"Shen-Yan's is a dope-shop in one of the burrows off the old Ratcliff Highway," said
Inspector Weymouth.
"`Singapore Charlie's,' they call it. It's a center for some of the Chinese societies, I
believe, but all sorts of opium-smokers use it. There have never been any complaints that
I know of. I don't understand this."
We stood in his room at New Scotland Yard, bending over a sheet of foolscap upon
which were arranged some burned fragments from poor Cadby's grate, for so hurriedly
had the girl done her work that combustion had not been complete.
"What do we make of this?" said Smith. "`. . .Hunchback. . .lascar went up. . .unlike
others. . .not return. . .till Shen-Yan' (there is no doubt about the name, I think) `turned
me out. . . booming sound. . .lascar in. . .mortuary I could ident. . . not for days, or
suspici. . .Tuesday night in a different make . . .snatch. . .pigtail. . .'"
"The pigtail again!" rapped Weymouth.
"She evidently burned the torn-out pages all together," continued Smith. "They lay flat,
and this was in the middle. I see the band of retributive justice in that, Inspector. Now we
have a reference to a hunchback, and what follows amounts to this: A lascar (amongst
several other persons) went up somewhere-- presumably upstairs--at Shen-Yan's, and did
not come down again. Cadby, who was there disguised, noted a booming sound. Later, he
identified the lascar in some mortuary. We have no means of fixing the date of this visit
to Shen-Yan's, but I feel inclined to put down the `lascar' as the dacoit who was murdered
by Fu-Manchu! It is sheer supposition, however. But that Cadby meant to pay another
visit to the place in a different `make-up' or disguise, is evident, and that the Tuesday
night proposed was last night is a reasonable deduction. The reference to a pigtail is
principally interesting because of what was found on Cadby's body."
Inspector Weymouth nodded affirmatively, and Smith glanced at his watch.
"Exactly ten-twenty-three," he said. "I will trouble you, Inspector, for the freedom of
your fancy wardrobe. There is time to spend an hour in the company of Shen-Yan's
opium friends."
Weymouth raised his eyebrows.
"It might be risky. What about an official visit?"
