‘I’ve a feeling there’s something wrong about itor us,’ said Rex slowly. ‘Those servants in the hotel back there didn’t seem any more natural than the weather to me. It was as though I was watching them act in some kind of a play.’
De Richleau nodded. ‘Yes, I felt the same, and I believe Mocata is responsible. Perhaps he surrounded Cardinals Folly with a strong atmospheric force, and we have brought the vibrations of it with us, or he may be interfering with our auras in some way. I’m only guessing, of course, and can’t possibly explain it.’
At the Vert Galant De Richleau ordered dinner without reference to any of them. He was a great gourmet, and knew from past experience the dishes that pleased them best, but as a meal it was one of the most dismal failures which it had ever been his misfortune to witness.
He knew and they knew that his apparent preoccupation with food and wine was nothing but a bluff; an attempt to smother their anxiety and occupy their thoughts until the time to go to Castelnau’s apartment should arrive. The cooking was excellent, the service everything that one could desire, and the cellar of Le Vert Galant provided wines to which even De Richleau’s critical taste gave full approval, but their hearts were not in the business.
They toyed with the Lobster Cardinal, sent away the Pauillac Lamb untasted, and drank the wines as a beverage to steady their nerves rather than with the consideration and pleasure which they deserved.
The fat maitre d’hotel supervised the service of each course himself, and it passed his understanding how these three men and the beautiful little lady could show so little appreciation. With hands clasped upon his large stomach, he stood before the Duke and murmured his distress that the dishes they had ordered should not appear to please them, but the Duke waved him away, even summoning up a little smile to assure him that it was no fault of the restaurant and only their unfortunate lack of appetite.
Throughout the meal De Richleau talked unceasingly. He was a born raconteur, and ordinarily, with his charm and wit, could hold any audience enthralled. Tonight, despite his own anxiety, he made a supreme attempt to lift the burden from the shoulders of his friends by exploiting every avenue of memory and conversation, but never in his life had his efforts met with such a cold reception. In vain he attempted to divert their thoughts, laughing a little to himself, as he reached the denouement of each of his stories, and hoping against hope that he might raise a smile in those three anxious faces that faced him across the table.
For Marie Lou the meal was just another phase of that horrible nightmare through which she had been passing since the early hours of the morning. Mechanically she sampled the dishes which were put before her, but each one seemed to taste the same, and after a few mouthfuls she laid down her fork, submitting miserably to the frantic, gnawing thoughts which pervaded her whole being.
Richard said nothing, ate little, and drank heavily. He was in that state when he knew quite well that it was impossible for him to drink too much. Great happiness or great distress has that effect upon certain men, and he was one of them. Every other minute he glanced at the clock on the wall, as it slowly registered the passage of time until they could set forth once more on their attempt to save his daughter.
There was still half an hour to go when the fruit and brandy were placed upon the table, and then at last De Richleau surrendered.
‘I’ve been talking utter nonsense all through dinner,’ he confessed gravely; ‘only to keep my thoughts off this wretched business, you understand. But now the time has come when we can speak of it again with some advantage. What do you intend to do, Rex, when you see this man?’
Marie Lou lifted her eyes from the untasted grapes which lay upon her plate. ‘You’ve been splendid, Greyeyes, dear. I haven’t been listening to you really, but a sentence here and there has been just enough to take my mind off a picture of the worst that may happen, which keeps haunting me.’
He smiled across at her gratefully. ‘I’m glad of that. It’s the least that I could try to do. But come now, Rex, let’s hear your plan.’
‘I’ve hardly got one,’ Rex confessed, shrugging his great shoulders. ‘We know he’ll see me, and that’s as far as I have figured it out. I presume it’ll boil down to my jumping on him after a pretty short discussion and threatening to gouge out his eyeballs with my hands unless he’s prepared to come clean with everything he knows about Mocata.’
De Richleau shook his head. ‘That is roughly the idea, of course, but there are certain to be servants in the flat, and we must arrange it that you have a free field for your party.’
‘Can’t you take us along with you?’ Richard suggested. ‘Say that we’re privately interested in this deal you’re putting up. If only the three of us can get inside that flat God help anybody who tries to stop us forcing him to talk.’
‘Sure,’ Rex agreed. ‘I see no sort of objection to that. We can park Marie Lou at the Ritz, on our way, before we beat this fellow up.’
‘No!’ Marie Lou gave a sudden dogged shake of her head. ‘I am coming with you. I’m quite capable of taking care of myself, and I will keep out of the way if there is any trouble. You cannot ask me to go back to the hotel and sit there on my own while you are trying to obtain news of Fleur. I should go mad and fling myself out of the window. I’ve got to come, so please don’t argue about it.’
Richard took her hand and caressed it softly. ‘Of course you shall, my sweet. It would be better, perhaps, for you not to be with us when we see Castelnau, but there’s no reason why you shouldn’t wait for us in his hall.’
De Richleau nodded. ‘Yes, in the circumstances it is impossible to leave Marie Lou behind, but about these servantsdid you bring that gun that you had last night with you?’
‘Yes, I brought it through the Customs in my hip pocket, and it’s fully loaded.’
‘Right. Then if necessary you can use it to intimidate the servants while Rex and I tackle Castelnau. It is a quarter to. Shall we go?
Rex sent for the bill and paid it, leaving a liberal tip which soothed the dignity of the injured maitre d’hotel, then they filed out of the restaurant.
‘Maison Rambouillet, Parc Monceau,’ De Richleau told the driver sharply as they climbed into the taxi, and not a word was spoken until the cab drew up before a palatial block of modern flats, facing on to the little green park where the children of the rich in Paris take their morning airing.
‘Monsieur Castelnau?’ the Duke inquired of the concierge.
‘This way, monsieur,’ the man led them through a spacious stone-faced hall to the lift.
It shot up to the fifth floor, and as he opened the gates, the concierge pointed to a door upon the right.
‘Number Seventy-two,’ he said quietly. ‘I think Monsieur Castelnau has just come in.’
The gates clanged behind them, and the lift flashed silently down again to the ground floor. De Richleau gave Rex a swift glance and, stepping towards the door of Number Seventy-two, pressed the bell.
CHAPTER XXXI
THE MAN WITH THE JAGGED EAR
The tall, elaborately carved door was opened by a bald, elderly manservant in a black alpaca coat. Rex gave his name, and the servant looked past him with dark, inquiring eyes at the others.
‘These are friends of mine, who’re seeing Monsieur Castelnau on the same business,’ Rex said abruptly, stepping into the long, narrow hall. ‘Is he in?’