Chapter XVIII: In the Tenderloin

Chick and Patsy relied upon their knowledge of the haunts of criminals and crooks in the city to give them trace of Lannigan.

It was nearly seven o’clock when they left Nick’s apartments.

“I’ll bet you, Patsy,” said Chick, “that the gang working the Sanborn residence this morning was governed by our old friend Lannigan.”

“I’m thinking so myself,” replied Patsy.

“If that’s so,” replied Chick, “and they’re in the city yet, the place to find them to-night is in the Tenderloin, where they’ll be rolling about for a bit of a spree.”

“If they’ve got the price,” replied Patsy. “Their little show didn’t come off according to the bill of play. They may be broke.”

“Oh,” replied Chick, “they’ve got enough for a roll, and I think the best place to look for Lannigan is among the music halls.”

“It’s a little early,” said Patsy, “to take up that hunt.”

“Yes,” said Chick, “but that will give us a chance to get something to eat, and I’ve had nothing since breakfast.”

“I’m with you,” said Patsy.

Accordingly, they turned into a rather well-known eating saloon in Broadway, not far from Thirtieth Street.

They had not been seated at their table long, before they saw a man enter who was a prominent member of the police detective force.

His name was Merton, and the two, Chick and Patsy, were on good terms with him. Attracting his attention, they called him to their table, asking him to dine with them.

When he was seated, they asked him if he was on any special business.

“A very easy lay,” replied Morton. “A young fellow, from an Eastern city, who has got more money than brains, is down here on a high-pressure spree. His folks, who can’t switch him, have appealed to the department to put him under watch so that nothing bad will happen to him. That’s my lay. The chief says it’s a kind of a vacation for me.”

“Merton, did you folks have an eye to the Sanborn wedding this morning?”

“In a way,” said Merton. “When the papers put up the story about there being so much value in the presents that were given to the bride, the chief had a look over the crooks working in that line to see if they were going to do anything about it.”

“And they were not?” asked Patsy.

“No; the lads believed there was no use of trying it, because the presents would be too closely watched and they came to know that the chief was looking after them, so they steered clear away.”

“Then,” said Chick, “if any one did make the attempt, it was not local lags.”

“That’s dead certain,” said Merton. “If any one did, they were outsiders. But did any one try it on?”

“We think they did,” said Chick, cautiously.

“Well, if any one knows anything about it,” said Merton, “you ought to. You were on guard there.”

“Oh,” said Chick. “You know that, then.”

“Yes,” replied Merton. “The chief was certain that Sanborn would call Nick Carter in, for he always does that when he has got any work to be done. That’s why the chief didn’t send anybody there.”

“Well,” said Chick, “Sanborn did not call on the chief. But the chief got a tip that an effort was going to be made to nip some of those presents and warned Sanborn only this morning. That’s how we happened to be there.”

“Say,” asked Merton, suddenly, “what’s that story about the bridegroom, Ellison, disappearing? Is there anything in it?”

Chick was a little puzzled to know how to meet this direct question. It had been the hope of Nick and the Sanborn family as well, that the dismissal of the guests would be attributed to the sudden illness of the bride, and that, for a time at least, the disappearance of the groom could be concealed. So he asked:

“What do you know about it?”

“I don’t know anything about it,” said Merton. “But a friend of mine, who was there as a guest, said he heard Sanborn say something to his nephew that made him believe that it was the running away of Ellison from the house that made the bride sick. In other words, my friend thought that there had been a big quarrel somewhere and that Ellison left the house in a huff before the reception.”

This was enough to justify Chick in a denial, and he promptly made it.

“Well,” said Merton, “if there was an attempt made on the house, what gang was it?”

“The chief thinks,” said Chick, “that Lannigan tried to get inside the house, pretending to be one of your plainclothes men.”

“Lannigan? The man that Nick Carter had his hands on a little while ago and let him off with a caution. Is it possible that he can be fool enough to butt himself against the law again?”

“That’s what the chief thinks.”

“Well, I saw Lannigan on the street not an hour ago. You can find him almost any minute in the Tenderloin somewhere. Both nights that he has been about here he has had a woman with him, who is as swell as they make ’em.”

Chick turned to Patsy and said:

“You see, Patsy, my guess was right. The Tenderloin is the place to look for him.”

“Who is the woman that is traveling with him?” asked Patsy.

“She’s a stunner,” replied Merton. “She’s tall, slim, handsome, with a face white, like marble, red lips, round blue eyes, and wavy, light fluffy hair. She is dressed in the highest style. She looks to me like a lady who is trying to see the wrong side of New York without being in it.”

Chick and Patsy instantly exchanged glances.

“Are you looking after such a woman?” said Merton.

“The chief wants to know all about such a woman,” said Chick. “He fancied that she was with Lannigan, and I guess they want evidence for a divorce suit.”

“I thought Nick Carter never touched such cases,” said Merton.

“Oh,” replied Chick, carelessly, “it’s only my guess, but the work of Patsy and myself is to get on to this couple, and put them under watch.”

“Then,” said Merton, “the best thing you can do is to travel with me to-night, for, if they are here in town when the lights are lit, we’ll run against them for sure.”

Having finished their meal, the three started out on their travels.

Merton had little difficulty in finding the man over whom he had watched, but the two that Chick and Patsy were anxious to find could not be found in any part of that gay section of New York.

All places, possible and impossible, open and concealed, were visited, but no trace of Lannigan could be found. The hours passed and midnight was nearly reached when Patsy said:

“I’m afraid, Chick, that our man has got out of New York after his failure to do the work that he came here to do.”

“You mean the robbing of the Sanborn wedding presents?” said Chick.

“Yes,” said Patsy. “Very likely he has got to know that Nick Carter is on his track again, and he doesn’t want any more hot encounters with the chief.”

This had passed between Chick and Patsy as they were walking along Broadway above Thirty-fifth Street.

Suddenly Merton halted the two, and, pointing to the other side of the street, said:

“There’s your couple now.”

Looking across they saw a man and a woman, both stylishly clothed, crossing Broadway to the corner on which they stood.

The three, dropping back out of sight, watched them cross. Standing on the corner for a moment, the two seemed to discuss which way they should go, then they turned up Broadway.

Following them, the detectives learned that their destination was a restaurant whose principal business of the twenty-four hours was done after midnight.

It was the resort of the gay people of the town, and, as other places darkened, this one became brighter and gayer.

They waited on the outside long enough to make it appear that they had not followed the pair into the place.

“It was worth waiting for,” replied Chick, “and we’ll probably get a line on them before we are through with them.”

Finally, Chick said to Merton:

“We’d better go in now.”

He made the motion to lead the way up, when a young woman stepped up, and, addressing Merton, said:

“Anything for me to do to-night, Mr. Merton?”

“No, Bess, I think not. I haven’t anything on to-night of any importance.”

The girl stepped away, and Chick asked who she was.

“She is a girl,” said Merton, “who is employed by me a good deal.”

“You use her, then, in your work?”

“Yes; she’s as good as a directory. She knows everybody, who they are and what they do.”

“Fetch her back,” said Chick. “We’ll take her in, and she may be of use to us.”

Merton ran after her and brought her back. The four then entered the restaurant.

The place was already more than half full, and there was some difficulty in finding a table which was near enough to Lannigan and the woman who was with him to make observation easy and yet not be too conspicuous.

When, at last, the table was selected, it was found to be well placed for their purpose.

They not only commanded a good view of the table occupied by Lannigan and his companion, but of the whole room.

“Chick,” said Patsy, “Lannigan isn’t broke, by any means. He’s doing the swell caper. Nothing but champagne and Burgundy does him. See him mix the fizz and the red.”

“Nothing less than seven and a half for that tipple,” said Merton.

“And nothing less than birds, as well,” said the girl Merton had called Bess.

“His layout will knock spots out of a ten-dollar note,” said Patsy.

“You know who it is?” asked Bess.

“Know the man,” replied Chick; “his name is Lannigan.”

“That’s right,” said Bess.

“Do you know the woman who is with him?” asked Chick.

“No. She was never seen here until three nights ago, and she was with him then.”

“See here, Bess,” said Merton. “These two friends of mine are on the same lay that I am. They want to know all about a woman traveling with Lannigan. I don’t know why, and I ain’t asking. And you don’t want to ask why, either. But if you can help them, you’ll be helping me.”

“And the price will be the same from me,” said Chick, “as it is from Merton when you are working for him.”

“The price isn’t much,” said Bess, with a laugh. “It’s only a tenner for an evening’s work. I think I can help you, but I don’t know. I’ll try.”

“Then I’ll pay you now and take the chances,” said Chick, thrusting a ten-dollar bill into the hands of the girl.

“Whether I can help you depends whether the girl with Lannigan is known in Philadelphia, where Lannigan originally came from. A girl will come in here some time to-night who will know her, if she is known in that city. If she does, she’ll tell me.”

The little party of four then gave themselves up to the enjoyment of their supper, which had been ordered by Chick. In the meantime, the room gradually filled until all the tables were occupied; the place became redolent with tobacco smoke and gay with the chatter of voices and laughter.

As they watched the other table, they saw a man make his way through the room, and, going to Lannigan, lean over him and whisper.

Lannigan seemed to be much annoyed, but, nevertheless, he took a bill from his pocket and handed it to the man, who went out.

Patsy said to Chick:

“I flung that fellow out of the door at Sanborn’s this morning.”

“Was he the one who came with the flowers?”

“Yes. He’s the one who cried out when he saw Nick Carter.”

“He’s a New York crook,” said Merton.

“A second-story man,” said Bess.

As she said this, she jumped to her feet and began to beckon to some one who had entered the saloon.

The one to whom she was beckoning was a rather flashily dressed young woman who was of a party of three women and two young men.

“Hello!” exclaimed Merton. “There’s my man, and since he’s come in, I’m neglecting no business.”

The party found a table at the other side of the room, which had just been vacated. The girl whose attention Bess had been trying to attract, finally, seeing Bess, came over to her and Bess asked:

“Is that party very dear to you, over there?”

“Oh, no,” said the girl. “I’m only trying to make it very dear for the two willie boys in tow.”

“Are they friends of yours?” asked Bess.

“No; they’re friends of the other two girls. They just roped me in.”

“Shake them and join us,” said Bess. “I want to ask you something.”

The girl went back to the party. Apparently excusing herself, she came back and sat down at the table as requested by Bess.

“Alice,” said Bess, “look at that man and woman over on that side.”

Bess pointed out the couple the party had under observation.

“Jimmy Lannigan,” said the girl called Alice. “He’s been rolling about the Tenderloin for three nights. But he’s spending no money except on the woman that is with him.”

“Do you know who she is?”

“Yes, I do,” replied the girl Alice, with a laugh. “She comes from our old city, Bessie, and if she keeps this racket up much longer, if there won’t be a swell divorce case with fine trimmings, I’m no guesser.”

“Why do you say that?” asked Chick.

“The thing with me is,” said Alice, “why the burst hasn’t come long ago. She is the wife of a rich young fellow in Philadelphia. She is herself of a good family and she’s going with the best. Her husband is a man engaged in business and lets her go her own gait, while he is working night and day to get rich. This young woman has been sporty for two or three years; but I don’t think she’s guilty of anything worse than a keen desire to have a good time. She respects the moral code, though she goes into places which the majority of wives avoid.”

“How is it,” asked Chick, “that she’s in with such a fellow as Lannigan?”

“I don’t know how to answer that,” said Alice. “I don’t know how much she knows of Lannigan. But you know Lannigan is very swell. He’s a handsome fellow, so I suppose that he’s caught her fancy.”

“She’s taking big chances,” said Patsy, “in traveling around with a fellow so well known as he is.”

“She’s taking big chances all the time,” said Alice. “The wonder is that she hasn’t been dropped to. Up to two or three months ago she was traveling around in all sorts of places with a young Englishman. But then he was one of her kind.”

“You mean,” said Merton, “that he moved in her circle of fashionable life.”

“Yes,” said Alice, “and there was a lot of talk about her in her own circle then. I had a friend who was one of the young sports in that circle who told me all about it. This young Englishman had her out on a yacht for a week, and her husband never knew anything about it.”

“Not alone?” asked Merton.

“Oh, no,” said Alice, “there was quite a party.”

“When was this?” asked Patsy.

“Let me see,” said Alice. “I can get pretty close to the time. It was last September.”

“Do you know the name of the young Englishman?”

“No, I’ve forgotten it if I ever heard of it. Anyhow, he was here in New York and used to run over to Philadelphia to see her.”

“What is her name?”

“Ladew. Her husband’s name is Thomas. That won’t be her name long,” continued Alice, with a laugh, “if she let’s Jimmy Lannigan show her around New York very often. She’s taking chances I wouldn’t dare to take, if I were in her place.”

It seemed to Chick and Patsy as if they had secured all the information which they were likely to obtain at that time.

Bess looked at Chick meaningly, as if to ask if he had gotten all he wanted, and Chick nodded in reply.

The conversation was then changed, and Chick gave the signal to Merton that he would like to get out.

Merton took the lead and the party rose.