The Mystery of the Fire Dragon - Carolyn Keene [31]
“Oh, no,” George replied.
“All right,” Aunt Eloise said. “But please take a taxi both ways for safety.”
The two girls promised to do so and left. Aunt Eloise went to the telephone and called Captain Gray to relay the Chinatown incident. He told her he had just read of Breen’s arrest on the police teletype. The officer inquired solicitously about Nancy’s health and was relieved to hear she had not been severely injured. “I am going to talk to the prisoner right now,” he said.
Bess and George reached the hospital only twenty minutes before visiting hours would be over.
The cousins were shocked when they saw Grandpa Soong. He was very listless and pale. A nurse who was in the room told them he had eaten practically nothing that day.
“I am not hungry,” the Chinese said weakly. “I am greatly worried about my Chi Che.”
The nurse stepped from the room and both George and Bess tried to bolster the man’s lagging spirits by remarking that Chi Che probably was having a delightful time with her friends. To their amazement the elderly man shook his head.
“At first I believed that what Chi Che wrote was true,” he said. “But now I am sure something has happened to her. We must have enemies—I do not know why. For a while I thought Chi Che was being held until the thief who took my manuscript could accomplish that evil deed. Then she would return. But she has not come back.”
Bess and George looked at each other, at a loss for words. Grandpa Soong went on, “I had a strange dream. Chi Che was far away. She was being guarded by a fire dragon and was unable to escape. My poor Chi Che! She kept calling to me and to Miss Eloise Drew to save her.”
Bess leaned forward and took the elderly man’s hand in her own. “Grandpa Soong,” she said, “that was a frightening dream. But you know that really there are no dragons.”
The patient had been staring into space as if in a trance. Bess was sure he had not heard a word she said. Presently he asked:
“Do you girls believe in thought transference?”
They both admitted that they did. Then Grandpa Soong said, “There are men in this world who are more dangerous than fire dragons. I am sure my Chi Che is being held by one or more of them and really was calling out in her thoughts to me and to Miss Drew for help.”
George felt that since Grandpa Soong was so suspicious of the truth, Nancy would agree that this was an appropriate time to reveal some of the girls’ findings in connection with his granddaughter’s absence. She told him about the various episodes in the bookshop where Chi Che had worked, including the fact that Nancy had seen a man open the safe in the private office and take out what appeared to be a manuscript.
“We all think it was your stolen work,” George went on.
“The police have been notified?” Grandpa Soong asked excitedly.
“Yes,” George replied. “One of those ‘dragons’ is now in jail.”
“Did he reveal where my Chi Che is?” the elderly man queried.
“Unfortunately, no,” George answered. “But we have several clues to the rest of the gang.”
George stopped speaking, for at this moment the nurse returned. She had a delicious-looking eggnog on a tray.
“Mr. Soong, won’t you please drink this?” she asked, smiling.
Without being helped, the elderly man suddenly sat up in bed. “I feel much better,” he said. “My visitors have cheered me considerably. Yes, I will drink the eggnog.”
The nurse looked pleased. She set it on his night stand and again went off. As Grandpa Soong sipped the drink, he begged to hear more.
Bess and George told how Mr. Stromberg seemed to be mixed up with the “dragons” and that it was just possible he and some of his friends had fled to Hong Kong.
“Nancy and George and I are flying to Hong Kong in a couple of days,” Bess told him.
“Hong Kong!” Grandpa Soong repeated excitedly. “If my Chi Che has been taken there, she surely will be found. That is my twin brother’s home. You must contact him as soon as you arrive.”
“We will be very glad to do that,” Bess said.
“My brother, Lee Soong, is retired