Nicholas Carter

“ As Nick said this, he did not fail to notice that Redway seemed pleased with the latter part of the sentence.
“The two men are enemies, if not openly, then unavowed,” thought Nick. To Redway he said:
“We have called you in here to get your version or story of the tragedy so far as you are willing to give it.”
“Willing to give it? What do you mean?”
“Why, this: I am a detective; this is the coroner; you are a lawyer. This is not an inquest, nor yet a preliminary hearing; you are not under oath. There may be circumstances about the death of that girl which you do not desire to tell. ”

“ Nick believes she had sent for him to have Gay’s footsteps dogged.
Gay, in his concealment, heard her threats against his life, and also overheard all that passed between Redway and Evelyn. He foresaw final reconciliation between the couple, and knew that he could only win by sudden and desperate steps.
Fortune seemed to favor him. When he saw Mrs. Lock in the window opposite, and heard Redway leave the office, his impulse carried him away. ”

“ What is your next move, Nick?”
“There is no next move. It must be a series of moves in which I need your help and the aid of Ida.”
“Well, map out your business.”
“First, I want to find the mysterious woman.
“Secondly, I want to find that little girl.
“Thirdly, I want to discover where Estelle Langdon went last night—in order to discover her place of meeting with the party to whom she addressed that note.
“Fourthly, I want Gay shadowed.”
“Well, which part of the job is mine?”
“I’m going to turn Gay over to you.”
“All right. Gay’s my meat.”
“I’ll look up the handsome, mysterious woman myself.” ”

“ Redway’s gray eyes once more turned sharply on Nick’s face before he made reply.
“I spent a few minutes trying to find some trace of the crime, and at the same time figuring upon my own danger.”
“So you waited for some one to come in?”
“I waited till some one did come in.”
“Who was it?”
“Jack Marston—the office boy.”
“How long after you returned was it till Jack Marston appeared?”
“I don’t know. A man under such circumstances hasn’t much knowledge of time.” ”

“ Do not taunt me!”
“I speak the truth, Mrs. Lock. The man whom you saw commit the crime was not your husband.”
“Not my husband? Why, the clothes—that long, blonde mustache—the light, long hair—surely——”
“The clothes were a duplicate suit. The hair and mustache were false. The assassin was a well-arranged double of your husband, who took pains that you should see the deed done.
“There was a screen setting close by the window which could easily have been pushed across to shut off your view. ”

“ Woodford said his boy told him that Redway came to the door and inquired for you almost before you had been gone ten seconds. You did not leave by the elevator?”
“No. I was so excited I rushed down the stairs.”
“And he stepped out of the elevator while you were on the stairs going down.”
“Good Heaven!”
“So, you see, your husband can prove a perfect alibi. The deed was done while he was going from his office to Woodford’s.”
“Has he furnished you with this proof?”
“No; he has gone to jail without a word of defense. When he returned, he found the girl dead. ”

“ Redway, you are lawyer enough to understand your position,” remarked Nick.
“Oh, yes! I must submit to arrest on suspicion. But I have no fears. There is nothing in the case to fix the crime on me.”
“Do you know how Miss Langdon died?” ”

“ I may be mistaken, too, you know.”
“Has Redway a family?”
“Do you mean is he married?”
“Yes. Has he a wife, children, or relatives with whom he lives?”
“I believe not—not that any one knows of.”
“Where does he live?”
“In bachelor apartments on Fifty-fifth street.”
“That will do for the present, Mr. Gay.”
The young man arose, and started to go into the other private room by way of the communicating door, but Nick stopped him.
“Not there, Mr. Gay. You will be so kind as to remain in the outer office until we have questioned the other parties.” ”

“ THE DEAD GIRL.
Nick Carter glanced at his watch as he entered the street door of the Borden Building, New York City.
It was exactly half-past five o’clock in the afternoon.
“I am just on time,” mused the great detective, as he hurried toward the elevator. ”

“ Victor Redway Lock and Evelyn Lock{63} were restored to each other’s love and confidence.
Their lives were so thoroughly reunited that no more false reports of malicious enemies can ever part them again.
Chick found little Estelle unharmed in Granny Grimes’s miserable lodgings, and placed the child in the arms of the mother she had almost forgotten.
The happy little family are living peacefully and quietly on their lovely English estate.
They never tire of talking about Nick Carter’s wonderful professional skill in saving them from the almost successful plots of Oscar Gay. ”

“ THE MYSTERIOUS LADY CALLER.
Jack Marston labored under extreme terror in the presence of the dead girl—so much so that Nick spent five minutes getting the lad’s mind in condition to answer questions coherently. Then he began on the lad cautiously.
“How long have you been office boy for Bridgely & Byke, Jack?” asked the detective.
“Nearly two years.”
“What are your hours?”
“I get here at eight o’clock, and this time of year go home generally at five.”
“The office is closed up at that time?”
“The janitor generally takes it to clean up. Sometimes he don’t get in till later.” ”

“ You’ll understand me without a lengthy explanation.{7}”
“Who are you?” panted Brown, for Nick of course, was in disguise.
“I am Nick Carter. There has been a crime committed back there, and until I know more about it you must keep everybody out. Let none of these curiosity-seekers intrude.”
“I am at your service, Mr. Carter,” said Brown. “Lord, I’m glad you’re here. Seems to me you always bob up when anything happens. What is it? Murder?”
“I want to find out. Is there anybody with you?”
“Yes, McCarthy is coming, but he’s so fat it’s hard and slow work for him to get up all these stairs. ”

“ Miss Lucas then remembered the circumstance, but was not aware of any unusual noise at the time. There might have been such a noise, however, but her attention was wholly engrossed just then by something else.
“What was it that interested you so much?” asked Nick. “Something you saw in the street?”
“No, something I saw in a window across the street.”
“What did you see?”
“A woman.”
“Why did the woman prove so interesting?”
“Because from her actions I thought she was watching something which was going on in this building.”
“Ah! now we are getting at something important. ”

“ Nick, accompanied by Officer Brown, took Redway to the nearest police justice, where a commitment was sworn out, and Redway was lodged in the Tombs.
Before he left the Borden Building, however, Nick questioned the janitor again about the person who went down the stairs shortly after five o’clock.
“Are you positive it was Mr. Redway?”
“Sure as I live I am.”
“No mistaking some one else for him?”
“How could I? There’s no one else wears such a sky-blue suit, such a straw hat with a black band or has such a long blonde mustache.” ”

“ Lock’s face flushed, and Nick did not ask her to tell him how Redway knew it.
He took Redway’s pistol from his pocket, and showed it to her.
“Is your pistol like this?”
“It is a duplicate. Victor bought the two at the same time. Mine has his initials on it, and his has mine.”
“Then he thought there would be no danger of the bullet and his pistol not corresponding,” smiled Nick.
“Who could the disguised assassin have been?”
“Can’t you guess?”
“I guess? Why, who do I know—surely not——”
“Yes. Oscar Gay.”
“Merciful Heaven! What was his object?”
“First, to get rid of a wife.{58}”
“A wife?” ”

“ May I keep the watch?”
“If you answer me truly two questions.”
“Ask them.”
Nick produced the glove which had been taken from the dead girl’s hand, and held it up before her.
“Is this your glove?”
She turned pale, but answered firmly and promptly:
“It is. Where——”
“And this one, too?”
“Yes, sir; that, too. Where did you get them?”
“This one,” designating the first one, “was found in the private office of Victor Redway this evening.
“This one,” elevating the other glove, “was dropped in the law office of John Woodford, just across the street from Redway’s office.” ”

“ No one will ever know where he had concealed the poison which ended his miserable life; for Nick and Chick had searched him carefully before they locked him up.
When Redway was released, he made a full explanation.
Nick’s deductions had been almost entirely correct.
When Redway found the dead girl collapsed in her chair on his return from the unsuccessful attempt to see his wife in Woodford’s office, he became convinced that Evelyn had fired the deadly shot. ”

“ Nick himself accompanied Mr. Grote to the large office, and, addressing the two policemen, said:
“Mr. McCarthy, all these good people, except Mr. Redway, of whom we wish to ask a few more questions, may go. Mr. Brown, you will see that they have free access to their offices or the street.”
Then, turning to Redway, the detective said:
“I would like to get a little more information from you, Mr. Redway. Will you be so kind as to step back into your office with me once more?”
“Nobody could refuse a gentleman so polite as you,” was the sarcastic reply. ”

“ He went away to-day about eleven o’clock, and told me he wasn’t coming back, but he did come, late as it was.”
“Are you always the last to leave?{25}”
“No, sir! Sometimes Mr. Redway stays here later than five, but he never keeps me.”
“And Miss Langdon?”
“She always left when I did—at five o’clock. The elevator stops running then.”
“But she didn’t leave at five to-day?”
“I guess not, sir.”
“How does it come you returned to-day after your hour for going home?”
“Mr. Redway sent me on an errand.”
“What kind of an errand?”
“To take his watch to a jeweler’s on Broadway to be cleaned.” ”

“ So, while the coroner engaged Mr. Grote in further conversation, Nick silently used his pick-lock, entered the private office of Mr. Byke and remained for nearly ten minutes.
When he returned to Redway’s office he locked the communicating door behind him, and then said:
“Mr. Grote, as a representative of Superintendent Byrnes, I ask you to mention to no one the fact that you saw me enter that room just now. It may be of great concern to innocent parties who are in danger at this time{33} that my visit to Mr. Byke’s office shall not be known to any one save our three selves for the present.” ”

“ Lock, with a hand pressed to her heart.{60}
“The original of the picture in Redway’s watch,” said Chick.
“Oh, Heavens! My child—Estelle!”
“Do not get excited, Mrs. Lock,” cautioned Nick. “The little girl will not be harmed, and will be safely in your arms in good time.”
“But, sir, she is in his hands—in the hands of a murderer.”
“He will not harm a hair of her head. She is too important for the successful carrying out of his plans.”
“Well, disguised as Victor Redway, he had no trouble in getting the little girl away from the people in whose charge her father had placed her. ”

“ There is a line of classics for youth—the books your fathers read—the books you want to read—the books the boys and girls will read and like as long as the English language endures. They have done more to shape the mind of American boys for the last fifty years than any others. ”

“ To the five people inside, not including the policeman, Nick said:
“You will wait in this room until further orders. Meanwhile, officer,” turning and addressing McCarthy, “let no one else in until Brown returns with the coroner, and see that nobody meantime leaves by that door.”
Nick turned toward the inner room to find the young, stylishly-dressed man looking out, much interested at what had been going on in the larger office. ”

“ He has no bad habits, and his manliness inculcates the idea that it is not necessary for a boy to indulge in petty vices to be a hero. Frank Merriwell’s example is a shining light for every ambitious lad to follow. ”

“ Who’s dead, you fool?”
“Mi-Miss Langdon,” gasped the lad.
“Miss Langdon dead? Why, what do you mean? Speak!”
“She’s been mu-mu-mur-dered.”
“What! Where?”
“Up there in the of-of-office.”
“Are you telling me the truth?”
“Indeed I am. Somebody sh-sh-shot her.”
“Then go call the police, and be quick,” said the young man, as he let go of the boy’s collar and hastened his ascent of the stairs.
The lad continued his precipitous descent to the street, and Nick followed the young man upward. He saw the latter stop on the fifth floor, and disappear through an open door-way. ”

“ His original design in duplicating Redway’s clothes, and getting the false wig and mustache which made him so true a double, must have been to get possession of little Estelle in the manner which he so suddenly put into practice. ”

“ The average boy has not got $1.50 to invest. Ten cents is nearer his price. We have made the ten cent book the leader with the elder readers. Now we are going to do the same thing for the boys, and give them their favorites in a form in every respect equal to our well-known Eagle and Magnet Libraries, at the uniform price of ten cents. Thousands of boys have asked us to issue this line. Thousands more are ready to buy it on sight. ”

“ The weapon was of Smith & Wesson make, had six chambers, was peculiarly mounted, and on a silver plate inlaid in the handle were the initials “E. L.”
One of the chambers contained the empty shell of a cartridge. The other four were loaded.
The coroner stooped, and inspected the wound in the head of the victim.
“I see no powder marks on her face,” he said, looking up at Nick.
“There are none. Besides, I call your attention to the condition of the right hand.”
The coroner’s eyes turned quickly to the hand of the corpse, which hung at the side of the body.
“Ha! I see. ”

“ The young man entered the rear office, plainly laboring under great excitement. Nick closed and locked the door, invited his witness to take a seat, and lost no time in beginning his examination.
CHAPTER III.
WHAT THE CONFIDENTIAL CLERK KNEW.
“In order to get down to the facts in this case,” began Nick, addressing the young man, “it will be necessary to apply for information to those who are supposed to be in possession of the knowledge we seek. We have, therefore, called you in first to set us on the way in our inquiry.” ”

“ Redway. Will you have the kindness to{24} remain in the outer office till we have a talk with the office boy?”
“I have no choice but to oblige you,” came the sarcastic reply, and the junior partner left the room.
The coroner looked at Nick with a puzzled expression on his face.
“What do you make of Mr. Redway?” he asked.
“Nothing yet, but there is a good deal more to learn which may place Mr. Redway in an entirely different light. Now for Jack Marston. I depend on the boy for information which may be most valuable.” ”