The Crime of the French Café and Other Stories

  CHAPTER V.

  THE BODY ON THE SLAB.

  Nobody seemed to be much impressed by Jarvis' declaration of innocence.

  The finding of the body in the exact spot indicated by Haskell lookedlike conclusive proof. Added to this was the doctor's presence besidethe grave in the dead of night.

  "It's a plain case," said Deever, turning toward Nick. "Will you makethe arrest now?"

  Dr. Jarvis shuddered as these words were spoken. It was easy to see thathe was on the verge of despair.

  "Let's not go too fast," said Nick.

  "What stronger proof can you possibly desire?" exclaimed Deever.

  He seemed to be dazed with surprise at Nick's delay, but Dr. Jarvisplucked up his courage.

  "I wish first to examine the body," said Nick.

  He bent over the corpse which lay in the bright moonlight. The cause ofdeath was evident at a glance. The head had been beaten and cut in afrightful manner.

  "See," said Deever, bending over the body, "these wounds were made witha spade."

  "They have that appearance," said Nick.

  "Why, it's as plain as the nose on your face," exclaimed Deever, utterlylosing patience.

  He seized a spade from the ground and applied it to the wounds.

  "The first blow, the one which killed him," said Deever, "was struckwith the side of the spade on the top of the poor boy's head. It was aterrible blow."

  Nick examined the wound. It was plain that no person could live aminute after receiving such a fearful injury.

  "The other blows," Deever continued, "were some of them made with theside, and some with the tip of the spade.

  "I can see just how it happened. Pat angered Jarvis with the words thatKlein heard. Jarvis rushed upon him, knocked him down with the spade,and then beat him like a maniac in his rage."

  "And then buried him, eh?" said Nick, in a doubtful voice.

  Chick looked inquiringly at his chief. He had never seen Nick conduct acase in that way before.

  Instead of taking the lead in the investigation, the great detectiveseemed to wait for suggestions. After his first glance at the body, hehad stood irresolute, as if he could not make up his mind about thevalue of the evidence.

  This conduct of his chief interested Chick deeply.

  "Watch Nick Carter," he said to himself, "and you'll always be learningsomething."

  "Of course he didn't bury him then," Deever replied to Nick's question."Haskell saw him digging the grave after midnight."

  "Where do you suppose your brother's body was in the meantime?" askedNick.

  "Hidden in the garden somewhere."

  Nick shook his head.

  "There is no place in the garden where it could have been hidden. I havesearched the place thoroughly."

  "He may have taken it into the hospital; into his laboratory, perhaps."

  "That can't be," said Nick. "You remember that Burns met the doctorcoming in from the garden. If he had already brought in the body hewouldn't have come out again. On the other hand, the body couldn't havebeen in the garden, or Burns would have seen it. He looked all aroundfor your brother."

  For the first time Deever looked puzzled. He hesitated a long timebefore he replied. Then he said:

  "Jarvis must have thrown Pat's body over the wall. He must have hiddenit among the bushes in the direction of the river."

  "Yes," Nick rejoined; "that seems probable."

  "Well," cried Deever, "will you make the arrest?"

  "I think not. The evidence does not seem to warrant it."

  Deever threw up his hands in utter amazement.

  "Not sufficient!" he exclaimed. "What remains to be proved?"

  "I should like some evidence bearing on the question where the body washidden during the evening, and how it was got back to the garden."

  "You don't mean to say that you will wait for that before taking thisman into custody?"

  "Yes," said Nick, slowly; "I shall wait for that."

  "But, meanwhile, how will you guard against his escape?"

  "I will take him back to the hospital, where one of my assistants iswaiting. I will put him in charge of that officer, who will remain withhim until I feel justified in taking him to headquarters."

  "Then you practically put him under arrest," said Deever, with evidentsatisfaction.

  "Yes; but it will not be known except to us who are here. I expect yourfriends to be silent for the present."

  "I'll answer for them," said Deever. "I know them all well, except thatman--where is that man?"

  He looked around for Chick, but that individual had disappeared. He hadcaught a glance from Nick when the latter had spoken of his assistantat the hospital, and had immediately slipped away under the shadow ofthe trees.

  "That fellow will give it away," cried Deever. "That's what he sneakedfor. He'll sell the news to the papers."

  "If he does we can't help it," said Nick. "And as for you, I judge thatyou would not be sorry if he did."

  "You are right," said Deever, looking grimly at Dr. Jarvis, "the soonerthis murderer is held up before the public the better I'll be pleased."

  "I shall be sorry," said Nick, "and yet perhaps it will not make muchdifference. In the meantime we will do what we can to keep the secret onour part."

  Deever chuckled. It was evident that he regarded the secret as alreadyout, and that he was entirely satisfied.

  "Now come with me," said Nick to Jarvis, "and you others wait for mehere."

  He led the doctor to his room in the hospital, where, of course, theyfound Chick, in a different disguise, waiting for them.

  Jarvis acted like a man in a trance, he was so thoroughly overpowered bythe horror of his situation. In his room, he seemed to forget thepresence of the two detectives. He flung himself down upon his cot, andappeared to sink almost instantly into a stupor.

  After a word or two with Chick, Nick made his way back to the littlegroup around the dead body.

  "Get a carriage up to the wall," said Nick, "and remove the corpse toyour house. I will see a coroner, and get the necessary permit. I willbe answerable for the removal in advance of the permit."

  In spite of Deever's distrust of Nick, the great detective's manner,when he spoke with decision, was such as to secure instant obedience.

  The body was carried to the wall; two men were left to guard it, whileDeever, with Klein, went for the carriage.

  Nick separated himself from the party. He did not go to see a coroner,however. He went to Lawrence Deever's house, which he entered secretly,and searched from top to bottom, but without finding anything ofinterest.

  Then he went to his own house, where he waked Patsy.

  "Go to Lawrence Deever's country-house near Nyack," he said to hisyouthful assistant. "Watch it, and see that no man leaves it."

  Morning was breaking as Nick secretly entered St. Agnes' Hospital, andmade his way to Dr. Jarvis' room.

  He pushed the door open softly, believing that the doctor would be stillasleep, and Chick on guard.

  The room was empty.

  Nick was at first amazed, and then he reflected that it was quitepossible that some disclosure of the prisoner had led Chick to accompanyhim in search of evidence.

  He passed out into the laboratory. It was darker at this hour of dawnthan at midnight with the moonlight in it.

  The sheeted figure still lay upon the slab. Was it a body obtained inthe usual way, under the sanction of the law, or had it a criminalhistory? Nobody knew better than Nick the secrets that may lurk in thedissecting-room.

  With such thoughts, he paused a moment beside the body. He was about tolift the sheet in order to satisfy some doubts which still lingered inhis mind when he was attracted by a slight noise in the cellar.

  He quickly stepped to the head of the stairs. Certainly there was someperson below.

  Nick cautiously descended the steps. The electric lights were notshining, but the furnace sent up a glow in which the surrounding objectswere dimly visible.
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  The first of these objects to command Nick's attention was no otherthan the white face of Dr. Jarvis bending over the furnace.

  He had removed some portion of the arch above the raging fire, and justas Nick's eye fell upon him, he put a human arm into the white flame.

  In that fierce heat it was almost instantly consumed, and only thefaintest smell of burning flesh escaped into the cellar.

  The corpse from which the arm had been taken lay upon the floor. Nickcould not see it plainly, but his heart leaped wildly.

  There was but one explanation of Dr. Jarvis' conduct.

  Under the cloth in the laboratory above, Nick had seen the outline of abody.

  Whose, then, was this man giving to the flames?

  It could not be any but Chick's!

  Evidently the doctor had, by some fiendish trick, succeeded inovercoming his powerful watcher, and he was now removing all trace ofthe body, preparatory to his own flight to the ends of the earth.

  The horror of this thought was almost too much for Nick's iron nerves.

  If this was Chick's body, all human help was now vain.

  What should be done to secure the most certain retribution?

  Plainly the corpse, or what remained of it, must be recovered before thefire had completely made away with it.

  Nick was about to leap forward, and interrupt the dreadful work whichwas in progress under his eyes, when suddenly a new inspiration came tohim.

  With a bound as noiseless as a tiger's, he was at the top of the stairs.In another instant he stood beside the sheeted form upon the slab.

  He withdrew the cloth.

  The body was Chick's.