Nick Carter Detective Library, No. 1 | Page 4

covered the ground."
"You looked for trap-doors, sliding panels, movable casings, and all
such things, I suppose?"
"Certainly. We looked very thoroughly."
"And found nothing!"
"Nothing."
"Still, it will do no harm for me to have a try."
"Certainly not."
"I have found such things in houses where I least expected them before
now. It may be that I will find something of the kind there."
"It may be."
"But you do not think so?"
"No, frankly, I do not."
"And yet, how else could the murderer have entered and left the
house?"
"My dear Nick, I have asked myself that question at least ten thousand
times."
"And found no answer?"
"None."
"Well, I'm inclined to the belief that I will find something of the kind
there."
"I hope you will."

"The case stands this way. A girl was murdered. To have been
murdered it seems probable that a stranger gained access to her room."
"Yes."
"And yet the condition in which the house was found was such that it is
apparently impossible that any one did enter or leave the house after
Delia Dent left her mistress that night."
"Precisely."
"Therefore it must have been by some means or method of which you
are ignorant."
"Of course.
"How then, if not by a secret door, sliding panel, or some like
contrivance?"
"That is the question. How, then?"
"Well, that is then the first thing that I am going to look for."
"And the next?"
"Will depend upon my success with the first. Is that all, inspector?"
"Nearly. You will find the house exactly as I found it when I first went
there to investigate; and now, goodnight, Nick," continued the inspector,
rising, and taking a large envelope from his pocket.
"This," he said, "contains the entire case from first to last, and you may
read it over at your own convenience. Nothing is omitted, and yet very
little is said that is worth reading."
"It is that Eugenie La Verde was choked to death, and that the murderer
escaped and left not the slightest clew as to his identity or his haunts."
"Exactly. And now you must find him."

"I will try."
"If anybody can succeed, you can and will."
"Thanks; I will try."
"Good-night."
"Good-night."
The door closed, and the great director of detectives was gone.
CHAPTER III.
THE FIRST CLEW.
On the following morning Nick went at once to Eugenie La Verde's
house in Forty-seventh street, disguised as a plumber.
The room which she had formerly occupied was nearly in the same
condition in which it had been found on the morning after the murder,
and a careful search offered no immediate suggestion to the detective.
From the sleeping room, he passed to the parlor floor, where he
inspected all of the window-catches and appliances, casings, and
panels.
Again without result.
Presently, he approached the stairs which led from the parlor floor to
that below.
The door of communication was at the foot of the stairs, and was both
locked and chained on the inner, or parlorfloor side.
There was nothing faulty about either the lock, chain, or door. They
were evidently perfect, and he turned his attention to the stairs.
Stair-ways are convenient arrangements through which to construct a

secret passage-way, and Nick never neglected them.
Suddenly he made a discovery. The third step from the bottom was not
secure in its place.
For more than two hours he continued the search, but without further
result.
It was nearly dark when Nick was reminded of the fact that he was
hungry, and he quietly left the house in search of a convenient
restaurant.
Two blocks away he found a beer saloon, which advertised meals at all
hours.
Having entered and ordered what he wanted, he was presently engaged
in eating it, when two swarthy, ill-conditioned fellows entered the
saloon and seated themselves at the second table from him.
The very first words uttered by the men caused him to listen
attentively:
"Captain, Inspector Byrnes made a call last night."
"Where?" asked the one addressed as captain."
"Upon that devil of a detective. I don't care to mention his name here."
"Ah; the one whom Sindahr calls the little giant? Exactly.
"Well, what of it?"
"It may be that he has set him upon us."
"Bah! No. There are no reasons for that. The inspector does not even
know that we exist."
"He knows most things."

"Yes, but nothing of us. Still it may be well to-did you watch for the
'the little giant.'?"
"Yes."
"Has he gone out?"
"One never can tell, but I think not. I left there an hour ago, and Tony
has taken my place. I could swear that he had not left the house when I
came away."
Nick smiled.
"Come, John," said the captain. "We