Black-Eyed Stranger (20 page)

Now, astonishing her, the key clicked near her ear. She almost fell out into the light.

Ambielli said, “In here, please.” She got clumsily to her feet. Sam was still in the chair. But everything seemed, blank. Ambielli now swiftly locked the door of the empty bathroom and took the key out of the lock. She couldn't understand.

He said, softly, “I am curious to see what they want of you, Sam.” He was smiling. He held the gun in his hand. “I am very curious to see what their reaction is to your little friend who will stay in this room, to be seen. Do you know, I have an idea that their reaction will resolve all my uncertainties about you, Sam. Don't you think so?”

He smiled. He went into the kitchen and closed the door.

Kay looked at Sam. She understood now. She couldn't hide. She was there to be seen and recognized. Then came another thought. Ambielli must believe that cupboard door led outside. But it did not. There was no way out of that kitchen. She thought, Why, he's caught. He's caught in there.

Then, she thought, And I'm caught in here. I can't hide. No place to hide. The minute they see me, Ambielli will be made sure.

Then she thought, it is Sam who is caught. Then, wildly. Everybody's caught!
Somebody's going to die!

It was too late for her to run out of doors. There were feet on the wooden porch already. And the big one was out there, anyhow. Keeping dark. There was no way to warn them. Sam said he'd told them so they
expected
to see her. She couldn't fool her own father with her streaked hair. Everybody was caught.

The kitchen door was a plywood slab. No lock, no key, no keyhole. Ambielli could hear, but he could not see. She said shrilly, “Sam, I don't like it. Feels to me somebody's going to get hurt. I don't want to get mixed up …”

He already had the gun in his hand. He nodded. He said soothingly, “Take it easy. Just take it easy. We'll see what this bunch wants.” But his eyes had already left her face to fasten not on the door of the shack, but on the kitchen door.

Somebody was going to die.

“I'm saying I don't want to get mixed up,” she shrilled. “You got no business dragging me out here into this kind of mess …”

Her own father's voice was crying, on the porch outside, “Katherine? Katherine?” And she could not be glad.

“Oh, no,” groaned Sam. “Not them, too!”

“I'll give you Katherine,” Katherine screeched. “All of you. Everybody. Go ahead. Open the damn door. Let them in.”

Sam didn't move. His eyes didn't swerve. The gun didn't shake in his hand. It was she who opened the door.

Chapter 20

LIGHT fell on her father's face, and she reached up and touched his opening lips with one finger. She leaned against him and felt the pain of his hands on her shoulders. But his reaction was quick and his control quickly taken. He understood that he must not speak, that something here forbade it. She felt surprised that he was so flexible and understood so soon.

Alan had pushed past them and was moving toward Sam. Sam did not turn, not even his head, or his hand, or so much as an eyeball. He kept facing the kitchen door and Alan couldn't see the gun. If only she could keep Alan quiet, too. She flew after him.

Sam said in a tired, disgusted voice, “All right, Dulain. What is it now?”

Kay reached up from behind and put her hands on Alan's mouth. “You get the funniest company, Sam,” she jeered. “Look at him, looking at me. Say, who is this Katherine everybody's looking for?” Alan tore her hands away. “The woods are full of people looking for Katherine. What's
she
got, Sam?”

“Aw, Bonnie, sit down.” Sam hadn't moved.

Her father now stepped near her again, and she had her hands fluttering, trying to tell them, when Alan, leaning on the table, said, “You actually told the truth, Lynch.”

Sam snarled, “Yeah. Surprise.”

It couldn't hold. It wasn't going to work. Something was going to give. Somebody was going to die.

“I didn't believe you,” Alan said. And then, calmly, “Are you all right, Kay darling?”

She felt as if she could see straight through the plywood door, through the dark in there. She could see Ambielli opening the cupboard. The cans of food would move under his groping hand. She listened for one to fall. And she thought, then what? Then what? When he knows he is caught and he can't get out, then what?

She was standing there, dismayed, pulling her cheeks down with the flat of her fingers, when Sam shoved her. Sam had moved. He shoved her father, too. They reeled and wobbled, clutching each other. They fell together against the corner of two walls. Alan made an angry sound, and Sam shoved him, too.

The plywood door was shivering.
Don't wait! Sam, don't wait!
But she had not yelled it aloud. Alan, scrambling for balance, with one hand on the floor, was doing the yelling. “You in there, look out! He's got a gun!”

Kay cried with all her might, “No, Alan! No.”

Ambielli kicked open the door.

She had one glimpse of his face before Sam's gun went off twice. Twice seemed to be enough.

Sam watched the thing on the floor closely for a moment or two. Then he put the gun on the table, lifted his hand away from it as if it stung, touched it once again, quickly, lifted his hand, walked away, as far. away as he could, back into the far corner. There he set down with his back against the wall.

Alan, who had lost balance, was sitting on the floor. He began, all over again, in a new way, to get up.

Salisbury pushed himself off the wall. “Katherine, I'm going to take you out of this. You mustn't … Don't look …” He was trembling with the joy of finding her. She pressed her head against his arm.

Watching Alan, she spoke to Sam. “Sam?” Her voice was all right. “The big one? That Baby?”

Sam said, “I'm tired. Some other hero can go get Baby Hohenbaum.” He had his eyes closed. She could tell that he was shaking as if he had a chill. “I'm through,” he said. “This ain't for me. I'm a bystander by trade.”

Then they heard, outside, rather distantly, the sound of yet another car.

She thought, that must be the big one, going away. We never heard their car. Heard nothing, only saw the face. But they must have had a car.
She
was shaking.

She said, “I'm tired, too.” She was still looking at Alan. She couldn't see him very well. She said, plaintively, “Alan, why haven't you come and kissed me?” She stretched her eyes and forced a focus. He was on his feet, standing rather tensely between the table and Sam Lynch. “Alan, don't be silly …” she began feebly.

Then there were feet pounding on the porch and in the open door were two men she had never seen.

Alan said, “Well, what delayed you?” in anger and relief.

“Lost him. We got rammed. Hey!”

“Hi ya, boys,” Sam said. “Warner. Reilly.”

“Was that Ambielli fixed to have us rammed? Hey, Sam?”

“I wouldn't be surprised,” said Alan.

“Don't be surprised, Dulain,” Sam closed his eyes again. “It was.”

The stouter one of the newcomers grunted, having noticed. The thinner one's voice changed and cried, “
That
's Ambielli? There?”

“It was,” Sam said. He opened his eyes. “You boys see Hohenbaum?”

“Not since—” Warner looked quickly behind him.

“I mean here? Around here?”

“Not around here, Sam.”

“See his car, then?”

“No car but Mr. Dulain's. Parked up above.”

“Who got Ambielli like this?” Reilly asked in some awe.

“Lynch,” said Alan.

“Self-defense?”

“Murder,” said Alan.

Kay stirred on the bunk where her father had gently guided her.

“And that's her? She's okay?”

“She's okay,” said Salisbury vibrantly.

“Who had her? Ambielli?”

“Lynch had her.” Alan licked his lip. Then he became, a commander. “Reilly, get out on the porch. Watch out. Although if Hohenbaum was here he's run off by now, I'm sure.”

“You're sure,” Sam murmured.

“He'll save his own skin if he can,” snapped Alan. “Don't worry. We'll get him. We'll get you all.”

“Alan,” Kay tried to sit up.

“We must get
you
home, dear,” her father said. “My dear. Get you home.”

“Warner, go back to the nearest phone and get some authority out here. They'll know about it by now. You may meet them. Tell them we've got Ambielli dead and Lynch alive.”

“Alan,” Kay said in alarm. Sam only sunk his chin on his breast.

“Lie back, dear. Please, Katherine. Ah, your pretty, hair …”

“Just lie back, sister,” Sam said without looking. “Please.”

Salisbury said, “Wait a minute, Warner. Alan, let me take her home.”

“Wait for me, sir.”

“But this …” Kay thought, Daddy means the body on the floor. How funny. It's not dangerous now.

“I can't let her out of my sight. It won't be long. Just until the police take over.”

“Then call Martha. Let Martha know.” Salisbury darted after the man Warner. “I can't leave Katherine. You must call Mrs. Salisbury.” He and both the strange men mumbled in the doorway.

“I can't leave Katherine, either,” Alan said, “ever again.” Now he was near. He held her. He kissed her. “You're all right? Truly?”

“I'm fine,” she said, still shaking. “Don't leave me.”

“No, darling. We must get this straightened around. Won't take long.”

“Alan, I don't think you realize …”

“He realizes,” Sam's voice stabbed the whole width of the shack. “I snatched you, sister. I killed Ambielli. He's right.”

“But, Sam! Alan, he
had
to.”

“Had to?”

“Of course, he had to. Somebody had to die.”

Alan touched her forehead. “Have you had any food?”

“Of course, I've had food. Alan, didn't you see his face?”

“Whose face, darling?”

“That man's. Ambielli's.”

“Hush, Kay. He can't hurt you, now.”

“I know what I'm saying.” She struggled to sit higher. “You weren't here. You don't know. He was going to kill Sam and me and probably you and Dad …”

“I was here, Kay,” Alan said, pityingly. “Lie back.”

“Alan,
listen …
”

“Tell it to the judge,” said Sam gloomily, distantly. “Write a letter to the editor.”

“Tell it to the—! I won't! There isn't going to be any.” She was thoroughly alarmed.

Salisbury had turned back and was inside, again. Now he raised both his fists and held them against his breast as if to keep his furious feeling in. “Lynch, I will make you suffer as nobody ever suffered.” She had never heard such a voice, seen such a face.

“None of you understand!” Kay cried. “
Listen!
Ambielli was after me. That man.” She didn't look where he lay. “And the big one. They would have killed me. Don't you know that? Sam hid me from them.” Their faces looked blank to her. What she said bounced back to her. As if it were unheard, unused by their ears.

“You can't do this, darling,” Alan said gently. “It's impossible. You cannot protect—”

“He's so right,” Sam said.

“He's so wrong. Sam, you know it. It wasn't like a real—It was a freakish thing.” She had her feet to the floor now and she tossed her hair back. “You'll have to do this for me, Alan. And Daddy, you, too. There's no time to argue. This is the time. Now, before we get mixed up with the police. No, no,
listen!
You and Sam together saved me from Ambielli.”

“Kay, I'm afraid—”

“You've got to put it that way.”

“It isn't true,” Alan said stiffly.

“It's true enough. It's truer than you—”

“Truth is an absolute,” Sam said. “And he's so right. Let it go, sister.”

“Sam, do you
want
to be tried for kidnaping and murder?”

“No, not especially.” He shrugged.

“Then …”

“Take it easy,” he said. “Don't excite yourself. Nothing you can do. This will have to take its course.”

“Why?”

“Because Dulain is right about it. Don't get female, “now, sister. Don't you know what I did has to be passed on by society?”

“Society,” she scoffed. “Aren't you the one to be talking about society.”

“Let it go, sister,” Sam sounded just terribly tired. “Let's us be glad we're living. Anyhow, save your strength. He can't listen.”

Salisbury said, sharply, “
I'm
listening. Kay, tell me the truth. What did Lynch do?”

She struggled to use this chance and quickly make it clear. “He didn't think you believed his warning. He was terribly afraid for me. That Baby didn't want to bother with me alive. The minute after they'd got me …” The faces were blank. “Have you
seen
Baby Hohenbaum?”

Reilly, out on the porch, strained into the darkness and saw no person. Warner drove past the deep dark tunnel in the trees and missed, again, the car that was hidden there. Where Baby Hohenbaum lay, on the bank above the shack, he was hidden. He kept dark. He knew what had happened. He knew who did it. He knew what to do. He laid his pouting baby face to the ground.

“Yes, I—” Salisbury faltered. “I've seen him. Like a big dog.” His eyes fled from her face to Sam's bent head and back.

“Have you seen Ambielli, alive?” she insisted.

“Yes, I—”

“Well, they didn't get me. Don't you know they were here looking for me?”

Alan said, “Who got the money?”

“They did.”

“Then, it's absurd,” he scoffed. “Why look for you?”