"Where's the child ?" he said.
Apparently he had shaken the fumes up and the intelligence down, for her only answer was a burst of sibilant incoherence.
With an exclamation of impatient disgust he loosed her, and went into the back room.

It was empty.

He went up the rickety stairs, and, as he had expected, found the door of the bedroom locked.

He kicked it open and went into the frowsy room.

The child was not in it.