◆ SpookStack

from ‘Paris, I saw “she following day when she told me the * story as it the: appeared conclusions, and Melinda: had been lured away. yiot think she had actually been “kid- put we were certain ‘that she - had not gone of her awn free will. ‘Of the complete honesty of Mrs. Denbar’s story Which was also. what M.LS and the Swiss Police, } have not the slightest doubt : it contained sary Ehen. Tt was a cnse af somecne being tno intimately to be abie to see the Clearly, of daily contact cuscuring the ail-importan| napped, original £ not at the time ‘the facts as she then goncerned with evenis small detsitr in the accou Mr: ed in the News wer 1%, she said? tis! Stet ani 20E da “They bad hat, I believe, she had taainly Harriet and Catherine, who. once ever from America to be by iueir mother's side, tg close up the fat in the Rue deg Alpes. And almost immediately she made two startling discoveries whieh told her without possiblity ef, doubt (hat contrary to her eartier impression Melinds bud plapnes cher flight in advance~ had known when she srove off with the ebildren that-she might well never return Mrs. ‘Dunbdar's first grief- stricken impression that Melinda hug! taken only things she would nojmaliy have needed for 4 week~ end visit was primarily based on wh)t she syw her put imo the we Melinda leave the N Wednesday nightjSeptember 16, last year—~five daysjafter Melinda disappeared—I arrifed in. Geneva mine too, were that Two shock - Dunbar then _gave me, pub- ‘hronicke on Thursday, Sen- Melinda took onty are small suttease wilt stelothes for the ehildren, and one for hersel sunimer things.” Tp was five weeks after she had left Geneva that Mrs. Dunbar returned there with her Mrs. Dunbar fo her. Heri We did she had told and had ne other clother Melinda, daughters again, had fey fiat wit only one suitcas large raffa holt-alls which the: had brought back from Majorca, and a Hille red overnight bag provided Jur their passengers by dhe bit air companies and which contsined Melinda's toilet requisites ‘ne fact that the expensive Americas” siifeare way decep- tively roomy and could contain far more than on frst sight appeared possible. and that the hald-alis were deep-and capa- aeious, did not thea strike “her, Nor did she realise that Melinda could have packed other things Into the car beforenand. y When Mrs. Dunbar haf made ge original check-u) the elpset in the rather durk tpssage infuse fiat she had been fpr too wher to see.or think cleaply, A tet ns » two s THE NAME READS "SMITH" This photographer's using ordered—and collected on May 2l-~ihree passport size pictures i we — envelope repealed that the name “Mrs, Smith,” quick glace showed her Melinda's mink coat and evening dress. But nothing bad been pro- perly fidied away since their return from their long holiday, end hanging m the same closet were dresses of her own, Then. in the chests of drawers were piles of clothes which she had token for Melinda's, for th was there thut Melinda uswally kept her underclothes. Now on eiuser examination thest proved fo belong to She children and st required only a short examina Yon for her te discover that Meiinda had taken all her cloiles ity ber, evergtuing from syits “and dresses. down to the pw uoderclathes Mrs. Dunbar {ind bought for her in New Yort a few mouths before, eversthibg except her mink coat and an dk- pint: new evening dress. Si | ad taken almost nothing delong- ing to the children. ~ ‘The second ‘discovery wos fit large sheet of 24 Polyphotox 8: ibe three children, with @ little envelope . with — photographer's directions clipped to it Mrs. Dunbar was extremely; surprised that she knew nothing! about these photos and had sever seen them fore. Not only would Melinda have told her if she were thinking of having & photograph “of the children, but they would eageris have examined the photograyiis directly they were obtained from tn 80 Mra Dunbrr in- envelope carefully. vaence i And she-saw, that Melinda, in| the name of “Mrs, Smils,’ i] ordered three, enlargements photograph No, 23—and called for them pn May 21, to days before she Mrs, Dunb: i ack from Ameri Dunbar was in Paris and nearly daly telephonic conumu-| nication with her. { rs, Dunbar also found. rgements of the photo- which itself measured! by 45 were lo be) the we re-t e shop. spected the Gems. ems. * b) : quired for American passports} and those of some of the frou Curtain countries. Melinda and the | chitdr travelled usually on Melinda's British Passport which requi 2 Tem. by bom. photograph. Baths! fhe passport and the exlsrec-) ments were missing and pre ably Melinda had fakea thetr with her, These two pieces of eviddnce were entirely conclusive in four opinion: Melinds’s disaoneardice had been planned at lesst four: months: before it took place. {World copyright} ee