That was all. It was only a dead man that lay in the detective’s arms. The sailor had died with the secret on his lips, when one more word would have set everything straight.
There was now but one thing for the detective to do, and that was to reach Patsy and the other sailor, and take the latter into custody. He was guilty only of robbery, and might be induced to tell the truth by promises of leniency. Besides, he would doubtless be greatly enraged at the murder of his companion, and this might cause him to relate not only the events of the night at the Maynard house, but also the deal with Hartley. For the murder of the sailor, Hartley and the bully could be called to account later.
Nick ascended the stairs to the rear room, listened at the door, opened it a trifle, and looked inside. There was no one there, and the only light came through a transom over the door leading to the store. Crossing the room softly, Nick came to a door opening into the hall. It was through this doorway that the sailor had been carried on the way to the shaft.
Nick lifted the trap and looked down. All was dark and still below, and a swirl of foul air came up into his face. His flash showed the board to be in position.
“I came near making a blunder there,” he mused. “If they see that they will know that their secret is known, and flee. I must go back.”
The detective hastened to the basement, returned the board to the place from which it had been taken, and arranged the body so as to give the impression that it had fallen through the doorway instead of proceeding down the shaft. Then he opened a door leading to the sub-basement, left the door to the store floor open, and passed on to the hall again.
“They will never suspect that the sailor did not fall into the first basement,” he thought, “and they may believe that I found my way out of the place where they dumped me, or thought they dumped me. However, we must get the bully under lock and key as soon as possible. It is the electric chair for him. Hartley must be watched until we know more about the diamond deal.”
At the rear of the hall in which Nick now found himself, a staircase led to the second floor. As Nick started to ascend it in the darkness, a man came rushing down and almost fell over him. Nick quickly stepped aside, and the fellow, who was panting as from a long run or a struggle, passed on to the door of the rear room, and entered.
While Nick waited, wondering if it was now safe to attempt the ascent of the stairs, there was a rush of feet in the store in front and angry voices came to the ears of the listener.
“I tell you he came in here,” Nick heard a voice say. “You’ve hidden him somewhere.”