THE HATE THAT KILLS

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 299, 15 December 1917, Page 21

THE HATE THAT KILLS

Bf NICHOLAS CARTER.

CHAPTER XXX. THE CLOSING NET.

Eight o'clock that morning found Nick Carter, Chick, and Patsy seated at breakfast in the Wildwood Tavern. It had been served in a private room, that they might discuss without interruptions, or fear of being overheard, the stirring episodes of the past twenty-four hours and tho significance of what had transpired.

The three detectives had arrived at tho tavern half an hour before.

Nick had stopped at Pete Crowley's cabin after leaving Edgecliffe. He had found Jackson Redfield comfortable, in so far as his wound was concerned; also that both he and his wife were overjoyed by their reunion, and inexpressively grateful to Kick, and utterly dumbfounded when told of what had befallen Dexter Redfield and of his changed heart and sentiment toward thorn. Both were filled with renewed anxiety, nevertheless, as to the whereabouts and fate of their missing child. Nick had insisted, however, that both should remain concealed in Crowley's cabin until he gave them permission to go to Edgecliffe. He directed that neither should leave tho cabin, and instructed Crowley to maintain absolute secrecy as to their presence there, leaving him and his assistants to continue their work on the case.

"There is a wheel within a wheel," Nick remarked to Chick and Patsy, after the waiter had withdrawn from the room and closed the door. " There is, in other words, more to this case than appears on the surface."

"Just what do you mean, Nick?" Chick inquired.

" I mean that there is something more than a job framed up only by Dexter Redlield and the knave with whom he conspired. There is a much deeper game being played, one involving numerous other persons."

Nick had, of course, told his hearers of Dexter Redfield's confession, and of his ignorance to the identity of the miscreant, who had committed the double crime in Boston. He had told them ot his meeting with Bromley, and also of what had passed between them.

"We are up against a gang of crooks, jin fact, who have in a measure made old Dexter Redfield their dupe," Nick continued. " That appears in the attempt to Bteal the child within a week after Redfield undertook to buy him from his mother." "He claims to have known nothing about that?" Chick questioned. " Yes." "Bo you believe him?" "I do," said Nick. "He know he ia at death's door. Fear of the future, if nothing else, has made a complete change in him. He is anxious to recover the child, restore him to his parents, and to become reconciled with them before he dies." '"Then he probably would not lie under such conditions." " Surely not," Nick insisted. "Obviously, then, the first attempt was made with a view to afterward selling the child to the old man." "Gee! that's right, chief!*' put in Patsy. " There's no question about it." "It failed, however, and Olive Redfield fled to Boston and took her maiden name. How she was traced, or when, is not material. I feel sure that her whereabouts has been known for some little time, nevertheless, and that several of her servants at Edgecliffe are in league with the chief crooks, either bribed or artfully put there to aid them, most of them having been employed since the attempted abduction of four months ago." "That seems reasonable," Chick agreed. " And for that reason I have had all of them discharged except the butler and the cook, both having been there about three years. They probably are not involved in this game." "Do you stil suspect Bromley of being the ringleader!" " I do." "And that he got away with the youngster last night by means of the airship?" "Exactly," said Nick confidently. "He received him from Phoebe Black just about the time that young Redfield was escaping from the house. She could easily have delivered him from the back door during the excitement." "I see." i "She was expecting Bromley at just that time, moreover, as appears in that young Redfield saw her gazing from the window. Bromley quickly got away unheard and unseen in the darkness. Jackson Redfield's conduct served the rascals perfectly, in that the child's disappearance then could be attributed to an unknown burglar."

"That's very true," Chick nodded. "Obviously, too, the woman was quick to take advantage of it."

"Certainly."

' "That must have bern the job, then that Kate Stone mentioned by telephone."

"Exactly. I think she and Bromley arc back of the whole business."

"But what's their game?" Chick questioned perplexedly. "Why have they stolen the child after having delivered him to old Redfield and received the money ?"

"That remains to be learned." "How will it do to arrest one or both of them, and "

"It won't do at all," Nick interrupted. "Why not?"

"For several reasons," Nick proceeded to explain. "Even if we were to arrest Bromley and take him to Boston, where we might have him identified by the garage man and the clerk from whom he purchased the fibrous material, we cannot positively prove that he was the incendiary, nor that he knew Olive Redfield und where she lived."

"It would be taking a long chance, Nick, of course."

"Much too long a chance," Nick said decidedly. "I talked with Bromley this morning, only to find out where he stands and what defence he would be likely to put up. He feels quite sure of himself, in spite of the various circumstances. He knows that Dexter Redfield cannot identify him as the rascal with whom he bargained for the abduction of the child, and Bromley was prepared to seize the bull by the horns, if necessary. He has all the nerve and effrontery to meet such a situation."

"1 guess you're right, Nick, in that case," Chick assented.

"It's up to us," Nick added, "to find the necessary evidence, to ferret out the deeper game of these rascals, and to accomplish both without putting the youngster's life in jeopardy." "You think they might kill him if they find themselves hard pressed?" "They are gurely capable of it," declared Patsy.

"That is what I'fear," Nick admitted. "That is why I pretended I did not suspect Bromley, when talking with him." "I see."

"Wemust get in 1 our work as quickly as possible, however, while we have several advantages over the rascals."

"Advantages?" questioned Chick. "Exactly. They probably do not know that 1 have any assistants on the case. Your call on Kate Stone signified nothing to her, though we derived something from it. Patsy's inquiries in Gideon Small's garage, while evidently suggestive and somewhat alarming, did not reveal his' identity, nor his relations with mc."

"You can bank on that, chief, all right," Patsy said confidently. "Nor do they know of Olive Redfield's presence in Cragdon, nor the whereabouts of her husband," Nick went on.

"They have only my word for it, that Dexter Redfield shot his own eon; and if young Redfield fails to turn up they will suspect that I was mistaken, or springing a lie out of whok> cloth. That is why I have ordered the couple to remain j under cover, and directed Pete Crowley to say nothing about them." "You have certainly put things in shape for a crafty campaign, Nick," said Cbick approvingly. "That was my design," replied the detective. "We will begin at once, moreover, if you have finished your breakfast."

"I'm with you," Chick derlared, laying aside his napkin.

"I, too, chief," said Patsy. "What are your plans?"

"I'm going to Edgecliff again to see that my orders have been carried out," said Nick. "I'll have none of the crooks there to report what is going on. None of them is aware of Redfield's change of heart, which, if discovered, might interfere with the present designs of the scamps."

"Their ignorance in that respect may be of advantage to us."

"That's the very point, Chick, and one reason why I don't -want it to leak out. We must find out of what their designconsist. To make doubly sure of all of these points, we will meet at Edgeclifl later and compare notes, instead of here, or in any public place. I will bo inform the butler, Morgan, whom I now think we can safely trust."

"And your next move?" questioned Chick.

"1 shall then go on a still-hunt after Bromley," said Nick. "I want a constant cyo on his doings. In the meantime, Chick, you see the Cragdon select man. Barron, who is said to have written the letter to Gideon Small, the Barrington garage man, and find out whether the letter is a forgery. If so, run over to Barrington and try to steal it from Smallg office. You may accomplish thia more easily than Patsy, who might be recognised by Small, or his foreman, Meglin. I suspect both of them of being in league with Bromley."

"What do you want the letter for, Nick?"

"Patsy cays it is written with a pen. We may identify and convict the writer by means of the hand."

"Ah, I see," Chick nodded. "Leave it to mc. I'll nail the letter, all right, if it is still in Small's office."

"Do so," said Nick. "In the meantime, Patsy, you must get after Phoebe Black. She appears to be a decidedly crafty woman, and I think she was Bromley's chief confederate at Edgecliff. She will leave there this morning. I have had her fired, with the others."

"I can pick her up when she leaves," suggested Patsy.

"That is what you must do," Nick replied. "Then shadow her, and see what you can learn."

"Trust mc for that, chief."

"Unless something prevents us, then, we will meet at Edgecliff this evening," Nick said, rising. 'TVe will now leave the tavern singly, and proceed to get in our work." (To be continued Saturday next.)