"Do you know the woman?" Drake read Rhoda's expression of consternation, as recognition of the woman's photograph appearing on the screen.
"Of her, but not personally. Patch me through to inspector Brinchly. Then get the station master at Houden. Ask him to delay the train outside the station, that he can contact Brinchly if he needs confirmation of the request. There is ten minutes needed to get someone there from Houden's police station." She instructed him gravely, then asked Miles to tap in some more code numbers; and a plan of the station came up on the screen alongside the speeding train; before picking up the mobile at a nod from Drake, the connection ringing through.
"Inspector Brinchly, please, I'm Rhoda Roche and it is urgent that I speak with him as soon as possible." Rhoda spoke urgently in faultless French, listening to the background noises behind the person who had answered, then heard the inspectors voice and gave a relieved sigh. "He is with you." She interrupted the woman answering her call. "Give him my name. He will speak to me himself!" She insisted sternly, the woman dithering and wanting a message, saying the inspector was in a conference. "This minute, sil vous plait!" Rhoda said sharply, and she swore aggressively, shaking the mobile in her fury.
She heard her friends voice though, when he finally came to the telephone and he was laughing. "My poor secretary is heading for the washroom in tears, young lady. What can I do for you? More trouble with that Prince of yours?" He chuckled, causing Rhoda to look at Hassan and grimace.
"No, not this time. Can you keep a train just outside Houden station for me for ten minutes? There's a mother and two children running away from a man in a grey jaguar, name of Pierre Cantella. He claims to be her brother-in-law and the brother died last month. I think the woman is on her way here, a former friend of Lord Dreux, so I need time to tidy up here and get the full story off the brother-in-law. Can you get me ten minutes, at least. You may have to insist on bringing her here if I am wrong about her destination. Lord Dreux would want to help her." She explained her reason to trouble him, then listened and smiled, relieved. "Oh, thank you! You are so kind. Remember me to Lisette. Ten minutes, thank you." She put her hand up to Drake, her fingers forming a circle, then she said goodbye and put the mobile down, turning to give Miles more code numbers.
"Watch the station and follow the woman who looks like that photograph. Print in, the corresponding map reference and the satellite will follow her. The numbers are on the map," Rhoda indicated the section of screen which showed the map, alongside that of the train and the section covering the station plan itself, assuring him that a beep would show the route the woman would take, if she left the train.
Watching for a few precious seconds to be sure he could keep up with the woman while moving on the trains same course, Rhoda then turned to Hassan and asked him to follow her, moving agilely across the room as she spoke, glad she had dressed first before leaving Julian's room, not having to worry about a trailing housecoat, having hastily dressed into the jeans and sweater she had travelled down in, on hearing the speeding car.
Stealthily, not wanting to wake Julian, Rhoda eased her bedroom door open and with Hassan's help, fetched out her spare clothes from the wardrobe and her toiletries from the en-suite bathroom and taking them carefully, a few at a time, slowly and quietly, cleared the bedroom of all trace of her having been there, putting everything into the room next to Hassan's luxurious guest suite, set aside for him to change in and sleep in when someone took over his duties. Her new room was luxurious, but not as tidy, just having dumped her clothes and toiletries on the lace-ruffled four poster bed and her few electrical items onto her small vanity unit.
"Why have you gone to all this trouble?" Hassan asked her, as they sped back towards the tower.
"It needs to be done. Julian would have to ask me to move and be embarrassed, so I am saving him that. That is all I can tell you, without breaking his confidence." She gave him a brief explanation, quickening her steps, as they crossed the inner covered courtyard and headed back to the radio room.
