BIGGLES 'FAILS TO RETURN'

By Captain W. E. Johns

IX. THE GIRL IN BLUE (Pages 102 (the index says 103 but it's wrong!) - 110)

Algy leave through the back of the cafe and says to the people who see him leave "If you forget that you have seen me you will be helping France". He then runs down the steep slope at the back where hundreds of olive trees grow. Descending to the lower road, Algy waits for darkness and then walks along it. Here he comes to a broken down lorry and he assists the driver in repairing the fault in the ignition. As a result he gets a lift into Monaco. Algy goes to teh Quai de Plaisance hoping to meet up with Ginger or Bertie. Here Algy sees a girl in a blue shawl rub out a message on the wall and then write in blue "CASTILLON. AU BON CUISINE. MAYDAY." Seeing Algy she runs away. No blue triangle is left. Mayday is an airman's distress call. Algy is convinced this message relates to Biggles. Algy then sees Francois the boatman but obviously knows nothing about his involvement in things. From Francois he discovers that Castillon is an old abandoned village full of cats. Looking back for any sign of Bertie of Ginger, there is none. Just a young girl in black walking along the Quai de Plaisance.