Robert Gulik - The Chinese Maze Murders

PLAN OF THE GOVERNOR'S MAZE

Silence reigned in the dimly lit pavilion. The only sounds heard were the shouts of the constables outside.

The judge slowly rolled up the scroll. Deep emotion thickened his voice as he said slowly:

"His Excellency Yoo truly was a noble man!"

Tao Gan was scratching the table with his fingernail.

"There is an engraved design here!", he remarked.

He pulled out his knife and started scraping off the dirt. Sergeant Hoong and Ma Joong set to work also. Gradually a circular design became visible.

Judge Dee leaned forward.

"This", he said, "is a map of the maze. Look, the course of the winding path forms four stylized characters in archaic script: 'Bowers of Empty Illusion'. That is the same motto as we found inscribed on the landscape picture! This was the keynote of the old Governor's thoughts after he had resigned from official life. Empty illusion!"

"The short cut is also indicated here!", Tao Gan said eagerly. "The location of the pine trees is shown by dots!"

Judge Dee again peered at the map. He traced the design with his forefinger.

"What an ingenious maze this is!", he exclaimed. "Look, if one enters by the regular entrance and always turns right at every fork, one will arrive at the exit after having gone through the entire maze. And if, conversely, one enters by the exit, the same will happen if one always takes the left turn. But unless one knows the secret short cut, one will never discover this hidden pavilion!"

"We must obtain permission from Mrs. Yoo to have this maze cleaned, Your Honour", the sergeant remarked. "Then it will become one of the famous sights of this district, just like the pagoda in the lotus lake!"

At that moment Headman Fang came in.

"Whoever was here left again before we came, Your Honour!", he reported. "We searched all through the undergrowth, but found nothing."

"Let your men also examine the trunks of the trees and look among the branches", Judge Dee ordered. "Our unknown sightseeer may have hidden himself up there!"

As the headman went out again, Judge Dee looked curiously at Tao Gan. Tao Gan had squatted on the broad bench and was peering intently at the layer of dirt covering it.

Shaking his head he said:

"If I did not know better, Your Honour, I would say that this dark spot here looks uncommonly like blood!"

Judge Dee felt a cold fear grip his heart.

He quickly stepped forward and rubbed his fingers over the spot Tao Gan indicated. He went to the window and looked at his hand. He saw dark red smears.

Turning round to Ma Joong the judge ordered curtly:

"Look under that marble bench!"

Ma Joong poked his spear in the dark cavity underneath. A large toad came hopping out.

He went down on his knees and peered under the bench.

"There is nothing but cobwebs and dirt!", he reported.

In the meantime Tao Gan had looked in the empty space behind. He turned round with a pale face.

"There is a body lying behind the bench!" he said in a trembling voice.

Ma Joong jumped on the bench. Together they pulled up the mutilated body of a girl. She was completely naked and covered with dried blood and mud. Where the head had been, there was only the ragged stump of the neck.

They laid their gruesome find on the bench. Ma Joong loosened his neckcloth and covered up the loins. Then he stood back, his eyes wide with horror.

Judge Dee bent over the remains of what once must have been a shapely young girl. He noticed the ugly knife wound under the left breast and some badly healed scars on the arms. Slowly he turned the body over. The shoulders and hips were marked by thin welts.

As he straightened himself his eyes blazed with anger. He said in a tense voice:

"This girl was killed here only yesterday. The body is quite stiff, but no decay has set in."

"How did she come here?", Ma Joong asked aghast. "She must have been naked already when she crossed the maze! Look, the thorns scratched her thighs and her legs are covered with mud from the pool. It is she who slipped on one of the stepping stones and when trying to steady herself broke that branch!"

"The main problem is who brought her here!", said the judge curtly. "Call Headman Fang!"

As the headman entered the judge ordered:

"Roll this body in your gown, Headman. Order the constables to cut a few tall branches to make a stretcher!"

The headman took off his upper gown and bent over the bench.

Suddenly he uttered a hoarse cry. He was staring with bulging eyes at the mutilated body.

"This is White Orchid!", he said in a strangled voice.

Everyone exclaimed at once.

Judge Dee raised his hand.

"Are you quite certain, Headman?", he asked quietly.

"Once when she was only seven years old", the headman sobbed, "she fell over a kettle with boiling water and scalded her left arm. Do you imagine I am not familiar with that scar?"

He pointed to a white scar that marred the beauty of the shapely arm. Then he threw himself over the body sobbing as if his heart would break.

Jude Dee folded his arms in his wide sleeves. Knitting his thick eyebrows he remained for a while in deep thought.

Suddenly the judge asked Sergeant Hoong:

"Sergeant, did you find out where Mrs. Lee lives?"

The sergeant silently pointed to the prone figure of Headman Fang.

Judge Dee laid his hand on the headman's shoulder.

"Where is the house of Mrs. Lee?", he asked tensely.

Without looking up the headman answered:

"This morning I told Dark Orchid to go and find out."

Judge Dee turned round quick as lightning. He pulled Ma Joong close to him by his sleeve and whispered something in his ear.

Ma Joong rushed out of the pavilion without another word.

That morning Dark Orchid had left the tribunal to go and find out Mrs. Lee's address as her father had ordered her.

She walked at a brisk pace along the main street leading to the eastern city gate. She had been worrying for days about her elder sister. She hoped that the walk would help to clear her thoughts.

She loitered for half an hour or so among the stalls of the street venders on the crossing, then she went on to the shopping centre near the East Gate. Her father had told her that Mrs. Lee was an artist, so Dark Orchid entered the first shop of paper and brushes she saw.

The owner knew Mrs. Lee. He said that for many years she had been a regular customer. She was still alive, he put her age at about fifty. He added that Dark Orchid could save herself the trouble of going to Mrs. Lee's house because for the last month or so she had not taken on any new girl students.

Dark Orchid replied that she only wished to see Mrs. Lee about a distant relative. The owner of the shop explained to her how she could find the house. It was only a few streets away.

Dark Orchid reflected that she could now return to the tribunal and report to her father. But the sun was shining, she felt loath to go back so soon. She decided to walk to the address indicated and have a look at Mrs. Lee's house.

It was located in a quiet, middle-class neighbourhood. As she looked at the well-kept houses with neat black-lacquered frontdoors, Dark Orchid thought that this probably was a quarter favoured by well-to-do retired shopkeepers.

About halfway down the street she found the name 'Lee' on the gate of a fair sized house.

Standing in front of the door studded with copper nails, Dark Orchid could not resist the temptation to knock.