Robert Gulik - The Chinese Gold Murders

"This person is Mrs. Koo, née Tsao."

Astonished exclamations rose from the spectators. Koo Mengpin quickly came forward. lie gave his wife one searching look, then returned to his place in the front row, his face a deadly pallor.

"You were reported missing, Mrs. Koo," Judge Dee said gravely. "Tell exactly what happened, beginning with the afternoon of the fourteenth, when you had left your brother behind."

Mrs. Koo gave the judge a pitiful look.

"Must I tell everything, your honor?" she asked. "I would rather-"

"You must, Mrs. Koo!" the judge said curtly. "Your disappearance is connected with at]cast one murder, and probably with other capital off enses. I am listening."

She hesitated somewhat, then began.

"When I bad taken the left turn to the highway, I met our neighbor Fan Choong, accompanied by a servant. I knew him my sight, so I saw no objection to answering his polite greetings. He asked me where I was going, and I told him that I was on my way back to the city, and that my brother would soon be joining me. When my brother did not appear, we rade back to the crossing and looked down the road, but there was no sign of him. I assumed that since we were near the highway already, lie had thought that I didn't need his escort any longer, and had walked home through the fields. Then Fan remarked that he was going to the city too, and offered to accompany me. He said he was going by the mud road; he assured me that it had been repaired and that the short cut would save us much time. Since 1 didn't like the idea of passing alone in front of the deserted temple, I accepted his offer.

"When we had arrived at the small hut that marks the entrance to Fan's farm, he said he had to give a message to his tenant farmer, and proposed that I rest awhile in the hut. I dismounted and sat down on the stool inside. Fan said something to his servant outside, then he came back. Looking me up and down with an evil leer, he said that he had sent his servant ahead to the farm because he wanted to spend some time alone with me."

Mrs. Koo paused a moment, an angry blush reddening her cheeks. She went on in a law voice.

He drew me toward him but I pushed him back, warning him that I would scream for help if he didn't leave me alone. But he said laughing that I could scream my head off because nobody would hear me, and that I'd better be nice to him. He started to tear my robes off. I fought back as well as I could but he was too strong. When he had stripped me lie bound my hands on my back with my sash and threw me on the heap of faggots. There I had to submit to his odious embraces. Afterward he untied my hands and told me to dress. He said he liked me, I wouid have to spend the night with him on his farm. He would bring me to town next day and tell my husband some good story. Nobody would ever know what had really happened.

"I knew I was at the rascal's mercy. We ate at the farm, then went to bed. As soon as Fan was fast asleep I wanted to get up and flee, and get back to my father's house. Suddenly I saw the window open, a tall ruffian climbed into the room, a sickle in his hand. In great fright I shook Fan awake, but the man sprang over to him and cut his throat with one blow of his sickle. Fan's body fell half over me, his blood spurted all over my face and breast-" Mrs. Koo buried her face in her hands. On a sign from the judge the headman offered her a bowl of bitter tea, but she shook her head and continued.

The man hissed, `Now you, you treacherous slut!' Adding some horrible words, he reached over the bed, felt for my hair, drew my head back and brought the sickle down on my throat. I heard a thud by the side of my head, then I lost consciousness.

"When I came to I was lying on a cart that was bumping along an uneven road. Fan's naked corpse was lying by my side. I then realized that the point of the sickle had struck the side of the bed, so that only the edge had scratched my throat. Since the murderer evidently thought he had killed me too, I feigned to be dead. Suddenly the cart halted, it was tilted and I slid to the ground together with the corpse. The murderer threw some dry branches over us, then I heard the cart moving away. I hadn't dared open my eyes, so I can't say who the murderer was. When be entered the bedroom I thought he had a rather thin, swarthy face, but that may have been the effect of the oil lamp in the corner.

"I scrambled up and looked around. I saw in the moonlight that I was in the mulberry bush near Fan's farm. At the same time I saw a monk coming down the mud road, from the direction of the city. Since I was clad only in my loincloth I wanted to hide behind a tree, but he had already seen me and carne running toward me. Leaning on his staff, he looked at Fan's corpse, then said to me, `You killed your lover, eh? You had better come along with me to the deserted temple and keep me company a bit. Then I promise I won't betray your secret!' He wanted to grab me and I cried out in fear. Suddenly another man appeared as if from nowhere. He barked at the monk. 'Who told you you could use the temple for raping women? Speak up!' He drew a long knife from his sleeve. The monk cursed and lifted his staff. But suddenly he gasped, clutched at his heart, and fell to the ground. The other quickly bent over him. Righting himself, he muttered something about having bad luck."

A GIRL SURPRISED IN A MULBERRY BUSH

"Do you think," judge Dee interrupted, "that the newcomer knew that monk?"

"I couldn't say, your honor," Mrs. Koo replied. "It all happened so quick, and the monk didn't call him by his name. Later I learned that he is called Po Kai. He asked me what was going on. He didn't as much as glance at my nakedness, and spoke like an educated man. Since despite his shabby clothes he also had a certain air of authority about him, I decided I could trust him, and told him everything. He offered to take me home to my husband, or to my father; they would know what to do. I told him frankly that I couldn't face either of them, I was half out of my mind and wanted time to think. I asked him whether he couldn't hide me somewhere for a day or two; in the meantime he could report P'an's murder, without saying anything about me, for I was certain that the murderer had mistaken me for another woman. He replied that the murder was no concern of his, but if I wanted to hide he would help me. He added that he himself was living with other people, and that a hostel would never accept a woman alone that time of the night. The only solution he could think of was to rent a room for me in one of the floating brothels, those people asked no questions and anyway he would tell them a plausible story-. I le told me he would bury the bodies in the middle of the mulberry bush; it would then take several clays before they would be discovered, and by that time I could decide whether I wanted to report to the tribunal on it or not. He took off the monk's cowl and told me to put it on after 1 had removed the blood from my face and bosom with my loincloth. When he came back I was ready. He took me to a wooded patch further along the mud road where he had tethered his horse, made me sit behind him and rode back to the city. At the canal lie rented a boat, and brought me to the floating brothels outside the east wall."

"How did you pass the guards at the city gate?" the judge asked. "He knocked on the south gate," Mrs. Koo said, "and acted as if he were very drunk. The guards knew him; he shouted something to them about importing new talent into the city. The guards told me to lift the hood, and when they saw I was indeed a woman they all laughed, nade some coarse jokes about Po Kai's pranks, and let us through.