The Crime of the French Café and Other Stories. Carter Nicholas
expected. He had looked for a robbery, or, perhaps, a secret and bloody quarrel between two of the waiters, but not for a murder such as this.
One glance at the woman showed her to be elegant in dress and of a refined appearance.
She could have had nothing in common with the missing Corbut, unless, indeed, he was other than he seemed.
Certainly, whatever was Corbut's connection with the crime, there was another person, at least, as intimately concerned in it. And he, too, had fled.
Where was the man who had brought this woman to this house? How was it possible to account for his absence except by the conclusion that he was the murderer?
That was the first and most natural explanation. Whether it was the true one or not, the man must be found.
Nick turned to Gaspard. The head waiter had sunk down on a chair by the table and seemed prostrated.
From previous experience Nick knew Gaspard to be a man without nerve, and he was not surprised to find him prostrated by this sudden shock.
There was a bottle of champagne standing in ice beside the table. The detective opened it and made Gaspard drink a glass of the sparkling liquor.
It put a little heart into the man, and he was able to answer questions.
Nick, meanwhile, closed the door of the room. Apparently the tragedy was known only to Gaspard and himself and to the guilty authors of it.
"Did you see this woman when she came in?" asked Nick.
"No."
"Who showed her and the man with her to this room?"
"Corbut."
"Who waited on them?"
"Corbut."
"Who waited on the people in room A?"
"Corbut."
"They are gone, I suppose?"
"Yes; I looked in there before I came in here."
"Did you see any of these people?"
"I saw the two men."
"How did that happen?"
"One of them came out into the hall to call Corbut, who had not answered the bell quick enough."
"Which one was that?"
"The man in room A."
"How do you know?"
"Because I saw the other man, later, coming out of room B."
"This room?"
"Yes."
"You are sure of that?"
"Perfectly."
"Did he see you?"'
"I think not. I was standing right at the corner of the two halls. The man came out and glanced around, but I stepped back quickly, because we do not like to appear to spy upon our guests. He did not see me."
"What did he do?"
"He went out the front way. I supposed the lady went with him, for I was sure that I heard the rustling of her dress."
"Where was Corbut then?"
"In room A."
"How long did he stay there?"
"Only a minute. I went back to the desk, and then was called by a waiter upstairs. Just as I turned to go I saw Corbut coming through the hall."
"Did you speak to him?"
"Yes; I called to him to stay by the desk while I went upstairs."
"Did he answer?"
"Yes; he said 'very well.'"
"And that's the last you saw of him?"
"Yes."
"All right; so much for Corbut. Now for the two men. Would you know them?"
"Not the man in room A. I didn't notice him particularly."
"But how about the man who came out of this room? He's the one we're after."
"I would know him," said Gaspard, slowly. "Yes; I feel sure that I could identify him."
"That's good. Now for the crime itself. Go back to the desk and ring for a messenger. When he comes, send him here. Don't let anybody else come, and don't say a word to anybody about this affair."
Gaspard, with a very pale face, went back to his desk.
Nick remained alone with the beautiful dead.
CHAPTER II.
GASPARD SPOTS HIS MAN.
A revolver lay on the carpet just where it would have been if it had dropped from the woman's right hand.
Its position suggested the possibility of suicide, and there was, at the first glance, nothing to contradict that theory, except the conduct of Corbut and the man who had registered as John Jones.
It might be that the woman had committed suicide, and the men had fled for fear of being implicated in the affair.
Nick examined this side of the case at once.
The pistol had evidently been held only a few inches from the woman's head when it was fired.
Her white flesh showed the marks of the powder.
The bullet had passed straight through the head.
The revolver carried a long thirty-two cartridge. Three of the five chambers were loaded.
One of them contained an empty shell, on which the hammer rested. The fatal bullet had doubtless come from this chamber, for the shell had been recently discharged.
In the fifth chamber was an old shell, which had apparently been carried under the hammer for safety, as is quite common.
The woman had a purse containing about twenty dollars, but no cards or other things which might lead to identification.
Her ears had been pierced for earrings, but she seemed not to have worn them recently. She had no watch.
There was one plain gold ring on the third finger of her right hand, and there was a deep mark showing that she had worn another, but that ring was gone.
How recently it had been removed was, of course, beyond discovery. There was no sign that it had been violently torn away.
When Nick had proceeded thus far with his investigation the messenger boy arrived. The detective sent messages to his assistants, Chick and Patsy.
He then notified a coroner, who came about ten o'clock and took charge of the body.
A minute examination failed to reveal any marks upon the clothing which might assist in establishing the woman's identity.
Nick then left the restaurant, taking Gaspard with him. Inspector Mclaughlin's men were by this time on hand, and they took charge of the house, under Nick's direction.
At seven o'clock in the morning Nick received a message from Patsy, who had been directed to find the cabman in whose cab Corbut had fled.
Patsy had located the cabman at his home on West Thirty-second street. The man's name was Harrigan.
Nick took Gaspard with him and went to the house where Harrigan boarded.
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