“You are very complimentary.”
“My informant was Miss Lamb.”
“Miss Lamb has evidently spoken very kindly of me.”
“Yes, she thinks you are a fine type of honorable manhood.”
“Miss, please do not compliment me any further through your acquaintance with Miss Lamb. Please explain the nature of the business that led you to seek me.”
“Before I explain my business to you I must exact a promise.”
“I am careful about making promises.”
“Yes, I know as a detective you are not at liberty to make promises off-hand, but my case is a very peculiar one.”
“What do you wish me to promise?”
“I have a very remarkable disclosure to make; probably one of the most remarkable disclosures you ever listened to during the whole course of your professional career. It is a disclosure that will call for very prompt measures on your part. It is a disclosure that will make you professionally one of the most famous detective officers in the world.”
Oscar stared and wondered what could be the nature of this thrilling disclosure. He said nothing, but kept upon a line of intense thought, and the woman proceeding said:
“Some very prominent people will be involved—men who stand high, who will be torn from their high estate. I am willing that you should perform your full professional duty, save as concerns one individual, and I want you to promise that you will save that one individual, though he may be the most guilty of the whole gang of criminals.”
The woman’s proposition was suggested, and it was a most remarkable one.
“Can you promise?” she asked.
“I cannot.”
“Then my lips must remain sealed.”
“I am sorry, miss, but I cannot promise to spare a criminal. I am bound by professional honor to close in on every criminal whom I can convict.”
“Then, as I said, my lips must remain sealed.”
“What are your relations to the individual who is a criminal and whom you desire exempted from the consequences of his acts?”
“He is my brother. Yes, sir, and in coming to you I am betraying my dear brother; but I would do so only to save him from the consequences of his crime. If I cannot save him I cannot betray him, but I do think that when I reveal to you the plot and identities of many criminals in return I should receive the promise of the exemption of one of them—that one, my own brother.”
“I will not positively declare that I will not make the promise; it will depend upon the nature of the disclosure. Will you indicate the character of the disclosure you have to make?”
“I will.”
“Do so.”
“There is existing in this city a band, an organized gang of the most skillful criminals on earth. Their organization is so complete that a discipline as perfect as military order prevails. These men have defied the police for years; they are doing more harm to the commercial world than ever was suffered before in many years. My brother is a member of this gang. Misfortune overtook him, and in a moment of desperation he became a member, a sworn member. He is very useful to them, owing to his skill in certain directions. He has made a confidant of me. He has told me everything and I, after a long struggle with myself, determined to save him if I could by betraying his confederates. I know all their identities. I know all their plans. I can place them bound hand and foot in your power, but my brother must be saved. It is to save him that I am prepared to make the terrible disclosure. You will become famous; you will achieve a professional victory where all other detectives have failed. You will do the country a service such as no detective ever before performed, but the price of my disclosure is the salvation of my brother.”
“Why do you not cause your brother to withdraw from these criminals?”
“I cannot. I have exhausted my persuasion with him. He is mad, mad, believes he is on the eve of the acquirement of great wealth. To be rich is his mania. He is really insane. I wish to save him. I can do so only by a betrayal of his confederates, and a disclosure of all their plans and devices as revealed to me by my brother.”
Oscar was amazed in spite of his inurement to surprises. He was aghast at the suggestions involved in the woman’s proposition, and he had cause for deep study. It was a singular fact that from the first moment the beautiful woman spoke to him he associated her with the matter he had in hand, but did not anticipate that her connection with the subject would come in the strange, weird shape that it did.
“It is your brother you wish to save?”
“Yes.”
“And he is associated with this gang of criminals?”
“Yes.”
“He has revealed everything to you?”
“He has.”
“And you wish to betray these men?”
“I do.”
“Why?”
“In order to save my brother.”
“You have no other motive?”
“I have no other motive.”
“But you told me there might be a large reward for me.”
“I did.”
“What did you mean?”
“The government has offered a large reward for the arrest and conviction of these men.”
“How did you learn the fact?”
“My brother told me.”
“Tell me more about yourself.”
“I may, on one condition.”
“What is the condition?”
“Can I hope?”
“Hope in what manner?”
“That you will agree to save my brother, and—” The woman stopped short.
“Proceed, miss, you have another proviso.”
“I have.”
“State it.”
“Can I hope that you will save my brother under any circumstances, and share the reward with me? for without my aid you cannot earn it. I should be entitled to at least one-half of the reward.”
“Miss, if through any information you give me I earn the reward I will share with you.”
“And my brother?”
“I may be led to recognize that I can promise to spare your brother on the ground that criminals are sometimes promised immunity upon turning state’s evidence.”
“My brother is not a criminal,” answered the beautiful young lady in an earnest tone.
“He is not a criminal?”
“No.”
“But you have admitted that he is a member of this dangerous gang.”
“He is, but he is not a criminal.”
“How will you demonstrate that?”
“In a moment of desperation, while actually insane, he was seduced to become a member of the gang, but he is an honorable young man. Were it not for his trouble he never would have dreamed of converting his wonderful skill to the services of these bad men.”
“He is skillful.”
“He is.”
“In what direction?”
“Alas! I must have your answer before I tell you.”
“And I must know about you and your brother before I give the answer.”
“Can I hope?”
“Yes.”
“You will entertain the proposition to save him and divide with me?”
“Yes, I will entertain the proposition, but I will not promise until I know more.”
“Under any circumstances you will not use the information against my brother if I only partially explain to you?”
“I can make no promises.”
“I must have some guarantee.”
“I can give no guarantee until I know more.”
“Oh, what shall I do?” exclaimed the woman.
“Trust me; trust in my honor.”
A moment the beautiful lady meditated and then said:
“Yes, I will trust you. I can do nothing else.”
“I do not think you will have reason to regret trusting me.”
“My father lives in Massachusetts. He is an engraver. My brother inherited a marvelous talent for engraving, but he detested the employment. He went into other business, and met a very beautiful and accomplished girl. He was to be married when he lost his position. It maddened him, and in a desperate moment he fell in with one of the members of this gang. He was beguiled into betraying the fact of his wonderful skill as an engraver. He had no idea at the time of offering his services, but they induced him to show them a specimen of his handiwork. Then they offered him splendid inducements to join them, promising him a fortune. He was dazzled; he saw a way to win a fortune and his bride, and he yielded to the temptation. He has produced some wonderful plates. I do not believe his equal lives on the face of the earth at his craft.”
The story told by the woman was probable and reasonable, and it did appear that our hero was about to secure men and evidence in a most strange, remarkable, and complete manner.
“Where do you reside?” asked Oscar.
“I am temporarily residing in New York. I am studying typewriting. I hope to be able to earn my own living as a typewriter, but it would be a grand thing for me if I could secure a few hundred dollars out of the reward.”
“Is it your desire to obtain the reward, or is it your main purpose to save your brother?”
“It is my main purpose to save my brother. I do not care for the reward on my own account solely, but with it I can send my brother away. I believe he will learn a lesson that will last him all his life when those men are arrested and punished. And with the money he will have a chance to make a fresh start in some other city.”
Oscar thought the matter over, and we will admit that there was no doubt in his mind as to the genuineness of the story he had listened to. It did not appear that there was the least possibility of its being a false tale. It was not the beautiful face of the narrator and proposer that had led him to this conclusion. It was the probability and reasonableness of the story itself; but with his usual caution he determined to investigate. He was not prepared to accept any statement, no matter how probable and reasonable, without absolute proof. Still, as intimated, there was no question in his mind as to the genuineness of the information and the sincerity of the proposition.
“How do you intend to proceed?” he asked.
“In order to obtain the reward you must not only secure the men but convict them,” said the beauty.
“That is true.”
Oscar was a little disturbed here at the girl’s singular knowledge and shrewdness.
“These men have constant meetings with my brother.”
“Where?”
“At the little house where I and my brother reside.”
“Where is that house located?”
“In Brooklyn.”
“And these men go to your home?”
“Yes.”
“Do they know you are acquainted with the purpose of their visits?”
“No.”
“Are the plates in this house?”
“No.”
“Where are they?”
“I do not know. I only propose to furnish you the opening clues and let you follow them up and find the plates and all the evidence.”
“Your brother knows where the plates are concealed?”
“He does.”
“Can you not secure the information from him?”
“I cannot. I have tried to do so, but he tells me he is bound by terrible oaths not to reveal where the workshop is located.”
“He never works at your home?”
“Never. He is often gone away all night. I think they work at night.”
“Then how can I locate them?”
“You can trail my brother. Shadow the men also whom you will meet at our home.”
“I am to go to your house?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Any time you may elect.”
“And then?”
“I will conceal you. You can see the men who come to talk with my brother. You can overhear all that passes. You can identify them and shadow them. I think they go from our house to the secret workshop.”
“I will arrange with you to go to your home.”
“When?”
“At some future time.”
“Very soon?”
“Yes.”
“Within forty-eight hours?”
“Yes.”
“And I have your promise that under no circumstances is my brother to be arrested?”
“We may arrest him and let him turn state’s evidence.”
“No, no, never. I am only anxious to save him from disgrace. I am revealing this to you in order to save him from disgrace. Yes, it is for this purpose I am betraying his confederates.”
“Can you meet me to-night?”
“I can.”
“I must have time to think this matter over.”
“We must act quickly.”
“Yes.”
“It would be better were you to make arrangements to go to my house by to-morrow night at the latest.”
“Yes, I will.”
“Where shall I meet you to-night?”
“Here. We have dined together; we will sup together.”
“We will meet near here?”
“Yes.”
A corner was named and a little later the woman, who did not give her name, and our hero separated. Later Oscar called upon Miss Lamb. He learned from her that she had met a lady at the typewriting school where Miss Lamb was a substitute teacher, and Miss Lamb had really referred the lady to our hero upon gaining her confidence, and having learned that she had need of a detective in a very delicate affair, the nature of which had not been revealed to Miss Lamb.
When the detective parted from Miss Lamb he was more and more convinced that the beautiful sister of the criminal was honest, and really intended to put him on a “lay” that would indeed advance him to the top rung of the profession.
An hour later Oscar met Cad, who wore a very serious look upon her face, and she waited for a little time, when with a glitter in her eyes she demanded:
“Who was that creature you dined with to-day?”
Oscar laughed in a merry way. He read the thoughts that were chasing through Cad’s mind, or, rather, he imagined he did so.
“Did you see her, Cad?”
“Yes.”
“Did you mark her beautiful, innocent face?”
“Her innocent face?” repeated Cad in a sneering tone.
“Yes, innocent face.”
Cad fixed her brilliant black eyes on her partner, and her lovely face was ashen white and her voice trembled as she asked in what might be termed a husky voice:
“Are you joking, Oscar, or were you really deceived?”
“I was not deceived, Cad.”
There came a look of relief to the Italian girl’s face as she said in a less sharp tone:
“What a goose I was; certainly you were not deceived by that vixen.”
Oscar started.
“What do you mean, Cad?”
Again there came a glitter to the girl’s eyes as she said in a cold, incisive tone:
“Oscar, I really believe you are in earnest, and were deceived by that expert schemer. Brother, that woman was playing you for a fool and I see you were played.”
CHAPTER VIII
Oscar and Cad Play Some Fine Detective Work Against the Cutest Rogue That Ever Set Out to Down a Detective.
“Cad, wha
t do you mean?” demanded Oscar.
“I mean just what I say, brother.”
“You saw that lovely girl?”
“I did.”.
“Did you hear her strange tale?”
“I did not; but I watched her face while she was talking to you.”
“I did not see you.”
“No, I did not come under your gaze.”
“And you did see the lovely lady who was talking to me?”
“I did.”
“And what was your conclusion?”
“My conclusion was and is that she is one of the most subtle deceivers that ever set out to hoodwink a good man, for she succeeded.”
Again Oscar laughed and the glitter in Cad’s eyes became even more brilliant as Oscar said:
“Cad, had you overheard her story you would not think me quite as big a fool as it appears you do.”
“Tell me the story,” said Cad in sharp, quick tones.
Oscar did repeat word for word all that had passed between him and the woman and then added:
“You see, Cad, how for once you have reached a too hasty conclusion. That woman was really doing us a great service. I’ll bet my life on her sincerity.”
“You will?”
“I will.”
“It’s lucky I am here to save you from being trapped. Oscar, I am ashamed of you, but a blond beauty can fool any man, that is plain, and that woman has fooled you.”
“Nonsense, Cad.”
“I see through the whole scheme.”
“You do?”
“I do.”
“All right, sister; I will never pooh-pooh anything you say, but this time you are at fault.”
“I am, eh?”
“Yes, you are.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am sure.”
“Oscar, I’ve a revelation for you.”
Oscar’s face assumed a serious expression, and Cad continued:
“My dear brother, I was on that woman’s track when she accosted you. I am on to their whole scheme, for I have been at work.”
Oscar stared and then said slowly:
“I am to meet her to-night.”
The Lady Sleuths MEGAPACK ™: 20 Modern and Classic Tales of Female Detectives Page 166