I didn’t know why Pyka was so pleased to have been told that. It did not get us any further on. But the little smith had news that did change things.
‘This time I had a hint as to who the moneylender was. The silversmith I spoke to was sure it was Madam Gao.’
‘The old lady loaned Geng money? Well I suppose she might if they were to be wed.’
Tadeusz sat down at the table and picked up a succulent peach from the porcelain bowl in its centre. He bit deeply, and wiped the juice from his mouth using his sleeve.
‘No, you have it wrong. The loan was well before Madam Gao moved into Geng’s house. And it wasn’t a loan from one friend to another. Don’t forget Geng complained the moneylender’s rates were painfully high. It was a purely business transaction at the time. You see, Madam Gao must be a moneylender by trade. She is well known in the town as a hard-headed businesswoman, tougher than her husband was. And the business, which traded in silk material, had many clients. She took over the business when her husband died, and ran it much more successfully than he did. It seems she used her wealth to lend money, extorting punitive rates of return. Everyone was surprised when she moved into Geng’s house.’
I looked at everyone around the table.
‘This changes matters. Both Gengs had reasons to want Gao dead — one owed her a lot of money, the other didn’t want to lose the family business. Do you think the murder of the old man was an attack on Madam Gao that went badly wrong?’
‘An attempt by the boy to kill the moneylender who had his father in a stranglehold?’
Tadeusz’s question was answered with more from Lin.
‘Is the boy so ham-fisted that his poisoning attempt went so drastically wrong? Would he not be totally distraught to have been the cause of his own father’s death?’
‘Not if he saw the benefits of what happened. He’s not that dim.’ I got up and straightened my breeches, which were tight around my nether regions. ‘Now, I have things to do, and so do you, Gurbesu. Talk to Jianxu today, and try and get to the bottom of this matter. We need to know everything, especially if the boy was going to wed Jianxu. That would change the perspective on him being a suspect. Why kill to keep the Geng business, if he would inherit it anyway? Tadeusz — see if you can discover the names of any of the other people Madam Gao has loaned money to. Without her knowing you want to know.’
‘You think someone else might have been trying to kill her?’
‘It’s a possibility. Though I still think this has more to do with the family than an outsider, but we must not exclude other possibilities.’
Having made sure all the others would be busy that afternoon, I turned to Lin. I was in no position to order him to do anything, but I did want to ensure he was occupied somehow. He saw my questioning look, and raised his hands, palms outward.
‘Don’t ask me to do anything. I have much to write up here. If we are to come out of this without falling into Ko’s trap, we need accurate records.’
I was relieved. Lin would be busy too.
‘I agree. Every step must be meticulously recorded, and every fact substantiated.’
Lin sighed.
‘And even then it may do us no good. Ko is a slippery eel of an enemy.’
‘I’m afraid he is. By the way, do you know if the actors’ troupe are rehearsing Guan’s play today?’
Lin shrugged his shoulders.
‘I don’t know for sure, but I fear they will be. That is another sword dangling over our heads.’
Lin waved for his servant, Po Ku, to bring paper and ink, and I left him to his work and his worries.
At that same moment, Ko Su-Tsung was ensconced in his private room. At the heart of his quarters, the room was deep in shadows, just as he preferred it. Much of his deeds were conceived and controlled from the darkness of this room. Now, he held the second communication from his spy at Pianfu. He smiled his cadaver smile. The letter contained a report on Lin Chu-Tsai’s meeting with the prefect, and the fact that Lin found nothing amiss in his behaviour. Ko was satisfied so far with the progress of events, but it was too soon to imagine that his enemy was trapped inexorably. He knew Lin was cleverer than that. And so was that foreign barbarian, Zuliani. Though he felt sure that Zuliani would make some sort of mess by getting involved in a shady deal or some such. It was in the man’s nature. In fact, he could make matters worse for Lin by drawing Zuliani into a bad deal that would compromise both men. He lifted his writing implement and began to draft a message to be sent by the great Yam.
I went to Li Wen-Tao’s house via the theatre because I had to settle a little business there first. It occurred to me at the time to check on the person who had inserted the lines in the play the previous night — the words that had so concerned Lin. But I didn’t have the opportunity as a rehearsal was beginning. I would have to leave it for later, perhaps. For now, the business in hand was with the prefect.
Fat Li was still in the same position as when I had last seen him. In fact he looked fatter, and more food was being conveyed to his mouth with those little chopsticks. He paused long enough though to cast a greedy eye over my satchel. The last time he had seen it, it was stuffed with money. He had to do something for me first before I opened it up again, so I reminded him of our previous conversation.
‘Ho — the thief you mentioned. Have you come across him again? Have his light-fingered ways caused him to appear before your court?’
Li grinned, and some rice slid from his lips and down his chin.
‘It’s odd you should say that. He is awaiting my justice right now, having been found with stolen goods in his possession. A valuable vase and a bead necklace reported stolen from a middle-ranking official. I shall be very brutal with Ho this time.’
I lifted a hand to stay the course of his justice.
‘I have another suggestion. Will you let him off with a warning, and have him secrete his ill-gotten gains somewhere where they can be found?’
Li narrowed his eyes, and looked baffled.
‘Why would I do that?’
I know I had him hooked, and I began to reel him in.
‘I noticed that the Temple of the Earth-Goddess in the square has a shrine to the god of lost possessions. I understand that people who have lost something or have had something stolen go to the priest or priestess and ask them for help with the god who is in residence to have their items restored to them.’
Li was still unclear where I was taking him, but he could sense something profitable at the end of all this, just as I had. I went on.
‘It occurred to me that if, say, the old priestess knew where Ho has hidden the items he has stolen, then she could tell the owners, who will be most grateful to the god. They will reward the god through the old woman.’
‘They will indeed. But what benefit is that to us?’
I had him for sure. He was looking for the scam already.
‘If Ho told you where the goods were, and you told the old woman, then she would feel obliged to share her spoils with you. As for me, I would only want a small amount for suggesting this to you. And by way of sealing our deal, I could… deposit some of my paper money with you.’
It put my hand in the satchel, and produced a bundle of black notes with the seals of reputable men. Li’s eyes widened. He made to take the money, but I held my hand over the top of it.
‘Of course, this is not a one-off deal. If any other thefts should come your way, we could make the same arrangements. As and when they happened.’
Li nodded eagerly, and I lifted my hand off the money. It disappeared as if by magic up his long and voluminous sleeve. My little moneymaking scheme was under way.