Turning to look back, he saw that the watchers were crossing the street. Fearful that they might seek shelter in the stairway and so discover him, Nick passed on to the first landing. There was a dim light here, but the transoms above the doors showed that the rooms opening from the hall were in darkness.
He passed on up the second flight of stairs, and found himself in a narrow hallway with a window at each end. Lights showed in all the four rooms on that floor.
Nick went to the back window and looked out. There was a fire escape there, and he stepped out and hung to the rungs, his head on a level with the windowsill. The windows of the rear room were open, and the detective heard voices. They did not appear to come from that room, however, but from an inner one next to it.
The fire escape was available from the windows of the back room, and Nick moved along and looked in. As he suspected, there was no one there. He could not see into the inner room, for the door was not in line with the window.
There was, however, a door in line—the door of a closet, and this was ajar.
“It is up to me to take a chance,” muttered Nick, and in a second he was in the room making for the closet.
Before he reached the place of shelter, however, a figure appeared in the doorway connecting with the inner room. Then a man sprang forward. In an instant Nick had his revolver leveled.
“I have been looking for you, Mr. Hughart,” Nick said coolly. “You may as well come with me.”
Then a woman’s scream came from the inner room, and Carrie appeared in the doorway. She had gained the room by means of a stairway from the restaurant.