◆ SpookStack

Happy - ter lunch, Melinda dressed thy boys in grey flannel suits, pul a blue. Sehiapareli coat over her blouse and skirt, took the babr's favourite doll, and at three-thirty that afternoon, they all set off in her car. In the back were A suitcase. two oraMfa = bags they had brought back from Majorca, and oan airline overnight baz. he trusting Mrs, Dunbar watched them from the window as they set off towards Montreux. happy that her dauchter seemed so enthuslasiic L the prospect of & weekend lth old friends, She was expecting them back 1 Sunday evening, hecause the | ays were due al schoal by 8.15 nh Monday morning, and at six on Sunday afternoon, Mrs . unbar sel the lable lor Supper. . By seven o'clock she thoughts that they might have had a breakdown. By eight, that maybe they were staying for an extra night, and then driving direct to the school on Monday morning . By Monday morning, however, elinda had siill] not returned Mrs. Dunbar telephoned the itish Consulate. She explained Who she was und asked to sneak id the Con=n!-General, The duty officer replied that she couidn't Speak to him unti) two that afiernoon because he had gane to the airport to meet the Lord Mayor of London. After lunch Mrs. Dunbar went to the consulate and explained that her dauehter and her grandchildren were nissing, She said that M1S$ officer, had asked her to contact them at any time if she felt the Matter Was pypent Surely this was The official did not Agree. He Assured her that information would be sent to London through “the proper channels.” No donbt her daughter and the ehildren would turn. up soon: he could nop see what was urgent about the matte _ Flying out Mrs. Dunbar did nor shar this view. Beside herself Wit Worry shé ran back to ‘her fla and put a cali through to the Foreign Office in London. She Spoke to a8 securit ofmicer, explaining what had appened, and Promised that zro colleagues would Oy out to Geneva at once, On the following day, as she Waited for them, she received a telegram from Territet—where Melinda had said she Would be | Sending the weekend, * Yerribly sorry delay in con- tacting you—unforeseen cir- clonstances have arisen am staying here fonger please advise school boys returnipg about a weeks time — all exiremely well—Pink Rose in marvellous form—love {rom all—Melinda.” This had been handed tn at’ Territet post office by a woman Wearing heavy make-up, pre- bumably not Melinda Maclean. ink Rose was her nickname tor the baby. As with “ Teento ” for Donald Maclean, this was ' no doubt meant te prove that . the cable was authentic, But the spelling of “ circumstances “ Showed that whoever had writ- ten it did not know English well, As with ber husband, Melinda had disappeared on a Friday , and a telegram had arrived Shoriiy afterwaris. That same morning, Melinda's Car Was discovered in the station garage at Lausanne, IL Was COvered In mud. the battery Was flat, the speedometer | broken, the cigareite lighter hanging down from the dasb- board. A book n the back were some road nds. a cardboard box from a Geneva cakeshop, the Temaing of a sandwich meal. a child's pistol and a tov sieve, Sand on the sieve was checked : it came from the beach at Ouchy, near Lausanne. . Had she met somrone there, while her children Dlived > n the driver's seat a boom Was lef, open, face down, as though someone had put it down while reading. It was a children's dook, "Little Lost Lamb," and rather grubby: On the fiy leaf was slammed “ Property of Norwalk. Conn. Scheols, Washineton School.” Mrs. Dunbar said she had never Seen it before. The book was too grown-up for the baby, and Yet too young for the boys. It Was open at the following passage : When the little black fainb Scrambled up the mountainside by himself, he didn't think he | would gef lost. He was only having tun exploring, But when . ff was tims to ga home, there Was no little black lamb atvang . ail the other sheep... . Then came a cry which the shepherd ——alt | People's World MoV 2 DeLoach Mohr Bishop Casper Callahan -** Conrad - Felt Gale Rosen WW Sullivan Tavel Trotter Tele. Room Holmes Gandy The Washington Post Times Herald. The Washington Daily News The Evening Star (Washington) The Sunday Star (Washington) Daily News (New York} Sunday News (New York} New York Post The New York Times The Sun (Baltimore) The Daily World Tne New Leader. The Wall Street Journal —_ The National Observer _ Examiner (Washington) LONDON, ENGLAND Date January 5, 19069 _