Chapter VI: An Audacious Visitor

After he had removed his disguise, Nick said to his two aids:

“The Cary case will give us little trouble after this. I shall probably continue to play his part in it, but it will amount to little more than shelling out some money. She thinks she has captured him.

“She is a wonderfully clever woman, and is using the Cary incident merely as a cover to the big strike on Mountain.

“Now, Chick, tell me what you found in Seventeenth Street?”

“That the house was empty; that it had been occupied but two or three days; that the rent had been paid for a month; but possession has not been given up.”

“Do you know who rented it?”

“A woman who gave the name of Mrs. Stanton.”

“Hum! I fancy that she has rented another house this evening, the one in Thirtieth Street. In my way of thinking, that house is to be the scene of the strike on Mountain.

“That is a job for you, Patsy,” continued Nick. “Watch that house from early to-morrow morning and settle who goes in and all about it. Nothing will be done there to-night.

“I must go to Cary’s club and quiet him for the night. He is nearly in a collapse. How about Mountain, Chick?”

“I saw him. He is game, chief. Nothing came for him from the Brown Robin up to the time of his leaving his office. He will not yield. He is going to the theatre to-night.”

“Do you know where?”

“Yes; at the Empire.”

“Ah, ha! Be in the neighborhood, boys, and keep him under watch if you can. He is quite as likely to get his notice there as anywhere.”

Nick went home satisfied that if there was any movement made that night, it would be only in the way he indicated.

“A lady is waiting to see you in the parlor, Nick,” said Edith, as he entered.

“Who is it?”

“She would give no name,” replied Edith. “She is young, pretty, and has asked me a lot of questions about you.”

“Of course you gave me a good character,” laughed Nick.

“I told the truth about you, and you can guess what it was, for I won’t tell you,” laughed Edith, in reply. “But hurry and get rid of her, for I want you to go out a ways with me.”

Nick went to the parlor.

No man ever had a greater control of his features than the famous detective. He always maintained his self-control under the most trying circumstances. He had more than once looked certain death in the face without blinking.

But he had as narrow an escape from betraying himself as he ever met with, when, on opening the parlor door, he saw the Brown Robin occupying one of his sofas.

The shock was momentary and not observed by the other.

Nick crossed the room, bowing before his visitor, gravely, and said:

“I am Mr. Carter, madam.”

The Brown Robin arose from her seat and looked most keenly and curiously into his face. Nick would have been dull indeed, if he had not also seen the look of admiration that grew on the face of his visitor.

But it did not affect him. Indeed he was just then striving to guess what the game of the Brown Robin was in seeking him at his own home.

“I should be much pleased, Mr. Carter,” said the Brown Robin, “if you would listen to what I have to say and give me your advice.”

“I certainly will listen to you,” replied Nick, “but as to the advice I cannot tell yet. But, be seated and begin.”

The Brown Robin sat down, and, taking from her pocket a letter, she said:

“If you will read that it will be a good beginning.”

She handed it to him, and at a glance Nick saw that it was one of the kind with which now he was familiar. He read it:

“Mrs. Ansel: I have named my figures. I have only this to say further:
If the money is not at the place to be mentioned, and at the time,
your letters will be in the hands of your husband in the evening.

“The Brown Robin.”

Nick handed the letter back and waited for the Brown Robin to speak. Apparently she was much embarrassed, and Nick, studying her, thought she was an admirable actress.

Finally she burst out:

“You are not at all sympathetic, Mr. Carter. Cannot you help me by asking questions?”

Nick smiled. Her acting pleased him, it was so good.

“I presume I can,” he said. “I suppose this is a case of blackmail.”

“Horrid blackmail.”

“What are the letters referred to?”

“Mine, written before I was married.”

“Why, then, should you fear to have your husband see them?”

“Well, they are compromising—that is, some of them—that is, in a way. They were written while I was engaged to the one who is now my husband, to a man of whom my husband is now and always has been desperately jealous.”

“Who is this Brown Robin?”

“Don’t you know?”

“I was asking if you knew.”

“I only know that it is a name under which some one is making my life miserable. Who and what is the Brown Robin?”

“A blackmailer, evidently. I have heard of the name as used by a person in various cities, and latterly in New York.”

“Is it a man or a woman?”

“The Brown Robin, I should judge, is a name used by a man and a woman, working together.”

A faint smile flitted over the face of the lady.

There was a moment’s silence. Then Nick asked:

“How did these letters get into the possession of the Brown Robin?”

“They were stolen from Mr. Collins.”

“The man to whom they were written?”

“Yes.”

“By whom?”

“By the Brown Robin, I suppose.”

“How much money does she want?”

“One thousand dollars.”

“And you cannot pay it?”

“I have no more money than my husband gives me, and he would find it difficult to raise so large a sum.”

“Now, then, what is it you wish from me?”

“Well, what am I to do?”

“I think I should say that it is simply impossible—that you would find it difficult to raise a thousand cents. Convince these people of your inability to raise the money, and, as a rule, they drop the thing. It is the hope of getting money that makes them hold on.”

“But cannot you give me some way of getting back those letters?”

“Frankly, Mrs. Ansel, for that I take to be your name,” said Nick, “I don’t think the game is worth the candle.

“If I were in your place, I should take a detective of the regular force with me to the appointed place, and when the blackmailer appeared, put him, or her, or them, under arrest. They would give up the letters to be released.”

“Wouldn’t you go with me?”

Immediately Nick thought he saw through the purpose of the call. It was the audacious effort of which he had spoken to Edith, of leading him into a compromising trap.

It did not anger him, for he rather admired the boldness and audacity of it.

However, his first impulse was to refuse, but his second thought was to see it out. He said:

“I am a very busy man just now, and cannot control my time. What is the hour of this meeting, and where is it to be?”

“The hour is eleven to-morrow, but I am to be informed early to-morrow morning of the place.”

“Very well, I will go with you, if you inform me early enough.”

The Brown Robin arose, apparently much pleased with the success of her visit, and shortly after left.

Nick went back to Edith, telling her to prepare herself for her walk and saying that he wanted to go in the neighborhood of the Festus Club, for a moment’s word with one of his clients.

When she came back, ready for her walk, she asked:

“Who was your caller, Nick?”

“The Brown Robin.”

“Nick! You don’t mean that that pretty woman is the Brown Robin?”

“No doubt of it!”

“How do you know?”

“I called on the Brown Robin to-day, disguised as Alpheus Cary.”

“And she had the audacity to come and see you, knowing you are retained to expose her?”

“Boldness and audacity are her weapons.”

“What did she want?”

“She pretended that she was a Mrs. Ansel, who was being blackmailed by the Brown Robin.”

“She came to measure you, Nick, to size you up, as you call it.”

“Perhaps that was her game. She has never seen me, I suppose. But, Edith, I think she was laying the trap of which I spoke this morning.”

“How?”

“She wanted me to accompany her as Mrs. Ansel to meet the Brown Robin and compel the giving up of the letters.”

“Ah! and you do not walk into the trap.”

“But I will. Something of value may come out of it. I will escape it, never fear. Chick and Patsy will not be far off, I can tell you.”

Edith made no reply. Quite evidently she did not like it, but she knew it was useless to combat Nick when he had made up his mind.

So she held her peace and went out for her walk with him.

During their walk they stopped at the door of the Festus Club, where Nick told Mr. Cary that he had his case so well in hand that the old gentleman could go home and sleep in comfort.