Twice Dead (78 page)

He felt a hand on his shoulder and slowly raised his head to see Teddi Tyler standing over him. “I'm sorry, man. She must really be something to get past you guys.”

“Yeah,” Savich said, and he felt a shade better. “She's something. We'll get her, Teddi. I just don't know how as of yet.”

She was still somewhere in Bar Harbor with Marilyn, she had to be. He got slowly to his feet. He had to get a huge manhunt organized.

In that instant, he realized that even if they didn't find her, she had every intention of finding him. She would hunt him down, not the other way around. And the good Lord knew, he was much easier to find.

 

 

 

It was cold, so bloody cold Lily didn't think she could stand it. Strange thing was that she knew she wasn't really conscious, that she didn't really know what was happening or where she was, but her body just kept shuddering, convulsing with the cold. The cold was penetrating her bones, and she felt every shake, every shudder.

Then, suddenly, she felt Simon near her, no doubt it was him because she knew his scent. She already knew his damned scent, a good scent, as sexy as his hair curling at his neck. His arms were suddenly around her, and he hugged her hard against him, pulling her so close she was breathing against his neck, feeling his heart beat steady and strong against hers.

He was breathing deeply, and cursing. Really bad words that Savich had never said even when he was pissed off, which had been quite often when they were growing up. What a long time ago. Sometimes, like now, she thought as she shivered, being an adult really sucked. She pressed closer, feeling his warmth all the way to her belly. The convulsive jerks lessened, her brain began to function again.

She said against his collarbone, “Where are we, Simon? Why is it so cold? Did they leave us beside a fjord?”

His hands were going up and down her back, big hands that covered a lot of territory, and he rolled her under him so he could cover more of her.

“I guess we're in Sweden. It's sure too cold in this room for us to be in the Mediterranean near Ian's yacht. I woke up a while ago. They drugged us. Do you remember?”

“Yes, Nikki forced something down my throat. I guess you were already under. How much time has passed?”

“A couple of hours. We're in a bedroom, and there isn't even a heater working. The door is locked, and the bed is stripped, so we have no blankets or sheets. I didn't realize you were so cold until just a minute ago. Are you warming up now?”

“Oh yes,” she said, against his neck, “definitely better.”

He was silent for a long time, listening to her breathe, feeling her relax as she grew warmer. He cleared his throat and said, “Lily, I know this is an awfully unusual place and perhaps even a somewhat strange time to mention this, but I have to be honest here. You didn't do well picking your first two husbands. I'm thinking that you need a sort of consultant who could help you develop a whole new set of criteria before you try a third husband.”

She raised her head, saw his bristly chin in the dim light, and said only, “Maybe, but I'm still married to the second one.”

“Not for much longer. Tennyson is soon to be only another very bad chapter in your history. Then he'll be a memory, and you'll be ready to begin work with your consultant.”

“He's scary, Simon. He married me to get to my paintings. He fed me depressants. He probably tried to kill me by cutting the brake lines in the Explorer. He's a very bad chapter, maybe the biggest, baddest yet, and my history isn't all that long. It's not particularly good for the soul to have both Jack Crane and Tennyson Frasier in your life.”

“You'll divorce Tennyson just like you did Jack Crane. Then we'll figure out these new criteria together.”

“You want to be my marriage consultant?”

“Well, why not?”

“I don't even know your educational background or your experience in this area.”

“We can discuss that later. Tell me about your first husband.”

“All right. His name is Jack Crane. He knocked me around when I was pregnant with Beth. The first and last time. I called Dillon and he was there in a flash, and he beat Jack senseless. Loosened three of his perfect white teeth. Cracked two ribs. Two black eyes and a swollen jaw. Then Dillon taught me how to fight so if he ever came around again, I could take care of him myself.”

“Did he ever come around after you divorced him so you could beat him up?”

“No, dammit, he didn't. I don't think he was scared of me. He was scared Dillon would get every FBI agent in Chicago on him and he'd be dead meat. You know, Simon, I don't think having a consultant to select new criteria would help. You can be sure I thought long and hard about Tennyson, given Jack was a wife beater.”

“You didn't think long enough or hard enough. You have trouble with criteria, Lily, and that's why you need a consultant, to keep your head screwed on straight, to see things properly.”

“Nope, it's more than that. I'm simply rotten at picking men. Your counseling me wouldn't work, Simon. Besides that, I don't need you. I've decided that I'm never going to get married again. So I don't need to consult you or anyone else about it.”

“A whole lot of men aren't anything like your first or second husbands. Look at Savich. Do you think Sherlock ever has any doubts about him?”

He felt her shrug. “Dillon is rare. There are no criteria that fit him. He's just wonderful, and that's all there is to it. He was born that way. Sherlock is the luckiest woman in the world. She knows it; she told me so.”

She was quiet for a moment, and he could feel her relaxing, warming up, and it was driving him nuts. He couldn't believe what he was saying to her.

She said into his neck, “You know, I'm beginning to think that once I marry a man, he turns into Mr. Hyde. He sinks real low real fast. But I guess you'll tell me it's because of my lousy criteria, again.”

“Are you saying that all guys would turn into a Mr. Hyde?”

“Could be, all except for Dillon. But you see my point here, Simon. Don't be obtuse. With both Jack and Tennyson, I didn't believe either of them was anything but what I believed them to be when I married them. I loved them, I believed they loved me, admired me, even admired my Remus cartoons. Both Jack and Tennyson would go on and on about how talented I was, how proud they were of me. And so I married them. I was happy, at least for maybe a month or two. About Jack—he did give me Beth, and because of that I will never regret marrying him.” Her voice caught over her daughter's name. Just saying her name brought back horrible memories, painful memories she'd lived with for so very long. It had been so needless, so quick, and then her little girl was gone. She had to stop it, cut it off. It was in the past, it had to stay there. She pictured Beth in her mind, decked out in her Easter dress of the year before, and she'd been so cute. She'd just met Tennyson. She sighed. So much had happened and now poor Simon was caught up in all of it. And he suddenly wanted her?

She said, “You can't possibly want to consult with me on this, Simon. I think you could say we've got a situation here; we might die at any minute—no, don't try to reassure me, don't try it. You know it's very possible, and you're trying to take my mind off it, but talking about Jack and Tennyson isn't helping.”

He kept holding her and said finally, nodding against her hair, “I understand.”

“Stop using that soothing voice on me. You know you're not thinking straight. You know what? I think God created me, decided He'd let me screw up twice, and then He'd keep me safe from further humiliations and mistakes.”

“Lily, you may look like a princess—well, usually—but what you just said, that was nuts. I intend to make use of some proper criteria. You'll choose really well next time.”

“Forget it, Simon. I'm the worst matrimonial bet on the planet. I'm warm now, so you can get off me.”

He didn't really want to, but he rolled off and came up on his elbow beside her. “This bare mattress smells new. I can make out more of the room now. It's nice, Lily, very nice.”

“We're at Olaf's house, somewhere in Sweden.”

“Probably.”

“Why did ...”

She let the words die in her mouth when the bedroom door opened, sending in a thick slice of bright sunlight. Alpo walked in, Nikki behind him. “You are awake now?”

“Yes,” Simon said, coming up to sit on the side of the bed. “Don't you guys believe in heat? Is Olaf trying to economize?”

“You are soft. Shut up.”

Lily said, “Well, we don't have your body fat; maybe that's the difference.”

Nikki shouldered Alpo out of the way and strode to where Simon was sitting. “You get up now. You, too,” he said to Lily. “A woman does not speak like that. I am not fat; I am strong. Mr. Jorgenson is waiting for you.”

“Ah,” Lily said, “at last we get to meet the Grand Pooh-Bah.”

“What is that?” Nikki asked as he stepped back so they could get up.

“The guy who controls everything, the one who believes he's the big cheese,” Simon said.

Alpo looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded. “We will go see the Grand Pooh-Bah now.” He said to Lily, “He will like you. He may want to paint you before he kills you.”

Not a happy thought.

TWENTY-FIVE

 

It had been nearly a whole day, and there was no sign of Tammy Tuttle or Marilyn Warluski. There'd been dozens of calls about possible sightings, all of which had to be investigated, but so far, nothing. It was the biggest manhunt in Maine's history, with more than two hundred law enforcement people involved. And always there in Savich's mind was Lily and where she was. Whether she was alive. He couldn't bear it and there was nothing he could do.

He was nearly ready to shoot himself when Jimmy Maitland called from Washington.

“Come home, Savich,” he said. “You're needed here in Washington. We'll get word on Tammy sooner or later. There's nothing more you can do up there.”

“She'll kill again, sir, you know it, I know it, and that's when we'll get word. She's probably already killed Marilyn.”

Jimmy Maitland was silent, a thick, depressed silence. Then he said, “Yes, you're right. I also know that for the moment there's nothing more we can do about it. As for you, Savich, you're too close now. Come home.”

“Is that an order, sir?”

“Yes.” He didn't add that he was calling from Savich's house in Georgetown, sitting in Savich's favorite chair, bouncing Sean on his knee, Sherlock not two feet away, holding out a whiskey, neat, in one hand and a graham cracker in the other. Jimmy hoped the cracker wasn't intended for him. He needed the whiskey.

Savich sighed. “All right. I'll be back in a few hours.”

If Sean had decided to talk while his father was on the phone, Jimmy would have been busted, but the kid had been quiet, just grinning at him and rubbing his knuckles over his gums. Jimmy hung up the phone, handed Sean to Sherlock, and said as she handed him the whiskey, “This is a royal mess, but at least Savich will be home sometime this evening. He's really upset, Sherlock.”

“I know, I know. We'll think of something. We always do.” She gave Sean the graham cracker.

Jimmy said, “Savich feels guilty, like he's the one who's failed, like the murders of all those people, including our own Virginia Cosgrove, are his fault.”

“He always will. It's the way he is.”

Jimmy looked over at the baby, who was happily gumming the graham cracker. He said, “Sean reminds me of my second to oldest, Landry. He was a pistol, that one, gave me every gray hair I've got on my head. If you ever get tired of this little champ, give me a call.”

He downed his whiskey and stared for a moment at the marvelous Sarah Elliott painting hanging over the fireplace. “I've always wondered about the soldier in that painting, wondered what he was thinking at that moment when he was frozen for all time. I wonder if there was someone at home who would grieve if he died.”

“Yes, it's excellent. Has Dillon kept you in the loop about Lily and Simon?”

“He told me earlier Agent Hoyt found the flight plan for a private Gulfstream jet owned by the Waldemarsudde Corporation that took off from Arcata airport bound for Gothenburg, Sweden. The CEO is Ian Jorgenson, son of Olaf Jorgenson, the collector we believe is involved in all this.”

Sherlock nodded and said, “Did he also tell you that we think his son is a collector as well?”

“Yes,” Jimmy said. “Interesting, isn't it, that Charlotte and Elcott Frasier were also taken? Or maybe they went willingly because the jig was almost up for them here. Tennyson is still in Hemlock Bay. There's not a shred of evidence yet to connect him to the attempts on Lily's life or Mr. Monk's murder, or any of the rest of it. Seems to me Lily's husband is his parents' dupe.”

“Maybe so,” Sherlock said. “It doesn't matter. Lily's divorcing him. Oh yes, Dillon has already called two cop friends he has in Stockholm and Uppsala. We know Jorgenson has a huge estate in Gothenburg called Slottsskogen, or Castle Wood. It's about halfway up the coast of Sweden on the western side. Dillon said that one of his friends, Petter Tuomo, has two brothers in the Gothenburg police. They're on it. We haven't heard anything back yet.”

Jimmy said, “Good, things are moving. Does Savich have friends all over the world?”

“Just about.” She sighed, kissed Sean, who was wriggling to get down, and shook her head. “Everywhere we look, there's something horrible ready to fall on our heads. We're terrified about Lily and Simon. We're praying Olaf Jorgenson hasn't killed them.”