The Phantom of the Temple

Judge Dee leaned back in his chair. 'I can only repeat, Mr Lee, what I said to Mr Woo earlier this morning.' As the other bowed resignedly, the judge went on: 'How­ever, you would materially assist me in my investigation if you would tell me what measures you and Mr Woo took last year for tracing your fiancee.'

'With pleasure, sir. I went personally to the Chinese licensed quarter known as the Southern Row, and made discreet inquiries. When I obtained no result, I ordered my eldest clerk, who is a local man with a wide circle of acquaintances, to make inquiries in the underworld. He also drew a complete blank.' He cast a quick glance at the judge and resumed: 'I am convinced, sir, that Miss Jade was kidnapped not by local people but by a band of travelling touts, who took her away with them at once.' He rubbed his hand over his moist face. 'I have written to the masters of the Guilds of Gold and Silver Merchants in the five districts of this part of our Empire, enclosing traced copies of a portrait of my fiancee. But with no result.' He sighed. Tour Honour was perfectly right in scolding me for not having urged Mr Woo to report to the tribunal at once. But it still isn't too late, sir! If you would issue a circular letter to the magistrates of—'

'I was planning to do that, Mr Lee. Could you let me have a dozen or so traced copies of Miss Jade's portrait?'

This question seemed to disturb the banker.

'Not ... not right away, Your Honour. But I shall do my best to ...'

'Good. Add a detailed description too. By the way, you might have those portraits copied by your brother. He, being a professional painter ...'

The banker had grown pale. 'I have severed relations with him completely, Your Honour,' he said. 'I regret that I have to inform you that he is a man of loose morals. For many years he lived in my house, sponging on me. Didn't do a stroke of work. Just daubed at his paintings, or read strange books on alchemy or by heterodox philo­sophers. The nights he spent in gambling houses, taverns, or worse. He belonged to the same circle as Mrs Woo and ...' He broke off and bit his lips.

'Mrs Woo?' the judge asked, astonished.

'I shouldn't have mentioned her, sir!’ Lee said con­tritely. 'Now that I have done so, however, I may as well tell you, in the strictest confidence, of course, that I knew Mrs Woo and the man she lived with before her marriage to Mr Woo. The man was an able metal-worker who occasionally did odd jobs for me. But he was a crook and associated with crooks. When he left her, she came to me, asking whether I could help her to a job, perhaps in a shop. Woo happened to drop in, and he took a fancy to her at once. I wanted to warn him about the milieu she came from, but she swore to me that she had never taken part in any crooked business, and solemnly assured me that she would make Woo a good wife. I had to admit that she was a most energetic and capable woman, so I held my peace and Woo married her. On the fifteenth day of the fifth month last year, it was. I must say that she indeed managed his affairs very well. Un­fortunately, she didn't get along with Miss Jade.' 'Yes, I heard rumours to that effect. Why?' 'Well, sir, Miss Jade was a sweet girl, with much book-learning but wholly ignorant of the ways of the world. Prone to look at things from a purely theoretical angle, you see. She made no allowances for the fact that her stepmother came from a quite different milieu but took an instant dislike to her. The dislike was mutual, I believe. Mr Woo understood and kept Jade's upbringing in his own hands. Quite an unusual situation, sir: a young woman having no elder woman to turn to for advice. Therefore I was overjoyed when Mr Woo pro­posed that I marry her. I am a bit older than she, of course, but Mr Woo said that Jade needed a husband who would have the patience to explain things to her and tell her what was going on in the world. In other words, a husband who could take the place by her side Woo himself had occupied since her mother's death.'