“Very understanding,” I said, mentally reversing my opinion of Monty as a spoiled, arrogant, and stuck-up Englishman.
“I’ll only be helping out occasionally, as there is so much to do for the wedding,” she said. “Isn’t it incredible how many fittings are needed for a wedding dress that one will only wear once in one’s life.”
“My mother-in-law is making mine,” I said. “I was supposed to be helping but my sewing was so terrible that she banished me to undergarments. I am a hopeless failure, according to her.”
Sarah laughed. “Oh, dear. In-laws are not all they should be, are they? Monty’s mother looked through her lorgnette at me as if I was something that had crawled under the door. Have you come to see your Chinese girl?”
“Yes, I have.”
“She’s doing awfully well. In fact they both are. The other girl seems to have a new lease on life since Bo Kei arrived. We thought she wouldn’t be long for this world and that the consumption was at a late stage, but now she seems so much brighter that we have hopes she may even recover.”
“I’m glad,” I said. “May I go up to see Bo Kei?”
“Of course,” she said. “She’s in the room facing the stairs on the third floor.”
“Not with Annie?”
“We’re keeping Annie in isolation as much as possible. It wouldn’t be wise to have anyone sleeping in a room with her, considering how sick she is. I don’t think consumption is horribly contagious, but one can’t be sure.”
I started up the stairs, hesitated, then made up my mind. “Sarah, can I be frank with you?” I said, looking up and down the hallway to make sure we were not being overheard. “The police will be searching for Bo Kei. They think she might somehow be involved in a murder that took place last night.”
“But that’s absurd. She was here last night.”
A wave of relief came over me. Of course she had a perfect alibi.
“Would you swear to that? The doors are locked, and nobody comes and goes?”
“Well, no,” she said. “Our doors are never locked. We are known to be a haven for battered women and prostitutes escaping from brothels.”
“So it would be possible for anyone to enter or leave during the night if they wanted to?”
“I’m afraid it would.”
“Oh, dear,” I said. “I’m sure she’s innocent, but you know what some of the police are like, and she doesn’t know anything about life in America. They can probably trick her into confessing anything. Would you be prepared to hide her?”
“Hide her?”
“If the police came to the door, I mean. Would you be prepared to lie and say that she wasn’t here? Or hide her away in a cupboard if they wanted to search the place?”
Sarah looked worried. “If I was hiding someone in my own home it would be different,” she said. “But I’m just one of many volunteers here. I can’t risk the future of this house by lying to the police and harboring a fugitive. They’d shut us down, and then who would do the good work that we do here?”
I did see her point. “Then I’ve no choice,” I said. “I must get her away as quickly as possible. Could you send someone to hail me a cab? I’ll go upstairs and get Bo Kei ready. That way, if anyone asks you if she is with you, you can truthfully deny it.”
Sarah sighed. “I really think that would be best. But where would you take her?”
“I’ll see if Sid and Gus would be prepared to take her in,” I said. “If not, then my own house is across the street and nobody’s living in it at present. I could hide her there, at least until we decide what to do with her.”
Sarah put a hand on my arm. “Is this wise, Molly? You’re going to marry a policeman and yet you are deliberately and knowingly going against the law.”
“But I don’t think she killed anyone, Sarah, and I really don’t think she’ll get a fair trial. You should have heard that Captain Kear concocting the perfect case against Bo Kei and a young man.”
“Captain Kear? Oh, we know all about him. As crooked as they come. He even suggested to us that we pay him protection money. As if we have any spare money.”
“So what did he say?”
She smiled. “Luckily one of our workers at the time happened to be the son of the New York state attorney general. It was suggested that he leave us alone.”
“It’s good to have friends in high places,” I said. “But I shouldn’t stand around talking. I should remove Bo Kei before the police come looking for her.”
“I hope you are not taking too great a risk, Molly. You’ll be harboring a fugitive, won’t you? You can go to jail for that. And think of the disgrace for your future bridegroom.”
I hesitated. What she was saying was actually true. I had already incurred Daniel’s wrath once today. Could I knowingly take this risk? But if I didn’t, Captain Kear’s men would drag her off in no time, and once they had her and Frederick in custody, they wouldn’t bother to look any further for the real killer.
“I have to do this,” I said. “Sid and Gus have a strong sense of justice. They’ll understand and want to help me.”
With that I went up the stairs. I tapped on the door and thought I heard scurrying as I entered. Bo Kei was perched warily on the edge of her bed, as if poised for flight, but her face broke into a smile when she saw me.
“Missie Molly?” Bo Kei said. “You have found Frederick for me? You will take us to safety?”
“I’m afraid it’s not as easy as that, Bo Kei.” I sat down beside her. “Something terrible happened last night. Lee Sing Tai was murdered—pushed off his roof.”
“Oh!” She put her hand to her mouth in horror. “Last night? Somebody killed him last night?”
“That’s right.”
She sat there, hand over her mouth, just staring as if she was taking it in.
“But this is good news for me, isn’t it?” she said shakily. “Now Lee Sing Tai is dead, I am free. I do not belong to anyone. I can go with Frederick.”
“It’s not good news, Bo Kei. The police think that you and Frederick may have had something to do with his death.”
She looked horrified. “Me and Frederick? How do they even think that we know each other? We have not spoken since I was delivered to Lee Sing Tai’s house. You did not say anything to them to make them think this, did you?”
“Of course not. It was Bobby Lee who suggested that Frederick might be the murderer, because his father had dismissed him from his position. And because he was attracted to you. He suggested you two had planned the crime together.”
“Bobby Lee said this? He is a wicked man. He tried to force me to do a terrible thing, Miss Molly. He wanted my body for himself. He say his father is too old and he can give me the son instead. Make his father happy. Father will never know. Now he wants revenge because I pushed him away.”
“I believe you,” I said. “Bobby Lee is a most despicable man.”
“Then I will go to your police and tell them that Frederick and I are innocent. The nuns say that American law is fair and just.”
“I wouldn’t do that, Bo Kei. Not all policemen are fair and just, in fact I am told that the policeman handling this case is known to be crooked. He would concoct a case against you, because it would satisfy everyone and look good for him.” I looked at her terrified face with sympathy. “The fact that you ran away makes you a suspect in the eyes of the police, Bo. There will be policemen all over the city looking for you.”
“Then I am not safe here.”
“No.”
“And Frederick—are they looking for him?”
“They have already found Frederick and the police have gone to question him. I’m worried for him, Bo Kei.”
“Then what must I do?”
“We must hide you somewhere for now. This is exactly the sort of place that the police will come hunting for you. I have friends who have connections outside of the city. Maybe they will find somewhere for you to hide. I wish I had been able to warn Frederick; then we could have spirited the two of you away.”