The Hand of Fu-Manchu: Being a New Phase in the Activities of Fu-Manchu, the Devil DoctorRohmer, Sax
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The Hand of Fu-Manchu: Being a New Phase in the Activities of Fu-Manchu, the Devil Doctor
Rohmer, Sax
Detective and mystery stories; Fu Manchu, Doctor (Fictitious character) -- Fiction
Nayland Smith nodded his head.
"Exactly!" he snapped.
"Inspector Weymouth, here," continued Fletcher, "has put me in
possession of such facts as are known to him, and I believe that I
have had the good fortune to chance upon a valuable one."
"You interest me, Sergeant Fletcher," said Smith. "What is the nature
of this clue?"
"I will tell you," replied the other, and turned briskly upon his heel
to face us.
He had a dark, clean-shaven face, rather sallow complexion, and
deep-set, searching eyes. There was decision in the square, cleft chin
and strong character in the cleanly chiseled features. His manner was
alert.
"I have specialized in Chinese crime," he said; "much of my time is
spent amongst our Asiatic visitors. I am fairly familiar with the
Easterns who use the port of London, and I have a number of useful
acquaintances among them."
Nayland Smith nodded. Beyond doubt Detective-sergeant Fletcher knew
his business.
"To my lasting regret," Fletcher continued, "I never met the late Dr.
Fu-Manchu. I understand, sir, that you believe him to have been a high
official of this dangerous society? However, I think we may get in
touch with some other notabilities; for instance, I'm told that one
of the people you're looking for has been described as 'the man with
the limp'?"
Smith, who had been about to relight his pipe, dropped the match on
the carpet and set his foot upon it. His eyes shone like steel.
"'The man with the limp,'" he said, and slowly rose to his feet--"what
do you know of the man with the limp?"
Fletcher's face flushed slightly; his words had proved more dramatic
than he had anticipated.
"There's a place down Shadwell way," he replied, "of which, no doubt,
you will have heard; it has no official title, but it is known to
habitués as the Joy-Shop...."
Inspector Weymouth stood up, his burly figure towering over that of
his slighter confrère.
"I don't think you know John Ki's, Mr. Smith," he said. "We keep all
those places pretty well patrolled, and until this present business
cropped up, John's establishment had never given us any trouble."
"What is this Joy-Shop?" I asked.
"A resort of shady characters, mostly Asiatics," replied Weymouth.
"It's a gambling-house, an unlicensed drinking-shop, and even worse--
but it's more use to us open than it would be shut."
"It is one of my regular jobs to keep an eye on the visitors to the
Joy-Shop," continued Fletcher. "I have many acquaintances who use the
place. Needless to add, they don't know my real business! Well,
lately several of them have asked me if I know who the man is that
hobbles about the place with two sticks. Everybody seems to have
heard him, but no one has seen him."
Nayland Smith began to pace the floor restlessly.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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