Some time between 7.30 and 9.30 p.m. on Monday, 14 August thieves broke into a small knitting factory on the fourth floor of the Man Wah Building in Ning Po Street. A wall-safe in the manager's office was blown open and approximately $50,000 in cash were stolen. Detective Inspector Wong of the Mongkok C.I.D. was put in charge of the case.
Accompanied by his assistants, Inspector Wong visited the scene of the crime and made a thorough examination of the premises. The thieves had left no finger prints or other clues but to the experienced Inspector there was something familiar about the way the safe had been blown up. 'If you want my opinion,' he said to his sergeant, this is the work of Ho Man Kiu. Let's have him in for questioning.' 'Butthere's no real evidence, sir,' the sergeant protested. 'True,' the Inspector replied, 'but if we ask Ho a few questions he might give himself away. Find him and bring him to the station.' It did not take the sergeant long to find Ho. He was sitting with two friends in a favourite tea-shop playing mahjong. 'The Inspector wants to talk to you, Ho,' the sergeant said. Ho Was indignant. 'Talk to me! What have I done? I'm sitting