Chapter VIII: A Cruel Position

"I shall settle that question," said Nick. "It was I who found the point of the hypodermic syringe imbedded in Mr. Rogers’ wrist. It was undoubtedly broken off to complete the blackmailing scheme and attract suspicion to you. It was for that same reason the broken syringe was left here."

"That must be so," said the doctor, "and if he was murdered, it must have been by that woman."

"In my profession we do not jump at conclusions so hastily," said Nick, evading the doctor’s remark.

Dr. Lord laughed at this sally, and Nick took up his hat as if about to leave.

"Before you go, Mr. Carter, can you tell me what was the appearance of the wrist in the locality where the syringe point was imbedded?"

"Yes. I observed it very carefully. Where the point lay, underneath the skin, the color was normal--except that one could detect the needle-like piece of silver, upon very close observation. But it was not that which first attracted my attention."

"What was it?" asked the doctor, who seemed to be intensely interested.

"It was the fact that, extending from the point of the needle upward, for a couple of inches, there was a marked discoloration."

"Thank you. This may be important, Mr. Carter. I shall consult with Dr. White about it."

Nick then bade the doctor good-by and turned his footsteps toward the Rogers mansion.

He had not gone many yards when he met his faithful assistant, Chick.

"Moreno is up at Rogers’ place," said Chick, "and Ida is at the hotel."

"Well, what other news, Chick?"

"Miss Rogers loves the doctor."

"Good! Keep an eye on Rogers and Moreno for a few minutes."

Nick immediately returned to Dr. Lord’s house.

He hurriedly explained to the doctor why he had come back, and, two minutes later, a distinguished-looking Cuban left the physician’s residence.

He walked leisurely in the direction of the Rogers mansion.

Chick, who was accustomed to his chief’s wonderful disguises, noticed him approaching and came slowly toward him.

"As soon as I have entered the house I engage Jones, the butler, in conversation," said Nick, hurriedly.

He then entered the lawn of the Rogers villa and approached the front door.

"Can I see Mr. Rogers?" he asked, when Jones answered the bell.

"He is engaged just now, sir. But if you will give me your card----”

"Oh, never mind," interrupted Nick. "I shall wait for him."

The colored man showed him into the reception-room.

At that moment the door bell rang again.

It was Chick, and Nick Carter knew well that his clever assistant would keep Jones engaged until he again appeared.

Creeping noiselessly, he went along the hallway until he arrived at the library door.

Here he stopped and listened.

He heard the voices of two persons; but could not catch their conversation.

The ornamentations on the key-hole, inside as well as on the hall side, prevented his hearing through that channel.

Looking upward, he noticed that the old-fashioned transom could easily be opened, and he was soon standing upon a hall chair with a good view of the interior of the room.

Sam Rogers was seated at a desk, and Moreno standing beside him.

The latter was speaking in a commanding manner; but his voice was so low that Nick could not detect his words.

He now proceeded to open the transom as cautiously and noiselessly as possible.

After a few moments he succeeded in opening it a few inches, and he then heard distinctly the conversation of Moreno and Rogers.

"It is utterly useless to go any further," said Rogers. "I will not swear an information against Dr. Lord."

"Was it Nick Carter advised you to make this decision?"

"No, sir. Mr. Carter does not know anything about this affair."

"Why did you engage him?"

"Anita told me to engage a detective."

"She told you to engage a private detective in Boston, to whom you were to point out the top of the hypodermic syringe, and suggest to him that it might belong to Dr. Lord. If you did that, Lord would have been at once arrested on suspicion. But you knew that Nick Carter would never make the arrest until he had fully and perfectly investigated the case, and was absolutely certain of his man."

"I know that now. I did not know it when I engaged him."

"If you engaged him with the intention of directing his suspicion to Dr. Lord, why do you now refuse to make an information yourself?"

"Because I know Dr. Lord did not murder my father."

"What would you do if Anita made such a statement to the police?" said the Cuban.

The young man started at this cold-blooded suggestion.

He seemed to be in a perfect agony of mental torture.

Suddenly he stood up, and, facing Moreno, he said:

"If she dares to do such a thing, I would expose the whole affair."

"Have a care, Mr. Rogers," said the Cuban, fiercely. "Don’t go too far."

"I defy both you and her!" cried Rogers, who was now very excited.

It evidently did not suit Moreno’s plans to quarrel seriously with his companion.

He immediately changed his tactics and said:

"If Anita gave you a release to-morrow, how much would you pay for it?"

"To-morrow? Why, that’s impossible! But, see here, Moreno. If Mr. Carter arrests the doctor upon his own responsibility, I shall not interfere. That is all I can or will do in this direction. But I am willing to guarantee Anita one hundred thousand dollars, to be paid after my marriage with Miss Bland, if she produces a decree of divorce before it. It is utterly useless to annoy me further."

"We will force you to do this!" hissed Moreno.

"Do your very worst! I am so weary of this disgraceful affair that I am perfectly prepared for any event."

"Very well, Mr. Rogers," said the Cuban, in a cold, cutting tone. "Anita will to-morrow come to Boston and proclaim herself your wife."

That shot told.

The young fellow threw himself into a chair and gave way to torturing reflections.

His position was indeed cruel.

Moreno knew well the effect of his blow, he looked at Rogers with a smile of triumph, and then took up his hat and pretended to prepare to leave the room.

He took a few steps toward the door, when Rogers suddenly cried:

"Stop!"

"Well, sir?" said Moreno, smiling grimly.

"Give me one week to consider."

"No, Mr. Rogers, not one day. You wish to consult with Nick Carter. I must have your answer now or you will never marry Miss Bland. If you are so anxious to avoid family scandal by saving your sister’s intended husband, pay the money right away. It will enable you to wed half a million."

The young fellow struggled desperately between his honor and his feelings.

"Supposing I do consent," he said, at length. "You have agreed to produce a divorce from Anita upon receipt of one hundred thousand dollars. That will take some time."

"She is prepared to release you legally at once."

"At once?"

"Yes. If you consent to pay the money to-morrow, I shall telegraph to her to come here to arrange the affair. And now I shall not waste another moment. Do you consent? Or shall I allow her to come here and proclaim herself your wife?"

"I consent," said Rogers, in a solemn tone, as if he was passing his own death sentence. "Leave me now, Moreno. I am upset by this affair. I shall be ready to-morrow."

"Oh, no," said the Cuban, with a sardonic grin. "I shall not leave you now until our little business is transacted."

"Mr. Carter will be here shortly," said Rogers, looking the Cuban full in the face. "Perhaps you would not care to see him?"

"Oh, it does not make any difference, now that you have decided to settle up without waiting for Dr. Lord’s arrest. But I would advise you to dismiss Carter at once."

"Very well. I shall be glad to have this horrible affair ended. But----”

He mused for a moment, and then continued:

"Mr. Carter has already interested himself in the case, and from what you tell me of his character, I fear he may want to probe it, with or without my consent."

"Ah!" said Moreno, "I did not think of that. Yes. He must be silenced."

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind, Mr. Rogers. We will attend to that."

As he said this, the door suddenly opened, and Nick Carter entered.

"You will attend to Nick Carter, will you?" said he.

Quick as lightning, and before Moreno could recover from his surprise, Nick caught his wrists with a grasp of iron and placed the handcuffs upon them.

"Now, Mr. Moreno," said he, "Nick Carter will attend to you. Come along!"

"Good heavens!" exclaimed the Cuban. "Where did you come from?"

"The moon, of course, but the place you are going to will be much nearer at hand."

Nick caught him by the arm and marched him out of the room.

Handing him over to Chick who was still conversing with the colored man, Nick said:

"Take this fellow to police headquarters."

He then turned to young Rogers.

The young man was bewildered from astonishment.

He was positively dazed to learn that Nick knew about his arrangements with Moreno.

He could not understand how it was possible for him to have discovered it, and he looked at him in silence in the same manner as he would have looked at a supernatural being.

Nick saw that the young fellow was overwhelmed with surprise; but there was no time to be lost.

"Mr. Rogers," said he, "I want your presence at the Adams House at three o’clock. It is a matter of the greatest importance for you to be there. Don’t fail."

Surprises were pouring in so suddenly upon the young man that he was too bewildered to reply.

Nick took no notice of his amazement or silence. He repeated:

"Don’t forget. Adams House, at three o’clock."

He left Rogers seated in his library, still wondering how the affair happened.

Nick now hastened to the nearest telegraph office and sent the following dispatch:

"Mrs. Rogers, Bay State Hotel, Worcester: Manuel has seen Sam’s cousin. Settlement impossible unless with you, in person. Come on by first train. Meet me at Adams House. Ask for Rogers, room 75.

MORENO."

Five minutes later he was at Dr. Lord’s.

"Well, Mr. Carter," said the physician, "what can I do for you this time?"

"I simply called to ask you to meet me in room seventy-five at the Adams House at three o’clock."

"I shall be there, Mr. Carter."

Nick did not delay one moment, but hastened to his hotel.

Here he lay upon a lounge and gave himself up to a moment of reflection.

"What a sell they will all get!" he mused. "But it will be an agreeable one. The poor doctor will be sold because his misery will end almost before it had begun.

"And young Rogers!

"Ah! He is a weak subject, and no mistake.

"If he hadn’t deceived me about the woman’s visits, I could have finished yesterday.

"However, he will feel sold when he learns how I have found him out, although he will, at the same time, be freed from his Cuban wife.

"As for the three Cubans!

"Well, perhaps the greatest surprise of all will be for them!"