Free The Chinese Maze Murders by Robert van Gulik Page B

took out an oblong package. She rose and placed it on the desk.
    “On his deathbed,” she began, “the Governor handed me this scroll picture which he had painted himself. He said that this was the inheritance he bequeathed to me and my son. The rest was to go to my stepson Yoo Kee.
    “Upon that the Governor started coughing and Yoo Kee left the room to order a new bowl with medicine. As soonas he had gone the Governor suddenly said to me: ‘Should you ever be in difficulties you will take this picture to the tribunal and show it to the magistrate. If he does not understand its meaning you will show it to his successor, until in due time a wise judge shall uncover its secret.’ Then Yoo Kee came in. The Governor looked at the three of us. He laid his emaciated hand on the head of my small son, smiled and passed away without saying another word.”
    Mrs. Yoo broke down sobbing.
    Judge Dee waited until she was calmer. Then he said:
    “Every detail of that last day is important, Madam. Tell me what happened thereafter.”
    “My stepson Yoo Kee,” Mrs. Yoo continued, “took the picture from my hands saying that he would keep it for me. He was not unkind then. It was only after the funeral that he changed. He told me harshly to leave the house immediately with my son. He accused me of having deceived his father and forbade me and my son ever to set a foot in his house again. Then he threw this scroll picture on the table and said with a sneer that I was welcome to my inheritance.”
    Judge Dee stroked his beard.
    “Since the Governor was a man of great wisdom, Madam, there must be some deep meaning in this picture. I shall study it carefully. It is my duty to warn you, however, that I keep an open mind as to the portent of its secret message. It may either be in your favour or prove that you have been guilty of the crime of adultery. In either case I shall take appropriate steps and justice shall take its course. I leave it to you, Madam, to decide whether you will want me to keep this scroll or whether you prefer to take it back with you and withdraw your claim.”
    Mrs. Yoo rose. She said with quiet dignity:
    “I beg Your Honour to keep this scroll for study. I prayto Merciful Heaven that it will grant you to solve its riddle.”
    Then she bowed deeply and took her leave.
    Sergeant Hoong and Tao Gan had been waiting outside in the corridor. Now they came in and greeted the judge. Tao Gan was carrying an armful of document rolls.
    The sergeant reported that they had inventoried Chien Mow’s property. They had found several hundred gold bars and a large amount of silver. This money they had locked in the strongroom together with a number of utensils of solid gold. The women and the house servants had been confined to the third courtyard. Six constables of the tribunal and ten soldiers had been quartered in the second courtyard under supervision of Chiao Tai, to guard the mansion.
    Tao Gan placed with a contented smile his load of documents on the desk. He said:
    “These, Your Honour, are the inventories we made, and all the deeds and accounts that we found in Chien Mow’s strongroom.”
    Judge Dee leaned back in his chair and looked at the pile with undisguised distaste.
    “The disentangling of Chien Mow’s affairs,” he said, “will be a long and tedious task. I shall entrust this work to you, Sergeant, and Tao Gan. I don’t expect that this material will contain anything more important than evidence of unlawful appropriation of land and houses and petty extortion. The guildmasters have promised to send me this afternoon suitable persons to take up the duties of the clerical personnel, including a head of our archives. They should be useful in working out these problems.”
    “They are waiting in the main courtyard, Your Honour,” Sergeant Hoong remarked.
    “Well,” the judge said, “you and Tao Gan will instruct them in their duties. Tonight the head of the archives will assist you in sorting out these