West of Guam by Raoul Whitfield Page B

his head. He said in a very quiet tone.
    “You are not surprised to learn that. I did not think you would be. But Sam Ying did not sail on the Toya Maru. ” He smiled as Harnville stared at him. “He sailed on the Parambigue, a small steamer. She is now just making the Straits.”
    Harnville was blinking at the Island detective. He started to say something, stopped. His long fingers were working nervously. With an effort he made a gesture with spread hands.
    “What has all this to do with me?” he muttered. Jo Gar said:
    “I will be very frank. You have little liking for Sam Ying. You own river boats—many of them. You did not think Ying paid enough for their use. There was a quarrel—and Ying got his boats elsewhere. You were losing money, and that did not suit you. You tried to prevent Sam Ying from using other river boats. A few bancas and sampans were sunk. These things are known.”
    Harnville had a sneer playing around his lips. He looked down at the diminutive detective.
    “What of it?” he demanded. “It’s a bit stiff—your coming here at this hour to tell me this.”
    Jo Gar smiled.
    “You were anxious to get me away from Manila—and there would have been only an untruthful reason for my going. You left me—and very soon after, a knife was thrown at me. And very soon after that you telephoned me, establishing the fact that you were at the Manila Hotel and could not have been near me when the knife was thrown.”
    Harnville chuckled. “You traced my call—to make certain?” he asked mockingly.
    Jo Gar shook his head. “I believed you,” he said simply. “You do not believe me. You do not think Sam Ying is aboard the Toya Maru. You are right. The substitute you placed aboard is on that ship. But you do think Sam Ying is being held a prisoner, in Manila. You are wrong. Ying is a very ordinary appearing Chinese. Many resemble him. You had little difficulty finding one who resembled him. It was also simple for Ying to do the same.”
    Harnville stood motionless, his eyes on Jo’s. It was evident that he wanted to speak. But he did not. Jo Gar said:
    “It is difficult, isn’t it? You want to tell me that I am very wrong. That you have kidnapped the right person. Your pride desires that. But you do not wish to admit that you are at all involved. That is foolish—Rosa Castrone has talked.”
    Fear showed in Harnville’s eyes. He took a step towards the Island detective. The fear went from his eyes as he moved. Rage was gripping him. He said:
    “I know Sam Ying—I know him better than you do—”
    Jo Gar was smiling coldly. Harnville got control of himself. He smiled, too. It was a nasty, hating smile.
    “I saw friends off on the Toya Maru —Sam Ying was aboard her.
    You are trying to frame me, Señor Gar.”
    Jo shook his head. “My interest is in Sam Ying,” he said quietly. “He is safely away, sailing towards his native land. I merely wanted to advise you that you are holding for ransom a substitute. Kidnapping is a serious crime.”
    He bowed. He said slowly: “I do not think you have seen this man you hold. You have been too busy in other places. Sam Ying is a wise man. He knew that if you were to hold him for a large sum of money he could not call on the police. He is not anxious to expose the reason for such kidnapping—the boats were not used lawfully on the Pasig. So he went away. Last night several men broke into his house and took away a substitute, sleeping in Ying’s bed. Sam had already sailed. This morning you put aboard a fat Chinese who somewhat resembled Ying. That was not a bad idea, but mine was better.”
    He moved away from the tall Englishman. Harnville was smiling.
    He said in a mocking tone:
    “It’s the most idiotic thing I’ve heard. Perhaps you accuse an accomplice of mine with throwing a knife at you from the palms?”
    Jo Gar faced the taller man. He said in his toneless voice:
    “Why do you say ‘from the palms’? I did not designate the spot from