again which woman knew her enough to send specifically for her. Which woman had been desperate enough to send for the white devil?
A small sound from the landing caught Dolly’s attention. She saw a flash of white clothing disappear into the corridor. Tien. She was sure of it.
She hurried up the stairs and went directly to the girl’s bedroom. Predictably, the door was locked. Luckily it was late enough that the other residents were in bed. She would leave a note for Mrs. Field on her desk; otherwise, Dolly would be completely on her own with Ah Cheng. But what had Tien seen and heard tonight?
“Tien,” Dolly called softly. “Ah Cheng and I are going on a rescue. You will be safe here. I promise. A man sacrificed his life tonight to help us save another girl. He has brought the mission home honor.”
The door cracked open, and Dolly found herself gazing down at Tien’s tear-stained face. The girl said nothing, but she didn’t draw away when Dolly placed a hand on her shoulder. “Do you want to stay with Yuen Qui?” Dolly asked.
Tien nodded, and she walked with Dolly to Yuen Qui’s bedroom. After explaining the circumstances, Dolly was able to leave the two of them together. Her heart hurt for Tien, but Dolly was also grateful for the girl’s growing trust in her.
An hour later, Dolly and Ah Cheng left the mission home and headed down the hill in the deep of night to meet the police officers. As they walked past the location of the murder, Dolly blinked back hot tears.
Three officers waited at the bottom of the hill: Cook, Riordan, and James Farrell.
Cook’s expression was grim, and he confirmed that the murdered man was the one who had delivered the message. “You can turn down a rescue request, Miss Cameron,” he said. “Or take a break for a while. One man has already died tonight.”
And that man had told her that the highbinders were warning the paper daughters about her far in advance of any rescue efforts. She knew she should probably let things cool off, but her heart wouldn’t let her. Instead she said, “Do you have the search warrant?”
“Yes, but that house will be heavily guarded.” Cook’s thick brows pulled together. “We will meet with resistance.”
Dolly eyed the other two officers. Farrell carried an axe, and Riordan and Cook had sledgehammers. “If you’re willing to accompany us, then I don’t want to back out.”
All three officers nodded, their stoic gazes telling Dolly that they wanted the same results as she.
It was nearly midnight by the time they wound their way through the streets of Chinatown and reached the narrow, three-story house. The dim glow of lights came from inside, and Dolly suspected their raid wouldn’t be a surprise, just as Cook had said.
“We should divide up,” Cook said. “I’ll knock, and the rest of you find the back entrance. I’ll give you a signal.”
Cook approached the front door while Dolly and Ah Cheng slipped around the back of the house with Farrell and Riordan.
No lights glowed from the back of the house, and Dolly paused with Ah Cheng, catching her breath in the inky darkness. They waited for Cook’s high-pitched whistle to signal he was inside the front door, but no sound came.
After several moments, Dolly whispered to Ah Cheng and the officers, “We need to go inside the back door. It’s been too long.”
Farrell nodded, then tried the back door. It was locked, so he used his axe to hack at the door latch. Two strikes later, the door swung open, and with only a glimmer of moonlight to show the way, Dolly rushed into the house and up the set of back stairs. Scuffling feet and muffled voices sounded from the floor above.
“They’re going to hide her,” Dolly hissed as they reached the second floor.
Farrell followed, and Dolly started opening doors as they moved down the hall, but all the rooms were empty.
She stepped into one of the rooms, sensing it had recently been vacated. Spying a long crack in the far wall, she crossed the room. The crack turned out to be a secret panel. Dolly swung the panel open to find a ladder that led up a narrow chute to the roof. “They’ve gone up here,” she said with a confidence that she couldn’t explain. With one hand grasping her skirts, she started up the ladder.
The two officers and Ah Cheng followed, but Dolly was the first to the rooftop.