[MaC] Separations: Hodges, Nicola and Michael

[Mel Mason]

>> There was no-one in his flat - although Hodges was able to produce his
>> somewhat elderly Home Guard rifle.
>>
>> The other flats on this floor belonged to the Countess and her daughter, 
>> the
>> Wing Commander, and Miss Marjorie Higgins.
>> Hodges checked and loaded a shell into the chamber of the old rifle,
>> shouldered it for the march and turned to the others after an inspection 
>> of
>> his own flat.  "Shall we proceed in order then?"  He asked, leading the 
>> way
>> to Flat No 2.
>
> "If you don't mind, perhaps my flat next, so I might recover my
> sidearm," Michael suggests.
>

They therefore headed first of all for Flat 4 so that Michael could collect 
his handgun.  There wqas no-one in the flat - although there was a woman's 
scarf cast aside on a sofa.  There were also a number of Egyptian 
artefacts - a statue of Anubis on a side table.  There was also a key that 
looked like the key to one of the flats - only it bore the number 2.

There was no-one in Flat 3, either. There were a few recently opened 
packages on the bed with used things in them - as if Marjorie had found a 
jumble sale or something.  But the items are nicer than you'd expect from a 
jumble sale, and besides, in war-time people were far less reluctant to give 
away perfectly good clothes.  Marjorie's handbag was here too.  It had 
fallen on its iside, but all that had fallen out were a rather thin purse, 
and a small piece of card with an address in Betnal Green for a Mrs Miggins.

They next went to Flat Number 2.  Here again there was no-one - apart from 
Arabella's rather excited little dog.  A canvas stood in the living room, 
and there was a smell of wet paint, although it did not look particularly 
smudged.  On the other hand, given the style, it could be hard to tell.

They checked each room.  Pamela's bedroom was neat and tidy - but the corner 
of something written was protruding from a drawer in her dressing tavble, as 
though it had been shoved hastily away and the drawer closed.  Once could 
make out the letters, "Darl ... "