“Mister Lee? Is he just an example, or you suspect him of murder?”
“Mister Lee is not a murderer. But after my visit to the Patch-Five, and with all the info you told me this evening, I don't just suspect. I know the murderer identity and the location of the dead body.”
“You – know?”
“One hundred percent. “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” Again from my favorite book.”
“OK, Holmes! Enlighten you dumb Watson!”
“The body is presently with Mister Lee in his shack. And by tomorrow morning it will be in the irrigation ditch.”
“Explain why.”
“Remember, yesterday we had three options how the perps might get rid of the body?”
“Not three. Five! The number four was about some magic mushrooms and hypnosis and the number five was about some little green men with a flying saucer.”
“Stop teasing me. So today I went myself to the China-Five and realized that yesterday I missed the fourth option altogether. In one of the stories, Holmes was telling Watson it's dangerous to make conclusions without knowing all the facts. A mental lock of sorts.”
“And what was your mental lock?”
“I placed myself in the perp's position. What would I do with a dead body if it was in this shack. Our shack, in Korean Patch-One! But there is a huge difference. In our Patch, the paths between the shacks are wide and straight. We are an ‘Obama’ slum, from right after the Meltdown. Back then, they left a lot of space, for the cars. We don't use cars, but the paths are still straight, and you can see everything, end-to-end. But the China-Five was started just three or four years ago, and they knew the cars would not be back. Their paths are narrow and all curved. In some places, even a wheelchair can barely pass.”
“I see what you are saying. So the fourth option is to carry the body to the near-by shack, right?”
“Absolutely. In the Patch like ours that would be totally impossible during the day time, but in the new slums, if you act quickly, chances that the others see you are rather small. Two men can do it easy enough.”
“Why: two men?”
“Mister Lee and Mister Chen. Two men. Of course, I may be wrong. Having three men is also possible. But less likely.”
“So, after all, Victor Chen killed his father?”
“But no! Did I say: Victor Chen killed? Listen… On the second thought, wait! First, make more coffee and bring the brownies. And promise me to wash the pot. I've cooked you rabbit, remember?”
“It's a shameless blackmail! If you continue this way, we must report you to the Police,” I obey and start our Primus.
“Are you washing the pot, Deputy?”
“Yes, ma'am. The Deputy will be washing the pot.”
“Accepted. So it was like this, my dear Watson. Mister Chen- senior comes home and finds there his double.”
I burst into maniacal laughter. The neighbor shack window opens and an old lady sticks her head out in obvious disapproval. The Slum Rule is to keep the things quiet, especially after dark.
“I didn't expect such a prank,” I whisper to Kate while bowing an apology to the neighbor lady. “You've tricked me into the promise to wash the pot in exchange for some science fiction story. Not the type of Sci-Fi I enjoy.”
“I promise, Coyote, there is no prank. Can't you listen to the end before laughing like mad?”
“OK. I am listening to your cheap prank Sci-Fi. Skeptically.”
“Have you seen the titles of the Chen's books, Mister Skeptic?”
“Yes, I have. Python believes they are about some very advanced engineering. And Woxman thinks it's some kind of military technology.”
“Your Woxman is not a total fool. Correct: it's some advanced military technology.”
“I'm telling you once more: he is not my Woxman. Why do you think somebody would jump on developing some advanced military technology in the slums?”
“I'm not saying Chen-senior is working on military technology now. But he could work on it earlier, before the Meltdown. It was something very important. Do you know that the Chinese were constantly looking for their former compatriots, the immigrants and their family members? It was the best way for extracting the military technology intelligence from the USA.”
“Well. And why to have the double? Spy games?”
“Let say, you've decided to ransack the Chen's residence. The only way to do it in the night – you must kill the owners. Besides, searching in the night, with a flash-light in your teeth – you may miss something.”
“So you do it in the daytime.”
“Correct. But how to walk into the shack during the day time? The neighbors will see you. So your agent has to be a double of either Chen-junior or Chen-senior. The Chen-senior is more likely, the neighbors see him at the Patch during daytime. The exact copy is not required, he only need to look like Chen from far. The main thing is the clothing but that's easy. In the slums, nearly all the men use the second-hand army uniforms. Having Chen's photo and several thousand dollars in your pocket, you can get all you need at the flea market, and without arousing suspicion.”
“And how your double can unlock the door?”
“Are you a cop or a barber? This type of lock can be picked in seconds. Of course, you need proper tools.”
“Why do you think Mister Lee can't be your spy?”
“He can't. He would have known that once a month Victor Chen returns from work earlier than usual, and his father also may return a bit early.”
“OK. Your version is accepted. But I am still skeptical. Let say, Chen-senior comes home and observes Chen-two, his double, searching through the shack. What's next?”
“Chen-one was expecting an intrusion. That's why he carried the gut-driver. Bang, and Chen-two is lying on the bed with a quarter-inch hole in his chest. Chen-one rushes to his friend, Mister Lee, just across the path. Together, they watch Victor Chen comes home, glances into the shack, and runs away.”
“Presumably, the son did not know his father from the double?”
“I think he didn't. Imagine you come home this evening, get your bike chained to the pole. My skate is at the door. Runner, where are you? Silence. So you open the door, and in the far corner there is a legless Afro girl of about my size, in my second-hand Navy uniform. And on the floor at the entrance – there is the bloody gut-driver. By the way, if you get killed by a gut-driver, your face will be all-warped from agony. The death from the gut-driver wound is seldom instantaneous, there is pain shock, all such stuff.”
“Sounds cool… You must be writing horror stories.”
“So, under such circumstance, would you think: my Kate has a double, or rather: my Kate is killed?”
“I understand your logic. What's next?”
“Chen-senior and Lee were occupied with something more urgent, and could not stop Victor Chen's departure. Victor grabbed the gut-driver and fled. Lee and Chen-senior realized he was running to the Police. Where else to run? So what our good neighbors would do?”
“They can also come to the Police and give a statement.”
“And so they would have to explain the Chen's double? Most importantly: if someone sent one double, he may send another, or arrange something equally nasty. Hence, the only logical way out: the double's body must disappear, and Chen Te-Sheng must also disappear. If Victor Chan keeps his mouth shut, and the body is not found, no way someone can build a case.”