“So what did you do?”
“So I told him where I thought Nevis could be reached at a poker game.”
“And what happened?”
“I don’t know. I walked out. I gave him to understand that if he wasn’t going to call the police I didn’t want to have anything to do with the entire affair.
“He was calling Nevis as I went out of the door. I was angry and nervous. I drove around for a few minutes, stopped in at a bar for a brandy, and then decided I didn’t want to inflict myself on my wife; so I drove for a couple of hours to steady my nerves, found an auto camp that had a vacancy and went to bed.”
“I see,” Inspector Malloy said dryly. “You drove aimlessly, found an auto camp, registered under an assumed name, and were within five miles of the auto camp where Edward Harold had also registered under an assumed name.”
The surprise which showed on Taonon’s face could hardly have been simulated. “What?” he cried.
“Five miles farther down the road, Edward Harold was staying, also under an assumed name in an auto camp. He must have followed you!”
“Is this a joke? Or some weird third degree?”
“It’s neither,” Malloy said. “It’s the truth, and the woman who drove Harold down to that auto camp was your devoted wife. And in case you’re also interested, the person who established Harold there in the warehouse was also your devoted wife.”
“What are you talking about?” Taonon demanded.
“The grocer down in the market on the corner says that the groceries supplied to Harold in his hideout were purchased by your wife.”
Taonon turned to his wife.
“So,” he said.
And before anyone divined his purpose, he sent his fist lashing out to crash into the point of her jaw.
There was a moment of motionless surprise on the part of Inspector Malloy as he watched the woman’s figure crumple. Then his big hand caught a fistful of Taonon’s shirt, twisted it into a hold that gave him purchase, and shook the Eurasian as a big dog might shake some street cur.
Abruptly, he steadied the man. His free hand slapped Taonon hard across the face. “Resist me,” he begged. “Kick at me. Give me a chance to smash your face in.”
Taonon, the red imprint of Malloy’s hand on his face, merely grinned, his nervous grin.
“I’m not that easy,” he said.
Inspector Malloy turned to the officers who had brought Taonon in. “Take them down to Headquarters — both of them. I’ll be right down.”
“Do you want to take me back into custody?” Clane asked Malloy.
“Bless you, no,” Malloy said. “I wouldn’t think of it. You’re ever so much more valuable out here running around and playing bird dog. You do flush the damnedest game. How did you know where to go to find Mrs. Taonon?”
“A matter of deduction, I guess.”
“Well, keep on deducing,” Malloy said. “Go ahead, flush some more of them. The way you’ve been doing, I wouldn’t doubt a bit if the next person you dug up would turn out to be Cynthia Renton. I just have an idea that you’ll lead us to her if we give you a little rope. Go right ahead, Mr. Clane.”
Clane smiled at him. “Good night, Inspector.”
“Good night, Mr. Clane. And do try to get some sleep. I imagine I’ll be seeing you somewhere along the line. And you, young lady, don’t take in any more washing.”
“I won’t,” Sou Ha assured him.
“Of course, if you’re really looking for housework,” Malloy said, “I can give you a job.”
“Thank you, I’ll keep it in mind,” Sou Ha promised.
Twenty-One
Cynthia Renton rushed toward Terry Clane impulsively, “Oh, Owl,” she exclaimed. “I’m so glad you’re back. Tell me, what happened?”
“Lots of things,” Clane said. “Ricardo Taonon disappeared and was found. His wife disappeared and was found. I have been in jail. I have seen Edward Harold and...”
“How is he, Owl? Tell me, how is he?”
“Naturally,” Clane said, “he’s pretty blue and discouraged. He’s resentful. He didn’t feel particularly cordial toward me. If it hadn’t been for Chu Kee here, I’d still have been...”
Clane broke off abruptly as he realized Chu Kee was not there. The Chinese and his daughter had quietly slipped away.
“They came in with you,” Cynthia said, looking around. “Where did they go?”
Clane said, “Probably thought we wanted to be alone.”
“Don’t we?”
“Not now, Cynthia. I have some work to do. I’m going to have to take some chances.”
“All right, Owl. I’m going to take chances with you.”
“You are going to stay right here.”
She laughed. “That shows all you know about it. I’m going with you. I’ve got you into a mess and I’m going to be with you from now on, helping you if I can. If I can’t help, I’ll at least walk into the arms of the police and take the responsibility for what’s been done. I’ve been sitting here hating myself for the way I’ve let you run risks on my account. You’ve always been a refuge for me when times got tough, and it seemed natural to run to you for help. Only in the last few hours did I realize how unfair it was... Owl, please let me go with you.”
Clane saw the pleading desperation on her face. “All right,” he said at length, and then added, “Perhaps Harold will feel better about it if you clear the mystery up instead of me.”
“Don’t be silly, Owl. Ed Harold thinks you’re one of the grandest men on earth. I’ve told him so much about you that I...”
“Have made him hate me,” Clane said.
She made a little grimace. “He’ll get over that. When do we go?”
“Now.”
“Where do we go?”
“We’re going down to the warehouse of the Eastern Art Import and Trading Company,” Clane said. “We’re going to hope that police don’t have it under guard and that we can find some way of getting in. It will be a felonious entry at best, and may be something a lot more serious.”
“And what are we going to do when we get in there?”
“If we don’t get caught,” Clane said, “we’re going to try and determine why George Gloster’s dust-covered fingerprints were left on a desk blotter.”
“Why, Owl? What does that have to do with it?”
Clane said, “It may be the solution of the whole business.”
“Owl, do you know how to get out of here? Coming in we went through tunnels and down staircases and...”
“I think so,” Clane said and, raising his voice, called out, “Embroidered Halo!”
She appeared almost instantly, moving through embroidered silk curtains which concealed a doorway. She had changed from her American clothes into Chinese garb, and with the change she seemed to have renounced everything about her which was of the Occident. She was completely Chinese as she looked up at Clane with an inscrutable countenance; and, recognizing her mood, Clane instinctively addressed her in Chinese. “Embroidered Halo, I have to leave upon a mission of some danger. The Painter Woman wishes to go with me. She is not accustomed to inaction. It is not wise that she go with me; but I am going to try to clear up the murder which was committed in the warehouse. If the man she loves is to be cleared of murder, it would be better that Cynthia herself did it.”
“The man she loves?” Sou Ha asked in Chinese, her face expressionless.
“Yes.”
“The man she loves is standing beside her.”
Clane flushed. “Don’t be silly, Sou Ha. She is going to marry Edward Harold.”