The Crime of the French Café and Other Stories

by Nicholas Carter

  CHAPTER VIII.

  BEFORE THE SUPERINTENDENT.

  As Nick expected, he met Chick outside Superintendent Byrnes's house.

  "Go to Jarvis," said Nick. "He is going to tell the whole story.Personate me in this disguise."

  Chick nodded and vanished.

  Within the house Nick found Deever in the superintendent's presence.Deever's face was red, and he looked like a man who had been kicking astone wall until he is tired.

  "Mr. Deever has lodged a complaint against you, Mr. Colton," said thesuperintendent, with a twinkle in his eye.

  "What's the matter?" asked Nick.

  "He says that you ought to have had this man Jarvis electrocuted by thistime."

  "I have proceeded with great caution," said Nick.

  "Yes, you have," said Deever. "You have been very careful to shieldJarvis at every step. He's a rich man, Jarvis is!"

  "Deever," said the superintendent, sternly, "I have delayed answeringyour complaint until this time because I wished to have Mr. Coltonpresent to hear what I said.

  "And, now, what I have to say is this--don't you venture to hint at theshadow of a suspicion of his integrity. I am entirely satisfied with Mr.Colton's conduct. I sustain him absolutely. I have put this case inhis hands, and there it stays."

  Deever quailed at these words, but his natural obstinacy came to hisaid.

  "I can get a warrant for Jarvis' arrest," he said.

  "Go ahead and do it, and make a fool of yourself," replied thesuperintendent.

  "With your permission," said Nick, "I advise Mr. Deever to remain here.Meanwhile we will send a messenger for the witness, John Flint, whosetestimony seems to me to be of the greatest importance."

  "Proceed just as you wish," said Byrnes.

  The messenger was summoned, and dispatched.

  While they waited for him Nick reviewed in the presence of thesuperintendent and Deever the evidence against Jarvis.

  Some of it, as the reader knows, was news to Deever. He seemed surprisedto find the case supported and strengthened by the man whom he suspectedof trying to weaken it.

  "I call that plain enough," said he, when Nick had finished. "I willwithdraw my charge against Mr. Colton, if some action is now taken."

  "No action will be taken except on his advice," said the superintendent.

  Deever became excited again. He ran over the evidence, and insisted onan immediate arrest.

  Nick said nothing, and the superintendent maintained the calm of an ironstatue.

  When Deever had exhausted himself, Nick spoke.

  "I promise you an arrest in one hour," he said.

  At this moment a card was brought in and handed to the superintendent.

  "From Chick," he said aside to Nick. "He and Jarvis are waiting. What doyou say?"

  "Let them come in," said Nick.

  They were admitted. Chick, as the reader is prepared to learn, appearedas the exact counterpart of Nick.

  Deever was struck dumb with astonishment at the sight, and the doctor'seyes nearly fell out of his head.

  Byrnes smiled, and muttered "clever."

  "Which of these two men do you complain of, Mr. Deever?" he asked,enjoying the man's mystification.

  But Deever did not reply, except to mutter something about theinterference of the devil in earthly affairs.

  Dr. Jarvis, with some effort, recovered some portion of his composure.

  "Well, sir," said the superintendent, addressing him, "I suppose thatyou have something to say to me."

  "I have, sir," replied Jarvis; "and no man could be charged with a morepainful disclosure."

  "Speak up."

  "I am guilty of the murder of Patrick Deever."

  This confession produced no perceptible effect upon Nick, though thereader cannot have failed to perceive that the great detective had beenworking with a conviction of the doctor's innocence.

  Of all the persons in the room, Deever exhibited the strongest emotion.He gasped, sprang to his feet, and then sat down again heavily.

  "What do you say to that?" he exclaimed, turning to Nick.

  "I am waiting to hear Dr. Jarvis' story," Nick replied.

  "Yes," said the superintendent, "let us hear all about it."

  Dr. Jarvis tried to speak, but the words would not come. He staggeredand fell half-fainting into a chair.

  "I cannot tell it," he said, when he had somewhat revived. "Wait till Iam stronger."

  "Perhaps that will not be necessary," said Nick.

  "No, no; why should it?" said the prisoner, in a faint voice. "Iconfess, and that is the end of it."

  "However, we would like to know more fully about this affair," saidByrnes, and he looked inquiringly at Nick.

  "Let me tell the story," said Nick to Jarvis. "If I am right, you haveonly to nod. That will do for the present occasion. We are not takingtestimony."

  "But how do you know--" Deever began.

  The superintendent cut him short.

  "Proceed, if you please," said he to Nick, and then he fixed his eyesupon Dr. Jarvis.

  "In the garden of the hospital," Nick began, "about half-past sixo'clock on the evening of Monday last, you had high words with PatrickDeever, who was working under your direction."

  Dr. Jarvis nodded, as Nick paused.

  "He was somewhat intoxicated, and his language was very abusive. Youreplied in violent reproval, and he started forward, as if about toattack you."

  Again the doctor made a sign of assent.

  "You seized a spade--"

  "It was in my hand," the doctor interrupted, feebly.

  "That is right; correct me whenever I am in error. You raised the spadeand struck Deever upon the head.

  "He fell to the ground, and you, bending over him, were horrified tofind that he was dead; or, rather, that he seemed to be.

  "Exactly how he came to life I do not know, but it must have been whileyou were in the midst of your terror, and beginning to wonder what youwould do with the body."

  "How do you know all this?" asked the doctor, faintly.

  "It is simply the only explanation of all the facts. The witness Kleinheard the quarrel and the blow. That blow did not fall upon you, andthere was nobody else present but Patrick Deever.

  "Now, then, he suddenly came to himself. He sprang up. You were amazed.You advanced toward him.

  "Believing that you intended to renew the attack, he ran away. He scaledthe garden wall, and fled through the little grove toward the river."

  "You are reading my mind," exclaimed the doctor, whose amazement actedas a restorative.

  "No, I am not. How else could he have got out? On one side was Klein, onthe other St. Nicholas avenue, with many people who would have seen him.He escaped toward the river."

  "Then you didn't kill him, after all?" asked the superintendent.

  "Of the remainder of that fatal affair," said Dr. Jarvis, "I have onlyone explanation to give, and that will seem miraculous.

  "His body was found buried in the garden. I was seen to bury it. I wasseen carrying it there by night.

  "But upon my soul, I did not know that I did it. The evidence hasconvinced me, that is all.

  "And this is the explanation: Patrick Deever, after escaping from thegrove, must have fallen and died. I must have gone there in my sleep,have found the body, and brought it back to the garden.

  "My habit of sleep-walking is well known. I have done things which, froma scientific point of view, were far more marvelous than this."

  "Nonsense!" cried Deever; "you were wide enough awake. SuperintendentByrnes will not swallow that story."

  "Is it any more wonderful," said Nick, "than what I saw the doctor do inhis laboratory?"

  The story of that night he had already told to Deever and thesuperintendent.

  "Very little, if any," said Byrnes.

  "I passed that night, or supposed that I passed it, at my home," saidthe doctor. "I took an opiate, and seemed to sleep. But I had dreams ofmurder and the hiding of
dead bodies. I must have walked. It was fate."

  "But the wounds upon the body? How about them?" asked Byrnes.

  "They must have been made while he was pounding the body down into theearth," said Deever, quickly.

  Then he turned to Nick.

  "You promised me an arrest within the hour," he said; "now let me havethe satisfaction of seeing it formally made."

  "Wait," said Nick. "I have yet several minutes; and here is the witness,John Flint."

  The man was brought in as Nick spoke. He seemed to be somewhat alarmed.

  "What's wanted?" he said.

  "Only a little formality," said Nick. "As you do not wish to appear incourt, we desire to take your sworn testimony at this time."

  The sweat stood out on Flint's forehead, but when the properarrangements had been made, he took the oath and told his story.

  "And now, Dr. Jarvis," said Nick, "it is my very agreeable duty torecommend that you be discharged from custody."

  "What!" cried Jarvis and Deever in the same breath.

  "Superintendent Byrnes, I appeal to you," Deever exclaimed.

  The face of the superintendent was perfectly calm.

  "The case is in Mr. Colton's hands," he said, simply.

  "What did you mean, you villain," cried Deever, turning to Nick, "bytalking about an arrest?"

  "I will keep my promise," said Nick. "I will keep it doubly. There isyet one minute of the hour. I arrest you, John Flint, for perjury, andyou, Lawrence Deever, for the subornation of perjury."