Chapter I.IX

Not knowing what to do, the inspector grabbed the last obvious opportunity for him.

- Do you have close friends or classmates? - he turned to Delia.

For some reason the girl was confused by this question. Her cheeks flushed red and she looked down. Galbraith was not a psychologist, but this reaction made him think that the girl was clearly in love with one of her schoolfellows. Finally she decided to answer.

- No, - little girl said briefly and clearly.

- Nothing at all? Okay, not close ones, just your acquaintances?

- Really, no!

Delia's face suddenly sharpened and took on an expression of dissatisfaction. She even stomped her foot.

- Okay Delia, I get it, - Galbraith answered in a soothing tone.

Then he stretched out to his full height and turned to the doctor:

- Well, this isn't good. Apparently, the guardianship authorities will have to be involved in this matter.

- Don't look so glum. We have not yet made a request to search for her relatives. The young lady may not have known her parents' cousins or second cousins by sight, but this does not mean that she is alone in this world.

- You're an optimist, Matt, I've always liked that about you,  but here's a case...

- All is not lost, mister inspector.

- Suit yourself. But still, where should we place her until the circumstances are clarified?

- You can talk to that woman, the witness. They, it seemed to me, knew each other well.

"Nice idea", thought Galbraith, "But where did it go?". The inspector walked to the exit of the house and shouted to the young sergeant who was standing in the yard at the gate.

- Sergeant Saussure, don't you know where that woman went?

- Which one, mister inspector?

- Well, with a scarf on her head....

- You mean Elsebeth Roselieu? She went out the gate and the trail went cold.

- Yes, couldn't be better...

Galbraith turned back, but Delia was not in the hall.

- Matt, where's the baby? - he asked the doctor.

- The girl went upstairs. Said she wanted to change clothes.

- All right. I'll go away for now.

Having said this, Galbraith entered the bathroom, which combined both a bathtub and a toilet. Having done his dirty work, he washed his hands and went back out. During the time that the inspector spent in the bath, Delia had already made her way down to the hall and was now standing next to the mirror. Matt spoke the truth - baby girl changed her dress, and was now wearing blue pants and a beige jacket with a zipper, under which a pink shirt was visible.

- Where you're headed, if it's not indiscreet? - Galbraith was a little surprised by her change of clothes.

The girl, putting the comb on the bedside table, turned away from the mirror and looked at man with some surprise.

- Am I not coming with you? - she asked, shaking her head.

- Well, you know... - the inspector hesitated.

Then an man from Federal Bureau of Investigation approached Galbraith. It seemed as if he had been replaced - now this tall young man gave the impression not of a stern policeman, but of a quiet student at a cadet school. He addressed him respectfully:
 
- Mister inspector, while you were in the bathroom, the telephone rang upstairs. I picked up the phone and was ordered to report to you to come to the police department immediately.

- Curious... Did the caller not introduce himself? - hearing this, Galbraith again prepared for the worst.

- No, but from the voice I determined that the subscriber was aged, - the agent answered obediently.

"It's Schaeymoure, there was no doubt", Galbraith thought with some dissatisfaction. "Is mister chief inspector really so bored that he first calls me to his home, and then the next day to office..."

- Approved, - Galbraith came close to the agent. - Now you listen to me. If I have now been ordered to leave, then I do not dare disobey the orders of my superiors, but I want you let this eat into your mind - if it's in your stupid head the idea to be rude to this girl will come again, I swear what am I will scrape you out from earth. You got that?

- Roger, mister inspector! - the agent answered with such intonation as if he had been told good news.

- Well, way to go.

Man from Federal Bureau of Investigation came out into the yard. Galbraith, gathering his thoughts, went to the bedside table, which stood next to the mirror. His gaze fell on the photograph lying there among some clay cats and artificial berries. This photo captured all three of the this family - mister Yonce in a strict black suit, and on his left hand missis Yonce in a wedding dress. The woman was holding a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes in her arms - Delia, the inspector immediately realized. In the lower right corner was the date - May 20, 1981. It's curious, he thought, it turns out that the spouses decided to sign after the birth of their daughter...

Galbraith, without giving the report in the actions, grabbed this photograph and put it in his jacket pocket. And he turned around when he heard footsteps. Thank God it was Matt. The doctor, sweating profusely, turned to the inspector:

- This guy told me that you are going to the police now, - he said in a somewhat tired tone.  Well, good luck to you.

"It seemed", the inspector thought, "That the doctor meant the man from the Federal Bureau of Investigation".

- Thanks for saying that, Matt, - he said soulfully.

Galbraith shook the doctor's hand and went outside. Delia stood near the gate, apparently waiting to be put into the car. The inspector, passing by her, caught her holy glare. His head over heels - Galbraith had a strange feeling that he was seeing this girl for the last time...

- Then farewell, Delia, - he said briefly, walking next to her and going out the gate