Scarcely were they outside the door, however, when two pairs of strong hands grabbed Selima’s arms. “You won’t escape this time,” gloated a harsh male voice, and Selima looked up to find herself in the grips of two burly police officers. She struggled violently, but the harder she fought, the tighter the men’s grip became.
Selima shrieked at the pain of her betrayal, but the men only laughed. The bath attendant turned to the officers and said, “As promised, I brought her to you. Where is my reward?”
The bigger officer dropped some coins in her outstretched hand. “There, O Habibah,” he said. “Three dinars.”
“We agreed on five,” the woman complained.
“You’ll accept three,” the officer said, and assumed a menacing stance. He would no doubt pocket the difference himself. The woman, in no p
