“Certainly, sir. You’re Mr. Carter, the detective—one of those gentlemen from Scotland Yard. I mean, the New York Scotland Yard.”
“Well,” continued Nick, smiling slightly at Ruggins’ explanation. “This is Mr. Chickering Carter, my assistant. You will let him go where he wants to in the house, and you will show him anything he may ask to see. Also, answer his questions. We are trying to find the murderer of Mr. Anderton.”
“I ’opes you’ll do it, sir,” was Ruggins’ fervent response, as Nick Carter went upstairs to the study.
CHAPTER III.
TRACING THE CRIME.
When Nick Carter had closed and locked the door of the study, he went to the table and turned up the green-shaded student lamp on the table. There were electric-light fixtures in the room, but Anderton had always preferred the softer light of an oil lamp when he was at work, or to read by.
The green shade kept the room in gloom except for the round space on the table illuminated by the lamp, and Nick switched on one of the incandescent lights.
“I’m not surprised that nothing seems to have been disturbed,” he murmured. “The men who were smart enough to get in here and put Anderton to death by the crossed needles would not be likely to leave obvious traces of their presence. Well, I’ll look into that later. First of all, let’s see whom poor Anderton was writing to when he was killed.”
Passing over the blank sheet, with only the date line, which lay immediately in front of the chair, Nick picked up another letter, sealed, addressed, and stamped. Evidently it had been finished just before the deceased had begun the other.
“‘Matthew Bentham, esquire,’” read Carter, with the envelope in his hand. “Ah! That’s the scientist and Orientalist. I did not know that he was a friend of Anderton’s. But it is quite natural that men having the same interests should be acquainted. I see Bentham lives in Brooklyn. I’ll take down that address.[Pg 11]”
It was in an avenue near Prospect Park, and Nick carefully copied the superscription into his notebook. Then he opened the door of the study and called down the staircase to the butler Ruggins.