The Paper Daughters of Chinatown - Heather B. Moore Page 0,67
was no time for wallowing. She drew in a breath and turned the locks, then opened the door.
On the other side was a messenger from the post office, a boy who was familiar to her.
“A note for you, Miss Cameron,” the boy said.
She thanked him, then read through the note quickly. B. F. Hall, a telephone agent at Palo Alto, had written that one of the Chinese captors of Kum Quai was on his way to San Francisco.
Dolly lowered the note and closed her eyes. Wong Fong would be in San Francisco. She didn’t know if Kum Quai or her husband, Chung Bow, would be with him, but right now it didn’t matter.
“Ah Cheng,” Dolly called out, and the woman came out of the dining room. “Get the police on the telephone. We’re going to the train station to apprehend Wong Fong.”
Ah Cheng didn’t even hesitate; she only turned and hurried to the office to telephone the police.
Dolly waited by the door for Ah Cheng to return since she didn’t want to face Mrs. Field’s disapproval or questions. Within minutes, Dolly and Ah Cheng were heading to the train station, where they were met by Officers Jesse Cook and Patrick O’Connor.
“What’s going on, Miss Cameron?” Cook asked the moment they were near enough to speak.
He wasn’t openly carrying a sledgehammer or axe, but Dolly wouldn’t be surprised if he had one hidden in his jacket. Cook hadn’t been told the exact nature of the assignment, just that Donaldina Cameron needed his help. And that was enough.
When Dolly explained about the wire she had received informing her that Wong Fong was on the train from San Jose to San Francisco, Cook said, “When you see him, let us know.”
Cook and O’Connor began to scan the crowds, keeping close to Dolly and Ah Cheng.
As the train finally came into view, Dolly’s heart joined the rhythm of the sounds of the approaching train. People milled about, waiting to meet those on the train, but Dolly kept her eyes on the passengers filing out of the various doors.
When she saw him, she knew immediately it was Wong Fong. She could never forget the man from that night of the abduction. The shape of his face, the line of his jaw . . . his eyes might be downcast, his manner inconspicuous, but it was definitely him.
“There he is,” she told Cook. “The man with the dark overcoat.”
Cook and O’Connor strode to Wong Fong’s side.
Dolly wanted to revel in the abductor’s shocked expression as Cook grasped Wong Fong by the upper arm, then handcuffed him, while O’Connor told him he was under arrest. Dolly felt only regret that she hadn’t been able to stop the sham marriage. Even now, understanding the complications of the law, she could only hope that the charges would stick.
Dolly was elated when she returned to the mission home, and not even the cold silence of Mrs. Field at the staff meal could cool her excitement. She sought out Tien as soon as possible, finding the girl sitting in the kitchen with Lonnie. Lonnie would never go near the stove, or anything hot, but at least she was in the kitchen. Tien was helping her make almond cookie dough. The scene was surprisingly tender and domestic.
“There you are,” Dolly said to Tien.
Despite the things that had passed between them, Tien’s sharp gaze was suspicious.
“I wanted to tell you that we caught Wong Fong today at the train station,” Dolly said. “He was one of the men who kidnapped Kum Quai.”
Lonnie immediately asked, “Did you find her?”
“Not yet,” Dolly said. “But I’m not giving up.”
Tien’s mouth curved into the slightest smile, and she quickly looked down at the batter she’d been mixing.
“I hope the bad man will go to jail for a long time, Mama,” Lonnie said.
“I do too,” Dolly said.
Over the next weeks, more information came to Dolly about how Kum Quai had originally been part of a larger group of girls brought over from China under the pretense of working at the Omaha Exposition. But in reality, they had been sold into the San Francisco slave market. Dolly telephoned her lawyer when she found out the news. “I need to meet with the federal authorities. Kum Quai has no legal right to remain in the United States.”
“Is that the argument you want to go with?” Monroe asked. “You know the risks.”
“Yes,” Dolly said. “Kum Quai needs to be freed from her sham marriage—whatever it takes.”