Poets and Murder

When the surly gatekeeper had admitted him he found himself in a well-kept paved courtyard, decorated by a few flowering plants in basins of sculpted white marble. Over the red-lacquered double-gate at the rear was a white board, in­scribed in large blue letters 'Among the Flowers reigns Eternal Spring'. It was not signed, but the calligraphy resembled closely that of his colleague.

A broad-shouldered rascal with a pockmarked face accepted Judge Dee's letter with a dubious expression, but when he saw the large red stamp of the tribunal on the back, he made an obsequious bow. He led the judge along an open corridor lined by red-lacquered, carved balustrades, round a charming flower garden, to a small anteroom. Judge Dee sat down at the tea-table of polished sandalwood. The blue pile carpet was soft under his feet, and blue brocade hangings covered the walls. Smoke of ambergris curled up from the white-porcelain incense burner on the wall-table of carved rosewood. Through the open sliding-doors he could just see a corner of the two-storeyed building facing the garden. From the gilded lattice-screens along the balcony came the tinkling of zithers. Ap­parently the inmates were already at their music lessons.

A large woman in a black damask gown came in, followed by a demure maid carrying a tea-tray. Folding her hands in her long sleeves, the madame delivered a polite speech of wel­come. The judge took in her pasty face with the pendulous cheeks and the crafty, beady eyes, and decided he didn't like her. 'Has the housemaster of the residence already arrived?' He cut her harangue short.

She told the maid to put the tea-tray on the table and to leave them alone. Straightening her robe with her large, white hand, she said:

'This person profoundly regrets the unfortunate accident, sir. I do hope it did not inconvenience the honourable guests.'

'My colleague informed them the dancer only wounded her foot. Could you get me her papers?'

'I knew you would want those, sir,' she replied with a smirk.

She took a bundle of documents from her sleeve and handed them to the judge. He saw at once that there was nothing of special interest. Small Phoenix had been the youngest daughter of a vegetable dealer, sold three years ago for the simple reason that she had four elder sisters already, and her father couldn't afford any more dowries. The house had her taught to dance by a well-known teacher, and she had also received tuition in elementary reading and writing.

'Did she have any special friends among the customers, or among the inmates here?' the judge asked.

The madame ceremoniously poured him a cup of tea.

'As to the gentlemen who patronize this establishment,' she said quietly, 'nearly all of them knew Small Phoenix. Being a superb dancer, she was in great demand for parties. Since she wasn't exactly handsome, only a few elderly gentle­men solicited her special favours, doubtless attracted by her boyish figure. She always refused, and I refrained from exer­cising pressure on her, for she brought in enough by her dancing.' A slight frown appeared on her smooth white brow as she continued, 'She was a quiet girl, never needed any cor­rection, and was most diligent about her dancing lessons. But the other girls hated her, they said she ... smelled, and that she was really a vixen that had assumed human shape. It's an onerous task, sir, to preserve order among all those young women... . Asks for much patience, and kind con­sideration of ...'

'She didn't engage in a bit of blackmail now and then?'

The madame raised her hands in protest.

'I beg your pardon, sir!' she exclaimed, giving him a re­proachful look. 'All my girls know that the first who would dare to try anything irregular would find herself standing stripped at the whipping post, at once! This house has an old-established reputation, sir! Of course she accepted tips, and ... well, it seems she was rather skilful in raising the amount, by ah ... various but wholly acceptable means. Since she was an obedient girl, I allowed her to visit sometimes the strange woman who acts as guardian of the Black Fox Shrine. Only because she taught Small Phoenix interesting songs that proved popular with the guests.' She compressed her thin lips. 'All kinds of vagabonds hang about in the neigh­bourhood of the South Gate, sir. She must have struck up an undesirable acquaintance there, and it was he who perpetrated this cruel crime. Goes to show one should never let those girls out of sight. If I think of the good money I invested in her dancing lessons, and ...'

'Talking about the guardian of the fox shrine, was it from this house she escaped, formerly?'

For the second time the madame gave him a reproachful look.

'Certainly not, sir! That girl had been sold to a small place near the East Gate. A very low-class house, frequented by coolies and other scum. A ... a brothel, sir, with your permission.'

'I see. Did Small Phoenix ever mention that the guardian of the shrine was not an orphan, and that her father was still living in this city?'

'Never, sir. I once asked the dancer whether the woman ever received gentlemen ... callers, but she said she was the only one who ever visited the shrine.'