“Exactly. A Mathilde Duval, at the address, the same address, where Maria Cazarès died yesterday afternoon. I think that’s where Anneke was writing to Star, not care of Chantal. Maybe he also gave her Chantal’s address, as a backup, a failsafe, I don’t know—but there’s definitely a connection between Star and Mathilde Duval.”

“Who isn’t a girl at all. Who’s an elderly woman—damn, how stupid I am.”

“—And since the conversation with Chantal, I’m certain there’s a connection. I brought Anneke’s address book with me. Look at this.”

He drew it out of his overcoat pocket, then passed it across the table. Gini turned to the entry for Mathilde Duval. The entire page was scattered with little hieroglyphs and scribbles. Very faint, next to Mathilde’s name, was a tiny crucifix shape.

“Christopher,” Rowland said. “Christophe. It means Christ-bearing. Anneke knew Star’s other name, which might be his real name, and she made a little sign for it, next to the address to which she wrote to him. I’m certain of it, Gini. And you see what this suggests?”

“That if Star knew Maria Cazarès’s maid, he could also have known Maria Cazarès herself? Rowland—you think so?”

“I do. I think he was visiting the maid yesterday, and that’s when he and Mina were seen—probably when they were leaving. And within two hours of his leaving, Maria Cazarès was there too. There’s some connection here between Star and Maria Cazarès, between Star and Jean Lazare. First, Star is obtaining White Doves from the same source as Lazare. Second, he chooses to be in Paris, where they are both based. Third, he has some connection with a maid to whom Cazarès was devoted, whom she visited frequently. And that connection is of some duration, Gini. If we’re correct, and Anneke was writing to Star care of Mathilde, we can even date it. Their connection must go back to last March at least.” He paused. “Now, all these details could just be coincidences, but I think not.”

Gini was watching him and listening intently. He could see her mind start to race.

“Rowland—you don’t think? It couldn’t be—”

“That Star is the missing child in Lindsay’s New Orleans story? I’m ashamed to say it did occur to me, yes. Almost as soon as Lindsay told me the story. So, for what it’s worth, I got in touch with the Correspondent’s Miami stringer yesterday. He’s gone to New Orleans to do some checking. It’s also why I wanted you to ask Anneke’s mother if Star could have been American, or had American connections.”

“And has the stringer come up with anything?”

“Not so far, no. He’s in search of a last name, mainly. He was going to try that convent, and the Grants. But it’s nearly thirty years ago, and I’m not optimistic that he’ll have much success.”

“You said—ashamed? Rowland, there is some connection, you admit that. And Star is around the right age. He’s black-haired, like Cazarès and Lazare. He has the right kind of past history—foster homes, children’s homes—or so Chantal said.”