The Other Side of Midnight

"We shall see." He set his glass down. "Shall we go?"

Noelle picked up the empty champagne glasses.

"I'll just put these in the sink," she said.

General Scheider watched as she walked into the kitchen. Noelle was one of the most beautiful and desirable women he had ever seen, and he meant to possess her. That did not mean, however, that he was either stupid or blind. She wanted something from him. He intended to find out what it was. Colonel Mueller had alerted him that she was in all probability giving aid to a dangerous enemy of the Reich, and Colonel Mueller made very few mistakes. If he was correct, Noelle Page was probably counting on General Scheider to protect her in some way. If so she knew nothing at all about the German military mind and still less about him. He would turn her over to the Gestapo without a qualm, but first he would have his pleasure. He was looking forward to the weekend.

Noelle came out of the kitchen. There was a worried expression on her face. "How many bags did your chauffeur take down?" she asked.

"Two," he replied. "An overnight bag and a makeup case."

She made a face. "Oh dear, I'm sorry, Hans. He forgot the other case. Do you mind?"

He watched as Noelle walked over to the telephone, picked it up and spoke into it. "Would you please ask the General's driver to come up again?" she said. "There's another bag to go down." She replaced the receiver. "I know we're only going to be there for the weekend," she smiled, "but I want to please you."

"If you want to please me," General Scheider said, "you will not need a lot of clothes." He glanced at a picture of Armand Gautier on the piano. "Does Herr Gautier know that you are going away with me?" he asked.

"Yes," Noelle lied. Armand was in Nice meeting with a producer about a motion picture, and she had seen no reason to alarm him by telling him of her plans. The doorbell rang, and Noelle walked over to the door and opened it. The captain stood there. "I understand there is another bag?" he asked.

"Yes," Noelle apologized. "It's in the bedroom."

The captain nodded and went into the bedroom.

"When must you return to Paris?" General Scheider asked her.

Noelle turned and looked at him. "I'd like to stay as long as I can. We'll come back late Monday afternoon. That will give us two days."

The captain came out of the bedroom. "Excuse me, Fraulein. What does the suitcase look like?"

"It is a large round blue case," Noelle said. She turned to the General. "It has a new gown in it that I haven't worn yet. I saved it for you."

She was babbling now, trying to cover up her nervousness.

The captain had gone back into the bedroom. A few moments later, he came out again. "I am sorry," he said. "I cannot find it."

"Let me," Noelle said. She went into the bedroom and began to search the closets. "That idiot of a maid must have hidden it away somewhere," she said. The three of them looked through every closet in the apartment. It was the General who finally found the bag in the hall closet. He lifted it and said, "It seems to be empty."

Noelle quickly opened the bag and looked inside. There was nothing in it. "Oh, that fool," she said. "She must have crammed that beautiful new dress in the suitcase with my other clothes. I hope she hasn't ruined it." She sighed in exasperation. "Do you have that much trouble with maids in Germany?"

"I think it is the same everywhere," General Scheider replied. He was watching Noelle closely. She was acting strangely, talking too much. She noticed his look.

"You make me feel like a schoolgirl," Noelle said. "I can't remember when I've been so nervous."

General Scheider smiled. So that was it. Or was she playing some kind of game with him? If she was, he would soon find it out. He glanced at his watch. "If we do not leave now, we will get there very late."

"I'm ready," Noelle said.

She prayed the others were.

When they reached the lobby, the concierge was standing there, his face chalk white. Noelle wondered if something had gone wrong. She looked at him for some signal, a sign, but before he could respond, the General had taken Noelle's arm and was leading her out the door.

General Scheider's limousine was parked directly in front of the door. The trunk of the car was closed. The street was deserted. The chauffeur sprang to open the rear door of the car. Noelle turned to look inside the lobby to see the concierge but the General moved in front of her and blocked her view. Deliberately? Noelle glanced at the closed trunk but it told her nothing. It would be hours before she knew whether her plan had succeeded, and the suspense was going to be unbearable.

"Are you all right?" General Scheider was staring at her. She felt that something had gone terribly wrong. She had to find an excuse to go back into the lobby, to be alone with the concierge for a few seconds. She forced a smile to her lips.

"I just remembered," Noelle said. "A friend is going to call me. I must leave a message--"

General Scheider gripped her arm.