CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
YADA TAKES CHARGE
Ayscough had only time to give a warning look and a word to the othersbefore Mr. Mori Yada was ushered in. Every eye was turned on him as heentered--some of the men present looking at him with wonder, some withcuriosity, two, at any rate--Levendale and Stephen Purvis--with doubt.But Yada himself was to all outward appearance utterly indifferent tothe glances thrown in his direction: it seemed to John Purdie, who wasremembering all he had heard the night before, that the young Japanesemedical student was a singularly cool and self-possessed hand. Yada,indeed, might have been walking in on an assemblage of personalfriends, specially gathered together in his honour. Melky Rubinstein,who was also watching him closely, noticed at once that he hadevidently made a very careful toilet that morning. Yada's darkovercoat, thrown negligently open, revealed a smart grey lounge suit;in one gloved hand he carried a new bowler hat, in the other acarefully rolled umbrella. He looked as prosperous and as severely inmode as if no mysteries and underground affairs had power to touch him,and the ready smile with which he greeted Ayscough was ingenuous andcandid enough to disarm the most suspicious.
"Good morning, Mr. Detective," he began, as he crossed the thresholdand looked first at Ayscough and then at the ring of attentive faces."I want to speak to you on that little affair of last night, you know.I suppose you are discussing it with these gentlemen? Well, perhaps Ican now give you some information that will be useful."
"Glad to hear anything, Mr. Yada," said Ayscough, who was striving hardto conceal his surprise. "Anything that you can tell us. You've heardsomething during the night, then?"
Yada laughed pleasantly, showing his white teeth. He dropped into thechair which Ayscough pushed forward, and slowly drew off his gloves.
"I assured myself of something last night--after you left me," he said,with a knowing look. "I used your card to advantage, Mr. Detective. Iwent to the mortuary."
Ayscough contrived to signal to the Inspector to leave the talking tohim. He put his thumbs in the armholes of his waistcoat, assumed aneasy attitude as he leaned against the door, and looked speculativelyat the new comer.
"Aye?--and what made you do that now, Mr. Yada?" he asked,half-carelessly. "A bit of curiosity, eh?"
"Not idle curiosity, Mr. Detective," replied Yada. "I wanted to know,to make certain, which of the two Chinamen it really was who wasthere--dead. I saw him. Now I know. Chen Li!"
"Well?" said Ayscough.
Yada suddenly twisted round in his chair, and slowly glanced at thelistening men on either side of the desk. They were cool, bold,half-insolent eyes which received face after face, showing norecognition of any until they encountered Melky Rubinstein's watchfulcountenance. And to Melky, Yada accorded a slight nod--and turned toAyscough again.
"Which," he asked calmly, "which of these gentlemen is the owner of thediamond? Which is the one who has lost eighty thousand pounds inbank-notes? That is what I want to know before I say more."
In the silence which followed upon Ayscough's obvious doubt aboutanswering this direct question, Levendale let out a sharp,half-irritable exclamation:
"In God's name!" he said, "who is this young man? What does he knowabout the diamond and the money?"
Yada turned and faced his questioner--and suddenly smiling, thrust hishand in his breast pocket and drew out a card-case. With a polite bowhe handed a card in Levendale's direction.
"Permit me, sir," he said suavely. "My card. As for the rest, perhapsMr. Detective here will tell you."
"It's this way, you see, Mr. Levendale," remarked Ayscough. "Acting oninformation received from Dr. Pittery, one of the junior house-surgeonsat University College Hospital, who told me that Mr. Yada was afellow-student of those two Chinese, and a bit of a friend of theirs, Icalled on Mr. Yada last night to make enquiries. And of course I had totell him about the missing property--though to be sure, that's newsthat's common to everybody now--through the papers. And--what else haveyou to tell, Mr. Yada?"
But Yada was watching Levendale--who, on his part, was just as narrowlywatching Yada. The other men in the room watched thesetwo--recognizing, as if by instinct, that from that moment matters laybetween Levendale and Yada, and not between Yada and Ayscough. Theywere mutually inspecting and appraising each other, and in spite oftheir impassive faces, it was plain that each was wondering about hisnext move.
It was Levendale who spoke first--spoke as if he and the young Japanesewere the only people in the room, as if nothing else mattered. He bentforward to Yada.
"How much do you know?" he demanded.
Yada showed his white teeth again.
"A plain--and a wide question, Mr. Levendale!" he answered, with alaugh. "I see that you are anxious to enlist my services. Evidently,you believe that I do know something. But--you are not the owner of thediamond! Which of these gentlemen is?"
Levendale made a half impatient gesture towards Stephen Purvis, whonodded at Yada but remained silent.
"He is!" said Levendale, testily. "But you--can do your talking to me.Again--how much do you know in this matter?"
"Enough to make it worth your while to negotiate with me," answeredYada. "Is that as plain as your question?"
"It's what I expected," said Levendale. "You want to sell yourknowledge."
"Well?" assented Yada, "I am very sure you are willing to purchase."
Once more that duel of the eyes--and to John Purdie, who prided himselfon being a judge of expressions, it was evident that the younger manwas more than the equal of the older. It was Levendale who gaveway--and when he took his eyes off Yada, it was to turn to StephenPurvis.
Stephen Purvis nodded his head once more--and growled a little.
"Make terms with him!" he muttered. "Case of have to, I reckon!"
Levendale turned once more to the Japanese, who smiled on him.
"Look you here, Mr. Yada," said Levendale, "I don't know who you arebeyond what I'm told--your card tells me nothing except that youlive--lodge, I suppose--in Gower Street. You've got mixed up in this,somehow, and you've got knowledge to dispose of. Now, I don't buyunless I know first what it is I'm buying. So--let's know what you'vegot to sell?"
Yada swept the room with a glance.
"Before these gentlemen?" he asked. "In open market, eh?"
"They're all either police, or detectives, or concerned," retortedLevendale. "There's no secret. I repeat--what have you got to sell?Specify it!"
Yada lifted his hands and began to check off points on the tips of hisfingers.
"Three items, then, Mr. Levendale," he replied cheerfully. "First--theknowledge of who has got the diamond and the money. Second--theknowledge of where he is at this moment, and will be for some hours.Third--the knowledge of how you can successfully take him and recoveryour property. Three good, saleable items, I think--yes?"
Purdie watched carefully for some sign of greed or avarice in theinformer's wily countenance. To his surprise, he saw none. Instead,Yada assumed an almost sanctimonious air. He seemed to considermatters--though his answer was speedy.
"I don't want to profit--unduly--by this affair," he said. "At the sametime, from all I've heard, I'm rendering you and your friend a veryimportant service, and I think it only fair that I should beremunerated. Give me something towards the expenses of my medicaleducation, Mr. Levendale: give me five hundred pounds."
With the briefest exchange of glances with Stephen Purvis, Levendalepulled out a cheque-book, dashed off a cash cheque, and handed it overto the Japanese, who slipped it into his waistcoat pocket.
"Now--your information!" said Levendale.
"To be sure," replied Yada. "Very well. Chang Li has the diamond andthe money. And he is at this moment where he has been for some days, inhiding. He is in a secret room at a place called Pilmansey's Tea Rooms,in Tottenham Court Road--a place much frequented by medical studentsfrom our college. The fact of the case is, Mr. Policeman, and the restof you generally, there is a secret opium den at Pilmansey's, thoughnobo
dy knows of it but a few frequenters. And there!--there you willfind Chang Li."
"You've seen him there?" demanded Levendale.
"I saw him there during last night--I know him to be there--he will bethere, either until you take him, or until his arrangements are madefor getting out of this country," answered Yada.
Levendale jumped up, as if for instant action. But the Inspectorquietly tapped him on the elbow.
"He promised to tell you how to take him, Mr. Levendale," he said."Let's know all we can--we shall have to be in with you on this, youknow."
"Mr. Police-Inspector is right," said Yada. "You will have to conductwhat you call a raid. Now, do precisely what I tell you to do.Pilmansey's is an old-fashioned place, a very old house as regards itsarchitecture, on the right-hand side of Tottenham Court Road. Go theretoday--this mid-day--a little before one--when there are always plentyof customers. Go with plenty of your plain-clothes men, like Mr.Ayscough there. Drop in, don't you see, as if you were customers--letthere be plenty of you, I repeat. There are twoPilmanseys--men--middle-aged, sly, smooth, crafty men. When you are allthere, take your own lines--close the place, the doors, if youlike--but get hold of the Pilmansey men, tell them you are police,insist on being taken to the top floor and shown their opium den. Theywill object, they will lie, they will resist--you will use your ownmethods. But--in that opium den you will find Chang Li--and yourproperty!"
He had been drawing on his gloves as he spoke, and now, picking up hishat and umbrella, Yada bowed politely to the circle and moved to thedoor.
"You will excuse me, now?" he said. "I have an important lecture at themedical school which I must not miss. I shall be at Pilmansey's,myself, a little before one--please oblige me by not taking any noticeof me. I do not want to figure--actively--in your business."
Then he was gone--and the rest of them were so deeply taken with thenews which he had communicated that no one noticed that just beforeYada fastened his last glove-button, Melky Rubinstein slipped from hiscorner and glided quietly out of the room.