Evening star., 1933-08-07
CHAPTER Xiv.
SUE DISAPPEARS"

the door had stopped its brief mo-
ton and was firm, though I'd heard
no noise.
"Come out!" said. =,
There was not sound inside the
Wardrobe. I started to fling open the
. door and the door resisted. pulled ana
exerted all my force and 1t still re-
sisted. 1t was during that moment that
I was conscious of hearing a voice IN
the hall, but only family.
: The key was not in the lock. Was it
possible that the thing was locked from
: the inside? At least I could not get 1t
: open and there was something inside
; the wardrobe.
I glanced about for a chair or table
4, I could swing at the door and In that
glance I saw that Sue was gone: l
/. dropped the chair and was at the door.
/ was in the corridor. Sue was not
there
: I tried to call to her Sue-Sue. !
believe I did call out, but my voice must
: have been husky and strained, for al.
though she was very near-she said
: afterWard that she did not hear me-dld
not even know that there was some one
: In the wardrobe.
ran down the hall. past Mrs. Byng's
door and into the intersectlng corridor.
And then. with a policeman trying TO
. detain me-and I dare say l locked
rather mad-I ran back to the corridor
that passed Sues room.
And there was Sue in the very act OF
opening the door of Mrs. Byng's room
and coming from it into the hall. talk
Ing contentedly with Mrs. Byng in the
room beyond as she did so.
I stopped abruptly. The relief was
20 great to see her there, not hair
on her head touched, that I felt actu-
ally little dizzy and queer.
There you are" said breathlessly.
She looked at me unconcernedly as l
Same nearer.
Mrs Byng opened her door and
Spoke to me-asked me to step in her
room for a moment" She saw, sup
pose, something of my feeling In my
face. for she added quickly and anX-
tously: Il thought you heard her speak.
What is it?"
There's some one in the wardrobe in
your ROOM" I said rapidly. recovering
myself Tell this policeman. will you?'
Her eyes darkened with fright as she
spoke quickly to the man. His own face
took on suddenly an acutely uneasy
look, but he had the grace to turn rap
IDLY toward her room and we both
pressed through the door. I crossed to
Che wardrobe and pulled at the door.
And it swung readily open.
There was no shot. There was no
motion There was no sound. There
was only a sort of vacant space where
sues gowns had been pushed back on
their hangers.
Well, I knew what I'd seen. knew
the wardrobe door had not budged
under my hand. though I'd pulled hard
and it could not have been stuck. But
the policeman didn't believe me or didn't
want to believe me, and in either case
the effect would have been the same:
And by that time I didn't see myself
that there was much use starting
search for the person who had beat such
hasty and skilled retreat during those
few moments when I'd been in the
main corridor.
But 1 was interested to note that the
wardrobe lock actually did go clear
through into the inside and the key was
on the inside. Certainly no place for a
key in a wardrobe. l said finally to
Sue:
You and Mrs Byng go on down to
the lounge to tea. I'll go with you to
the stairway and watch until you are
safe in the lounge. Promise me to stay
near the Others" 1t ran through my
mind that it was in the very lounge
that little Marcel had been killed. But
] had been the only other in the room
] and the cockatoo.
The policeman, relieved, vanished.
Mrs Byng stalked beside u.s. looking for
all the world like tall and very un-
tidy bolster. AS We emerged into the
galleried space I glanced over it down
Into the lounge. Grethe and Francis
and Lorn were still there, with MARI
annes black hair shining near the tea
table.
Sue followed my glance and lifted her
Eyebrows inquiringly and I shook my
head. Yet it didn't seem possible that
1t had been Lovschiem in that ward
robe
Later" said rapidly to Sue, refer
Sing to my wish to learn Just what
Francis had said She understood me
and she looked troubled. Mrs. Byng
passed little ahead of her at the top
OF the stairs and in the rustic OF that
.1adys numerous garments Sue leaned
toward me and said quickly:
Soon. It's important She started
70 follow Mrs Byng, looked back at me.
Thesitated and then added. with a kind
of catch in her breath, BE very care
ful"
:; Then she ran lightly down the stairs
knd 1 watched her shining bright hair.
went down the service stairs which
led from beyond Marianne's room and
straight through to the ground floor
ktorerooms of the north wing.
I I knew that these storerooms had been
eearched-not once, but several times
toy the police. knew that their only
Eonnection with the floor above them
kas by way Of that narrow passage and
lp the service stairway. I knew that
Ehey were practically unused and that
neither the police nor LOrn had con-