Madge divined that Mr. Dewitt intended to ask questions concerning her knowledge of the strange Zudi symbols. Since she was not ready to answer them, she hastily arose.
“If you wish, we will keep the stone here in our vaults until you claim it,” the jeweler offered.
Madge was glad to accept the offer for she had no immediate use for the jade pin, and hesitated to be responsible for its safety. She thanked the jeweler for his kindness and left the store.
As she walked slowly toward the waterfront she considered the information gleaned from the interview. Had she felt free to do so, she would have gone directly to the police with her findings.
“I promised I wouldn’t bring them into it again,” she thought, “so before doing anything I must consult Enid. I’m sure she’ll see my viewpoint now.”
Aboard The Flora an hour later, she reported in detail her talk with Mr. Dewitt. And to her deep chagrin, she encountered stubborn resistance from Enid.
“No, I don’t feel that it’s a case for the police,” she insisted. “What have they done so far? Nothing at all.”
“But the situation is different now,” Madge explained patiently. “Do you realize that you’re not dealing with an ordinary band of kidnappers? You’re negotiating with a group of fanatics—or at least that’s my opinion. You can’t trust them.”
“You may be right,” Enid admitted wearily, “but at any rate they’re only after the Zudi Drum. When I turn it over to them, they’ll be satisfied.”
Madge realized that her arguments were making not the slightest impression upon her chum. In her intense desire to aid her father, Enid had lost sight of everything save the main objective.