Strong Mystery: Murder, Mystery and Magic Books 1-3 (Steampunk Magica) (27 page)

Chapter 16

Jimmy the Horse had clearly pulled out all the stops
to greet his gang rival.
The street approach to the restaurant
where they had met the night before was lined with very visibly armed and angry
members of Jimmy’s gang. Owen doubted that there was much intention on Jimmy’s
part to let them leave alive after the meeting. Not that they had much choice
about agreeing to it. The messenger had been quite clear that Jimmy intended to
kill Mary out of hand in retribution for killing the young man Huang if they
didn’t attend.

Owen cast a covert glance up to the rooftop line. Jinhao was
still unknown to Jimmy, and was their ace in the hole so to speak. He chided
himself silently for looking up. If he could see her, she wouldn’t be Jinhao.
Owen refocused on the restaurant entrance, the double red doors flanked by
scowling sword-wielding youths. Wordlessly they pulled open the doors just far
enough to allow Mike and Owen to slip inside. The other members of Mikes gang
that had followed them were barred from entering, their grumbles silenced by a
single sharp word from Mike. The women stood fingering their makeshift maces
and butchers knives with bloody intent but otherwise remained quiet.

As Owens eyes adjusted first to the gloom of the reception
area, he quickly grabbed Mike by the elbow.

“Show no reaction,” Owen breathed into the gang leaders’ ear.
“Stay right here and do not move.”

The gloom was suddenly pierced by the ignition of twin torches.
The sudden light showed Jimmy wearing a Western suit of dark red, air pistol
holstered at his waist. Behind him was Mary, tied to a pillar with ropes, a
crude gag about her mouth.

“So,” Jimmy snarled, “You had the guts to come after all.” He
gestured behind him. “I guess that your pet assassin must mean something to you
after all. I thought that you would refuse after the way you sent a woman to do
your killing for you.”

“I do not know what you are talking about,” Mike said levelly.
“Mary is no killer, nor did I send her here. Last I knew we were going to meet
today to discuss peace.”

“Peace, eh?” Jimmy grunted. “Then why send your fire doxy here
to kill me? I’m sure that Huang must have caught her creeping in here, which
must have led to her frying him.”

“Nonsense,” Owen rapped out. “That is as likely as my being
able to sprout wings and fly!” One of Jimmy’s henchmen pulled a pistol,
swaggering towards Owen while waving the gun in his face.

“Shut your trap old man,” he growled. “That innocent act does
not make it here!”

“Jo, wait,” Jimmy ordered. He looked at Owen. “Go on.”

“I believe that we should hear from Mary what happened.” Owen
nodded at the bound woman.

“Ain’t nothing she can tell,” Jo snapped. “We all heard Huang
screaming for his life in the banquet room. By the time we made it downstairs,
he was dead. Burnt live. She was standing over him.” Mary struggled with her
bounds, trying to speak. Owen appealed to Jimmy.

“If you really want justice for Huang,” he said. “You should
allow Mary to speak.” Jimmy frowned at this. Finally he nodded.

“All right,” he said. “Jo did the right thing though so as that
she couldn’t use her voice to bewitch anyone. Boys, be ready to shoot either
her or the Britisher.”

Owen grimaced at Jimmy’s rank superstition. Despite it being
the 1800’s People still thought that somehow using one’s voice was important in
using
Magia
that gave
someone control over another, a superstition that  was not true. Still, folk
legend dies hard. Owen approached Mary carefully and slowly as the boys had
drawn pistols from somewhere, all of them pointed at Mary, Mike or himself.

Freed from the crude gag, which was nothing more than a piece
of cloth shoved in her mouth, Mary whimpered, trying to speak around a dry
mouth. Owen carefully patted her face, speaking in soothing tones as he might
to a distressed dove.

“There Mary,” he intoned, “It shall be alright. Mike and I are
here.” Raising his voice, he spoke to the room in general. “May we have a glass
of water here please?” At Jimmy the Horse’s nod, one of the boy put up his
weapon and fetched some water in a wooden bowl. Mike seized it and muscled Owen
aside to press it to her lips. After gulping thirstily for a few moments, she
shook her head to indicate that she’d had enough. Owen pushed back against Mike
so that Mary was looking at him again.

“Better?” Mary nodded wordlessly. “Good. Now can you tell us
what happened?” She nodded again and wet her lips to speak.

“I am so, so sorry Mike, Owen. I know that I shouldn’t have but
when the note came I couldn’t say no to it!”

“Shh,” Mike hushed, “there is no need for apologies.”

“What Mike says is true Mary,” Owen said gently, but in a voice
that said he would not be turned away from his course. “Start at the beginning
and tell us everything in order. Leave nothing out, no matter how insignificant
it may seem. Can you do that?” The bound woman nodded once and began speaking.

“So I wandered outside to get some air before bed,” she began.
“I know I am not supposed to, but after all that gone on, I still knew that
somehow I was the reason that the talks were in trouble. Despite your kind
words, and the words of Mike I knew it. My mind was awhirl about what I was to
do, so I thought that some air would be just the thing.” She looked down
shamefaced.

“I had heard some of the other girls talk about how to sneak
out quietly so that the look outs did not catch you so I did that,” she went
on.

“Once I was outside, a boy came up to me out of the shadows. He
nearly scared me into screaming for the look outs. In fact, I had opened my
mouth to do this that when what he whispered silenced me.

“‘Are you Mistress Mary?’” he asked. ‘Yes,’ I said. He held
out an envelope. ‘This is for you,’ he says. ‘I am to wait.’ And he stood there
in the shadows as I opened the strange message. It was written in simple
Mandarin.”

“‘I know what you are,’ the note said,” as she continued.
“‘Come alone to the restaurant where we met before. Together, you and I can
avert a war. Tell the bearer of this note, yes’” She tilted her head. “Might I
have some more water?” She asked. Mike held the bowl forward. After she had
drunk, she continued.

“I looked up at the boy in the shadows and said yes. He came
forward with a grin and spoke, ‘Huang said you would say that. You are to
follow me.’ We went by a winding route through the alleyways which left me
completely lost. Finally we came to a window at what I assumed was the back of
the restaurant.

‘You climb in here’, the boy said’. Why, I asked him. ‘Because
we do not want to alert the guard. Jimmy would have a fit.’ He said.” At this
Jimmy the Horse made a rude noise and muttered something that sounded to Owen
like ‘Damned right,’ but otherwise held his peace. Mary continued.

“With his help, I made it through the window, with some
difficulty. I found myself in a dark room that seemed to be some sort of
storage place. It was filled with large sacks filled with rice and there was
the smell of different spices so thick as to be overpowering in such a small
space. There was, however, no one to meet me.”

“I turned back to look out the window only to find my guide had
vanished. Determined not to panic, I saw light outlining what was a door at the
other end of the room. As quietly as I could I made my way across the room to
it. Upon opening it, I found myself in a brightly lit corridor. It was then
that I heard the screams. The inhuman, ghastly screams.”

“I ran down the corridor and opening the door at the other end
of it, I found myself in the banquet room that we had been in earlier. There
was a horrible smell as if someone had burned meat. Then I saw the-the body.”
Mary’s voice took on a quiver as she continued.

“The next thing I knew I was surrounded by angry men with guns
who were yelling that I had killed him.” She looked at Owen pleading in her
eyes. “I did not kill him! I certainly did not mean to! Tell me I cannot do
that!”

Owen petted her face, soothing tones in his voice. “No I doubt
very much that you did Mary.” He tugged at the ropes binding her. “Can we at
least free her,” he asked Jimmy, “She has told us that she had nothing to do
with Huang’s death.”

“No,” Jimmy replied. He eyed Owen shrewdly, “Owen did she say?
I knew you were no ‘old relative’! You are that Britisher, Owen Strong, and the
Sorcerer who is meddling in other people’s business.”

“Guilty as charged,” he admitted. Owen stood up straight, one
hand pulling off the graying moustaches. He pretended not to notice the
shifting of the youngsters’ aim to himself. Jimmy nodded as if pleased with
himself.

“I keep hearing how you solve mysteries that other people
have.” He gestured with his pistol into the air. “Well, if she did not kill
Huang, then who did? Seems to me that is what you have to find out.” He looked
smug as he talked. “Meantime I already got me a witchy killer to hand who I
do
believe murdered Huang. It will take a lot of proving to convince me
otherwise.”

“You cannot mean this!” Mike exploded. “I can fight you!”

Jimmy’s face took on a hard look at hearing this. “You can
try,” he said in a dangerous voice that belied his obvious youth. He pointed
his pistol at Mary’s head. “The first casualty will be the doxy.”

“There is no need of that,” Owen said wearily. “I can
investigate the boy’s death.” He held up a hand. “But I will not promise that I
can find the killer. You need to release Mary.”

Jimmy shook his head, pistol not moving from Mary’s head. “No,
you need to find the killer if it is not her,
and
convince me of their
guilt.”

“That may be rather difficult as you seem to have your mind
resolved on this matter already.” Owen observed dryly. The youth named Jo
stirred at this.

“Jimmy always judges fair,” he growled, pointing his gun at
Owen. “You just want the witchy whore to not get killed.”

“Well of course I do not wish to see her killed,” Owen agreed
amicably. “I will say though, that if you do not get that pop gun out of my
face, I will make you eat it.”

“Jo!” Jimmy snapped. “Put it in a basket.” He gestured towards
Owen. “You—mister fancy talking, you have until sundown on Fourth Star Day to
bring me Huang’s killer—if it really is someone else.” Jimmy looked around at
his followers. ‘That seem fair?”

At that moment, Jinhao chose to make her entrance. To the
consternation of Jimmy and his bodyguards, she dropped onto the floor of the
reception area, a masked figure in black with short swords harnessed over her
back. To Owens surprise, Jimmy the Horse choked up, and dropped to the floor,
his forehead touching it, his pistol laid at his side. He ordered his guards to
do likewise. Soon Owen was left standing in bemusement along with Mike while
the blood-thirsty gangers all kept bowing like waves of the ocean. Owen noticed
that Jinhao did not seem surprised at this treatment, but took it in stride as
seemingly her due. He caught Jimmy mutter something about the ‘Claw’ but had no
idea what he was referring to. Jinhao, masked, strode towards the bowing young
man, standing over him, her hands on her hips.

“Release the woman to me,” she ordered Jimmy. “I will guarantee
that justice will be done your fallen man.” Jimmy remained facing the floor.

“I saw you many years ago when you visited my fore-brother, the
one who led us in those days. With respect I must ask, is this the guarantee of
the Dragon?”

“You dare to question me?” Jinhao responded archly. “Do you
believe that the Dragon has time for the likes of you?”

Jimmy looked up at her defiantly. “He does if your words are
true, and if you value the life of this woman. Otherwise, it has been many
years since any have seen the Dragon’s Claw, and I will not be moved for less.”

Owen imagined that he could see Jinhao sigh, although she kept
her attention fixed on the kneeling gang leader. He decided that as he had not
a clue what was going on, his wisest course was to say nothing.

“Very well,” Jinhao allowed. “Release the girl, allow the
Englishman to question who he wishes and go where he wishes to find the
murderer. The Dragon will sit in judgment.”

“In two days,” Jimmy pressed, “no more. And the witch woman
must stay here until the day comes.” Jinhao hesitated, then nodded.

“Very well, agreed,” She said. Jimmy slowly rose to his feet,
looking at Jinhao.

“Agreed,” he answered. “Untie the witch,” he ordered.

Mary fell into Mikes’ waiting arms sobbing. Owen watched the
touching scene for a few moments, then slid up to Jinhao. Jimmy was just
getting to his feet, his minions still on their knees.

“What have you done,” Owen asked Jinhao
sotto voce.

“Gained you two days to find the killer,” Jinhao replied in the
same low tones. She continued to look at Jimmy impassively behind her mask.
Owen sighed.

“And how is it that the sadistic delinquent listens to you as
if you are royalty?” he asked mildly.

“It is a legacy from a former time,” she replied shortly. “You
needed the woman alive clearly. I simply made that possible. What shall we do
now?”

“I suppose we should look at the banquet room and hopefully the
body,” Owen said. “That is if it hasn’t been disturbed yet.”

“No it hasn’t,” Jimmy said quietly. He glanced over at Mike and
Mary with a look of pure hatred. “I wanted Mike to see just what his killer had
done.”

“Well, let us be about it then,” Owen said, cheerily looking
around at the occupants of the room. He spied the older woman who had been
present last night hovering near the doorway and looking even more anxious than
she had if that were possible. Owen walked over to where she stood.