The Bannerman Solution (The Bannerman Series) (77 page)

“It's Molly, Paul.”

Thank God.

“We're parked at the Davos station. We have a small
army here.”

“Who?”

She told him briefly. He did not take time to ask how
the various Bruggs came to be with her. It was enough
that Molly seemed comfortable with them.

“I want you to stall Lesko for a full fifteen minutes
and then let him come see his daughter. There's an
other American couple here now. Pleasant-looking, me
dium height, late fifties. She's wearing a light-colored
fur and he has a tan cashmere overcoat. If they leave the
hospital in those fifteen minutes, they'll have just tried
to finish Susan off.”

There was barely a pause. “Take them or follow
them?”

“Take them, but quietly.”

“Fifteen minutes,” she acknowledged. “It's a long
time to hold Lesko if he doesn't want to be held.”

“Tell him his daughter's getting a bath.”

Crisp and efficient was fine, Lesko thought, but
Molly was becoming a pain in the ass. They'd pulled up
all three cars at the railroad station and then waited
while she made a phone call. Then she says sit tight
while the three from Westport go scout the hospital for
signs of a stake-out. What Lesko wanted was to see his
daughter, and he wanted to see her now. But he
couldn't argue that looking the place over made sense.
Just ten, maybe fifteen minutes. Besides, Elena agreed
with her. Elena also agreed that her two cousins would
be strictly back-up. Good, then give me one of their
guns. No, said Molly. Why the hell not? Because you're
too worked up. The librarian gets one but I don't? Fact
is, she doesn't get one, either.

Bullshit.

But she left before he could argue.

Ten minutes. Twelve. Almost fifteen. Then Molly
returned alone and drew up alongside Elena's Merce
des.

“Susan has visitors with her,” Molly said. “I think
they're just leaving.”

“So what? I'm supposed to wait my turn?”

“Then Susan's getting a bath. Paul thought she'd
prefer to be cleaned-up before you see her.”

“Yeah, well, fuck him, lady.” What the hell is this? He
turned to Elena. “You going to drive me over there or
do I get out and walk?”

“Susan's all set, Paul.” Caroline found them sitting in
the front lobby. “Clean as a whistle. I brushed her hair
and gave her a dab of Shalimar behind the ear.”

Paul saw that she'd put on her coat and was carrying
Ray's over her arm. “Thanks, Caroline. Are you leav
ing?”

“Just to take a walk. I think I breathed in as much of
that alcohol as I splashed.”

“Take your time. It'll still be quite a while.” He
walked back toward Susan's bed.

Elena gripped Lesko's arm as they climbed the steps
of Davos Hospital and pushed through the double
doors. The couple, approaching them obliquely from
the lobby's
sitting area, caught her eye. The woman in
the light fur suddenly began to weep. She turned her
head into the man's chest and he buried his face in her
hair, comforting her. Something about them. Vaguely
familiar. Lesko tugged her toward the information
desk. Elena pointed to a sign showing that the Intensive
Care Unit was just down the corridor. She led Lesko in
that direction.

“You get a gold star for your timing, darlin’.” Ray
Bass patted Caroline's shoulder. “I would say we now
have one too many fellers named Ray around here.”

“That was him all right,” she glanced over her shoul
der. “Who'd have thought a big, ugly brute like that
would have such a pretty daughter?”

“Well, my own daddy was plain as a post and you see
the fine-looking gentleman he produced. You do know
that was Elena with him, don't you, love? Though I
don't believe she recognized us.”

“She didn't get much of a look, not now or back then,
either. You covered us real smooth, by the way.”

“Thank you, darlin'. But I think we have to assume
we might have rung a little bell and at least that Elena
didn't come here without some kin. What do you say we
use another door?”

“Then what, precious?”

“Let's get at least an hour away, down toward Italy,” Ray said thoughtfully. “Then we can call like we're still here in town and get the bad news about poor Susan. It's
a shame, though.”

“Now darlin’,” she gave him a squeeze, “you keep
tellin' me not to go makin' this personal.”

“Oh, I don't mean about the girl. I mean we just had
all three of 'em standin' practically within the swing of a
cat.”

“Everything in its time and place, darlin’
…
Goodness, what was that?” A loud crash echoed down
the corridor. A woman shouting in German. White-clad
people running.

Susan was naked. And she was lying in a snowfield
under a bright, warm sun. Her skin felt cool, not cold,
and fragrant. She could smell spring flowers in the air. It
was so much better now.

Caroline had undressed her. Was massaging her. Cold hands. She could feel them rubbing lightly over her breasts and stomach, then lower, probing now be
tween her legs. Caroline?
What are you doing? Caroline
…I
don't think this is such a good idea. Caroline,
don't. Don't touch me there.

Oh, wait. It's all right. It's Paul. Paul, honey, for a
minute I thought you were
…
never mind. Paul,
sweetie? Not so rough, okay? Gently. And not in my ass,
damn it. I don't like that. Paul, stop. My father. Not in
front of my father.

“You fucking creep
…
!”

Her father's face over Paul's shoulder. Now grabbing
Paul, by the hair, flinging him out of sight. Crunching
sounds. Smashing sounds. A woman shouting. Susan
wanted to cover her nakedness but her arms were too
heavy to move.

“Here. I got it. ”
A man in a loud sport coat drew the
sheet over her.

“Uncle
David?”

“How you doin
’
kid?”

“I'm fine
…
Uncle David, they're fight
ing.”

“Your old man's just feeling parental. Don't worry.
Let him get it out of his system.
”

“But Daddy will kill him. You know how he gets.”

“Kill who?
James Bond? Myself, I wouldn't worry
too much. Frankly, it'd do your father good to get his own ass kicked for a change.”

“You fucking creep
…
.”

What Lesko saw, what had made him snap, was the man who had to be Paul Bannerman standing over Su
san, her body exposed from rib cage downward, his
hand deep between her thighs, probing, massaging, as
her body arched and trembled.

Bannerman saw Lesko but he didn't stop. He probed
deeper. Even when Lesko seized him by the hair and
bent his head backward he kept his grip. Lesko's right
fist drove into his kidney. Bannerman went rigid, he
gasped, but still he blindly groped.

“No, Lesko,” Elena shouted. “Leave him.”

Another blow to the kidneys. The hand came free.
Elena saw it, encased in a plastic glove that gleamed
with moisture. She saw the hand clawing at the sheet
between Susan's legs, finding and grasping an object
that resembled a dirty piece of chalk.

Lesko tore Bannerman from the bed and sent him
tumbling over a metal chair. He lunged after him. The
hand with the plastic glove was balled into a tight fist
but Bannerman made no move to strike with it. He used
his feet. He whipped one leg at the side of Lesko's knee
and again at Lesko's head as, off balance, the bigger man
fell.
He landed on Bannerman's legs, pinning them, then clawed toward Bannerman's neck.

Too late, Lesko saw the fingers of Paul's free hand go
rigid. Like the strike of a coiled snake they darted first at
Lesko's throat and then his eyes. Choking, blinded, he
turned his head away and, attacking by feel, cocked his
right fist to hammer Bannerman's face.