CHAPTER IV.
ALL SORTS OF IDENTIFICATIONS.
"I am sorry to tell you, Mr. Jones, that the body of the woman murderedlast night has been identified as that of your wife."
So spoke Nick, and this time Jones' calmness was not proof against thesurprise.
"It can't be possible!" he exclaimed, leaping from his chair.
"I am so informed," said Nick, "and I must place you under arrest."
"But there is some infernal mistake here," said the accused. "I knowthat my wife is all right. This must be somebody else."
"A lady living in the same house with you has recognized the body."
"I don't care if she has. Nobody in that house knows my wife."
"Is there anybody in the city who does know her?"
"I can't think of anybody."
"How about the grocer with whom you traded?"
"Our servant attended to all that till she was taken sick. Since thenI've done what little there was to do. We've eaten most of our meals atrestaurants."
"What restaurants?"
"Oh, all around. There's the Alcazar, for instance, where we havesometimes dined together."
"Does the head waiter there know her?"
"I suppose he would remember her face. He doesn't know the name."
"All right. I'll have him look at the body."
"But, man, you're going to let me look at it, aren't you?" exclaimedJones. "That would settle it, I should think."
"I'll take you there now, and we will try to get somebody from theAlcazar at the same time."
Nick took the prisoner at once to the Alcazar. The head waiterremembered Jones' face. He had seen him dining with a lady who hadbeautiful light hair.
The three went to the undertaker's rooms.
Nick watched Jones narrowly as he approached the body. He startedviolently at the first sight of it. Then he became calm.
"The hair is wonderfully like," he said, "but there is no resemblancebetween the two faces."
"That is true, gentlemen," said the head waiter; "this is not the lady."
"On the contrary," said a voice close beside them, "I believe that thislady was your wife, Mr. Jones."
All the color went out of Jones' face as he turned quickly toward theman who had spoken.
"Ah, Mr. Gottlieb," he said, "I am surprised to hear you say that."
"Mr. Gottlieb is the grocer from whom the Joneses bought theirsupplies," said Chick, who had advanced to Nick's side.
"I was not aware that you had ever seen my wife," said Jones, lookingsearchingly at the grocer.
"I never saw her plainly," said Gottlieb. "She came into my store onceor twice, but always closely veiled. So I cannot be sure; and, ofcourse, if you insist that this is not your wife's body, I must bemistaken."
"You are mistaken, sir," said Jones, coldly.
He turned to Nick.
"Mr. Gottlieb has sealed my doom for the present," he said, with asmile. "I am ready to go with you."
Nick took his prisoner to Police Headquarters.
The detective had meanwhile sent Patsy in quest of Harrigan, thecoachman.
Jones was taken into the superintendent's room, and a dozen other menwere assembled there, waiting for the arrival of the cabman.
Harrigan was very nervous when he appeared.
"Youse fellies are tryin' to do me out o' my license," said he; "but I'mtellin' yer I was all right last night. I wasn't half so paralyzed asyouse t'ink I was. Show me your man and I'll identify him."
Harrigan was led into the superintendent's room. When he saw how manymen were there he seemed to be a great deal taken aback.
But he put a bold face on the matter, and promptly advanced, saying:
"This is the man."
Nick made a gesture of disappointment, and then he laughed, and thesuperintendent with him.
The man whom Harrigan had selected was Chick.
It was evident that the cabman was going upon pure guess-work. Beingsharply questioned, he confessed that he had no idea how his "fare" ofthe previous night looked.
"I'll give it to youse dead straight," said he, at last; "I don't knowwhether the mug was white or black. Say, he might have been a Chinee."
"I believe that fellow is faking," said the sergeant to Nick, asHarrigan left the room.
"No; he's straight enough, I guess," said Nick. "He's not the sort ofman who would have been let into a game of this kind."
Nick then proceeded to question the prisoner in the presence of Chickand the superintendent.
His answers were straightforward enough, but they threw little lightupon the affair.
The only subject which he refused to discuss was the whereabouts of hiswife. When questioned about her, he invariably declined to speak.
"She's gone on a little pleasure trip," he said, "and I want her toenjoy it. This affair will be all over when she gets back. She'll neverhear of it, where she is, and that's as it should be."
Nick returned to his house, where he was informed that a visitor waswaiting for him.
He found a gentleman somewhat under forty years of age, and apparentlyin prosperous circumstances, pacing the study floor.
The visitor was evidently greatly excited about something, for his handstrembled and he started nervously when Nick entered.
"Mr. Carter," he said, anxiously, "can I trust you fully?"
Nick laughed.
"I shan't do anything to prevent it," he said.
"Will you swear to keep what I shall tell you a secret?"
"No, sir; I will not."
The man made a despairing gesture.
"I supposed that your business was always strictly confidential," hesaid.
"So it is, but I take no oaths."
"I didn't mean that exactly, but--but--"
The man hesitated, stammered, and was unable to proceed.
"Come, sir," said Nick; "be calm. Tell me plainly what you want me to dofor you."
"It isn't for me; it's for a--for a friend of mine."
"Very well; what can I do for your friend?"
"He is accused of a terrible crime, of which he is entirely innocent. Iwant you to save him."
"I have been asked to do that many times."
"And you have always succeeded?"
"Oh, no; in several cases the persons have been hanged."
The visitor shuddered violently.
"I had heard," he said, "that you never failed to find the guiltypersons and to save the innocent."
"That is the truth. It has been my good fortune to leave no caseunsettled."
"But you said that these innocent persons had been hanged."
"They were hanged," said Nick, "but they were not innocent. Theirfriends assured me that the persons were entirely guiltless, but it wasnot true.
"And therefore," Nick continued, looking straight into the man's eyes,"I should advise you to be very sure of your friend's innocence beforeyou put the case in my hands."
The visitor looked very much relieved.
"I'm perfectly sure of it," he cried. "My friend had nothing to do withthis case."
"I'm glad to hear it. Who is he?"
"The man who has been arrested in this restaurant murder case."
"John Jones?"
"That is the name he has given to the police."
"But isn't that his right name?"
"I--I don't know," stammered the visitor.
"He must be a very particular friend of yours, since you don't know whathis name is!"
"I never saw him in my life."
"Look here, Mr.--"
"Hammond is my name."
"Well, Mr. Hammond, your statements don't hang together. You began bysaying that this man was your friend."
"I didn't mean that exactly, but I sympathize with him. It must beterrible to be arrested for such a crime and to find the evidencegrowing stronger in spite of your innocence."
"How do you know that he is innocent?"
Before Hammond could reply
there came a knock at the door.
Nick answered it.
"Come in, Gaspard," he said, throwing the door wide open.
"You sent for me, and--Good God! who is this?"
"You know him, then?"
"Yes, yes, I know him," cried Gaspard; "he is the man who was in room Alast night."