“In a way. Taken. Carried off.”
“Mr. Lee,” I said, “if something has been stolen from your residence, then surely this is a matter for the police.”
“The police?” His lip curled in an expression of disdain. “Do you think that the New York police will help me recover a lost item? Do you think they would come to the aid of a Chinese person, even if that person is as prominent in the community as Lee Sing Tai? They stand by when we are beaten by thugs. We have to pay them protection money if we want them to patrol our streets, to prevent our shop windows from being smashed. No, I could not call upon the police in this matter. Besides, I do not think they could help me.”
“I don’t see how I could help you recover a stolen object,” I said.
“You are a lady detective, is that not correct?”
“Well, yes, that is correct,” I said.
“And should a detective not have the skill to pick up the trail of a missing possession?”
“Might I know what is this possession you speak about?”
“To begin with, I will show you this,” he said. He reached across to a side table, took a brocade envelope from it, and opened it carefully, drawing out a large medallion of carved dark green stone. “Examine it carefully,” he said.
He handed it to me. It felt cool to the touch, almost as big as my hand and carved with strange curling, intertwined beasts. It was attached to a chain of heavy gold by an ornate gold clasp.
“The missing piece is identical to this?” I asked.
“Not identical. The missing piece depicts the dragon and the phoenix—the beasts of good luck and good health,” he said. “But it is the same dark green emperor jade and the gold work is the same. You will know it if you see it. There are few pieces of such quality in this country.”
I turned the piece over in my hand. It was still remarkably cool. “Do you have any suspicion about who might have stolen it?”
“We will not discuss my suspicions at this moment, except to say that I believe that whoever has taken this jade will try to sell it. You will conduct a search for it in the obvious places first—pawnshops, jewelers—and if it can’t be found there, we will take the next step.”
He held out his hand and I passed the jade back to him. He sat calmly folding the brocade around the piece of jade again.
I frowned. Something didn’t make sense here. I plucked up the courage to break the silence. “Mr. Lee. I am given to understand that you run an empire of businesses. Do you not have employees enough to visit every pawnshop and jeweler in the city?”
He held my eyes with his cold, frank stare. It was like being observed by a snake. “Have you noticed many Chinese men in other parts of the city?”
“None at all,” I said.
“Do you know why this is? We are hated, despised. Bullies take great delight in setting upon us with no excuse whatsoever. If we try to fight back, we find ourselves arrested for disturbing the peace, and even deported. Therefore we keep to ourselves as much as possible and do not stray far from this small area they call Chinatown. But there are other reasons I do not wish to hand this task to an employee. It requires a woman’s touch.”
“You do not employ any women?”
He actually smiled this time. “There are almost no women in Chinatown—at least no Chinese women. The American government does not allow Chinese men to bring over their wives and daughters. And respectable Chinese women are not allowed out in public.” He leaned forward suddenly, tapping ash into the little dish. “So Miss Molly Murphy, I require your services for a good reason. I need someone who can be discreet and ask the right questions. I want this item returned to me quickly and with as little fuss as possible. So will you take my assignment or not?” He paused, holding me with that reptilian stare, then added, “I assure you I will make it worth your while if this prized possession is returned to me quickly.”
He sensed my hesitation. “Well?” he said. “What is your answer? Do you think you are up to the task?”
“I’ll do my best, Mr. Lee,” I heard myself saying.
“Splendid.” He clapped those bony hands together. “Very well then. Off you go. Good hunting, as they say in your country.”
I stood up. Frederick reappeared and came to my side to usher me out.
“You will report back to me tomorrow,” Lee Sing Tai said. “Let us hope you have good news for me by then.”
I started toward the door.
“And if you find this piece, you will get a description of the person who brought it in,” he called after me.
I turned back. “Do you have your suspicions about who this person might be?”
“No more questions,” he snapped. “Off to work now.”
As I looked back at him I saw the heavy drapes at the back of the room twitch as if suddenly dropped. Someone had been watching me.
Five