkeeper came up to Ma Joong and said, rather doubtfully:

“Two eh…gentlemen would like to have a word with you, Mr Ma. They are waiting in the kitchen. It’s about salted fish, they said.”

For a moment Ma Joong stared at him, dumbfounded. Then he suddenly grinned broadly. He asked the judge:

“May I go and hear what they have to say, sir?”

“By all means. There’s a point I want to verify with our host here. Come to the Red Pavilion when you are through.”

While Judge Dee beckoned the innkeeper, a waiter took Ma Joong to the kitchen.

Two cooks, their muscular torsos bare, were sourly watching the Crab, who was standing in front of the largest stove, a flat frying pan in his hand.

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