Sherlock Hong: The Legend of Lady Yue Read online

  THE

  LEGEND OF

  LADY YUE

  © 2016 Don Bosco (Super Cool Books) and Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Pte Ltd

  This book is published by Marshall Cavendish Children in association with Super Cool Books.

  Marshall Cavendish Children is an imprint of Marshall Cavendish International

  All rights reserved

  Cover Illustration by Ann Gee

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Request for permission should be addressed to the Publisher, Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited, 1 New Industrial Road, Singapore 536196. Tel: (65) 6213 9300

  Email: [email protected] Website: www.marshallcavendish.com/genref

  The publisher makes no representation or warranties with respect to the contents of this book, and specifically disclaims any implied warranties or merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose, and shall in no event be liable for any loss or profit or any other commercial damage, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damage

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  National Library Board, Singapore Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

  Bosco, Don, 1971- author.

  The legend of Lady Yue / Don Bosco. – Singapore : Marshall Cavendish Children, 2015.

  pages cm. – (Sherlock Hong adventures)

  eISBN : 978 981 4721 64 6

  1. Kidnapping – Investigation – Fiction. 2. Teenagers – Fiction.

  3. Singapore – History – 1867-1942 – Fiction. I. Title. II. Series: Sherlock Hong adventures.

  PR9570.S53

  S823 -- dc23 OCN920496610

  Printed in Singapore by Fabulous Printers Pte Ltd

  CHAPTER 1

  Yoo-hoo!

  I’m back.

  Sherlock Hong, young detective.

  Prince of puzzles.

  Master of mysteries.

  Et cetera, et cetera.

  Dear members of the International Order of Young Seekers!

  The year is 1891.

  I am writing to you from Singapore.

  There was a strange incident lately, in this Lion City that I call home.

  You might have heard that it’s a small island. But there is always so much to investigate.

  So many secrets to uncover.

  It was a test of my brains and bravery.

  In these pages, you will find all the details. Every bit is true. Trust me.

  The day my tutor Miss Priya disappeared, that was the day the circus arrived.

  Clang, clang, clang.

  CHAPTER 2

  Early morning.

  Daylight was just beginning to drift its way across the sky. There was a cool light breeze.

  My friend Aisha and I hurried along the Singapore River.

  Around us, people were rushing about.

  Many of them had urgent matters to attend to. Mostly related to making money.

  But Aisha and I were headed for the pier, to welcome the circus to our sunny island.

  This would be Harmston’s Circus. Originally from England, but now busy travelling around this part of the world.

  I must admit that I was more than excited. I was delirious with joy.

  I wanted to meet their hypnotist. As you know, from reading about my earlier adventures, I have a keen interest in this intriguing art.

  Aisha, on the other hand, longed to help feed and groom the animal performers. She’s kind and compassionate like that. Even to dangerous insects and irritating people.

  If you’ve been following my reports, you’ll remember how she’s always been a great help to me. I’m waiting for the right moment to tell her about the International Order of Young Seekers, and perhaps invite her to join us.

  Soon Aisha and I reached the pier. We searched until we found a good spot, halfway up the stone steps next to Finlayson Green.

  From where we sat, we could see all the way out to where the sea ended and the soft blue morning sky began.

  Just below us, there was a small crowd waiting. Perhaps fifty people. They talked loudly and their faces were lit up in eager anticipation.

  They were here to see the circus, too.

  Aisha and I had brought our breakfasts with us. We ate as we watched the bumboats come in.

  I had two red bean buns all to myself. Ma packed them for me the night before.

  Aisha’s sister, on the other hand, had prepared a serving of spicy rice with some salted fish, wrapped up in a fresh banana leaf.

  It smelt so yummy that as people walked past, they would stop just a moment to peer enviously at her food.

  I gave Aisha a gentle nudge, to get her attention.

  “Pa said last night that Harmston’s Circus has performed in many countries, even Australia,” I told her. “I’d like to join them and explore the world. Perhaps I could be an apprentice hypnotist. What do you think?”

  Before Aisha could reply, there was a shout from further down the pier. And then people started to cheer.

  “Look!” Aisha gasped.

  She got up and pointed at a group of seven bumboats that were just reaching the pier.

  There were carrying all sorts of animals, some in cages.

  “I see lions!” Aisha said. “And that’s an elephant! He looks majestic. Oh, look at those creatures! Are they kangaroos?”

  I squinted hard, looking at the particular bumboat that she was pointing to, but I couldn’t tell for sure. All I could make out was two brown shapes, perhaps just a bit shorter than me, shuffling inside a cage, mostly keeping to the shadows.

  It went on like this for a while. People jostled to get a better look at the animals as they were led off the gangplanks, or wheeled across in their cages.

  Aisha and I went down the steps to get a closer look.

  It turned out to be quite a zoo. We saw a few bears, different species of monkeys, a pair of huge black cats, many frisky horses, and a friendly looking beast on four legs, all covered in wool, with a silhouette more like a horse than a sheep. I later discovered that this was a llama, and it came all the way from South America.

  Aisha and I were so captivated that we didn’t sense the passing of time.

  But there was a strange moment when the crowd around me parted to allow a circus assistant to pass through with his wheelbarrow.

  There was a heavy crate on it, and as he went past me, I heard a muffled sound coming from inside, something heavy and metallic.

  Clang, clang, clang.

  I couldn’t help staring at the circus assistant. His features were strangely familiar.

  And then it hit me.

  The man looked an awful lot like William Fong.

  The fraudster, deceiver, crook, rogue, sham, trickster, swindler, cheat.

  Surely you remember this scoundrel from the first mystery I solved in Singapore.

  He tried to cheat a rich old man by selling him a bird that supposedly could turn its owner into a Heavenly Immortal. What a cruel scam that was.

  I was horrified.

  I wanted to run
off and inform Constable Flint, who was just further down the pier, wrestling with a young man in a long brown coat, probably a pickpocket.

  But then the crowd moved. I lost sight of that circus assistant, and soon I started to wonder if I had been mistaken.

  CHAPTER 3

  Shortly after, Aisha left to help her mother at their family’s shop along High Street. They sold fine fabrics that they shipped in from all over the world.

  As for me, I had to hurry home for the day’s lesson with my tutor, Miss Priya.

  Along the way, as I passed a bridge, I saw a strange looking procession.

  The group was dressed completely in black. There were at least twenty of them. Both men and women. Their faces were covered with some sort of white paint.

  At first, I thought they might have been a group of performers from the circus, out to explore the area.

  But no, they looked too restless and unfriendly.

  The men had expensive pocket watches chained to their coats. As they walked, they would swing the chains so that the pocket watches danced about in the air. It reminded me of a toy I had once read about, called the yo-yo.

  The women performed tricks with their black parasols, spinning and twirling them quickly, like a fast Chinese dance.

  There was something intimidating about this group. Most of the other people either looked away or scurried to the other side of the road to avoid them.

  As I passed the last of them, I saw their team of coolies following behind. They were pushing three carts packed with big crates that looked weather beaten but very sturdy.

  It was faint, but once again I heard a familiar sound coming from inside the crates.

  Clang, clang. Clang, clang.

  It stayed in my head all the way home.

  And it stirred my memories.

  I expected to see Miss Priya waiting for me, with her arms crossed and a stern look on her face.

  But she wasn’t there.

  I gathered my books and sat at the table to wait for her. As part of my education, Miss Priya had introduced me to some rather unusual novels.

  One book was about an Indian prince who built a fantastic underwater vessel that could carry him around the world.

  Another book was about a young adventurer who worked on a ship and got involved with dangerous pirates.

  And there was yet another book, about a brilliant detective in Paris who could see through illusions, disguises and deceptions.

  These wonderful tales inspired me.

  I told Miss Priya that I wanted to write my own story too.

  Something thrilling and unforgettable.

  Also, something that would impress Aisha and let her know what a genius I am.

  Miss Priya laughed when she heard this. She said she understood me completely.

  She would teach me to write the greatest story in the world.

  But only if I helped her with a project that she was just starting on.

  She gave me a book to read, and asked me to summarise the chapters as fast as I could.

  It was a difficult task. I had completed two pages, when I heard that the circus was coming to town.

  From then on, that was all I thought of.

  I waited, but my tutor didn’t turn up.

  At first, I entertained myself by covering a sheet of paper with detailed sketches of ships and cutlasses. But eventually that got boring. So I went to see if my father had heard from Miss Priya.

  My father is a respected physician. He considers all lives to be equally precious and worthy of his attention. Whether it’s a prince from one of the kingdoms in the southern islands, or the mother of a humble fisherman from one of the sea gypsy tribes up north.

  I watched Pa drop a pinch of black leaves on his weighing scales, check the weight, and then add another pinch, before nodding in satisfaction.

  He carefully poured the leaves into a small paper pouch and set it aside.

  “You have to keep a steady hand,” Pa explained. “Not enough of the medicine, and the patient’s fever won’t go away. Too much of it, and the patient might feel such a surge of vitality that she stays up for seven days, singing and dancing deliriously. Come, why don’t you help me with this?”

  I was just about to, when my mother rushed in with Ah Mah, our house maid.

  Ah Mah has been with our family for a long time. I heard that she used to take care of my father when he was much younger.

  Ma looked worried. She spoke gently, but I could sense the concern in her voice.

  “Have you heard?” she said to my father. “There was an explosion at the Adelphi Hotel an hour ago.”

  Explosion? Adelphi Hotel?

  That was where Miss Priya was staying.

  Pa stood up quickly. “Do they need a doctor?”

  Before my mother could continue, Ah Mah pushed her aside and started to beat on her own chest.

  “It’s awful!” Ah Mah wailed. “Master Hong, we heard that a ghost kidnapped Miss Priya!”

  CHAPTER 4

  The Adelphi Hotel is a grand building on Coleman Street. It used to be the most popular hotel in Singapore, until a few others opened along the same street and competition among the hotels became greater.

  The hotel has two levels. Offices and ten rooms on the lower one, and twelve rooms on the upper. The building was designed in the shape of a “U”, with a courtyard in the middle. It had a high wall around it and curtained windows for privacy.

  When Ma and I got there, we saw Constable Flint standing in the reception area with two of his patrolmen. He looked tired.

  “Everything’s under control,” he said hurriedly when he saw Ma and me. “Please leave the matter to us!”

  Ma smiled and responded with a quick nod.

  “We’re not trying to interfere,” Ma said. “My son and I thought you might appreciate a little help. I know the circus just came in today. That must be keeping you and your men very busy.”

  Constable Flint sighed.

  “Do you know how many pickpockets we caught along the pier earlier this morning?” he said. “Twelve. All belonging to one gang or other. Taking advantage of innocent people who just wanted to get a look at the circus animals.”

  “Miss Priya is a dear friend,” Ma said. She sounded a little shaken. “Do you know what happened to her?”

  Constable Flint gave his men a signal, and they went off to perform their duties.

  “I’ve spoken to three people here,” Constable Flint told us. “The manager, the watchman and a guest from Penang by the name of John Chung.”

  I couldn’t help myself. “Our house maid mentioned something about a ghost,” I said. “What did she mean?”

  Constable Flint seemed a little baffled. “There was an explosion on the second level this morning. The man I mentioned, John Chung, was just back from his morning walk when he heard it. He saw a masked man in black clothes outside Miss Priya’s room. Mr Chung called out to him, but the man ran off. Mr Chung reported this to the manager, and they went to check on Miss Priya.”

  A masked man? In black clothes? It sounded sinister.

  “When they reached Miss Priya’s room,” Constable Flint continued, “they found the wood around the door handle heavily charred, and still warm from the explosion. But the lock was unusually strong, and wasn’t damaged. The manager kept knocking. At last he went to get a duplicate of the room key from his safe.”

  Constable Flint paused to catch his breath.

  I was anxious to hear the rest. “And then?”

  Constable Flint raised his eyebrows. “They found no one in there. We checked with the girl at the reception desk. She confirmed that Miss Priya hadn’t stepped outside the hotel at all today. So where could she be? The watchman then insisted that the room was haunted, and that Miss Priya had been captured by a ghost.”

  It sure sounded creepy. I made a mental note to speak to the watchman later and check on his story.

  Ma pursed her lips. “Ghost or no ghost,” she said, “we h
ave to examine Miss Priya’s room. Right away.”

  Ma grabbed my hand and dragged me across the courtyard.

  Constable Flint stumbled after us. There was panic in his voice.

  “Wait! You can’t go in there! You’re not authorised!”

  We climbed the stairs and found ourselves staring down a long corridor.

  Somewhere near the end, there was a door with a note stuck on it.

  “That’s the one,” Ma said.

  We hurried over and as we got closer I was able to make out the words on the note.

  “Keep Out. Police Investigation.”

  Ma was right.

  Constable Flint knew better than to argue with my mother. With a reluctant sigh, he took out a key and let us inside.

  The room was dark. It had a window, quite a small one, on the left. This was latched. There was a curtain too, pulled aside.

  There was a bed just next to the window. And on the other side of the room, there was a long and tall cupboard that almost reached the ceiling.

  Against the wall, between the bed and the cupboard, there was a writing table and a chair.

  I recognised some of Miss Priya’s books on the writing table. I also noticed her brown suitcase under the bed.

  There was a red string tied around the handle. She sometimes tied red strings to her belongings. I had always been curious but never got around to asking her about it.

  “Did Miss Priya keep any valuables in here, that you might know of?” Constable Flint asked. “Money? Or jewellery? If someone tried to blow off the lock, they must have been desperate to get their hands on something. Or someone.”

  In the time it took him to utter those words, Ma was able to conduct a quick search of the room, even checking under the bed and inside the suitcase.

  She was swift yet very thorough. I watched in admiration.

  Ma took a deep breath. Something was wrong.

  Constable Flint sensed that Ma was holding back important information. He stared at us long and hard. “Would you have any idea who might want to hurt Miss Priya? Or kidnap her?”

  The room turned so silent that I suddenly noticed a faint sound. I thought it came from the street below. Something tapping and scraping softly, over and over again, like a small animal caught in a tight space.