“Then why did you have me kill Bastian?” Lydia asked.
“Because Bastian had grown weary of Meredith. He wanted her gone.” Snelling uncrossed and re-crossed his legs. Lydia hoped it indicated he was growing tired. “You see, Wells had shared his land development idea with Cameron prior to her ending their engagement. When she switched her affections to Bastian, she must have mentioned it as pillow talk. I began to hear rumors of Bastian reaching out to various trustees with the idea Meredith be replaced. Some were listening. Meredith was key to convincing the trustees to sell Wells the land. If she was out of the president’s seat Wells was out of a deal and my coffers were empty. I tried to reason with Bastion, but he was resolute. He threatened to reveal my role in Wells’ plan.” Snelling grimaced. “After all I did to get his precious Ortoo into his lab undetected. This is how he thanked me.”
“Did Meredith know you were planning to kill Bastian?” Mort asked.
Snelling laughed. “God, no. Meredith deals in abstracts, Detective. I’d heard of you, Fixer. I thought you were an urban myth, but Wells thought you were worth a try. We developed a plan to have you eliminate our obstacle.”
“And Wally Buchner?” Mort asked.
“A simple conduit, Detective,” Snelling said. “I needed a face to negotiate with The Fixer while I stood behind the scenes. Buchner was extremely loyal to Meredith. He was also a bleeding heart when it came to animals. It took very little effort to convince him to do this for the good of the university. I assured him The Fixer would find a way to humiliate Bastian so that he’d resign.” Snelling threw Lydia a smile. “Poor Wally thought Bastian’s heart attack was a coincidence. It’s my understanding he took quite a bit of convincing when he had to call you to say you’d killed the wrong man.”
“And you followed Lydia from the warehouse. Found out who she really was.” Mort’s voice was arctic steel.
Snelling shifted the gun to his left hand. Lydia knew Mort had the same idea she did. Keep him talking and let that gun grow heavy.
“It was a delightful serendipity.” Snelling turned toward Lydia. “I fully expected to follow you to an airport. Perhaps learn the name of your home city. Imagine my utter joy to find The Fixer lived just down the road. When I told Wells he was as thrilled as I. The thought of having a professional of your caliber, Fixer; available at our beck and call, was quite the unexpected bonus. That’s when poor Wally had to die. We had to get your attention. Introduce you to your new employer, as it were.”
“You’re saying you killed him?” Mort asked.
“Oh, my goodness, no.” Snelling returned his gun to his right hand. “Wells had people who took care of that. I was at the warehouse. The voice behind the synthesizer.”
“And Cameron?” Lydia asked. “Why did she have to die?”
“That was Wells’ idea. Nothing more imaginative than revenge for her humiliation of him.” Snelling tilted his head and gave Lydia a sympathetic look. “A terrible waste of your talents, My Dear. For what it’s worth, I tried to talk him out of it.”
“Who was breaking into my house?” Lydia’s fatigue was weakening her. She willed her voice to remain calm.
“More of Wells’ goons. He seems to have a never-ending supply.”
“Then why Wells?” Mort sounded puzzled. Lydia knew it was a ploy. “Why kill the goose who was laying the golden eggs?”
Snelling grimaced. “A pedestrian metaphor, Detective. But to continue it, I’m afraid he cooked his own goose.”
“What happened?” Mort asked.
Snelling sighed. “As I said, Wells and I worked together to convince Meredith she had no other option than to sell, and she came to agree. But two days later she changed her mind. Holding sacred the university’s stewardship of the waterfront or some such drivel. She took the proposal off the trustee’s agenda. Despite my best machinations she stood her ground. When I informed Wells he reverted to the gutter thug he was. He emasculated me. Called me ineffective and refused to pay me a cent for all my efforts. Threatened to tell Meredith of my involvement. Can you imagine word getting out? I’d be ruined. I tried to reason with him, but he dismissed me as though I was one of his hourly factory workers.”
“So it’s your image we’ll see on the security tapes?” Mort asked.
Snelling’s urbane facade slipped for the first time that afternoon. “Security tapes?”
“At Wells’ mansion. They show a man entering his house just before he was killed.”
Snelling stood, less sure of himself than ten seconds earlier. “There’ll be no need for the tape, Detective. I’m also sure once your investigators search Meredith’s office they’ll find the synthesizer and gun I’ve tucked away. My mission today had been to plant the tapes of The Fixer here in Meredith’s home, thereby securing her conviction in the murders of Bastian, Buchner, and Cameron. But now you two have offered a more air-tight scenario.”
Lydia’s focus was pulled away by movement beyond the giant windows. Three squad cars pulled into the driveway. No lights or sirens. The scene unfolded behind Snelling’s back. She glanced Mort’s way and knew he saw them, too.
“What’s your plan, Snelling?” Mort’s tone was of a mix of boredom and curiosity.
Snelling smiled. “Well, Detective, imagine you asked me to join you in a search of Meredith’s residence. As Executive Provost, of course. We were stunned to find The Fixer here, lying in wait. In an astounding encounter, the two of you shot each other and I was left to call the police and tell them I heard The Fixer confess that Meredith hired her to kill all those innocent people.”
Lydia allowed herself one quick glance outside. Several uniformed officers stood at ease, listening to a man in civilian clothes. A large German Shepherd stood next to him. There was no urgency. She imagined they were there to search Meredith’s house. She focused her stare on them; willing them to see the drama unfolding inside. Not one of them turned their way. Snelling’s laugh brought her attention back into the room.
“I can’t wait to hear Meredith try to explain away the mounting evidence. She’ll see exactly how ineffective she is without me.” His hands quivered again. “I’m sure the trustees will ask me to serve as acting university president until a nationwide search can be mounted. Soon they’ll see I’m not only the sentimental favorite, but skilled beyond others to handle the job on a permanent basis.” He waved his gun toward the kitchen. “A much better plan all the way around. I tip my hat to the both of you for providing it.”
Lydia yelled at the top of her voice. “The police are here! Drop your weapon, Snelling!”
Her words kicked off a choreography of three independent dancers. Snelling turned toward the window, saw the police, and rushed back toward the foyer. Lydia tried to step in front of Mort at the same instant he made a lunge for Snelling’s gun. Their stumble allowed Snelling the fraction of a second he needed to sidestep Mort. Snelling grabbed the detective by the collar, pulled him hard against his chest, and shoved his gun tight against Mort’s skull.
“Get out of here, Lydia.” Mort’s voice was strained by Snelling’s tight grip. “Leave now.”
Lydia looked outside. The group hadn’t moved. She stared at them, paralyzed.
Several police sauntered toward the house.
“Call them off!” Snelling screamed. “Or Mort dies right here.”
“For God’s sake, Lydia, run.” Mort’s eyes were pleading. His neck strained against the noose of his collar. “You can make it.”
“Now, Fixer!” Snelling’s spit flew past Mort’s ear. “Call them off!”
Her left hand went to her throat. She pulled out the wooden whistle. She watched Mort’s face turn deep crimson as Snelling pulled the collar ever tighter.
“Don’t do this,” Mort rasped. “Go.”
She blew loud and long. The shrill penetrated the windows. She saw Mort wrest free at the same instant Snelling fired his gun. Four uniforms stormed the house. Lydia watched Mort stumble forward, shirt covered in blood, as Snelling leveled his gun at her.
The bursting front door startled the crazed Executive Provost. Mort reached his bloody arms toward Lydia at the precise instant Bruiser threw his eighty-five rock-solid pounds against the man holding the weapon. Snelling fell to the ground as his gun fired across the room.
Four officers returned fire.
Lydia saw it all in slow motion.
