“I don’t blame you,” Louise said, forgetting the incident. “Now let’s go join Daddy and Nina at the Spanish Park.”
The meal was a gay one. Louise and Nina laughed and talked about the parade, and Mr. Curtin told funny stories about the antics of the members of Ye Mystic Krewe. Vicki joined in the gaiety, but her mind was far away—seeing the frightened old violinist in front of Duke’s house; Duke, Eaton-Smith, and the masked pirate whispering in the little room and startled at her appearance; the pirate running away from her in the crowd; and finally, Duke appearing to follow her.
“You’re very quiet this evening, Vicki,” Mr. Curtin remarked on the drive home.
“She’s tired,” Louise said. “Don’t forget she had a long trip down from New York today.”
When they arrived at the house, Mrs. Tucker was there before them.
“A messenger just delivered this for you, Miss Vicki,” she said, handing over a large manila envelope.
Vicki took the envelope and continued on her way to her room to wash up. Inside the room, she opened the flap and pulled out the contents.
They consisted of the skull-and-crossbones insignia crudely cut from the front of a cardboard pirate’s hat, like the one the masked man had been wearing tonight, and a crudely penciled note:
“Airline-hostess work is safe! Stick to it! Keep out of things that don’t concern you! This is a solemn warning!”
A cold hand gripped her heart.