I don't think she actually mentioned
the box but I remember her pointing at my bag where I had put the
package."
"The maid didn't see Nur-el-Din give you the box?"
"No, I'm sure of that. The room was empty save for us two. It was
only just before Captain Strangwise knocked that I noticed Marie
arranging Nur-el-Din's dresses. She must have come in afterwards
without my seeing her."
"Well then, this girl, Marie, didn't see the dancer give you the
box but she heard her refer to it. Is that right?"
"Yes, and, of course, Captain Strangwise..."
"What about him?"
"He must have heard what Nur-el-Din was saying, too!"
Desmond rubbed his chin.
"I say, you aren't going to implicate old Strangwise, too, are
you?" he asked.
Barbara did not reflect his smile.
"He seems to know Nur-el-Din pretty well," she said, "and I'll
tell you something else, that woman's afraid of your friend, the
Captain!"
"What do you mean?" asked Desmond.
"I was watching her in the glass last night as he was talking to
her while you and I and daddy were chatting in the corner. I
don't know what he said to her, but she glanced over her shoulder
with a look of terror in her eyes. I was watching her face in the
glass. She looked positively hunted!"
The taxi stopped.
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