Des, I fear the worst for that poor girl if she has
fallen into the hands of that gang!"
Desmond remained silent for a moment. He was trying to piece
things together as best as his aching head would allow. Both
Nur-el-Din and Strangwise were after the jewel. Nur-el-Din
believed that afternoon that Strangwise had it, while Strangwise,
on discovering his loss, had seemed to suggest that Barbara
Mackwayte had recovered it.
"Either Strangwise or Nur-el-Din, perhaps both of them," said
Desmond, "must know what has become of Miss Mackwayte."
And he explained his reasoning to Francis. His brother nodded
quickly.
"Then Nur-el-Din shall tell us," he answered sternly.
"They've arrested her?" asked Desmond with a sudden pang.
"Yes," said Francis curtly. But too late to prevent a crime being
committed. When Matthews and his party arrived. they found
Nur-el-Din in the very act of leaving the inn. The landlord,
Rass, was lying dead on the floor of the tap-room with a bullet
through the temple. That looks to me, Des, as though Nur-el-Din
had recovered the jewel!"
"But Rass is a compatriot of hers," Desmond objected.
"But he was also an inconvenient witness of her dealings with
Strangwise," retorted Francis. "If either Nur-el-Din or
Strangwise have regained possession of the Star of Poland, Des, I
fear the worst for Barbara Mackwayte.
Pages:
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280