Cera's Place (12 page)

“But she’ll kill me,” Ginger moaned.

“Not if I do it first.”

With a rush of words, Ginger gave in. “Biggs is meeting the leaders of the Chinese Tong at a restaurant on Jackson Street between Stockton and Grant. He’s been buying girls stolen in China from the Tong and kidnapping Chinese girls here in the city. He sells the girls to the brothels. Cera went to the restaurant hoping to find proof.”

“She’s going after Biggs and the Tong by herself? Of all the stupid ideas. When did she leave?”

“Ohhhh, a few minutes before you came in.” Ginger squeezed her eyes shut, as if she was afraid to see Jake’s reaction.

“Damn it!”

He sprinted out the doors and hailed a hansom cab. Swinging up beside the startled driver, he barked, “Chinatown! There’s a restaurant on Jackson Street and Stockton.”

“Aye, sir. I know of the place, but begging your pardon, sir, I’m not sure if it will be much for your liking. It ain’t like Cera’s Place.” The driver nodded at the saloon. “It’s a much rougher crowd, and by the looks of those bruises on your face, I don’t think you can take much more.”

“Just get moving!”

“Al’right! Al’right! Keep your shirt on. I’ll get you there.” With one fearful eye on Jake and the other on the road, the driver whipped the horses in motion.

As they moved through the crowded streets, he alternated between cursing Cera, Biggs and the slow pedestrians who got in their way. He was about to take the reins himself when the driver slowed the cab. Turning in the seat, Jake let out a low growl.

The driver scooted to the far side of the bench. “We’re…we’re almost there, sir. It’s the next block!”

“Stop before we get to the restaurant.” As the driver pulled his rig to the side of the street, Jake scanned the people milling about, but didn’t see Cera. He handed a few coins to the driver and jumped to the ground. “Keep the change.”

Pulling his hat low, he forced himself to walk slowly toward the restaurant. A portly Chinese man with arms crossed stood at its entrance. Jake watched as patrons first spoke to the guard. If the man nodded, they went inside. When one man didn’t know the right words, the guard shook his head and silently pointed to the street. Swearing, the man continued on his way.

Now what? He didn’t know the password, but Cera didn’t know it either. What would she do next?

At the end of the restaurant, an alley led to the back of the building. After glancing around, Jake ducked into it. Sidestepping mounds of garbage, he made his way to the restaurant’s rear entrance. He took a moment to question the sanity of his actions and then drew his gun. With his left hand, he opened the door a crack, letting out a relieved breath when it didn’t squeak. He pushed the door a bit more and slid into the kitchen.

In the semi-dark, deserted room, several worktables stood with pots and pans hanging within reach from the low ceiling. Directly across from Jake, the muffled sounds of laughter and gambling came from behind a door leading to the front of the restaurant. To his left was another door with a beam of light beneath it.

Deciding to try the main room, he silently moved forward but pulled up short upon seeing a boy crouched behind a stack of onion boxes, facing the other door. Thinking it might be the kid named Johnny, he changed directions. Clamping a hand over the boy’s mouth, he whispered, “Are you crazy or just plain stupid?”

The boy grabbed at his wrist, digging his nails into it. Swearing, Jake let go of the boy and was about to knock the street rat on the side of his head when a voice from behind the door stopped him cold.

“Did you hear something? I thought you told Chen to keep everyone out of the kitchen. Quinn, go see who’s out there.”

As the door opened, the boy pulled Jake down. Pressing their bodies against the crates, they held their breath. Quinn appeared in the light of the doorway and looked around. Scowling, he went back into the room, closing the door behind him. “There ain’t nobody out there, boss.”

“Fine,” the voice replied. “Sit down and shut your mouth so we can finish our business here.”

“When was I talking, boss?” Quinn objected. “I ain’t said nothin all night.”

A thud came from behind the door.

“Ow! What did you do that for?”

“For being an idiot! Now sit down!” the voice bellowed.

When Jake started breathing again, he smelled lavender. “Cera?” he whispered, grabbing the boy and turning him around. Her cat-like eyes blinked back at him. He opened his mouth to say more, but Cera covered it quickly with her hand. Her eyes pleaded with him as her head tilted toward the closed door.

“Biggs,” she mouthed.

She turned back to the door, straining forward to hear what was being said.

“So, Mr. Yee, you have 20 girls fresh from China and ready to be sold. Do I have that right?” Biggs asked.

“Yes, they at harbor. Captain of Shanghai steamer wait for me.”

“Good, good. I will pay you $30 a girl provided they are still reasonably healthy after their voyage. Of course, I will need to inspect them all personally.”

When someone snickered from inside the room, Cera’s body stiffened. Jake grabbed her by the shoulders. The last thing he needed was her busting into the room when they were outnumbered.

“$50 a girl. No less.”

“What? You’ve never asked for more than $30 a girl. Most brothel owners will only pay $45. I’ll lose money on the deal!”

“Your problem, not mine. Government make it hard to bring girls here. Less girls come now. I lose money.”

“Mr. Yee, be reasonable. I don’t have that much money available right now. It won’t do either one of us any good if those girls sit on the steamer cooling their heels. The sooner I place them in the brothels, the sooner your enforcers get their cuts from the brothels’ profits.”

“Because you friend, I charge you $45 a girl,” Yee conceded.

“I can go as high as $35. That’s my final offer.”

Yee gave an exaggerated sigh. “I feel generous. You pay $35.”

“Fine,” Biggs snapped. “Then it’s a deal. I want to see the girls tonight.”

“Of course, of course, we go now.”

Jake and Cera shrunk into the shadows again as an elderly Chinese man holding a large roll of paper emerged from the room, closely followed by two young, muscular Chinese men. Biggs, Quinn, and Lewis brought up the rear.

“We can go in my carriage,” Biggs offered. “It’s right out front.”

Yee held up a hand and the group stopped abruptly. “One more thing. You had trouble in Ross Alley other night."

“Yes, yes, sorry about that, Mr. Yee,” Biggs shifted his massive hulk from side to side. “Some of your people tried to interfere with our business.”

“Did anyone see this trouble?”

“Oh, no, I was very careful.”

“But, boss,” Quinn interrupted, “What about…” This time Lewis hit him.

Biggs glared at Quinn. “As I was saying, Mr. Yee, everything is fine.”

The elderly man nodded and the group continued.

As soon as the dining room door swung shut behind the men, Cera leapt from behind the boxes and headed for the office.

“What are you doing?” Jake hissed after her. “We almost got caught twice. We need to get out of here.”

“I’m going to look for evidence. Maybe Yee keeps records of the girls he sells.” She picked up several papers on a desk but quickly discarded them. “These are all restaurant receipts. Would you come in here and help me? This place is a mess.”

Jake rolled his eyes, but did as he was told. “You know, the old man was carrying a scroll. Since they’re selling the girls tonight, the scroll is probably the proof we need.”

“You’re right. We have to go to the steamer and get it.”

“Do you have a death wish? I can’t let you go after those thugs.”

Cera looked up from her search of the room, seeing him for the first time in the light. “Oh my God,” she gasped. “Did you get beat up in jail?”

His fingers stroked his bruised jaw. “This? No, I got this from those two idiots with Biggs. If they can do this to me, think what they can do to you.”

Cera crossed to where he stood, biting her lip as she examined his face. “This happened because you tried to protect me.”

He shrugged off her words. “I’ve taken a punch before.”

“I feel terrible.” Her gaze dropped to the floor.

“It looks worse than it is.” Jake lifted her chin with his finger, but she refused to meet his eyes. “Well, you could kiss it and make it all better. That’s what my mama used to do, though I’ve never been kissed by a boy before.”

Cera frowned. When she finally lifted her eyes, she matched his smile. “Do you ever give up?”

“Do you?” he countered.

She shook her head. “No, and that’s why I’m going after Biggs and Yee.”

“No, we’re going back to your saloon. I’ll talk to the chief of police and see what can be done.”

“Jake, the police can’t help at this point. Biggs has too many people under his control—the mayor, police officers. Hell, your friend the chief might even be on his side. I don’t know who to trust, so until I have absolute positive proof, I’m trusting no one.” Cera crossed her arms, as if daring him to try to stop her.

Realizing that he wasn’t going to win the argument, he did the next best thing—set the ground rules. “Fine, but I’m going with you, and you are going to do exactly what I say, when I say it.” He pointed at her baggy pants and worker’s shirt. “And by the way, your disguise isn’t going to fool anybody.”

Cera fingered the brim of the cap hiding her long hair. “Really? I thought I did pretty well.”

He chuckled. “No.”

Irritation flashed across her face. “Come on. Let’s find that steamer. We’re wasting time.”

*****

Standing near the deserted docks at the end of Jackson Street, Cera shivered in the cool, sea air. “There must be over a hundred ships. How we are going to find the Shanghai?”

Jake considered their options. “See that saloon over there?”

She peered into the darkness. “The Salty Shore?”

“I’ll go ask about the steamer. With a little luck, someone will know where it’s docked.”

“And what am I supposed to do while you’re in there?” Cera waved in the direction of the saloon.

“Stay here out of sight and out of trouble. Do you think you can do that? I mean it, Cera. No one can see you.”

She rolled her eyes. “I can do that, but if you’re gone more than ten minutes, I’m coming to find you.”

“I won’t be gone that long.” Before she could object, he kissed her cheek.

“Oh, for goodness sake,” she muttered.

He chucked her under the chin and then, with a bounce in his step, headed toward the saloon. Once inside, he pushed his way through the drunken crowd. An overweight, balding man and a whore past her prime were serving drinks. Jake chose the bar wench. Holding up a bill, he flashed the friendliest smile he could muster at her. With an unexpected liveliness, the older woman hurried to where he stood.

“My, my, my,” she exclaimed, smoothing back her stringy brown hair. “What can I get for you, sir? I got some real good whiskey, ain’t even watered down none!” She winked conspiratorially.

Despite her unpleasant smell, he leaned closer to the woman. “Actually, miss, I don’t have time for a drink. I was hoping you could help me find someone.”

Disappointed, the lines in the woman’s face deepened as she frowned. “If you want a girl, you need to talk to Joe.” She pointed to a skinny man a few feet from them before turning away.

He reached across the bar and pulled her back by the wrist. “No, you misunderstand me.” He smiled again when she glared at his hand. “I’m looking for a steamer. My pal was supposed to come in on it. I’m betting you know the most about the comings and goings down here.”

Warming up again, her eyes focused on the bill he still held. “I do know a lot about a lot of things, if you know what I mean.” The whore winked again. When he didn’t bite, she sighed. “What’s the name of the ship?”

“The Shanghai. It probably came in within the past few days, maybe even today.”

She nodded. “I know it. Some of the crew was in earlier. It’s anchored off of dock 27.”

He placed the bill in the woman’s palm and closed her gnarled fingers over it. “I’m much obliged.”

Stashing the bill in her sagging cleavage, she replied, “Anytime, sir.”

Jake pushed his way back out of the bar and ran over to Cera.

“What happened?” she asked before he could catch his breath.

“According to the lovely lady tending bar, we need dock 27.”

“There.” She pointed to a ship two docks to the right.

“Listen, if we see Biggs or the other men, you have to promise me to be smart. If you can’t, I’ll throw you over my shoulder and carry you home right now.”

She stared defiantly at him, but then gave in with a sigh. “I may be a hothead, but I’m not stupid. I just want my proof.”

Satisfied, he nodded. “Good, then let’s go get that scroll.”

They worked their way to the steamer, taking care to stay out of the light of the gas lamps. Biggs’ carriage stood in front of the gangplank, but the men were nowhere in sight.