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she asked Peter idly as they waited. Instead of answering as indifferently as she had asked, Peter hesitated, making Linda look at him questioningly. |
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"You must have been mistaken about hearing the door," he said, looking away awkwardly. "The boy was just coming out of the elevator when I got down the hall." |
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So someone was spying on them, Linda thought. She didn't really care because Peter was certainly innocent, beyond his reluctance to betray one of his relatives' sneaky behavior. And his effort at concealment was transparent enough. So she made no comment on his statement, merely remarking that she had to check Mrs. Sotheby's and the general's rooms. Peter came along and, when all the luggage had been collected, accompanied her down to the lobby where Mrs. Bates's party was whiling away the time before they left for the ship by having tea. |
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In the lobby Linda and Peter parted. Linda went to the desk to arrange about cabs to take them to the ship. When she was finished, she joined the tea party, setting down Mrs. Bates's blue and Mrs. Sotheby's white dressing cases, which she had been carrying. |
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"Oh," Mrs. Sotheby said, as soon as her eyes fell on the case, "my hand lotion. I forgot to pack it." |
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"It's packed, Mrs. Sotheby," Linda said positively. "I checked the medicine cabinet, the undersink cabinet, the shelves and all the drawers." |
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