◆ SpookStack

N sage ways the fv weeks in Majorca, during the summer o} 1953, were the happies' linda had spent sinc clean left, Cala Ratjada, where she stayed with her mother and children, is a little seaside village some sixty miles from Palma, the capital. It is on a bay in the lovely rocky eastern coast of the island, and in villas built on the cliff live a small coiony of British and American famities who have made this charming island their home— anyway, for the summers, . The weather was magnificent and the cblidren had a avenly time on the beach apd playing in the sea. linda appeared to be happy. Although at times nervous ‘ ald worried she seemed for a time to have shaken off the depression which had obtained so firm a grip on her. The fair . artist She was a great success and made many i£iends—~as she had also many admirers. See~ ing Melinda thaw out in the Majorca sunshine and in the friendiiness and admiration ..Which surrounded her, Mrs. Dunbar also began to feel me relief, At last, she told herself, Melinda was beginning to {qr- ght the tragedy which had cpme into her life, was bp- ginning to forget that she was the wife of the Missing Dip} ’ mat, was beginning] even, to forget the Diplomat, imself, But events were rove her wrong. Among the friends they made at Cala Ratjada was an artist, a tall, fair man of about 50. And one day, when they had been at Cala Ratjada a fortnight or so, Melinda said uite suddenly: “How like ald he is!" A chance remark There was indeed a strong resemblance, not only in looks, but also in walk, gesture and voice. If was one day soon after this that Melinda came back from the beach and, as she stood on the veranda of the house in which they were living, gazing out at the sea, she said, sud- denly and with no connection to what she had_ previously been saying: “He doesn't believe in war'either.” At the time Mrs, Dunbar replied, casually, her mind on other things, something like: “Well, Jots of people don't believe in war,” and gave the matter no further thought, Later, after Melinda had disappeared, this chance re- mark assumed great signifi- cance. Melinda was one of the least politically-conscious of women, quite astonishingly so if it is remembered that she had been married for over ten years to a man whose profession was international affairs. She was rarely. if ever, _ heard to begin a discussion on any of the great world prob- lems of the day, and if they were ‘brought up-in her presence she would reply vaguely and without interest or knowledge. Innocent words But if, at the back of her mind, she did store away a few yague unformed views, they - were the residue of views she had heard Donald advance— the few phrases,or ideas that -had stuck, for Donald did: the « ipmily thinking.’ » ‘This vital ‘question ‘of “n 4 bplieving un war was, . how: ejer, one of the rare ex & tibns:)-She had sald it, in different circumstances, oni before, and little ergy a watching a school-friend pla: ing rapturously with toy tan and wooden soldiers, had 07 said. rather proudly that his daddy was fighting for peace. It could wel] be that those few innocent words hide the : entire secret of the disappear- — ance of these five human ! beings, two @iults and’ three children. But was it by sheer coincidence ' that Melinda heard some echo of them on the golden sands of Majorca? Or had she already received fresnages telling her that wherever Donald whatever else he might be doing, he was basically still fighting for peace? There was, however, only one other thing ‘of any significance that habpened during the Majorea holiday. One evening, as they were getting ready to go out td dinner, Mrs Dunbar heard Melinda say — again, probabl to herself{—~"Oh, what ave done with Donalg's letter 7" It is probable that this was fe Jettes she teceived in Tatsfield a few weeks after Donald iS~ appeared, and which she alwajs carcied with her. Mother is : angry But there js ® vague possi- was and. bility that Melinda might have. : received another letter, which she kept secret Melinda was obviously _con- tacted several times before the last meeting whieh resulted in her flight, but it is unlikely that © anything was arranged by letter or that anything, at any time, was put in writing. ~ ‘A few days before they left’ Majorca Mrs. Dunbar suggested to Melinda that she should write to the garage in Geneva where they had left the car to ask that She had also said it would be a help, as they were due to arr © in the late afternoon, if Melinda . wrote to the concierge to ask her to buy, miik, bread, butter, eggs and the other would require that evening and the next morning ‘The day they were leaving, Mrs. Dunbar found that Melinda had not written, and asked her to send telegrams. ‘They landed at Cointrin Air- ort, some 20 minutes fror eneva, around 430 p.m. 01 Monday September 7. ‘Ther a5 mo car to meet them. -' Mrs. Dunbar lings, “Did -you -send- th Before’ ‘she could finish groceries’ they | turned’ tq"