employees were
allowed in the basement, so that place was ruled out absolutely.

I began to get the feeling that we were on a wild goose chase, after
all. "What do you think?" I asked His Grace.

"I can't imagine where he might have taken her. We may have to search
the whole building."

The car stopped at the seventh door, and we stepped out as the doors
slid open. The hallways stretched to either side, but there were no
apparent hiding places. I went over to the stairwell, which was right
next to the elevator shaft and looked up and down. No place there,
either.

Then it hit me.

Again, I could see Nestor, like a scene unfolding on a TV drama, still
following little Shirley. Had he spoken to her in the elevator? Maybe.
Maybe not. He was still undecided, so he followed her to the door of
her apartment. Wait--very likely, be _had_ made friends with her on
the elevator. He saw her push button seven--

_Well, well! Do you live on the seventh floor?_

_Yes, I do._

_Then we're neighbors. I live on the seventh, too. I just moved in. Do
you live with your mommie and daddy?_

_Just my mommie. My daddy doesn't live with us anymore._

And, since he knew that mommie was in the park, he could guess that
the apartment was empty.

All that went through my mind like a bolt of lightning. I said: "The
apartment! Come on!"

The Duke, looking a little puzzled, followed me to the door of 706. I
put my ear against the door and listened. Nothing. Then I eased the
key in and flung the door open.

No one in the living room. I raced for the bedroom. No one in there,
either, but the clothes closet door was shut.

When I opened it, we saw a small, dark-haired girl lying naked and
unconscious on the floor.

Then there were noises from the front room. The sound of a door
opening and closing, and the clatter of hurrying footsteps in the hall
outside.

We both turned and ran.

In the hallway, we could hear the footsteps going down the stairwell.
The slow elevator was out of the question. We took off down the stairs
after him. He had a head start of about a floor and a half, and kept
it all the way down. We saw the door swinging shut as we arrived in
the foyer. Outside, we saw our man running toward the corner. I
started to reach for my gun, but there were too many people around. I
couldn't risk a shot.

And then that amazing walking stick came into action again. The Duke
took a few running steps forward and hurled it like