Free They Came to Baghdad by Agatha Christie Page B

Rupert came out. He was walking fast and he overtook her in a couple of strides. He went on ahead of her, his cloak swinging, and Victoria fancied that he was annoyed about something.
    Mrs Clipp was in a somewhat petulant mood when Victoria reported for duty at six o’clock.
    ‘I’m worried about the excess on my baggage, Miss Jones. I took it that I’d paid for that right through, but it seems that it’s only paid until Cairo. We go on tomorrow by Iraqi Airways. My ticket is a through ticket, but not the excess baggage. Perhaps you’d go and find out if that is really so? Because maybe I ought to change another traveller’s cheque.’
    Victoria agreed to make inquiries. She could not find the BOAC office at first, and finally located it in the far corridor – the other side of the hall – quite a big office. The other, she supposed, had been a small office only used during the afternoon siesta hours. Mrs Clipp’s fears about the excess baggage were found to be justified, which annoyed that lady very much.?

They Came to Baghdad

Chapter 8
    On the fifth floor of a block of offices in the City of London are situated the offices of the Valhalla Gramophone Co. The man who sat behind the desk in that office was reading a book on economics. The telephone rang and he picked up the receiver. He said in a quiet unemotional voice:
    ‘Valhalla Gramophone Co.’
    ‘Sanders here.’
    ‘Sanders of the River? What river?’
    ‘River Tigris. Reporting as to A. S. We’ve lost her.’
    There was a moment’s silence. Then the quiet voice spoke again, with a steely note in it.
    ‘Did I hear what you said correctly?’
    ‘We’ve lost Anna Scheele.’
    ‘No names. This is a very serious error on your part. How did it come about?’
    ‘She went into that nursing home. I told you before. Her sister was having an operation.’
    ‘Well?’
    ‘The operation went off all right. We expected A. S. to return to the Savoy. She had kept on her suite. She didn’t return. Watch had been kept on the nursing home and we were quite sure she hadn’t left it. We assumed she was still there.’
    ‘And she isn’t?’
    ‘We’ve just found out. She left there, in an ambulance, the day after the operation.’
    ‘She deliberately fooled you?’
    ‘Looks like it. I’d swear she didn’t know she was being followed. We took every precaution. There were three of us and –’
    ‘Never mind the excuses. Where did the ambulance take her?’
    ‘To University College Hospital.’
    ‘What have you learnt from the hospital?’
    ‘That a patient was brought in accompanied by a hospital nurse. The hospital nurse must have been Anna Scheele. They’ve no idea where she went after she brought the patient in.’
    ‘And the patient?’
    ‘The patient knows nothing. She was under morphia.’
    ‘So Anna Scheele walked out of University College Hospital dressed as a nurse and may now be anywhere?’
    ‘Yes. If she goes back to the Savoy –’
    The other interrupted.
    ‘She won’t go back to the Savoy.’
    ‘Shall we check up on other hotels?’
    ‘Yes, but I doubt if you’ll get any result. That’s what she’d expect you to do.’
    ‘What instructions otherwise?’
    ‘Check on the ports – Dover, Folkestone, etc. Check with air lines. In particular check all bookings to Baghdad by plane for the next fortnight. The passage won’t be booked in her own name. Check up on all passengers of suitable age.’
    ‘Her baggage is still at the Savoy. Perhaps she’ll claim it.’
    ‘She won’t do anything of the sort. You may be a fool – she isn’t! Does the sister know anything?’
    ‘We’re in contact with her special nurse at the home. Apparently the sister thinks A. S. is in Paris doing business for Morganthal and staying at the Ritz Hotel. She believed A. S. is flying home to States on 23rd.’
    ‘In other words A. S. has told her nothing. She wouldn’t. Check up on those air passages. It’s the only hope. She’s got to get to