“It’s understood,” said Collins, “when the Bradys are safe outen the way you will pay us ten thousand in gold?”
“That is right!” agreed Blood.
“Then the job is as good as done!”
“They are a pair of foxes!”
The trio laughed in a blood-curdling way.
“Don’t ye fear!” said Burke.
“Well, it’s worth that to me,” said Blood. “Once they are out of the way the course is pretty clear.”
“Wall, it oughter be.”
“I fear nobody else.”
“Ten thousand in gold!” said Burke. “That will take us to Australia. The twenty thousand we got fer the Fifteenth street job will start us in business, all right!”
“Yes, and I wish you luck!” said Blood. “Make the work sure!”
“Did ye ever know us to fail?”
“Well, no!”
“Very well. Ye’ll see that we’ll take keer of them Bradys all right.”
“Look here!” cried Collins. “What be ye going to do with that young Banks, anyway?”
“I’m going to arrest him,” replied Blood. This interested the detectives.
“Arrest him?”
“Yes.”
“Ah! Have ye got the right evidence, think ye?”
“My man Scott, a private detective, has worked that all right. Some of the girl’s jewelry1, and a lace necktie stained with blood will be found in young Banks’ room to-morrow. Also, there’ll be blood on some of his clothes.”
The trio laughed grimly.
At this there was a general laugh. Then Blood arose to go.
“All right,” he said in parting, “see that you do your work well by the Bradys. I’ll keep an eye out all the while.”
Blood left the place.
Then the trio also separated for the night. It was a peculiarity3 of theirs to be seldom found together.
The Bradys had gained the most valuable of information.
“We have got them solid!” cried Old King Brady. “We can now easily checkmate them.”
“We must see young Banks at once.”
“So I think!”
“He must be put on his guard and the dastardly scheme of Blood’s frustrated5. Then we will have sufficient against both Blood and the trio.”
“And arrest them?”
“Instantly!”
“Good! Nothing could be better.”
The Bradys left Sly Jimmie’s place. The air was crisp and cold, for the frigidity6 of winter had not yet passed away.
They did not attempt to shadow any individual member of the gang.
He roomed, while at work in the city, in Irving Place. The room was a specimen9 of the sort usually found in lodging8 houses.
He simply knew that a tall, hawk-eyed man roomed next to him. But he had never ventured a surmise11 as to the man’s character or identity.
The chambermaid had caught Mr. Scott, the hawk-eyed man, one day trying to fit skeleton keys to Allerton’s door.
But Mr. Scott profusely12 explained that he had got the wrong room by mistake and went into his own room.
All this the Bradys possessed13 themselves of very quickly after arriving at Allerton’s lodging house.
He was not in when they called, but they waited for him.
In due time he entered.
At once the Bradys introduced themselves and a pleasant conversation followed.
“I can assure you,” said young Banks, “the disappearance14 of my fiancee has been a dreadful blow to me. I have until now never given up hope that she might be found alive.”
“I fear there is no ground for such a hope,” said Old 10 King Brady. “You will do well to preserve your own life from the same gang.”
Allerton was startled.
“Is that true?” he exclaimed.
“As true as can be. We have come to warn you.”
Young Banks was dumfounded. He listened to the story repeated by the Bradys.
“That is very strange,” he said, finally. “I cannot understand it.”
“Now, we must work sharp to beat Blood at his own game,” said Old King Brady. “Who could have access to your room here?”
“Only the maid and landlady,” replied Allerton.
“Unless your next-door neighbor picked the lock.”
“Do you think it?”
“It is likely.”
“I do not even know him beyond the fact that he is a private detective and his name is Scott.”
“Yes, yes!” said Harry. “Well, such fellows make no trouble in finding their way through any door.”
“Do you think it possible?”
“I am sure of it.”
“But what could he enter my room for?” asked Allerton.
“The answer we will give you speedily,” replied Old King Brady. “Overhaul your wardrobe. We must search every corner of this room.”
“You puzzle me!”
“Never mind. Do as I say!”
“Oh, certainly!”
The young cashier went through his wardrobe. To his horror a suit of clothes was found smeared16 with blood.
The detectives kept grimly at work. Other incriminating evidence was quickly produced.
The young cashier was aghast.
“I need only say,” he said, “that this is all very inexplicable18 to me.”
“Indeed?” said Old King Brady. “How did these bloody clothes come in your room?”
“I have not the slightest idea.”
“Do you mean that?”
“Yes, I do!”
“Are they not yours?”
“They are.”
“How did the blood come upon them?”
“I do not know.”
Young Banks was like one dazed.
“Gentlemen,” he said, earnestly, “I swear to you that I have committed no crime. How the blood came here is an intense mystery to me. Could anybody have placed it there to incriminate me?”
Old King Brady’s face relaxed.
“I’m glad you have come to your senses, young man,” he said. “Now you are getting near the mark.”
“Do you know that such is the case?” asked Banks.
“Yes,” replied Old King Brady.
Banks was amazed.
With this, Old King Brady gave succinctly20 the facts in the case.
Young Banks listened with surprise, horror and indignation.
“And it is true that Evelyn was foully21 murdered?” he gasped22. “I have had hopes until now. Oh, this is too dreadful! And it is all Blood’s work?”
“Yes.”
“Then I swear that he shall be brought to justice. He shall hang.”
“That is just what we are trying to do now,” said Old King Brady. “And I think we are in a fair way to succeed.”
“I hope so. Oh, gentlemen, I place myself in your hands! What ought I to do under these circumstances?”
“Keep very quiet,” advised Old King Brady. “Officers will come here to arrest you and to search your room. Make no objection. Even let them arrest you if they will. Have faith in us. We will not see you come to harm.”
“Oh, heaven bless you! This is a terrible nightmare to me.”
“Do as we tell you and you will be safe!”
“I will surely do so!”
The Bradys now took their leave.
They carried with them the blood-stained clothes and all the evidences of the murder.
Thus the matter rested.
The next day officers went to young Banks’ room and arrested him.
The place was searched thoroughly23, but not a trace of the evidence, supposed by Scott to be there, was found.
The effect of this upon the private detective it is easy to estimate.
However, the warrant demanded the arrest of Allerton Banks and he was taken to the Tombs.
The evening papers came out with a thrilling account of the arrest.
“The murderer found!” it read. “At last an arrest is made. It proves a great surprise, for the party charged with the crime by Detective Scott is no other than the lover of the missing girl, Allerton Banks.”
A long reminiscent account of the crime followed.
The Bradys read this with interest.
There was no case whatever against young Banks.
The police justice at once discharged him and reprimanded Scott.
They believed they had plenty of evidence to convict all.
They had evidence that Scott had secured the room next to Banks for the purpose of effecting an entrance.
11
They had the evidence of the chambermaid that he had been seen trying to pick the lock.
They could show complicity between Blood and the Tough Trio.
They could also show a warrantable motive31 for the crime and altogether quite sufficient evidence to convict the gang.
So the Bradys went first to the residence of Mr. Napoleon Blood in lonely Westchester.
But he was not there.
“He has just gone to the city with Mr. Scott, the detective,” declared the servant.
And that was all.
He had seen the handwriting on the wall and at once took measures to protect himself.
He was missing.
So also was Scott, the detective, and the Tough Trio.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
jewelry
|
|
| n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
jeered
|
|
| v.嘲笑( jeer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
peculiarity
|
|
| n.独特性，特色；特殊的东西；怪癖 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
harry
|
|
| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
frustrated
|
|
| adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
frigidity
|
|
| n.寒冷；冷淡；索然无味；（尤指妇女的）性感缺失 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
lodgings
|
|
| n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
lodging
|
|
| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
specimen
|
|
| n.样本，标本 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
lodgers
|
|
| n.房客，租住者( lodger的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
surmise
|
|
| v./n.猜想，推测 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
profusely
|
|
| ad.abundantly | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
possessed
|
|
| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
disappearance
|
|
| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
winked
|
|
| v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
smeared
|
|
| 弄脏； 玷污； 涂抹； 擦上 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
bloody
|
|
| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
inexplicable
|
|
| adj.无法解释的，难理解的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
kindly
|
|
| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
succinctly
|
|
| adv.简洁地；简洁地，简便地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
foully
|
|
| ad.卑鄙地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
gasped
|
|
| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
thoroughly
|
|
| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
deriding
|
|
| v.取笑，嘲笑( deride的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
ridiculing
|
|
| v.嘲笑，嘲弄，奚落( ridicule的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
magistrate
|
|
| n.地方行政官，地方法官，治安官 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
justified
|
|
| a.正当的，有理的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
decided
|
|
| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
wholesale
|
|
| n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
scoop
|
|
| n.铲子，舀取，独家新闻；v.汲取，舀取，抢先登出 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
motive
|
|
| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
precluded
|
|
| v.阻止( preclude的过去式和过去分词 )；排除；妨碍；使…行不通 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |