At that moment there came the sound of raised voices from outside the door, among them a man saying loudly in French, “No, Mesdames, you may not enter.”

“We demand to see Lady Georgiana. What have you done with her?”

“I assure you she is quite safe, but she is being questioned by Inspector Lafite.”

“By that fool?” Coco’s voice had become shrill. “Let us in at once.”

“I cannot let you pass, Madame,” came the worried voice. “Now please go home before I have you arrested.”

“Then arrest me.” Coco’s voice was getting closer by the moment. “Arrest Madame Daniels. Arrest Madame Bate Lombardi when she gets here. It will only make you look extremely foolish when you have to apologize to us. I should tell you that at this moment a message is being sent to the yacht of the Duke of Westminster, who is a dear friend of mine and related to Mrs. Bate Lombardi. And you know who is on that yacht? The Prince of Wales, son of the English king and cousin to the young lady you have locked up in your jail cell. A message has also been sent to the English consul, who is on his way here, and to the ex-husband of Mrs. Bate Lombardi, who is a correspondent for NBC—the important American broadcasting network. Soon your chief’s foolishness will be known all over the globe and the British ambassador will be hurrying down from Paris with a stern message from the English king.”

I thought I noticed Lafite turning a trifle green. At least his smile had faded. I don’t think until this moment he had quite realized my importance or that he may have created an international incident of great magnitude. I don’t think I had either.

Then another, richer, louder voice boomed over Coco’s, echoing off the tiled hallway walls of the police station. “My poor baby. I demand that you let me see my child. I demand to know what you brutes are doing to her. You couldn’t be heartless enough to keep her mother from her in her hour of need!”

Mummy was playing the part of the bereft mother—and, naturally, playing it awfully well. Miraculously, she was actually acknowledging me as her daughter, but her speech was being lost on the constable guarding the door as it was in English, Mummy’s French not being up to dramatics. Lafite went to the door and opened it with a sigh. “Madam,” he said in English, “your daughter is safe and unharmed. Please observe her for yourself.”