CHAPTER XXVIII. THE GILDED JOSS
London was fog-bound. The threat of the past week had been no emptyone. Towards the hour of each wintry sunset had come the yellow racks,hastening dusk and driving folks more speedily homeward to theirfiresides. The dull reports of fog-signals had become a part of themetropolitan bombilation, but hitherto the choking mist had not secureda strangle-hold.
Now, however, it had triumphed, casting its thick net over the cityas if eager to stifle the pulsing life of the new Babylon. In theneighborhood of the Docks its density was extraordinary, and thepurlieus of Limehouse became mere mysterious gullies of smoke impossibleto navigate unless one were very familiar with their intricacies anddangers.
Chief Inspector Kerry, wearing a cardigan under his oilskins, tapped thepavement with the point of his malacca like a blind man. No glimmer oflight could he perceive. He could not even see his companion.
"Hell!" he snapped irritably, as his foot touched a brick wall, "wherethe devil are you, constable?"
"Here beside you, sir," answered P.C. Bryce, of K Division, his guide.
"Which side?"
"Here, sir."
The constable grasped Kerry's arm.
"But we've walked slap into a damn brick wall!"
"Keep the wall on your left, sir, and it's all clear ahead."
"Clear be damned!" said Kerry. "Are we nearly there?"
"About a dozen paces and we shall see the lamp--if it's been lighted."
"And if not we shall stroll into the river, I suppose?"
"No danger of that. Even if the lamp's out, we shall strike the ironpillar."
"I don't doubt it," said Kerry grimly.
They proceeded at a slow pace. Dull reports and a vague clangor wereaudible. These sounds were so deadened by the clammy mist that theymight have proceeded from some gnome's workshop deep in the bowelsof the earth. The blows of a pile-driver at work on the Surrey shoresuggested to Kerry's mind the phantom crew of Hendrick Hudson at theirgame of ninepins in the Katskill Mountains. Suddenly:
"Is that you, Bryce?" he asked.
"I'm here, sir," replied the voice of the constable from beside him.
"H'm, then there's someone else about." He raised his voice. "Hi, there!have you lost your way?"
Kerry stood still, listening. But no one answered to his call.
"I'll swear there was someone just behind us, Bryce!"
"There was, sir. I saw someone, too. A Chinese resident, probably. Herewe are!"
A sound of banging became audible, and on advancing another two paces,Kerry found himself beside Bryce before a low closed door.
"Hello! hello!" croaked a dim voice. "Number one p'lice chop, lo! SinSin Wa!"
The flat note of a police whistle followed.
"Sin Sin is at home," declared Bryce. "That's the raven."
"Does he take the thing about with him, then?"
"I don't think so. But he puts it in a cupboard when he goes out, and itnever talks unless it can see a light."
Bolts were unfastened and the door was opened. Out through the movingcurtain of fog shone the red glow from a stove. A grotesque silhouetteappeared outlined upon the dim redness.
"You wantchee me?" crooned Sin Sin Wa.
"I do!" rapped Kerry. "I've called to look for opium."
He stepped past the Chinaman into the dimly lighted room. As he did so,the cause of an apparent deformity which had characterized the outlineof Sin Sin Wa became apparent. From his left shoulder the raven partlyarose, moving his big wings, and:
"Smartest leg!" it shrieked in Kerry's ear and rattled imaginarycastanets.
The Chief Inspector started, involuntarily.
"Damn the thing!" he muttered. "Come in, Bryce, and shut the door.What's this?"
On a tea-chest set beside the glowing stove, the little door of whichwas open, stood a highly polished squat wooden image, gilded and coloredred and green. It was that of a leering Chinaman, possibly designed torepresent Buddha, and its jade eyes seemed to blink knowingly in thedancing rays from the stove.
"Sin Sin Wa's Joss," murmured the proprietor, as Bryce closed the outerdoor. "Me shinee him up; makee Joss glad. Number one piecee Joss."
Kerry turned and stared into the pock-marked smiling face. Seen in thatdim light it was not unlike the carved face of the image, save that thelatter possessed two open eyes and the Chinaman but one. The details ofthe room were indiscernible, lost in yellowish shadow, but the eye ofthe raven and the eye of Sin Sin Wa glittered like strange jewels.
"H'm," said Kerry. "Sorry to interrupt your devotions. Light us."
"Allee velly proper," crooned Sin Sin Wa.
He took up the Joss tenderly and bore it across the room. Opening alittle cupboard set low down near the floor he discovered a lightedlantern. This he took out and set upon the dirty table. Then he placedthe image on a shelf in the cupboard and turned smilingly to hisvisitors.
"Number one p'lice!" shrieked the raven.
"Here!" snapped Kerry. "Put that damn thing to bed!"
"Velly good," murmured Sin Sin Wa complacently.
He raised his hand to his shoulder and the raven stepped sedately fromshoulder to wrist. Sin Sin Wa stooped.
"Come, Tling-a-Ling," he said softly. "You catchee sleepee."
The raven stepped down from his wrist and walked into the cupboard.
"So fashion, lo!" said Sin Sin Wa, closing the door.
He seated himself upon a tea-chest beside the useful cupboard, restinghis hands upon his knees and smiling.
Kerry, chewing steadily, had watched the proceedings in silence, butnow:
"Constable Bryce," he said crisply, "you recognize this man as Sin SinWa, the occupier of the house?"
"Yes, sir," replied Bryce.
He was not wholly at ease, and persistently avoided the Chinaman'soblique, beady eye.
"In the ordinary course of your duty you frequently pass along thisstreet?"
"It's the limit of the Limehouse beat, sir. Poplar patrols on the otherside."
"So that at this point, or hereabout, you would sometimes meet theconstable on the next beat?"
"Well, sir," Bryce hesitated, clearing his throat, "this street isn'tproperly in his district."
"I didn't say it was!" snapped Kerry, glaring fiercely at theembarrassed constable. "I said you would sometimes meet him here."
"Yes, sometimes."
"Sometimes. Right. Did you ever come in here?"
The constable ventured a swift glance at the savage red face, and:
"Yes, sir, now and then," he confessed. "Just for a warm on a coldnight, maybe."
"Allee velly welcome," murmured Sin Sin Wa.
Kerry never for a moment removed his fixed gaze from the face of Bryce.
"Now, my lad," he said, "I'm going to ask you another question. I'm notsaying a word about the warm on a cold night. We're all human. But--didyou ever see or hear or smell anything suspicious in this house?"
"Never," affirmed the constable earnestly.
"Did anything ever take place that suggested to your mind that Sin SinWa might be concealing something--upstairs, for instance?"
"Never a thing, sir. There's never been a complaint about him."
"Allee velly proper," crooned Sin Sin Wa.
Kerry stared intently for some moments at Bryce; then, turning suddenlyto Sin Sin Wa:
"I want to see your wife," he said. "Fetch her."
Sin Sin Wa gently patted his knees.
"She velly bad woman," he declared. "She no hate topside pidgin."
"Don't talk!" shouted Kerry. "Fetch her!"
Sin Sin Wa turned his hands palms upward.
"Me no hate gotchee wifee," he murmured.
Kerry took one pace forward.
"Fetch her," he said; "or--" He drew a pair of handcuffs from the pocketof his oilskin.
"Velly bad luck," murmured Sin Sin Wa. "Catchee trouble for wifee nogot."
He extended his wrists, meeting the angry glare of the Chie
f Inspectorwith a smile of resignation. Kerry bit savagely at his chewing-gum,glancing aside at Bryce.
"Did you ever see his wife?" he snapped.
"No, sir. I didn't know he had one."
"No habgotchee," murmured Sin Sin Wa, "velly bad woman."
"For the last time," said Kerry, stooping and thrusting his face forwardso that his nose was only some six inches from that of Sin Sin Wa,"where's Mrs. Sin?"
"Catchee lun off," replied the Chinaman blandly. "Velly bad woman. Tliefwoman. Catchee stealee alla my dollars!"
"Eh!"
Kerry stood upright, moving his shoulders and rattling the handcuffs.
"Comee here when Sin Sin Wa hate gone for catchee shavee, liftee alla mydollars, and-pff! chee-lo!"
He raised his hand and blew imaginary fluff into space. Kerry stareddown at him with an expression in which animal ferocity and helplessnesswere oddly blended. Then:
"Bryce," he said, "stay here. I'm going to search the house."
"Very good, sir."
Kerry turned again to the Chinaman.
"Is there anyone upstairs?" he demanded.
"Nobody hate. Sin Sin Wa alla samee lonesome. Catchee shinum him joss."
Kerry dropped the handcuffs back into the pocket of his overall and tookout an electric torch. With never another glance at Sin Sin Wa he wentout into the passage and began to mount the stairs, presently findinghimself in a room filled with all sorts of unsavory rubbish andcontaining a large cupboard. He uttered an exclamation of triumph.
Crossing the littered floor, and picking his way amid broken canechairs, tea-chests, discarded garments and bedlaths, he threw open thecupboard door. Before him hung a row of ragged clothes and a numberof bowler hats. Directing the ray of the torch upon the unsavorycollection, he snatched coats and hats from the hooks upon which theydepended and hurled them impatiently upon the floor.
When the cupboard was empty he stepped into it and began to bang uponthe back. The savagery of his expression grew more marked than usual,and as he chewed his maxillary muscles protruded extraordinarily.
"If ever I sounded a brick wall," he muttered, "I'm doing it now."
Tap where he would--and he tapped with his knuckles and with the boneferrule of his cane--there was nothing in the resulting sound to suggestthat that part of the wall behind the cupboard was less solid than anyother part.
He examined the room rapidly, then passed into another one adjoiningit, which was evidently used as a bedroom. The latter faced towardsthe court and did not come in contact with the wall of the neighboringhouse. In both rooms the windows were fastened, and judging fromthe state of the fasteners were never opened. In that containing thecupboard outside shutters were also closed. Despite this sealing-upof the apartments, traces of fog hung in the air. Kerry descended thestairs.
Snapping off the light of his torch, he stood, feet wide apart, staringat Sin Sin Wa. The latter, smiling imperturbably, yellow hands restingupon knees, sat quite still on the tea-chest. Constable Bryce wasseated on a corner of the table, looking curiously awkward in his tweedovercoat and bowler hat, which garments quite failed to disguise thepoliceman. He stood up as Kerry entered. Then:
"There used to be a door between this house and the next," said Kerrysuccinctly. "My information is exact and given by someone who has oftenused that door."
"Bloody liar," murmured Sin Sin Wa.
"What!" shouted Kerry. "What did you say, you yellow-faced mongrel!"
He clenched his fists and strode towards the Chinaman.
"Sarcee feller catchee pullee leg," explained the unmoved Sin Sin Wa."Velly bad man tellee lie for makee bhoberry--getchee poor Chinaman intlouble."
In the fog-bound silence Kerry could very distinctly be heard chewing.He turned suddenly to Bryce.
"Go back and fetch two men," he directed. "I should never find my way."
"Very good, sir."
Bryce stepped to the door, unable to hide the relief which heexperienced, and opened it. The fog was so dense that it looked like ayellow curtain hung in the opening.
"Phew!" said Bryce. "I may be some little time, sir."
"Quite likely. But don't stop to pick daisies."
The constable went out, closing the door. Kerry laid his cane on thetable, then stooped and tossed a cud of chewing-gum into the stove. Fromhis waistcoat pocket he drew out a fresh piece and placed it between histeeth. Drawing a tea-chest closer to the stove, he seated himself andstared intently into the glowing heart of the fire.
Sin Sin Wa extended his arm and opened the little cupboard.
"Number one p'lice," croaked the raven drowsily.
"You catchee sleepee, Tling-a-Ling," said Sin Sin Wa.
He took out the green-eyed joss, set it tenderly upon a corner of thetable, and closed the cupboard door. With a piece of chamois leather,which he sometimes dipped into a little square tin, he began to polishthe hideous figure.