Chapter VII: Nick and Chick in Conference

The great detective’s next move was to go straight home and summon his right-hand man, Chick, for a conference.

Without a waste of words or time he put his assistant in possession of all the facts of the case up to that minute.

When he finally ended the details with an account of his visit to the elevator boy he threw himself back in his chair and gave Chick a look which meant:

“That is all. What do you think of it?”

The latter returned his chief’s stare for a full minute; then he uttered the single word:

“Well?”

Nick echoed the monosyllable:

“Well?”

“I guess you have a pretty deep case on your hands,” smiled Chick. “But I’ll wager my watch against your toothpick on one point.”

“Which is?”

“That though you’ve locked Redway up in the Tombs you don’t believe he killed the girl.”

“You would win the toothpick if I took your bet. Still, I might be mistaken.”

“I don’t believe you are, and I shouldn’t be surprised if you had some testimony back of all that which you have revealed which puts this Redway in a better light than ever.”

“Chick, you are a good pupil; I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks. I will go further, and say that I believe you think Redway knows who killed the girl, or how she died, and that he is shielding somebody.”

“You must have learned mind-reading with your other accomplishments,” smiled Nick. “Maybe you can tell me who it is that he is trying to shield?”

“Not unless it be the strange woman.”

“Humph! We must find that woman and learn more about her,” was the non-committal reply. “Chick, there is another character I want watched, and you’re the very one to do it.”

“Who?”

“The confidential clerk--Gay.”

“Oh, ho!”

“I don’t like him. Besides, there is a mystery about him.”

“Well?”

“He was absent from the building most of the day, but he managed to be in at the death.”

“Did you ask him what had brought him back at that particular time?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“It would have told him that he was under suspicion. Best to have him off his guard.”

“You have other evidence to involve him?”

“Yes.”

“I thought so. What is it?”

“I told you about my quick, hurried secret visit to the office of the senior member of the firm?”

“Yes. What did you discover in there?”

“Not much, and yet a good deal. There was a mirror so fixed near the ceiling that a person standing or sitting near the connecting door could see reflected everything which went on in the other room where the tragedy occurred.”

“And, as the transom above the door was open, could hear as well?”

“Yes.”

“I see. That office was supposed to be deserted all the afternoon?”

“Correct.”

“Yet some one was concealed in there, and heard and saw all that was said and done in Redway’s office?”

“I believe so. Whoever it was, he or she made a mistake.”

“By forgetting to remove the mirror?”

“Exactly. And unless I am much mistaken that mirror will trap the person we want.”

“How?”

“If it disappears from its place high up there on the wall before to-morrow--and I think it will.”

“I see, I see. You have arranged to find out who goes into that office?”

“Yes. The janitor will keep me posted.”

“Can you trust him?”

“I think so.”

“But how about his seeing Redway go downstairs at the time he says he did?”

“I believe he saw some one go down at that time.”

“Who? Redway?”

“That I am not ready to answer. It is one of the knotty places in the mystery.”

“Nick, who wrote that note to you?”

“I have no doubt it was the girl who was killed.”

“What was her object?”

“She had serious work for a detective, or she would not have sent for me. The girl wrote another note on her typewriter to-day besides the one sent to me.”

“To whom?”

“I don’t know; it is not addressed. I’ll show it to you.”

Nick produced the dead girl’s pocketbook, from which he took a typewritten slip, on which was this message:

“You failed to keep your engagement last night. I’ll give you just one more chance. Meet me to-night at the same place, 8:30 sharp, and be ready to come to some definite understanding with me. If you fail me this time I will consider myself absolved from my oath.”

“Nick, this is the key to the whole tragedy.”

“I think so, too.”

“The note was never delivered.”

“Certainly not.”

“Why?”

“For want of an opportunity--that’s clear.”

“She may have backed down after writing it.”

“You believe the note was intended for Gay, and that he gave her the slip to-day before she had a chance to get it to him?”

“Right you are, lad.”

“Did he go away from the office suddenly, without telling any one?”

“Yes, except the office boy, whom he told just as he went out, leaving word for Redway that he would not be back during the day. Of course, Miss Langdon got the message indirectly.”

“Well, what else?”

“This.”

Nick produced Redway’s watch and opened the back of the case. When he turned the inside toward Chick the latter looked upon the portrait of a lovely little girl of six or seven years of age.

“Who is she?” asked Nick, as he gazed admiringly at the beautiful face.

“That we must find out.”

“Does she look like Redway?”

“No. She has none of his features that I can see. Yet I believe it will be found that the child plays a prominent part in the tragedy by some indirect method.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Because there is a slight resemblance between her face and the face of the girl who was killed.”

“Ah! that makes the child an important character in the case. 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.”

“And Ida?”

“I’ll send Ida to the home of the dead girl to get information there.”

“Perhaps you can give me an idea where I’ll find Gay?”

“I think I can. Go down to the Borden Building, and wait till he comes there.”

“To-night?”

“Certainly! He’ll wait till some of the excitement dies out in that vicinity. Then he’ll visit that private office, or I am greatly mistaken.”

Ida was brought into the case at this stage and instructed in the part she was expected to play.