Nick now understood precisely the relation that was held by Helen Doane to this man.
In some way he had gained an inkling of whom she really was, but instead of telling her had kept it to himself, biding a time when the fact could be made to turn to his advantage.
At last he had arranged a scheme for doing this.
Ostensibly leaving New York for a considerable length of time, he had gone only a short distance. On the day preceding the crime he had returned to the city, and had mailed the forged letter to Helen. That night, accompanied by an accomplice, he had entered Mr. Field’s house, and the gentleman had been attacked and left for dead. Lorton would not have left, unless he believed him dead, since his death was a necessity of his scheme. If it had not been, and Helen was really the missing child, then he might have returned her without harming Mr. Field. This would not do, however, as under those circumstances Helen would not be permitted to see and marry him, in which way alone could he hope to get his fingers on the Field millions. After he had departed, some one had carried away the unconscious form of the millionaire, and the better to cover up his tracks this second crook had resorted to the spilling of the blood down the lawn walk and to the river front, while in fact he took Mr. Field into a light wagon and drove him away.
That was the case summed up in a nutshell. It only remained to learn who this second crook was and when he had stolen Mr. Field’s body.
The detective had just about got this straight in his mind when he heard the woman say:
“I think it is Luke coming.”
The next minute there came a knock at the door.
The man who entered was addressed as Luke.
When the door was closed, Luke inquired: