“The real Nutcracker,” announced Cilla.
The doctor looked at them as if they were missing more than a few logs from a cord. “Mr. Adams? You can’t be serious!”
“Never more so,” responded Wally Carver. “It was Adams’ plan right from the beginning.”
“That’s absurd,” said Andre, struggling into a more dignified position. “I’ve been right here all the time. Bob, I’ve been at your house for the last week or two. I wasn’t up on Mt. Washington, Cilla. This is ridiculous!” Stony silence. “Hey, there isn’t a person in New England that would believe Andre Adams is the Nutcracker.”
“How will they feel about that environmentalist hot wiring his hostesses’ car when she’s told him not to use it in order to go out in the year’s worst blizzard to get food we don’t need?” Cilla bit off the last words. If it hadn’t been for this evil bastard, Hudson would be here beside her.
“Cabral’s threats would have been empty without the pod tanks supplied by that maniac Frank,” said Carver. “Your brother!” Andre froze. “Oh, that wasn’t difficult to figure. Cilla heard Cabral say he needed a `recognition code’ to meet Frank at the airport. He didn’t know Scoggins. But Frank was related to someone, someone at the top. You didn’t run Cabral’s organization, but it was your plan.”
Wally walked to the front entryway and returned with a dark blue overcoat with a velvet collar. He held it up for Andre. “Recognize this coat? You should. You have one exactly like it, both bought by Loni, who hoped to bring you and her father closer together. Samuel Lockhart, a coatroom attendant at the Onyx Club, couldn’t tell the difference; gave this one to you and yours to Preston Sturgis. A fatal mistake for them both.” Wally threw the coat on a chair and began to pace with his arms clasped behind him as though giving a jury summation. “When Preston got home he found a note in the pocket from Cabral to you regarding the blackmail plot. Sturgis dealt drugs for Cabral and his Russians, and, knowing how Cabral operated, knew he was in big trouble. He’d gotten hold of a secret he shouldn’t have, and his only chance was flight. What he hadn’t known until he read the note was your connection with Cabral.”
Cilla took over. “The only people who knew I have a scar on my thigh are Hudson, Dr. Evans and people who have seen me in a bathing suit. Like you, when I took you over to the Club pool. There’s no other way Cabral could have known about it except from you. Suddenly a lot of things made sense: your `accident’ that wasn’t an accident at all. You arranged that scene ice climbing. I’ve heard of people who can throw their shoulders out anytime they want. Like that old magician Houdini. You wanted to get into our house, to get close to Mr. Carver, and found you could play me for a softy. Your nighttime skiing through the woods to the Carver house, must have been searching for Sturgis - you knew he was there someplace, you’d seen that coat in the front hall. So, when our home was invaded by those two thugs, you said they must have got the wrong house. What is ‘wrong’ about an invaded house unless there is a ‘right’ one. They were sent to find Sturgis and supposed to be in Wally’s house. Later, you managed to be safe at Bob’s house when the bazooka blew up mine. ”
With a second’s silence, Evans slipped in a question. “But why did Andre feel he had to get away? Hot-wiring your car? Nobody had any suspicions until then.”
“He wasn’t just trying to get away. He was afraid of dying. He thought he had to get to the other three tanks to stop them from defrosting.”
“In this weather? It must be below twenty outside!”
“Which wouldn’t make much difference if the tanks are stored inside a heated house.”
“It sounds to me as though you know where they are.”
“Carlos delivered the tanks to someone today. Obviously someone who had access to cold storage for three man-sized tanks. You know New England weather in March, it could be fifty degrees tomorrow. Except on the mountaintops. They couldn’t take a chance storing them outside.”
“Bob’s walk-in freezer! And with the power off...!”
“Right. Andre’s been living there alone since Bob moved in here. What more convenient place in case they needed them right away?”
Evans was still working on it. “You said he thought he needed to get to them. Then they aren’t leaking?”
“Not as far as we know.”
Bob Gold chuckled. “I’ve got a stand-by generator for the walk-in anyway. Automatically comes on when the power goes off. The temperature never changes in it.” He shook his head. “I was the one who didn’t think the ruse would work. I was sure Andre would have noticed that generator.”
“A ruse. All this about the leaks is untrue?”
“Right. Cilla briefed us while you and Andre were getting firewood.”
Evans sighed. Suddenly his face brightened. “Then with the tanks on the mountain tops soon to be under guard, and the other three safely keeping cold at Bob Gold’s, the Nutcracker has lost! The danger is over!”
“I wouldn’t exactly say that.” The whispered voice came from the dark of the kitchen, and five bulky shapes, holding automatic weapons, slid into the living room, surrounding its occupants. There was no need to announce to Cilla who they were, even though all were wearing ski masks.
Andre climbed to his feet. “Grecco! Thank God! Let’s get these handcuffs off me. The black woman has the key.” He bent his head in Frances’ direction. Ingalls handed it over without argument. Andre’s grin was broad as he took in the other masked men.
“I see you made it OK, Frank. Oh, for Christ’s sakes, keep your mind on the job. We’ll get you a woman later.”
The big man, caught in an intense stare at Cilla, turned guiltily back.
“He was looking forward to her,” said Cabral. “Jesus, is he always like that?”
Andre shrugged. “He has his good and bad days.”
“Check the house,” said the leader to the other masked men, who began searching other rooms with military meticulousness.
“You have masks, Cabral,” said Cilla softly. “I hope that means you’ll spare those who haven’t seen you.”
“Why, Andre,” asked Loni. “Why would you do such a dreadful thing?”
Andre turned his back to Cabral and held out his arms to have the cuffs unlocked. “Ever seen a billion dollars, lover? I haven’t, but I’m going to. My idea, all of it.”
“But my organization,” said Cabral softly. His men filtered back from different parts of the Carver house.
Loni was shaking. “You met this man through my father, didn’t you?”
“Let’s get going, Grecco,” said a big, bulky man Cilla took to be Groper. “The plow might come through any time.”
“Probably not until it lets up a bit. If it does we can take off through the woods on the kids’ snowmobiles.”
Cilla’ had her arm around Loni. “You didn’t hurt those children at the foot of the hill!”
“Don’t worry...about others.” Gil’s broken voice. “It’s time for...your date.”
“What’s he talking about, Cilla?” asked Wally.
“You don’t want to know.”
“Yeah, I keep my promises.” Cabral looked at Andre. “Which is her room?”
“On the right at the head of the stairs.”
“Up there, Frank.”
“And don’t...kill her. She...goes out of my plane.”
As Frank took Cilla’s arm, Frances grabbed his. Gil slashed at her with an arm that sent her tumbling.
“What’s going on?” Wide-eyed, Loni looked from one to the other of the gang.
Cilla shook her head.
Carver watched helplessly. For the first time since he’d met her, Cilla appeared defeated. Head bowed, she allowed herself to be led up the stairs, into the dark of the second floor.
