paused at the tower door. No one in sight. Do it! She opened the tower door and slipped inside.
She counted the stone steps as she mounted them, 15, 27, 42, reaching a landing before a heavy oak door. No sound anywhere. She shivered, couldn’t help herself. Now she gripped the iron handle to the door, pushed. It didn’t budge. Locked. She put her left ear to the door, held her breath, listening. Not a sound came through the heavy wood. She rapped, but gently, afraid to make too much noise. Again. No reply. Damn. She rapped a little harder. Nothing
Better go. Can’t be caught up here. Then she heard a tap at the door, almost inaudible, but there. Someone was inside! She started to tap on the door again, then thought better of it. It would only waste time. If only she knew Morse code. She slipped down the stairs and out the door.
“What are you doing?”
Uberreich’s snarl shattered her. She jumped, couldn’t help it. “Goodness, you scared me, Mrs. Uberreich.”
“I asked what you were doing up there?”
“Nothing, ma’am, just curious.” She found a smile. “There’s a big old door up at the top of the stairs, just like an old movie. Kind of spooky.”
The housekeeper looked at her a long moment. “How’d you get up there? This door is locked. Did you steal a key?”
“No key, Ma’am. I just opened the door. I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to.”
“You did what!” She pulled at the door. It opened. “But this isn’t possible!” She seemed dumbfounded. Then she saw the tape on the lock. “How did this get here?”
“I have no idea, Mrs. Uberreich. It looks like scotch tape.”
“Somebody deliberately tampered with this lock. Was it you?”
“Me? Ma’am, I wouldn’t know how to tamper with a lock if-”
“Well, somebody did.” She pealed off the tape, closed the door and tested it. Then looked at her hard. “You’re supposed to be setting up the hall. What were you doing up there anyway?”
“I had a call of nature, ma’am. I’ll get right back to work.”
“What on earth possessed you, Doreen? We already knew people are in the tower.”
“I wanted to check it out.”
“You already knew how to get up there. You took a risk for-”
“Don’t scold, darling. It’s all right. Uberreich bought into my Dumb Dora act.”
“I hope so.” He sighed, letting go of his peeve. “I guess it doesn’t matter, you’re not going back again.”
“I have to, Walter. I’m expected to help serve the banquet, and I certainly think I should be present to help with the rescue.”
He grimaced. “I suppose, but I don’t like it. Just be careful, will you?”
“Of course, darling. Did Dr. Joy really call Justin Wright a pipsqueak?”
“Also spineless and brainless. If I ever wished for a tape recorder, that was the time.”
“If she thinks so little of him, why kidnap a little boy for him-”
“And maybe murder Harry Gould.” He shook his head. “I can’t explain her actions except as the Dragon Lady. “
“Power, darling. Helping to put a man in the White House-”
“You mean controlling the bastard. We’ve got to stop the whole lot of them.”
“We will.” She patted his hand. “Are you going back to the castle?”
“No point in my digging up any more petunias.”
“I think you should rest. All that bending and lifting can’t be-”
“Somebody has to.”
He made a face at that. “I’ve plenty to do, setting our scheme into motion.”
“While I drudge away in the castle kitchens. Life is so unfair.”
22: Captives
Walter drove Doreen to Elite in her car, then met Lupe Hernandez for breakfast. They lived on opposite sides of town, so they agreed to meet at The Daily Grind, a popular coffee haven at Mission and De La Vina. They sat outside in the morning sun.
“What’s your plan for rescuing Jamie?”
He told her.
“Is that the best scheme you two could come up with? It’s grade school stuff, Walt.”
“If you have a better idea, now’s the time. Jamie and his mother are held in a tower 40 feet off the ground. It is accessible only by a locked door, make that two locked doors. We have to find some way to force them to open them.”
“I still don’t like it.”
“I sent a message to Justin Wright, appealing to his decency. He never replied. Amanda Sykes apparently means nothing to him. I don’t know what else to do, Lupe.”
“I still don’t like it.” She sighed. “What are you going to do today?”
“Some fine tuning mostly, make sure Josh Kinkaid is still on board, then work out the details with Doreen’s friend Gertie to get inside.”
Uberreich confronted her the moment she entered the kitchen. “Come with me, Irene.”
“Yes, ma’am, but what for?”
“Just follow me, you’ll see.”
She was led into the downstairs study. Joy Fielding sat at the desk, Victor Dragon stood beside her. No negligees and morning-after eyes this time. Both were dressed and ready to pounce. Two of the Ninjas entered after her. They guarded the door. There was no escape.
“Mrs. Uberreich tells me you were in the tower yesterday.”
“Not in the tower, ma’am, just up the stairs. There’s a second door and it was locked.”
“Don’t be impertinent. I’m quite acquainted with the layout of this house.”
“Sorry, ma’am.”
“What were you doing up there anyway?”
“Just curious, ma’am. The tower looks so interesting, I wanted to-”
“I don’t believe you. Mrs. Uberreich said you were at the door earlier when she went up. You taped the lock open, didn’t you?”
“Ma’am, like I told Mrs. Uberreich, I-”
“Who are you?”
She looked fearfully at Dragon. “Irene, sir.”
“No you’re not.” He stepped toward her. “I thought you looked familiar yesterday morning. Now I know who you are.” Before she could stop him, he jerked off her wig. She heard gasps.
“Why she has red hair,” Uberreich said.
“She’s DeeDee Byerly.” Dragon sounded so smug. “Looking for the Sykes kid, are you?”
She opened her mouth but no sound came out.
“You’re going to find him all right. Dirk, take her to the tower.”
Rough hands gripped her arms.
“It won’t work. My husband knows I’m here.”
“And what’s he going to do about it?”
As soon as she was shoved inside the tower she heard a squeal. “DeeDee, DeeDee!”
Jamie ran into her arms. Tears filled her eyes as she hugged him. “Thank God, you’re all right.”
He squirmed away from her. “I got a puzzle.” He took her hand and tried to pull her toward the couch off to the right.
“In a minute, Jamie.” She looked at the woman. The words vulnerable and waif leaped to mind. She was a person you wanted to protect. “You look like your photograph, only your eyes are more beautiful.” She smiled.
