Cast An Evil Eye (20 page)

Glen pondered this as he walked back to the apartment. By the time he arrived, Renee had already poured the wine and put the glasses on the table. The crystal goblets filled with burgundy wine sparkled merrily as if to say, Don’t worry—everything is going to turn out okay. How Glen wished he could believe that!

His emotions were seesawing—first high with hope, then dipping down to despair. He didn’t know what he would do if anything should happen to Courtney.

He brought the meals out to the kitchen, took them out of the bags, and placed them side by side on the counter top.

Zack took down seven beautifully designed, Royal Dalton China plates from the cabinet—floral designs of blue and rose on white. Renee loaded the plates with the food.

Hildy and Jay took the food to the dining room table, and they sat down to enjoy the delicious French food.

They were all quite hungry, but they would have relished the food more if only they could convince themselves that Courtney would be all right.

They tried not to think about it, but it was hard to ignore the fact that she was under the spell of murderers—one who had already tried unsuccessfully to kill Julia and Nate, and two others who, years ago, killed Vivienne, Fran’s wife, and tried to kill Cammie! Not to mention Gregory, Sr. who started the whole thing by trying to kill Hildy and Roger! Where would it end? they wondered.

Cammie couldn’t help thinking that when Gregory kidnapped her twenty-one years ago he intended to kill her the minute he got what he demanded from Hildy. What will Manny and Gregory and Lilli do to Courtney if we give him what he demands? They’re all in this together. Will they kill her?

Zack had a hunch that Manny would try to get in touch with them soon, demanding a ransom of some kind. What in the world did Greg and Lilli promise Manny? It must have been something pretty special or Manny would never have agreed to kidnap Courtney. But what?

As he mulled this over, the phone rang. Fran was on the line from Scarsdale.

“Yes, Fran,” Zack answered. His face paled as he listened. “You didn’t tell them where we were, did you?” He relaxed and nodded. “Good. They mustn’t know this number or address—or even that we’re all here in Paris. It’s too close to where they’re holding Courtney. It could ruin everything.”

“Right,” Fran agreed. “They might take off and go to some other country. God only knows where. I told Manny you weren’t home and I would relay his message to you when you returned.”

“Good thinking, Fran. We’ll take it from here.”

“Have you found Courtney yet?”

“We know where Manny is keeping her, but we haven’t figured out yet how to contact her without putting her in danger. Whatever we do we must move cautiously.”

“Is there anything we can do back here?” Fran asked.

“You might try praying. This is a tough one,” Zack told him. “Also—very important—stay as close to home as possible and be sure to set the security alarm. Even during the day. Lilli and Gregory might send someone there to get rid of you so you won’t stand in their way. We don’t want anything happening to you. Have you heard anything further from Nate and Julia?”

“They were released from the hospital this morning,” Fran told him. “Nate called the minute they got home and wanted to know what was going on. I told him Manny had hypnotized Courtney again and kidnapped her. I also told him that Lilli and Gregory were behind the whole thing.”

“Did he offer to come here and help?”

“No. He and Julia are still recuperating. I’ll call them right away and warn them to keep their security alarm on at all times.”

“Thanks, Fran. I guess for the time being we’ll have to take care of things here ourselves.”

“You sound discouraged, Zack. Keep trying. I want my grand-daughter back home safe and sound.”

“No one wants that more than I do, Fran. We’ll keep you posted.” He hung up and faced the others. “Fran says Manny called Scarsdale wanting to speak to you, Jay. He says Nate and Julia were released from the hospital this morning, but they’re still recuperating, so Nate can’t come here to help us. We’ll have to find another way to bring Courtney out of this,” he said grimly.

“But what?” Glen asked. “Any ideas?

“I don’t know.” Zack hesitated, thinking. “Manny and Gregory and Lilli must be ready to negotiate on whatever it is that they want. But at the moment they don’t know where to contact us. It’s better that way. That will give us time to figure our next move.”

They sat in silence, eating the meals that Glen had brought back to the apartment. It was quiet except for the steady ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner. Time was slipping by at an alarming rate.

When they finished eating, Hildy rose and began to clear the dishes.

Renee stopped her. “I’ll do that,” she told her. “You’d better get back to the hotel and get some sleep. You’ll be able to think more clearly with a good night’s rest.”

“She’s right,” Zack agreed. “It’s been a long, rough day. Let’s table it for now. Sometimes when we stop trying to figure things out the answer comes. Tomorrow’s another day. We’ll get to work on our strategy early in the morning. Shall we meet for breakfast at the hotel?”

“Good idea,” Cammie said. She reached out for Jeremy’s hand, wanting to comfort him, yet at the same time needing his strength and assurance. “At least we know where they’re hiding Courtney,” she continued, “and it’s close by. We have to be content with that for the time being.”

Jeremy rose, put on his jacket, and headed for the door. “Come on,” he said to the others. He shook hands with Zack and Renee. “Thanks for everything. We’ll see you at the hotel first thing in the morning.”

CHAPTER XXX
 

A
fter leaving Renee and Zack, a very disconsolate group walked into the lobby of La Grande Veue Hotel. They were all edgy—living on raw nerves. How could they save Courtney? This weighed heavily on their minds.

It was nine-thirty. A full moon hovered over the city. The stars twinkled as brightly as the lights from the marquees, and seemed almost as close.

“I’m not a bit sleepy,” Glen told them. “I’ve never had a good look at the Seine. I’m going to take a walk by the River and see if I can clear my head. I won’t be gone long.”

“Great idea!” Jeremy agreed. He looked at Cammie. “How about it? Shall we join him?”

Cammie shrugged. “Might as well. I’m not sleepy, either.”

Jay looked at Hildy. “Do you feel like a stroll?”

Hildy shivered. “Jay—” She hesitated.

“What is it?” he asked.

“That’s where—” She couldn’t say it.

“Where what?”

“The night Greg kidnapped me! That’s where I was!”

Jay put his arm around her. “Greg has been dead for years,” he reminded her. “And Greg, Jr. has no idea we’re here in Paris. Besides, you won’t be alone.”

“I wasn’t alone before!” she retorted. “Roger Fielding was with me.”

“But there were only two of you. There’ll be five of us tonight.”

Hildy looked at Jay, pleading. Realizing she was outnumbered she finally relented. “Okay,” she reluctantly agreed. “I guess I’m letting the memories rule me.”

“Nothing will happen,” Jay promised.

The five of them walked out the door. The sky that had been bright with stars a moment ago was clouding up at a rapid rate, almost as though it had no right to be so festive. Like an omen of danger, Hildy thought. She shivered.

Since the rule in Paris allows no more than three passengers in the same taxi, it took some time to find two cabs. When they finally did, it was ten o’clock. Glen, Cammie, and Jeremy took one, and Hildy and Jay rode in the other, arriving at the River bank at the same time. After paying their fare, the five of them proceeded down the path beside the Seine.

Hildy walked with hesitant steps and great trepidation. She trembled as they approached the lonely area where she and Roger were the night Greg, Sr. caught up with them. She looked around as though she expected at any moment he would rush out from the bushes the way he did before. But he’s dead, she reminded herself. “We shouldn’t be out so late,” she said nervously.

Jay took her hand and pulled her along. “That was forty-one years ago, sweetie. What could possibly happen now?”

But she couldn’t help noticing that, just like that infamous night, the five of them were alone, just as she and Roger had been on that terrible night. The moon was hiding behind dark clouds, and thunder could be heard in the distance—the same as before. Once or twice, flashes of light streaked across the sky as lightning followed loud claps of thunder—just like before.

Icy fingers of fear crept along Hildy’s spine as a sudden flash of premonition overwhelmed her. Her heart pounded. Except for the occasional claps of thunder, an ominous stillness hung over them as they walked along. She tugged on Jay’s hand and tried to steer him back in the other direction. “I think the rain is just about here. We’ll get soaked if we don’t go back now,” she pleaded.

They turned around to leave when, suddenly, a strange voice shot out like a bullet through the stillness of the night.

“Stop right there!”

Startled, they looked in the direction of the voice and saw two masked men with guns pointed at them.

Hildy stood rooted to the spot. Suddenly, it was forty-one years ago! Déjà vu!

Cammie reached for Hildy’s hand, while Jeremy, Jay, and Glen made a quick move toward the men.

“Stay where you are or we’ll shoot!” one of the men warned them.

Hildy recognized the voice. Greg, Jr. She could never mistake it. He sounded just like his father. The other man must be Manny!

A sudden insight told Hildy that this was all a carefully thought out scheme. How did they know we were in Paris?

While Manny still held the gun on them, Greg pulled a legal document out of his pocket and handed it to Jeremy. “Sign this!” he ordered.

Jeremy was suspicious. “What is it?”

“You stole my title!” Greg accused, his voice filled with hatred. “You’re going to give it back to me, or I’ll kill your daughter!”

“Don’t sign it!” Cammie warned him, remembering what Greg said so many years ago when he kidnapped her.

Jeremy echoed her thoughts as he glared at Greg. “How do I know you won’t kill her anyway?”

“I won’t harm her if you just sign it, but I will if you refuse!” Greg threatened. “You have my word on that!”

“Don’t listen to him!” Hildy warned.

Greg thrust the paper and pen into Jeremy’s hand. “Sign it—now—or I’ll kill the women!”

Realizing that Greg was dead serious, Jeremy took the paper from him and signed it.

Greg took the signed document and turned to Manny. “You know what to do!”

Manny handed his gun to Greg and grabbed some pieces of rope that were flung over his shoulder. He pulled their hands behind their backs, tied the rope around their wrists, and gagged them.

Greg brandished his gun and ordered them to walk to the street where a van was parked. He herded them into the back of the van and locked them in.

“Not a peep out of you!” he ordered. “The first one that tries it will get shot. No one will hear. We have silencers on both guns.”

A feeling of absolute terror swept over Hildy. Having been through this before, she knew exactly what they were going to do. She wasn’t surprised when half an hour later as they rode along she saw a sign that read, “Planes For Rent.” As they drove into the yard, they could see several empty planes parked near the building.

The man Hildy knew was Greg, Jr. parked the van and went inside the hangar, carefully removing his mask before he entered. In five minutes he came out, donned his mask again, and drove the van to a plane in the back of the yard where no one could see what they were doing.

Hildy and the others were wearing very light clothing, but the two men donned parkas and boots. Hildy shivered, remembering the thin jacket she wore years ago, and how cold it was in the French Alps, when Greg, Sr. had taken her there before. Her heart felt like lead, and that same old punch in the stomach she had experienced in the past when Greg, Sr. was hounding her attacked her as she realized that, just like before, they were going to be left to die in that lodge in the cold snowy Alps!