ain said, probably left by some visitor
who had disobeyed the sign about taking packages into the museum.

So Rick had carried out the plan and had rescued the Egyptian cat. Now
the museum had the kitten.

Scotty had the car take him to the hotel. There was no sign of either
Rick or Hassan, and no one had seen either of them. Scotty questioned
the clerk, the doorman, the hall porter, the room maid, and the dragomen
who waited for business in the narrow street between the Semiramis and
the Shepheard's hotels.

Finally, he found a dragoman who knew nothing of their whereabouts, but
added, "Why you not wait in room? They not far. Hassan's car here."

"Where?" Scotty demanded quickly.

"Out back. In alley."

Scotty ran. The dragoman was right! Hassan's car was parked in the usual
place. He looked around to see who might have been working in the area,
someone who might know when the car had arrived.

A window in the hotel kitchen opened into the alley above the car and a
cook was looking out. Scotty found the door and hurried into the hotel.
He worked his way through rooms and corridors until he found the
kitchen. He saw that the cook was a salad maker who apparently worked at
a bench right next to the window, but to his questions the man shook his
head. He spoke no English.

Additional searching produced the chief cook, whose English was good. He
relayed Scotty's questions and the cook's answers.

"He say car come while he cleaning up after lunchtime. He see stranger
driving. So he lean out and ask where is Hassan. Stranger say he is the
cousin of Hassan and Hassan lend him car. That is all. Cousin lock up
car and go away."

It was enough. But Scotty's elation over finding a clue was tempered by
the realization that a stranger driving Hassan's car could mean that
Rick and the dragoman were in real danger. He did not know whether or
not Hassan had any cousins, but he was certain the guide would not have
loaned the car while on a job.

Scotty ran into the alley and tried all the doors. If Rick had managed
to leave a note or any clue in the car, Scotty wanted it. Locked doors
weren't going to stop him!

He searched the alley until he found a piece of stiff wire. He bent one
end into a hook. Then, with his jackknife, he pried one of the no-draft
windows open just far enough to slip the wire in. He wedged the window
with a piece of wood and began fishing.

It took long, patient minutes to hook a door handle, then