The Chinese Egg by Catherine Storr Page B

neighbours by high brick walls, and from the road by a closely planted line of dark evergreens.
    â€œThey must have pots of money,” Vicky said.
    â€œThat’s probably why their baby was stolen. Ransom,” Stephen said.
    â€œCome on” Chris said, stimulated by this thought. She led the way up to the front door and rang the elegant worked-iron hanging bell. Stephen and Vicky had just about reached the doorstep when Paolo opened the door. Chris was taken aback by his darkness. She hadn’t expected posh Mr. Wilmington to look like this.
    Paolo stood there unsmiling. It seemed to him that he’d answered the door five hundred times already in the last two days and the news was always bad, never anything good. He was frightened for the Wilmingtons and for Caroline Ann and he was also frightened for himself. In Spain the police didn’t necessarily wait till they could prove you guilty, they sometimes took you away on suspicion and kept you shut up and then you were lucky or had very good friends indeed if you ever got out again. Mrs. Wilmington had tried to explain that that was not going to happen to him in England, but Paolo was wary and every new person who came to the house might well be a threat. In theordinary way he would have smiled at Chris because she was a girl and because she was very pretty, but now he simply stared at her and wondered if the police had sent her to trap him.
    â€œAre you Mr. Wilmington?” Chris asked, sounding a good deal braver than she felt.
    â€œMr. Wilmington won’t see anyone,” Paolo said, according to his instructions.
    â€œOh, then you’re not Could we see Mrs. Wilmington, then, please?”
    â€œMrs. Wilmington she doesn’t see anyone too.”
    â€œPlease! Please! It’s very important.”
    By this time Vicky and Stephen were standing beside Chris.
    â€œNo. Sorry, They don’t see anyone.” He started to shut the door.
    â€œOh, don’t! Don’t go away. It’s about the baby”
    â€œSo is everyone coming about the bébé.” He went on shutting the door. Stephen pushed forward suddenly and got his foot in the remaining crack. Paolo stepped smartly on the foot. Stephen yelped, but kept it there. Paolo promptly put on the chain inside the door, which meant that it couldn’t be opened any further, but at the same time he couldn’t shut it owing to the foot.
    â€œYou go away. I don’t let you in,” Paolo said, still trying to kick the foot out of the crack.
    â€œWe’re not going. Not until we’ve told someone in authority what we’ve come for,” Stephen said, surprising himself by the way he seemed to have taken charge. He was also surprised when Paolo stopped attacking the foot and said in a much more reasonable voice, “Mr. Wilmington say not to let anyone in.”
    â€œAll right; don’t let us in. Just go and tell someone that we’re here because we think we might be able to help.”
    â€œMr. Wilmington won’t like. He get very angry,” Paolo said.
    â€œI should think he’d be even angrier if he finds us sitting outside his front door all night,” Stephen said. Vicky took the hint and immediately sat down. Chris, a moment later, did the same.
    â€œYou can’t stay,” Paolo said.
    â€œWe’re not going. Not until you’ve told someone we’re here.”
    Paolo said, “Okay. You take your foot back, I tell Mr. Wilmington.”
    â€œOh no. You can perfectly well go and tell Mr. Wilmington while I keep my foot there.”
    Silence from inside the house.
    Suddenly Paolo said urgently, “Look! Someone with a bébé just there behind you. . . .” Stephen wasn’t quick enough. He’d turned to look, and at that moment a well directed kick on his ankle made him withdraw his foot. Instantly the door shut with a heavy bang. The letter-box flap lifted and Paolo’s voice from inside