Carter promised the girl that he would not be far off at the hour mentioned in the letter, and Margie agreed to be on hand. He did not see fit to tell her about Jack Redmond’s death, as it might unnerve her, and, bidding her good-by, he left the house.
It was near two that afternoon when a man, who would not have been taken for Nick, entered the Trocadero on the Bowery, and seating himself at a table called for a drink.
The place was not very well filled at the time, and while he sipped his wine the detective looked around the place.
Presently he saw a man enter and go straight to the stall designated by the letter to Margie, and the door was closed behind him.
Now Carter began to wait for the girl, and ten minutes later she came in.
Glancing up and down the place as if looking for him Carter saw her enter the same stall and heard a slight ejaculation when she found it occupied.
Just then the detective moved his seat to a table nearer the stall and indulged again.
After drinking a third glass a strange feeling of drowsiness seemed to take possession of him, and he tried to shake it off.
In vain, however, did he battle against the feeling, it only grew stronger, till at last he became aware that he was sinking into unconsciousness.
His last recollection was of trying to rise and then sinking down upon the chair, while everything became black about him.