Stars For The Toff

Rollison thought, there’s only one way to get her out of this, smack her out of it. As the thought entered his head, Madam Melinska got up very deliberately, went across to the girl and slapped her on each side of the face.

Mona’s eyes opened and she stopped screaming.

“She will be very tired now,” Madam

Melinska remarked calmly. “But we should not leave her alone. If you could get some coffee—”

“Mona,” Rollison said sharply, “how long have you known Lucifer Stride?”

She gaped at him.

“Tell me—how long?”

“Why—why, we only met today. We—”

“Don’t lie to me.”

“But it’s true!”

“You met him only this morning and you’re almost off your head with anxiety for him now. Tell me the truth.”

The girl said desperately: “It is true. We only met today.”

“How long have you known Lucifer Stride?” Rollison thundered.

The girl’s lips quivered, her whole body shook. Lady Hurst glanced anxiously at Madam Melinska, who kept a hand on the girl’s arm but did not interfere. Rollison leaned forward, accusingly, anger showing in his eyes and echoing in his voice.

“How many more are going to die before you tell the truth? He might die.”

“Oh, no. No!” Terror flared up in her. “He mustn’t, he mustn’t die.”

“How long have you known him? ”

The girl closed her eyes and began to rock to and fro, to and fro, as if in an orgy of grief.

“Richard—” began Lady Hurst.

“Quiet!”

“Mona, my child,” Madam Melinska interpolated, “you must tell all the truth. Lying won’t help you or your friends any more. It won’t help Lucifer and it can greatly hurt you. What is the truth?”

“I hate you, I hate you, I hate everyone!” Mona cried. “I can’t help it if I can see what’s going on somewhere else, I wish I couldn’t, I don’t want to, don’t you understand, I don’t want to!” Tears began to spill from her closed eyes, but the body tension had eased. “I—I’ve known him for years. He—he came to Rhodesia to visit his brother, Mick—Mick Fraser.”

Madam Melinska glanced at Rollison and then asked the question which he was about to put. “Where does he live, Mona? Have you been to see him?”

“Ye—yes, I have. And I’m grown up, no one can tell me what I can do or what I can’t. Where I go is nothing to do with anybody.”

“Of course it isn’t,” said Madam Melinska soothingly, “no one’s going to stop your seeing him. Where does he live, child?”

“He—he—he has a flat in Hampstead.”

“What is the address?” Rollison asked sharply.

Lucifer and Mona, he thought. Lucifer and Mona. If he had read Olivia’s message correctly, she had been trying to tell him that both Lucifer and Mona knew where she was held prisoner. Could this be in Stride’s flat?

“It—it doesn’t matter—”

“Mr Rollison only wants to help him,” said Madam Melinska.

“He’s in hospital—only the doctors can help him now.”

Rollison stood up abruptly.

“It’s no use,” he said. “I’ll have to get on to the police.”

“Police?” echoed Madam Melinska.

“They’ll be able to find out where he lives. In fact it might be better if they had a look round instead of me. I must hurry,” Rollison added, and turned towards the door, wondering whether such a transparent ruse could possibly work. He was halfway across the room when Mona sprang from the couch and rushed at him, snatching his arm, pulling him round, beating at his chest and face.

“I’ll kill you; I won’t let you go to the police, I’ll kill you!”

He fended her off, gripping her wrists.

“If you give me Lucifer’s address then I won’t have to go to the police,” he said.

“Why do you want it?” she screamed.

“I want to learn all I can about Lucifer Stride. Mona, if I find anything bad—”

“There isn’t