Nick Carter and the Crime of the French Cafe, Pt 1

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Hi, everyone.

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Welcome to the first episode of forward into the past.

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I'm JC Rede, your host and narrator.

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And the first story we're going to delve into comes from the famous Nick Carter stories of the turn of the 20th century.

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Yes, famous.

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W who, who is this?

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Nick Carter?

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You ask.

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Well, well, I'm glad you asked that.

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Yeah, Nick Carter was a character created in 1886 from an idea from Ormond G Smith.

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Now Ormond was the son of Francis Smith.

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One of the founders of the publishing house street and Smith.

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Now, Street and Smith was one of the biggest publishers of what would soon become known as dime novels.

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At the time street and Smith were publishing, what were then known as story papers which were newspaper style publications that featured several short stories or serials.

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Now, Smith wanted to create a detective character to compete with other characters like the old sleuth.

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And other detective characters that, had started 10 years earlier.

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Now, Smith however, wanted to create a new type of detective that was seemingly younger than the stories that had a strong following.

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Nick Carter was young, strong and embodied, clean living, meaning no booze or tobacco were featured in the stories, which was very progressive for his time.

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Now he gained a strong following very quickly and was given his own weekly magazine.

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One of the first fictional characters from the story papers to do so.

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Now for a while, he was called the American Sherlock Holmes.

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Which was actually very, very incorrect.

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Since the Nick Carter stories debuted a full year before Sherlock Holmes.

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Now by the time the dime novels and pulp magazines were dying out around 1950.

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It had been estimated that Nick Carter in his various incarnations had appeared in over 4,000 stories, including comics, movies, radio shows, and of course, dime novels and pulp magazines, making him arguably the most published character in American fiction.

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Now this fact astounds me because until I began researching stories to read for this podcast, I had never even heard of Nick Carter.

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And I'm sure many of you have not either.

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Now to rectify these wrongs as detective Carter might say.

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I decided that for the first several podcasts, I will focus almost exclusively on Nick Carter's early escapades.

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Now don't worry.

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I will also begin reading some short stories from the Sci-Fi and adventure pulps as well.

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But for the moment, detective stories will be our main suspects.

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I mean, uh, The stories of interest.

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And we will begin with one of the earliest Nick Carter stories in project Gutenberg's vast library.

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The crime of the French cafe written in 1893.

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Found in the free ebook.

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The crime of the French cafe and other stories by Nicholas Carter.

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The crime of the French cafe by Nicholas Carter.

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Chapter one.

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Private dining room B.

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There is a well-known French restaurant in the Tenderloin district which provides its patrons with small, but elegantly appointed private dining rooms.

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The restaurant occupies a corner house.

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And though its reputation is not strictly first-class in some respects.

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It's cook is an artist and it's wine cellar as good as the best.

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It has two entrances.

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And the one on the side street is not well lighted at night.

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At half past seven o'clock one evening.

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Nick Carter was standing about 50 yards away from this side door.

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The detective had shadowed a man to a house on the side street and was waiting for him to come out.

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The case was a robbery of no great importance.

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But Nick had taken it to oblige, a personal friend who wished to have the business managed quietly.

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This affair would not be worth mentioning, except that it led Nick to one of the most peculiar and interesting criminal puzzles that he had ever come across in all his varied experience.

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While Nick waited for his man.

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He saw a closed carriage stop before the side door of the restaurant.

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Almost immediately a waiter bareheaded and wearing his white apron came hurridly out of the side door and got into the carriage.

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Which instantly moved away at a rapid rate.

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This incident struck Nick as being very peculiar.

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The waiter had acted like a man who was running away.

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As he crossed the sidewalk.

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He glanced hastily from side to side as if afraid of being seen and perhaps stopped.

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It looked as if the waiter might've robbed one of the restaurants, patrons, or possibly its proprietor.

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If Nick had had no business on his hands, he would've followed that carriage.

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As it happened.

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However, the man for whom the detective was watching appeared at that moment.

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Nick was obliged to follow him, but he knew that he would not have far to go.

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For chick was waiting on sixth avenue and it was in that direction that the thief turned.

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So it happened that within 10 minutes, Nick was able to turn this case over to his famous assistant and returned to clear up the mystery of the queer incident, which he had chance to observe.

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Nick would not have been surprised to find the restaurant in an uproar, but it was as quiet as usual.

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He entered by the side door, ascended a flight of stairs and came to a sort of office with a desk and register.

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It was the custom of the place that guests should put down their names as in a hotel before being assigned to a private dining room.

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There was nobody in sight.

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The hall led toward the front of the building and there were three rooms on the side of it toward the street.

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All the doors were open and the rooms were empty.

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Nick glanced into these rooms and then turned toward the desk.

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As he did so he saw a waiter coming down the stairs from the floor above.

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This man was known by the name of Gaspard.

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He was the head waiter and was on duty in the lower hall.

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Ah, Gaspard said Nick.

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Who's your waiter on this floor tonight?

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Gaspard looked at Nick anxiously.

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He did not, of course know who the detective really was, but he remembered him as one who had assisted the police in a case in which that house had been concerned about two years before.

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John Corbett replied Gaspard I hope nothing is wrong.

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Well, that remains to be seen said Nick.

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What sort of a man is this Corbut?

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A little man answered Gaspard and very thin.

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He has long black hair and mustaches pointed like two needles.

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Have you sent him out for anything?

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Oh, no, he is here.

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Where.

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In one of the rooms at the front, we have parties in a and B.

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You go and find him said Nick.

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I want to see him right away.

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Gaspard went to the front of the house.

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A hall branched off at right angles with that in which Nick was standing.

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On the second hall, where three rooms, a, B and C.

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Room C was next, the avenue.

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The other two had windows on an open space between the two wings of the building.

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Nick glanced at the register and saw that R M Clark and wife had been assigned to room a and John Jones and wife to room B.

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Room C was vacant.

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The detective had barely time to note these entries on the book when Gaspard came running back.

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His face was as white as paper and his lips were working as if they were saying something, but not a sound came from them.

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He was struck dumb with fright.

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Whatever it was that he had seen must have been horrible to judge the man's trembling lips and distorted face.

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Nick had seen people in that condition before, and he did not waste time trying to get any information out of Gaspard instead, he sees the frightened fellow by the shoulder and pushed him along toward the front of the house.

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Gaspard made a feeble resistance.

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Evidently, he did not want to see again, the site which had so terrified him.

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But he was powerless in Nick's grasp in five seconds.

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They stood before the open door of room B.

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The door was open and there was a bright glare of gas within.

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It shown upon the table where rich repass lay untasted.

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It illumed the gaudy furnishings of the room and the costly pictures upon the walls.

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It's shown to upon a beautiful face rigid and perfectly white.

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Except for a horrible stain of black and red upon the temple.

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The face was that of a woman of 25 years.

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She had very abundant hair of a light corn color, which clustered in little curls around her forehead.

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And was gathered behind in a great mass of plated braids.

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She reclined in a large, easy chair in a natural attitude.

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But the pallid face, the fixed and glassy eyes and the grim wound upon the temple announced in unmistakable terms the presence of death.

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Nick drew a long breath and set his lips together firmly.

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He had felt that something was wrong in that house.

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The waiter who had run across the sidewalk and got into that carriage, had borne a guilty secret with him as the detective's experienced eye had instantly perceived.

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But this was a good deal, worse than Nick had expected.

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He had looked for a robbery or perhaps a secret and bloody quarrel between two of the waiters.

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But not for a murder such as this.

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One glance at the woman showed her to be elegant in dress and of a refined appearance.

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She could have nothing in common with the missing Corbut, unless indeed he was other than he seemed.

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Certainly whatever was Corbett's connection with the crime.

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There was another person at least.

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As intimately concerned in it.

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And he too had fled.

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Where was the man who had brought this woman to this house?

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How was it possible to account for his absence, except by the conclusion that he was the murderer.

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That was the first and most natural explanation.

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Whether it was the true one or not.

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The man must be found.

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Nick turned to Gaspard.

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The headwaiter had sunk down on a chair by the table and seemed prostrated.

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From previous experience, Nick knew Gaspard to be a man without nerve.

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And he was not surprised to find him prostrated by the sudden shock.

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There was a bottle of champagne standing in ice beside the table.

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The detective opened it and made Gaspard drink a glass of the sparkling liquor.

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It put a little heart into the man and he was able to answer questions.

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Nick, meanwhile, close the door of the room.

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Apparently the tragedy was known only to Gaspard and himself.

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And to the guilty authors of it.

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Did you see this woman when she came in, asked Nick.

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No.

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Who showed her and the man with her to this room.

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Corbett.

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Who waited on them.

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Corbett.

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Who waited on the people in room a.

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Corbett.

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They are gone, I suppose.

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Yes.

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I looked in there before I came in here.

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Did you see any of these people?

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I saw the two men.

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How did that happen?

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One of them came out into the hall to call Corbut who had not answered the bell quick enough.

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Which one was that?

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The man in room a.

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How do you know.

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Uh, because I saw the other man later coming out of room B.

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This room.

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Uh, yes.

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You are sure of that.

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Perfectly.

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Did he see you?

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I think.

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I was standing right at the corner of the two halls.

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Uh, the man came out and glanced around, but I stepped back quickly because we do not like to appear to spy on our guests.

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He did not see me.

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Um, what did he do?

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He went out the front way.

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I suppose the lady went with him for, I was sure that I heard the rustling of her dress.

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Well, where was Corbett then?

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In room a.

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How long did he stay there?

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Only a minute.

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I went back to check the desk and then was called by a waiter upstairs.

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Just as I turned to go, I saw Corbut coming through the hall.

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Did you speak to him?

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Yes.

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I called him to stay by the desk while I went upstairs.

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Did he answer?

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Yes.

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He said very well.

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And that's the last you saw of him.

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Yes.

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All right.

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So much for Corbett.

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Now for the two men.

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Would you know them.

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Not the man in room A.

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I did not notice in particularly.

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Hmm.

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But how about the man who came out of this room?

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He's the one we're after.

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I would know him said Gaspard slowly.

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Yes.

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I feel sure that I could identify him.

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Hm.

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Well, that's good.

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Now for the crime itself.

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Go back to the desk and ring for a messenger.

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When he comes, send him here.

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Don't let anybody else come and don't say a word to anybody about this affair.

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Gaspard with a very pale face, went back to his desk.

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Nick remained alone with the beautiful dead.

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Chapter two.

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Gaspard spots, his man.

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A revolver lay on the carpet, just where it would have been if it had been dropped from the woman's right hand.

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It's position suggested the possibility of suicide.

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And there was at the first glance, nothing to contradict that theory.

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Except the conduct of Corbett and the man who had registered as John Jones.

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It might be that the woman had committed suicide.

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And the man had fled for fear of being implicated in the affair.

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Nick examined this side of the case at once.

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The pistol had evidently been held only a few inches from the woman's head when it was fired.

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Her white flesh showed the marks of the powder.

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The bullet had passed straight through her head.

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The revolver carried along 32 cartridge, three of the five chambers were loaded.

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One of them contained an empty shell on which the hammer rested.

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The fatal bullet had doubtless come from this chamber.

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For the shell had been recently discharged.

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In the fifth chamber was an old shell, which had apparently been carried under the hammer for safety.

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As is quite common.

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The woman had a purse containing about$20, but no cards or other things which might lead to identification.

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Her ears had been pierced for earrings, but she seemed not to have worn them recently.

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She had no watch.

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There was one plain gold ring on the third finger of her right hand.

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And there was a deep mark showing that she had worn another, but that ring was gone.

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How recently it had been removed was of course beyond discovery.

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There was no sign that it had been violently torn away.

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When Nick had proceeded thus far with his investigation.

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The messenger boy arrived.

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The detective sent messages to his assistants chick and Patsy.

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He then notified a coroner.

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Who came about 10 o'clock and took charge of the body.

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a minute examination failed to reveal any marks upon the clothing which might assist in establishing the woman's identity.

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Nick then left the restaurant, taking Gaspard with him.

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Inspector McLaughlin's men.

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We're by this time on hand and they took charge of the house under Nick's direction.

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At seven o'clock in the morning, Nick received a message from Patsy who had been directed to find the cab man in whose cab Corbett had fled.

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Patsy had located the cab man at his home on west 32nd street, the man's name was Harrigan.

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Nick took Gaspard with him and went to the house where Harrigan boarded.

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I got onto him.

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Easy enough, said Patsy, whom they found outside the house.

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I found the policeman who was on that beat last night and got him to give me a list of all the Nighthawks he'd seen around there up to eight o'clock of the evening.

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Then I began to chase up the fellows on that list.

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The second man, put me on to Harrigan.

00:17:16.076 --> 00:17:20.576
He remembered seeing him get the job, but couldn't tell me what sort of a man hired him.

00:17:21.267 --> 00:17:24.567
I guess there's no doubt that he's the man, but I haven't questioned him yet.

00:17:25.136 --> 00:17:26.336
He's in there asleep.

00:17:27.807 --> 00:17:32.576
Nick passed himself off as a friend of Harrigan's and was directed with Patsy to the man's room.

00:17:33.207 --> 00:17:38.876
They went in without being invited after having tried in vain to get an answer to their pounding on his door.

00:17:39.446 --> 00:17:41.817
The cat man was snoring in a heavy slumber.

00:17:42.836 --> 00:17:44.666
From what I heard said, Patsy.

00:17:45.047 --> 00:17:47.396
Harrigan had a very large skate on last night.

00:17:47.817 --> 00:17:49.287
He's sleeping it off.

00:17:50.426 --> 00:17:52.166
Nick shook the man unmercifully.

00:17:52.317 --> 00:17:53.876
And at last he sat up in bed.

00:17:54.896 --> 00:17:57.686
What the'ell said, he looking about him wildly.

00:17:58.366 --> 00:17:59.076
Who are youse.

00:17:59.396 --> 00:18:00.446
And what's all the row.

00:18:01.826 --> 00:18:04.527
As the quickest way to sober the man Nick showed his shield.

00:18:04.916 --> 00:18:06.747
It acted like a cold shower bath.

00:18:08.457 --> 00:18:11.217
Say, what was it I done gasped Harrigan.

00:18:11.616 --> 00:18:12.086
S'help me.

00:18:12.086 --> 00:18:13.376
I don't know nothing about it.

00:18:13.767 --> 00:18:16.346
I had a load on me last night and I ain't responsible.

00:18:17.007 --> 00:18:17.797
Patsy laughed.

00:18:19.047 --> 00:18:20.876
There's no charge against you said Nick.

00:18:21.446 --> 00:18:23.366
I only want to ask you a few questions.

00:18:24.047 --> 00:18:26.836
Harrigan sank back on his pillow with a gasp of relief.

00:18:27.616 --> 00:18:28.846
Gimme that water pitcher.

00:18:28.876 --> 00:18:31.186
He said Me throat's full o' cobwebs.

00:18:31.876 --> 00:18:36.196
He drank about a quart of water and then declared himself ready for a cross examination.

00:18:36.946 --> 00:18:39.076
Nick sized him up for a decent sort of fellow.

00:18:39.376 --> 00:18:43.547
And saw no reason to doubt that he was telling the truth when he answered the questions that were put to him.

00:18:44.237 --> 00:18:51.886
It appeared that he had been on seventh avenue near the French restaurant from a little after six to about half past seven on the previous evening.

00:18:52.666 --> 00:18:55.787
At the latter hour, a man had engaged his cab.

00:18:56.297 --> 00:18:59.836
He had taken it to the side door of the restaurant and the waiter had got in.

00:19:00.467 --> 00:19:03.136
The man who hired the cab was already inside.

00:19:03.707 --> 00:19:07.666
He had driven them somewhere on 57th street, or it might be 58.

00:19:08.027 --> 00:19:09.406
He couldn't remember exactly.

00:19:10.217 --> 00:19:11.477
The two men got out together.

00:19:11.926 --> 00:19:13.517
He didn't know what had become of them.

00:19:14.507 --> 00:19:15.287
His fare was paid.

00:19:15.287 --> 00:19:15.737
All right.

00:19:16.517 --> 00:19:21.767
Then he had a couple more drinks and the next thing he knew, he was at the stable where he had hired the cab.

00:19:22.457 --> 00:19:26.957
Of course, he didn't confess this in so many words, but Nick understood the facts well enough.

00:19:27.586 --> 00:19:30.616
That was absolutely all that Harrigan knew about the case.

00:19:32.027 --> 00:19:34.277
Would you recognize the man who hired your cab?

00:19:34.307 --> 00:19:36.017
If you saw him again, asked Nick.

00:19:36.797 --> 00:19:38.416
Oh sure said Harrigan.

00:19:38.926 --> 00:19:40.217
I wasn't so very full.

00:19:40.426 --> 00:19:41.686
Had me wits about me.

00:19:42.436 --> 00:19:45.856
Say you ain't going to do me dirt and get me license taken away.

00:19:46.426 --> 00:19:47.237
I was all right.

00:19:47.656 --> 00:19:48.737
I didn't do any harm.

00:19:50.027 --> 00:19:55.676
Nick, assured Harrigan that if he acted right in this case, His license would be safe and then left the man to his slumbers.

00:19:57.317 --> 00:19:58.876
Not very promising, is it, my boy?

00:19:59.146 --> 00:20:01.277
Said Nick to Patsy as they went downstairs.

00:20:01.846 --> 00:20:02.747
We've lost the trail.

00:20:02.747 --> 00:20:03.616
As soon as we struck it.

00:20:04.906 --> 00:20:06.376
Do you think he's giving it to us straight?

00:20:07.277 --> 00:20:07.757
Yes.

00:20:08.386 --> 00:20:11.836
He doesn't know where he took them in, nor what became of them after they left his cab.

00:20:12.886 --> 00:20:13.457
It's a pity.

00:20:13.457 --> 00:20:14.477
He had such a JAG.

00:20:15.106 --> 00:20:16.936
He had been the best witness in the case.

00:20:17.567 --> 00:20:18.287
Nick smiled.

00:20:19.547 --> 00:20:23.386
If he hadn't been drunk, he wouldn't have had anything to do with the case.

00:20:23.567 --> 00:20:25.906
He said, What do you mean?

00:20:27.067 --> 00:20:28.247
Why it's clear enough.

00:20:28.636 --> 00:20:34.186
This man that we want saw Harrigan on that cab while the man was on his way to the restaurant with the woman.

00:20:34.787 --> 00:20:40.576
Then when it became necessary to get Corbett out of the way he remembered the drunken cab man and hired him.

00:20:41.836 --> 00:20:42.946
I don't see how you know that.

00:20:44.027 --> 00:20:46.517
A man would rather have a sober driver than a drunken.

00:20:46.517 --> 00:20:47.217
One wouldn't he?

00:20:48.136 --> 00:20:48.707
Yes.

00:20:49.396 --> 00:20:53.267
Well, the man who told you, he saw Harrigan get the job was sober.

00:20:53.297 --> 00:20:53.807
Wasn't he?

00:20:54.646 --> 00:20:55.186
Yes.

00:20:56.237 --> 00:20:58.636
Then why didn't the man take his cab?

00:20:59.507 --> 00:21:04.997
Because he wanted a drunken driver who wouldn't be sharp enough to get onto any queer business.

00:21:05.537 --> 00:21:08.987
But he wouldn't have tried to find a drunken cab man just by luck.

00:21:09.287 --> 00:21:11.386
And he wouldn't have taken a sober one.

00:21:11.866 --> 00:21:16.727
Therefore he had seen Harrigan and hoped to find him in the same place.

00:21:17.207 --> 00:21:18.406
That's part of the plot.

00:21:19.366 --> 00:21:22.457
Now then you go to Chick who's watching the body of the woman.

00:21:23.027 --> 00:21:28.217
I'm going to take Gaspard uptown, and have a look at that part of the city where Harrigan left his passengers.

00:21:29.196 --> 00:21:34.146
Nick and Gaspard went to the 33rd street station of the sixth avenue elevated road.

00:21:34.836 --> 00:21:40.567
They walked to the edge of the platform on the uptown end, suddenly Gaspard gave a violent start.

00:21:41.047 --> 00:21:44.317
He uttered an exclamation of surprise and pointed across the tracks.

00:21:45.336 --> 00:21:46.596
What is it cried, Nick?

00:21:47.826 --> 00:21:50.557
The man who is in room B exclaimed Gaspard.

00:21:50.737 --> 00:21:51.757
I am sure of it.

00:21:52.807 --> 00:21:55.777
At that instant, a downtown train rushed into the station.

00:21:55.777 --> 00:21:56.826
Cutting off Nick's view.

00:21:57.547 --> 00:22:01.446
And a half second later, an uptown train pulled in on their side.

00:22:02.047 --> 00:22:04.807
Nick pushed open a gate before the train had fairly stopped.

00:22:05.166 --> 00:22:06.576
He dragged Gaspard after him.

00:22:07.267 --> 00:22:10.227
The gate men tried to stop them, but Nick pushed the fellow in the car.

00:22:10.227 --> 00:22:12.747
So violently that he sat down on the floor.

00:22:13.346 --> 00:22:19.767
Then the detective pulled the other gate open and still dragging Gaspard sprang down in the space between the tracks.

00:22:20.217 --> 00:22:21.896
The other train was just starting.

00:22:22.557 --> 00:22:24.957
Nick leaped up and opened one of the gates.

00:22:25.467 --> 00:22:29.936
Gaspard stood, trembling, excitement and terror rendered him incapable of action.

00:22:30.717 --> 00:22:37.707
Nick reached down and seizing the man by the shoulders lifted him up to the platform of the car as if he had been a child of 10.

00:22:39.237 --> 00:22:42.567
Look back cried the detective pushing Gaspard to the other side of the car.

00:22:42.957 --> 00:22:44.547
Is your man still at the station.

00:22:45.686 --> 00:22:49.076
Two or three men were there having apparently just missed the train.

00:22:49.936 --> 00:22:56.906
It seemed possible that the criminal, if such, he was, had seen Gaspard point and had been shrewd enough, not to board the car.

00:22:57.356 --> 00:23:00.747
But Gaspard looked back and declared that his man was not there.

00:23:01.737 --> 00:23:02.727
Good said Nick.

00:23:03.297 --> 00:23:04.376
He must be on the train.

00:23:04.797 --> 00:23:05.876
We have him sure.

00:23:08.876 --> 00:23:10.807
Has Nick found the right man?

00:23:11.247 --> 00:23:13.497
Who is the woman murdered at the cafe?

00:23:14.096 --> 00:23:16.047
Who was the second person in the cab?

00:23:16.376 --> 00:23:23.426
The answer to these questions and more maybe found in the next thrilling episode of Nick Carter master detective.

00:23:24.247 --> 00:23:25.926
I always wanted to say stuff like that.

00:23:26.646 --> 00:23:27.156
Hey folks.

00:23:27.186 --> 00:23:27.997
Thanks for listening.

00:23:28.446 --> 00:23:30.126
Next podcast will be out soon.

00:23:30.846 --> 00:23:31.777
Once again, special.

00:23:31.777 --> 00:23:32.106
Thanks.

00:23:32.106 --> 00:23:35.166
Go out to project Gutenberg and the tireless volunteers there.

00:23:35.557 --> 00:23:38.797
Thanks for keeping these stories alive for us and for future generations.

00:23:39.396 --> 00:23:41.076
Well until next time folks.

00:23:41.376 --> 00:23:42.247
Thanks for listening.

00:23:42.426 --> 00:23:43.507
Share your stories.

00:23:43.567 --> 00:23:45.396
And if you'd like buy me a coffee.

00:23:45.936 --> 00:23:46.656
Be a good human.

00:23:47.136 --> 00:23:47.826
Bye now.