CHAPTER X.
THE TRUE STORY OF MRS. JOHN JONES.
Jones fell back into his chair. The woman bit her lip till the bloodspurted out.
Then suddenly the color left her face. She sat up, staring straightbefore her, and she did not move during the explanation which Nick gave.
While he was speaking, the detective watched her narrowly. Certainly shewas meditating some remarkable action. He wondered what it could be.
"Yes," said Nick, turning to the superintendent, "we have at laststraightened out the matter of those two rooms and their occupants.
"As to the spot where the crime was committed, I have not been in doubtfrom the first.
"You will remember that the fatal wound was visible on both the woman'stemples. The bullet passed entirely through her head.
"But where was the bullet? That was the question which I asked myself atonce.
"I could not find it in room B, where the body lay. Then I tried room A,with no better success.
"At this point Chick took up the hunt, and carried it to the end. Thebullet was in neither room. It was just between them.
"You remember that there was a door which I found fastened upon bothsides.
"Chick opened that door, and in its framework, the wood of which was oldand soft, he found the bullet.
"The mark was covered when the door was shut. Therefore the door musthave been open when the shot was fired.
"The position of the bullet shows that the shot was fired from room A.Then the woman, for some reason, had got into that room. She hadunlocked the door on her side and had managed to induce the persons onthe other side to slip their bolt.
"Now, why did she do this? Of course there is only one answer. Jealousywas her motive. The man in room A was her husband.
"I have satisfied myself of that. She must have known that he was goingto dine in that house with another woman.
"It is clear that she made the acquaintance of Hammond because she wasdetermined to get into that restaurant, and women are not admittedalone.
"The dropping of the purse was, of course, a very simple trick. She hadnoticed Hammond behind her, and as he was evidently a gentleman, shedecided to use him for her purpose.
"You have heard how she led him to the restaurant. Of course it was onlyby chance that they got the room next to that in which her husband was.
"Hammond has told how she listened to the voices, and how she got rid ofhim.
"What followed can be easily understood. She got into room A. She drewher pistol and attempted to shoot either her faithless husband or hiscompanion.
"Jones disarmed her and shot her with her own pistol.
"Then he carried her into room B, and put her in that chair.
"At that moment Corbut entered, for the door of room B was not locked.
"In some way they bribed him to keep silence. They sent him into roomA, where he locked the connecting door on that side.
"Jones fastened it on the side of room B and fled. It was then thatGaspard saw him coming out of room B. And that's what mixed the case sobadly.
"It gave us the wrong arrangement of men in those rooms. That was theonly reason why I ever doubted Jones' guilt. I was convinced that theman who had brought the woman to the house was not the man who had shother.
"You did not know, Mr. Hammond, that when you told me, in my house, thatyou were the man in room A, that you practically confessed to being themurderer."
At these words, Hammond gave a dry and painful gasp. He saw what anescape he had had.
"As to the two women," Nick continued, "it is easy to read the secret.
"Jones had two wives. The real wife, now dead, lived in the flat theaddress of which Jones gave me. This woman lived in the Fifty-eighthstreet flat, where Corbut was murdered.
"Jones divided his time between them. He really loved this one andwished to be rid of the other.
"His true wife surprised his secret at last, and it led her to herdeath.
"That night after the murder the plan was formed by which this woman wasto personate the other. The striking similarity in the hair, which wasthe most conspicuous beauty of each, suggested the plot.
"Perhaps Jones had thought of such a thing long before. That may haveled him to keep his real wife practically unknown in this city, while hewas frequently seen with this woman.
"As to the dresses, this woman, who is a very clever dressmaker, as I amtold, doubtless had time to copy the other's costume in the night andthe day following the crime.
"She did most of the work in Albany, where she went as soon as possible.Then wearing the duplicate dress, she went to her friends in Maysville,and afterward came here.
"Is it all plain now?"
"It is clear as a bell, Mr. Carter," said the superintendent.
"Wait a moment!"
It was the woman's voice. She spoke calmly, and looked straight intoNick's face.
"You have made one grave error," she said. "It was not John who killedthat woman; it was I.
"She tried to shoot him, and I wrenched the pistol from her hand. I shother dead.
"The plot was all mine. It was I who bribed Corbut. It was I who killedhim.
"John brought him to our flat. I sent my husband away, and when hereturned a few minutes later, Corbut was dead. John had no guilty handin either crime.
"He fainted at the sight of Corbut's body. When he came to himself, thebody was no longer to be seen. I had put it into the trunks. It was Iwho afterward sent them to Gaspard.
"These crimes I committed for love of this man. I had been his wife forfive years, and for three of them I did not know he had another.
"And when I found it out, I did not do as this woman did. I simply lovedhim more.
"I love him still, and because I love him I tell the truth to save him.Yes, more, because I love him, I will shed more blood. He shall not seeme imprisoned or condemned to death. I will spare him that pain."
As she spoke, she drew a little ornamental dagger from her dress. Itwas a mere toy. Nobody would have supposed it to be a deadly weapon.
However, Nick sprang forward to prevent her from doing herself aninjury.
He was too late. She plunged the dagger into her brain.
So firm and true was her hand that the slender blade pierced the thinbone of her right temple, and was driven in until the hilt made animpression on her white skin like a seal upon wax.
Jones uttered a scream of horror at this sight. He, too, had attemptedto stay her hand, but had been too slow.
As she fell, he plucked the dagger from the wound and attempted to driveit into his own brain. But Nick caught his arm and wrested theblood-stained weapon from him.
Deprived thus of the means for ending his life, Jones fell upon hisknees before the woman and covered her hands with kisses, nor could hebe taken away, until the hands were chilled by death.
And that was the strange end of the affair. The woman's confession,though it may not have been true, will doubtless save Jones' life.
At the time of this writing the district attorney is of the opinion thata plea of murder in the second degree had better be accepted. There isno indication that the prisoner will fight the case.
So Jones will spend his days in prison, though he will escape the deathchair.
A word should be added about the witness, Gaspard. He has been clearedof all reproach, and has sailed for France with his bride.
THE END.
NICK CARTER'S GHOST STORY.
The Crime of the French Café and Other Stories Page 10
