MORE TROUBLE.
As Nick thought over, word for word, the talk of the diamond thief, he
could not see that his communications had much injured the syndicate.
He had informed the detective that there was such a syndicate, and
that was about all. However, this was something to start with,
especially as the papers of the syndicate had been captured. Indeed,
Nick had already suspected the presence of a great conspiracy in the
matter of the robbery. He had understood that it was not the work of
one man. The discovery that the murder had been committed by a woman
who wore clothing made in Paris had started this train of thought.
His experiences at the house on Houston Street, independent of the
admission of the chief thief, had confirmed his earlier notions.
“Well,” said Nick, “they have done the best thing they could under the
circumstances. This blaze scatters the American branch of the Great
Diamond Syndicate. Only for the papers I have in my possession, the
very name might be something in the nature of a dream, for all the talk
of the chief thief.”
“Have you looked at the papers?” asked Chick.
“Just enough to discover that they really deal with the doings of some
powerful syndicate,” was the reply. “Unless I am very much mistaken, we
shall get no names or incriminating facts from them.”
“What’s the next move?” asked Chick.
“I shall go to the office until morning,” was the reply. “I have some
work to do there, and I can get a short sleep on the couch.”
“It is almost morning now.”
“Well, we’ll meet at the office at eight o’clock,” said Nick.
And at eight o’clock Nick, Chick, and Patsy sat in the private room
of the downtown office which Nick had lately taken with the object of
having two headquarters from which to work.
“Now,” said Nick, turning to his first assistant, “the chief thief
mentioned last night by name four diamond collections which have been
stolen by the syndicate. I remember the main features of the crimes,
but of course I know nothing of the details. What I want you to do is
to take up these cases and learn all about them. It may be that the
hands of the syndicate’s agents may show in some of the deals. It may
be that you can trace the finger marks of one person through all the
robberies. Locate all the persons, high and low, who might have taken
the diamonds in each case.”
Chick made a hasty note on his private memorandum, and said:
“Have you been to the Wisconsin this morning?”
“I have not been out of the office,” was the reply.
“You will find something doing up there,” said Chick.
“Wait,” said Nick, “let me get the story first hand. You turn this
assignment over to Patsy and come with me to the Wisconsin.”
The detectives were not long in getting to the hotel. There Nick
learned of the occurrences of the night.
“Have you heard from Maynard this morning?” he asked of the night
clerk, who, pale and distressed, seemingly because of what had taken
place, lingered about the corridors instead of going to his room.
“He is no worse,” was the reply. “I have just come from there. It seems
that he recognized the people who struck him down.”
“Does he mention names?”
“No; he only says: ‘I know you both. Don’t strike me.’ Strange thing
all along.”
“How did the assailants get into the room?” asked Nick.
“That’s what puzzles me,” was the reply. “I certainly did not let them
in.”
“Where is the elevator boy who was on watch last night?”
“He is asleep upstairs. I told him not to leave the building.”
“Bring him down.”
But the elevator boy was not upstairs. He was not in the hotel at all.
“I am sorry for this,” said the clerk, “because I wanted to clear
myself in another matter.”
Nick scented more trouble.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Well,” said the clerk, evidently very much frightened, “you gave me a
bundle last night, and asked me to keep it until you personally came
for it. Did you get it during the night?”
Nick saw what the new trouble was, and was angry, but gave no evidence
of the fact.
“I did not,” he replied.
“Well, the boy gave the bundle out last night. He stated that you
called for it.”
“At what time was it given out?”
“Quite early in the morning.”
“After the assault on Maynard?”
“Yes, sir; so he said.”
“Where were you?”
“I dozed off and left the boy in charge.”
“Is it usual to leave a boy on watch?”
“No, sir, only——”
“Never mind that now. What did the boy say about it?”
“Just said you came after the package.”
Nick was not satisfied that the clerk was telling the truth. He was
very much annoyed at the loss of the clothes.
“I did not think you had been here,” said the clerk, “and was angry
with the boy.”
“And you scolded him, eh?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you think he will return?”
“I do not, sir.”
Nick was provoked enough to lock the clerk up, but he realized that,
even if he was in partnership with the thieves, better results could be
obtained by leaving him at liberty.
“Do you think he belongs to the Great Diamond Syndicate?” asked Chick,
as the two walked away.
“It is all a guess,” was the reply.
“I have an idea that he got that alleged reporter into the house last
night,” said the assistant.