THE GREAT DIAMOND SYNDICATE.
“Are you coming in?” asked the alleged reporter. “The girl I told you
of is in the rear room on the second floor.”
Nick made a quick decision.
“Go ahead,” he said.
He knew that he was entering a trap, and that his life would be in
danger, but he had no thought of turning back.
The young man rang the bell, and in a moment the door was opened,
showing the interior of a plainly furnished hallway from which a flight
of stairs led to a floor above. The place was illuminated only by the
red hanging lamp which showed through the transom over the street door;
and the general appearance was mysterious. Somehow the atmosphere of
the room carried out the impression given by the light. The first
impulse on entering was to flee from some unseen peril. There was a
strong odor of musk about the place, and this seemed to the vivid
imagination to conceal the presence of something uncanny.
As the two entered the hallway they were met by a stalwart servant in
the regulation dress coat and white vest. There was something sinister
in the fellow’s face as he barred the way to the staircase. He spoke in
French.
“Why are you here?”
“This is an officer,” replied the young man. “We have come to see the
body of the girl who was killed here not long ago.”
The servant pointed up the staircase, saying:
“We have nothing to conceal from the police. First door to the left.”
The two started on up the stairs, the young fellow in the lead. Nick
was watchful and ready with a revolver, which was hidden within easy
reach under his coat. He understood the peril of the situation, but
trusted to his usual good luck to get him out of any complications that
might arise. He was now satisfied that the secret of Townsend’s death
lay in that house, and he was determined to uncover it.
But the detective had no opportunity to use his weapon. The forces
with which he was contending were keener than he supposed. Halfway up
the staircase a spray of chloroform struck him in the face, blinding
him and sending him to the floor in an unconscious condition. This was
a form of attack upon which he had not figured.
When he regained consciousness he was lying, securely bound as to hands
and feet, on a leather couch in a room which looked like an ordinary
business office. There were two windows, evidently facing a street,
for the shades were drawn over the panes and inside blinds still
further shut out the view. There were three doors to the room, one from
the hall, through which he concluded he had been carried, a second
connecting with what must be a small front room over the lower hall,
and one connecting with a rear apartment. In the matter of furniture,
the room was supplied with two curtain-top desks, two swivel chairs,
and the leather couch upon which the detective found himself. A gas log
blazed in a grate opposite the hall door.
At first Nick’s head buzzed badly, but he soon recovered. Then his eyes
fell on the figure of a man sitting at a desk in the front of the
room. The fellow was lean and muscular, with a large head, remarkably
flat on top, and keen black eyes. As Nick looked him over, he swung
around in his chair.
“You are coming to, eh?” he said. “That dose would have finished an
ordinary man. How are you feeling?”
“Never better,” replied Nick. “You seem to be quite comfortable here.”
“Yes, we are fairly well fixed here, though our London office is more
luxurious.”
Nick had no idea where he was. The man he was talking with looked and
acted like a business man absorbed in his work. There was nothing
suspicious or terrifying about the apartment. In fact, the leather
thongs which bound him were the only evidences that he was not in an
ordinary place of business.
“This is a new one on me,” said the detective presently. “What became
of the young fellow who brought me here?”
“He has gone out to see about another matter,” was the reply.
“Remarkable man, that. You believed him to be a reporter?”
“I certainly did not,” replied Nick. “I understood that I was walking
into a trap, but thought I could trust to luck.”
“And you are still trusting to luck?”
“Certainly. I shall get out in some way.”
“You have no idea where you are?”
“On Houston Street, I presume,” replied Nick, wondering if the men he
had ordered on duty had located the house he entered.
“Streets do not matter,” said the other. “It is the place that counts.
This looks all regular, doesn’t it?”
The fellow glanced about the room with evident pride.
“It looks all right,” said Nick. “What is the game?”
“It is the office of the Great Diamond Syndicate,” was the reply, “or a
branch office, rather, for the main establishment is in London.”
“You have the Maynard diamonds here, I presume?” asked Nick.
“They are not far away,” was the reply.
“The syndicate steals diamonds, eh?” asked Nick.
“Acquires diamonds,” corrected the other.
“And plans a cowardly murder now and then?” continued Nick.
“We do not consider the means,” was the reply. “We look only to
results. We are organized in the regular way and pay very large
dividends. Men organize to secure lands and other things without paying
for them. Why shouldn’t we organize to acquire diamonds? We don’t aim
to commit violence. In fact, we are a very respectable institution. You
will find us rated in the commercial agencies.”
“The fellow intends to murder me,” thought Nick, “else he would not be
so free with the affairs of the concern.”
“We have offices and agents in all the large cities,” continued the
fellow, “and are doing a fine business. Whenever a rare collection
of gems is made, we list it. From that time we are on the lookout
to acquire it. Let me give you an illustration of our methods. The
diamonds which you call the Maynard diamonds were collected in South
Africa. The collection was reported at our London office. We sent two
men out to Cape Town to get them, but they did not succeed.
“The diamonds were sold to a man who shipped them to this country. Our
men followed on the same ship, and reported to our agent here. They got
them in New York, but lost them again. One of these men was killed, the
other is serving time, as you know. Then this young man Maynard got the
diamonds back through your efforts. He has been followed by two of our
best men for a year, so you see that the collection has cost us quite a
tidy sum of money.”
“Quite enterprising, I’m sure,” said Nick. “How many people have you
put out of the way in your quest for the Maynard diamonds?”
“I don’t confess to any crime,” was the reply. “I think, on the whole,
that we are very considerate in our methods. Why, we acquire plenty
of collections without wasting a drop of blood. There was the Harvard
collection, two millions; the Gould lot, one million; the Montreville
collection, half a million; the Burns lot, one million. Not a drop of
blood shed, no one arrested, and the diamonds shipped away. You can
see for yourself that we are doing the best we can with a peculiar
business. We have our agents in all grades of society.”
“Even in dramatic clubs,” said Nick.
“Even in dramatic clubs,” repeated the other, with a smile. “We really
enjoyed the chase after the Maynard diamonds.”
“You seem to be enjoying the present situation,” said Nick. “How long
are you to keep me in this uncomfortable position?”
“Why, the fact is,” said the other, “that we are waiting for a report
from a man who was sent to your residence two hours ago. You see,
you have a collection of gems which is listed at half a million in
the office of the Great Diamond Syndicate in London. You have put us
to so much trouble and expense that we thought best to acquire this
collection, and a man has gone up after it. He is to search the steel
vault off your sleeping room and all available parts of the house. If
he can do so, he will accomplish his work without bloodshed, but you
have trained your people to resist coercion, and there may be a fight.
I sincerely hope that no member of your family will be injured.
“We are doing this thing for two reasons,” continued the other. “In the
first place, you were sentenced to death in London not long ago, and
cannot long enjoy the possession of the diamonds. In the second place,
we thought best to demonstrate to you, previous to your death, that
you detectives are, on the whole, rather cheap people. You go about
with your picklock and your electric torch, and think you are the whole
thing. Now you see how hopeless you are in the hands of a syndicate of
brainy and determined men.”
“And if the man at my house does not find the diamonds?” asked Nick
dryly.
“Then you will be required to write an order for their delivery to this
place.”
Nick shut his teeth with a snap.
“You won’t, eh?” said the other. “Pardon me, but I think you will. We
have means of persuasion here. What do you think of our methods by this
time?”
“Of course you have planned my death?” asked Nick.
“Of course,” was the reply. “Do you think I would talk so freely with a
man who was to be permitted to live?”
“Then, if I am to die, anyway, why should I comply with your wishes in
the matter of the diamonds?”