“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?”
“I’ve sent men to bring him in for questioning.”
“And where’s the body now?”
“Still lying in the street. I’m waiting for the doctor and the morgue wagon to arrive. I thought I’d question the people in the household and get a jump on things while we’re waiting.”
Daniel nodded and I realized that the other man was seeking his approval. “What did you need the fingerprint powder for? You think there might be prints on his back from the man who pushed him?”
Captain Kear scowled and Daniel laughed. “I’m pulling your leg, man. Where’s your sense of humor?”
Captain Kear’s expression indicated that he didn’t find it very funny. “That cabinet in the corner appears to have been tampered with,” he said primly. “That’s why I requested the fingerprint powder.”
“Tampered with?”
“Papers rifled through and out of order as though someone was looking for something in a hurry.”
“Have you been through it yet?”
“Give me a chance, I’ve only been here half an hour at the most. Besides, it’s all in Chinese characters. I’ll need someone to read it to me.”
“Then let’s leave it for later. I suggest we station your constable on duty to keep an eye on the place and go and take a look at the body. Where is it?”
“Around the corner on Pell Street. But let me remind you again that this is my precinct, Sullivan. My case. You’re not just coming in to take over from me, even if you are officially my superior.”
“Nobody wants to step on your toes, Kear,” Daniel said easily. “I’m just doing what I can to help—throwing in a little expertise so that we don’t find a full-fledged tong war on our hands again. You have to admit that you’re still wet behind the ears when it comes to detective work, right?”
“But I do know all about the streets around here. I know how things operate.”
“I’m well aware that you know how things operate, Kear,” Daniel said. The two men stared at each other like dogs who have just encountered each other unexpectedly. There was a tension I didn’t quite understand. “But we’re wasting time. We’ve got a body on a busy street and we don’t want it lying around all day, do we? Where’s your man to guard the room?”
“I sent him to find Frederick Lee.”
“Don’t you have more than one man working on this?”
“Of course, but I’ve a team of them keeping the crowd away from the body, and the others are rounding up suspects.” Captain Kear got to his feet. The tension was now palpable.
“You understand?” he barked at the people in the room. “Mrs. Lee should go back to her bedroom. Bobby, I want you to leave the place, and nobody touches anything in here at all. Understand that, boy?” He gestured at the wide-eyed houseboy. “No cleaning, no dusting, nothing. You stay in kitchen with the cook and don’t touch anything or I’ll have you locked up.”
The interpreter translated the instructions into Chinese. Mrs. Lee said something.
“She wants to know if she can have her breakfast,” he said. “And she wants to know when she can see her husband’s body.”
“She can have her breakfast if she wants it and we’ll let her know when the body can be released to the funeral parlor.”