They_Came_to_Baghdad-Agatha_Christie

'You found your young man?' asked Mr Dakin.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Victoria nodded. 'Yes, and Edward thinks he can get me a job at the Olive Branch. And they know
something about Anna Scheele there.' Victoria repeated what Edward had told her.
'Now that's very interesting,' said Mr Dakin.
'Who is Anna Scheele?' asked Victoria.
'She's secretary to the head of an international bank. She disappeared in London about ten days ago.'
'Is she coming to Baghdad?'
'If we can believe this young woman Catherine, then yes, she is,' Mr Dakin said thoughtfully.
'Perhaps I can find out more at the Olive Branch.'
'Perhaps - but be very careful, Victoria. I would prefer not to have your body floating in the river.'
Victoria shuddered, 'Like Sir Rupert Crofton Lee's? That was horrible. Mrs Clayton got the awful
news at breakfast - that's when we heard it. A report from Cairo announcing that the body of Sir Rupert
has been taken out of the Nile. First Carmichael and now Sir Rupert. All the people who know about this
business are being killed. You know, that morning when Sir Rupert was here at the hotel, there was
something strange about him.'
'In what way - strange?'
'Well - different.' She shook her head, annoyed. 'I will remember it sometime. Anyway. There is
something I want to ask you. Who stabbed Carmichael? Was it someone who followed him here?'
'No,' said Dakin slowly. 'He came in one of those Arab boats - and he wasn't followed. I had
someone watching the river.'
'Then it was someone - in the hotel?'
'Yes, I was watching the stairs and no one came up. Yet all the people in the hotel are unlikely for
one very good reason.'
'What is that?'
'Carmichael was on his guard. He had a very strong instinct for danger. So he must have been
stabbed by someone he trusted.'
***
Somehow, Edward had persuaded Dr Rathbone to offer Victoria a very low-paid job. She spent
most of her time typing - or encouraging good feeling amongst visitors who mostly looked at one another
with dislike. The Olive Branch was full of that sort of international peace. The meetings were held with
orange juice to drink and boring food to go with it. As far as Victoria could see, everything was
respectable and very dull.
She was now living with some other young female workers in a house by the river. It seemed to
Victoria that Catherine watched her in an unfriendly way - it was known that Edward had helped Victoria
get her job and several pairs of jealous eyes looked at her unkindly.
Though the Olive Branch seemed respectable, Victoria had a strong feeling that Dr Rathbone was
not. Once or twice she noticed his dark eyes looking at her and though she returned her most innocent and