"Well, no, not very recently," Steel replied.
"Can you recall the last time?"
"About a week ago, I think."
"Does he always call alone?"
"I never have seen him with any one."[Pg 23]
"Have you ever seen other persons going there?" questioned Patsy.
"No, never," Steel said earnestly. "She don’t appear to have any female visitors. Nor any other men, in fact, than the two I have mentioned. If she does, they must call after dark, or when I am out, or—oh, by gracious, that’s odd. A taxicab is stopping there. That old chap may be calling to see her."
The taxicab had passed the store while Steel was speaking, and it then had swerved quickly to the curbing in front of Sadie Badger’s flat.
Patsy also had noticed it, and had caught sight of its two passengers.
One was a woman. She was reclining on the cushions in the corner nearest the store. Only her shoulder and part of her head were visible to Patsy through the taxicab window, but he could see that she was closely veiled, while her attitude and the position of her head in the angle formed by the cushioned corner denoted that she was dozing, if not sound asleep.