Hot Shot

by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

  Chapter 31

  The library at Falcon Hill was unchanged. Her father's heavy mahogany desk still dominated the room. Susannah stood next to it clutching the telephone receiver in her hand while she waited for someone to answer the phone ringing in the pool house near the gardens. She was dressed in a slim scarlet chiffon evening gown with a rhinestone-banded bodice. As she waited, she remembered the night she had walked into this same room and found Sam seated behind the desk staring up at the embossed copper ceiling. A party had been going on then, too.

  "Yes?" The voice that answered the pool-house telephone was male with a foreign accent. Probably a waiter.

  "One of the guests is needed in the library immediately," she said. "Mr. Cal Theroux. It's an emergency." She repeated Cal's name for the waiter, reiterated the fact that the matter was urgent, and hung up the telephone.

  She took several deep breaths and fidgeted nervously with the rhinestone border on the long scarlet scarf that accessorized the gown. The library faced the side of the house, so she couldn't see the party going on in the gardens at the back, but she could hear the lush sounds of an orchestra playing. She glanced toward the antique humidor on the corner of the desk to reassure herself that the small tape recorder hidden within couldn't be seen.

  Less than two hours had passed since she had left SysVal. In that time, she had tested the powerful little machine to make certain it was working properly, dressed in her evening clothes, and driven to Falcon Hill. Using one of the side entrances, she had made it to the library without running into her sister, or anyone else for that matter, since the staff was working out of the pool-house kitchen and the main house was deserted. Now all she had to do was wait.

  She wandered restlessly over to the bookcases, reviewing what she planned to say to Cal. He wouldn't be expecting to see her, and she needed to use the element of surprise to her advantage. Once again, the socialite had to pull a hustle. She wished she had been able to reach Mitch so she could tell him what she planned, but he had been out with his children and hadn't answered the phone.

  The door behind her opened. Slowly she turned. "Hello, Cal."

  Surprised flickered over his features when he saw who was waiting for him, and his eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here?"

  "Enjoying your party?" she asked, deliberately sidestepping his question. He was tanned and elegant in his tux, but his appearance repelled her. How could she ever have considered spending her life with this unscrupulous man? She wondered if his antiseptic lovemaking made his wife feel as unwomanly as she had once felt.

  "What do you want, Susannah?"

  She stepped forward, making no effort to conceal her hostility. "I want to see you sweat, you bastard."

  He hadn't expected a direct attack. The woman he remembered had been obedient and aristocratic. She would never have dreamed of challenging him like this. "What are you talking about?"

  "I didn't realize you were responsible until a few weeks ago," she said bitterly. "Isn't that ironic? It never occurred to me that you were capable of doing something so horrible."

  He had regained control of himself. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

  "I'm talking about my computers, you bastard."

  "What-"

  "I'm talking about the Blaze III and a sabotaged ROM chip."

  "You're ridiculous."

  "I'm talking about thousands of lives that have been disrupted. About innocent people who have lost everything. I'm talking about a man so twisted that he didn't care who was hurt as long as he could get even with the woman who ran away from him."

  She saw it then. A flicker of satisfaction crossed his features before he could hide it. "SysVal's problems are well-known," he said. "I suppose it's even understandable for you to look for a scapegoat. After all, it's easier to blame some mysterious saboteur for your troubles than to blame your own inept management."

  Her stomach curled. "You're enjoying dancing on our grave, aren't you, Cal? How can you sleep at night knowing what you've done?"

  "I sleep very well. Probably just as well as you slept after you decided to humiliate me in front of all my friends and business associates."

  "I didn't run away from our wedding out of malice. What you've done is obscene."

  He walked over to a chest that held an assortment of crystal decanters and poured himself a small brandy. There was a smugness in his every gesture, a sense of absolute confidence. He took a sip, then smiled, showing perfect white teeth. "I heard you left your husband. Sorry it didn't work out."

  "Oh, it worked out. Not forever, I admit. But I wouldn't trade those years with Sam for anything."

  He didn't like her response, and his jaw set. "There's a certain vulgarity about you, Susannah, that I didn't notice when we were together. I suppose I should be grateful that our wedding ceremony was never completed. I can't imagine having been forced to live with you."

  "No," she said. "I can't imagine it, either. And now after all these years have passed, you finally have what you've been waiting for. I'm sure you know that SysVal is on the verge of bankruptcy."

  He smiled, a sly fox's smile that made the hair prickle on the back of her neck. "Unfortunate."

  "Unfortunate for both of us."

  He swirled the liquor in his glass. "I doubt that it's going to affect me very much. Except in profits on the 101, of course."

  "You're wrong. It's going to affect you quite a lot." She paused for a moment and then said softly, "I don't have anything more to lose, Cal. So I'm going to take you down with me."

  The room grew quiet. Only the distant sounds of the orchestra penetrated the silence. He set down his glass. "You're bluffing. You can't hurt me."

  Hustle, a voice inside her screamed. Hustle, hustle, hustle. "Oh, I can hurt you very badly. All of those people out there in the garden. All of the FBT executives and board members. The United States senators and newspaper publishers. All those important people." Her voice dropped to a whisper as she began her lie. "I'm going to go out there in just a few minutes and entertain them with a little story about treachery."

  His face took on a grayish hue beneath his tan. "Susannah, I'm warning you-"

  "I'm going to move from one group to the next. I'm going to tell them about the Mendhan Hills Yacht Club and your connection with a man named Edward Fiella. I'm going to tell them about that brand new Mercedes Fiella bought after he did his dirty little job for you. I'm going to lay out every piece of evidence we've gathered."

  His features hardened. "You can't prove anything."

  "It's a party, not a courtroom. I don't have to prove anything."

  "That's slander. I'll ruin you."

  "You already have."

  Silence fell thick and heavy between them. She knew that she needed something more definite on the tape. He pulled an immaculate white handkerchief from his pocket and pressed it to his forehead before slipping it back into his pocket. She could almost see the wheels turning in his head as he tried to find a way out. He couldn't know her threat to expose him to the people in the garden was a bluff. She intended to bring him to justice legally, not through gossip. But he needed to incriminate himself for her tape recorder before that would be possible.

  "They'll think you're crazy." A small muscle had begun to tic near his eye. "No one will believe you."

  "Some of them won't. But you've made enemies, Cal. A lot of them are out there right now. Your enemies will believe me."

  His mouth twisted with suspicion. "Why are you warning me? Why not just do it?"

  "I told you at the beginning. I want to watch you sweat. I want you to know what's going to happen to you. Just like I've known what would happen all these months while I've watched my company die."

  "You little bitch." He gritted out the words.

  "That's right, Cal. I'm the most vicious bitch you've ever met."

  "I won't let you do this."

  "You won't be able to stop me."

  His forehead was damp with perspirati
on, and once again he pulled his handkerchief from his pocket.

  "Did it feel good to ruin me?" she asked.

  "I'm warning you-"

  "Did it make your heart pump faster?"

  "Shut up, Susannah!"

  "Is that how you make yourself feel like a man?"

  "God damn you!"

  "We both know you don't get your kicks from women. Is that how you turn yourself on?"

  "You goddamn bitch!" His face was full of venom as he lashed out at her. "It felt better than anything I've ever done in my life. I'm almost glad you found out. I wanted you to know. I wanted you to know exactly who was responsible for what was happening to you."

  He had driven the crucial nail into his coffin, but she couldn't let him see her jubilation. She wouldn't make the mistake of celebrating until she held the tape in her hand.

  "Enjoy your revenge while you can, Cal," she said quietly. "You don't have much time left." She began heading toward the door.

  He followed her, just as she had anticipated. "Don't you walk away from me," he ordered.

  "I don't have anything more to say to you." She wanted him to accompany her back out to the garden. He would stay at her side while she mingled with the guests, and when she didn't say anything incriminating, he would think she had lost her nerve. As soon as she was certain it was safe, she was going to return to the library and fetch the tape. Tonight she would make copies to mail to every member of FBT's Board of Directors.

  She was reaching for the doorknob when she heard the sound of his breathing behind her. It was labored, as if he had run a great distance. A chill chased along her spine as his hand clasped her shoulder.

  "Susannah…"

  She shook him off and tried to take a quick step backward, but he caught her by the wrist. "You can't do this, Susannah."

  Spinning around, she saw the panic in his eyes. It frightened her, and she tried to pull away. "Don't touch me."

  He tightened his grip. "You're not going to do this!"

  She had never known Cal to lose control, and the desperation in his face sent a cold shock through her. "Let go of me!" Balling her fist, she lashed out at him.

  He caught her arm before she could connect, grabbing her so roughly that her neck snapped. She opened her mouth to scream, but the sound died as he pinned her against his body and grabbed her by the throat.

  "Stop it!" he commanded.

  She clawed at his arm and let out a terrible, garbled cry. The fact that she couldn't draw a deep breath intensified her panic. She kicked at him and jabbed him with her elbows, fighting for survival with an animal instinct.

  "I'm not going to let you ruin me!" he exclaimed, sounding increasingly frantic.

  Twisting her neck, she sank her teeth into his upper arm.

  With a muffled cry, he struck her on the side of her head. The blow dazed her. She whimpered and sagged back against him, barely staying conscious as he dragged her out into the hallway.

  "You can't… do this." His words came to her in a choppy, disjointed fashion, like the late night signal from a faraway radio station. She had the vague sense that he was talking to himself as much as to her, making up his plan at the same time he dragged her down the hall. "No… you can't… I won't… I know… I know what you'll do… You're going… to commit… suicide."

  She gasped out a mutated version of his name, but she needed all of her energy to draw air into her lungs, and the sound didn't carry. He was strong, so incredibly strong. She remembered how proud he had always been of his body, how hard he had worked to keep himself in shape.

  "What better place… to kill yourself… than the house where you were raised?" His breathing was heavy as he pulled her down the hallway. "Your company… is going bankrupt, your marriage is over." She kicked weakly at him, trying to break his powerful grip, but she was too dazed to do any damage.

  "Paige told me she's been… worried about you. Everyone will understand."

  She pushed another cry through the narrow passageway in her throat. He increased the pressure on her windpipe, but she continued to make as much noise as she could, even though the sounds were too feeble to carry out into the garden. She had never been so aware of the vastness of the house, and she prayed for someone to come inside.

  The back door that led into the garage tilted in front of her. Keeping one arm around her throat, he tore several sets of car keys from the pegboard. She clawed at his arm, gasping for breath and trying to stay conscious. He dragged her down the steps into the garage and pulled the door shut behind them.

  They were in the far wing of the house, well away from the gardens. Her old bedroom was above them, several guest rooms, parts of the house that hadn't been occupied in years. Even if she could scream, no one would hear her. Please God, she prayed, digging her fingernails into his arm. Let someone come to the garage. Please God.

  Two cars were parked inside-Paige's Mercedes and a Chevy that the housekeeper used. The Chevy was the closest, and he pulled her toward it, snatching up a pair of work gloves on the way. Her muscles turned liquid with fear. Why did he need gloves?

  The pressure on her throat eased. She coughed. "Cal… Don't…"

  He began to drag her toward the Chevy. A fresh rush of terror gave her new strength. She lashed out at him, summoning every bit of energy she had left. She fought with vicious determination, using fists and teeth and feet. He cursed and wrenched her around. Before she could protect herself, his arm shot back and he struck her again.

  An angry black whirlpool sucked at her, drawing her inexorably toward its viscous center. Someone was pulling at her, moving her body about. No! She wouldn't be shut in the closet. The fox head was there. The balloon man. She tried to fight, but something was happening to her arms. She couldn't lift them, couldn't move them. There were furs all around, suffocating her. Garish balloons swam in front of her eyes in a slow drifting dance. She wanted to watch them, but someone was breathing harshly in her ear. Her arms. Why couldn't she move her arms?

  Scarlet and the glitter of rhinestones swam before her eyes. Her head sagged forward and then back. Gradually she realized that she was behind the wheel of a car. The housekeeper's old Chevy. The scarlet and rhinestone pattern swimming in front of her came into focus. It was the long scarf from her evening gown. Cal was wearing the work gloves and tying her wrists to the steering wheel with the scarf from her dress.

  "No…" she gasped. She tried to move, but her limbs wouldn't work and something was wrong with her legs. Her ankles were tied.

  Cal's breath rasped in her ears. He was leaning in through the open car door to secure her wrists. She saw the gray lightning bolt that shot through his hair, and struggled to stay conscious. Her wrists were throbbing and the rhinestones on the scarf were cutting into her skin. He had tied the scarf much too tight. Why was he tying her wrists? He had said she was going to commit suicide.

  "Don't do this…" she murmured, her words slurred.

  He stepped back to survey his work. And then, in a gesture that seemed almost tender, he pushed her hair back into place and straightened her dress. When he was satisfied, he rolled down the car window and shut the door.

  Her throat was dry, her tongue felt swollen. She was still dazed from the blow and she had difficulty speaking. "Cal… don't do this."

  "It didn't have to happen," he whispered. She heard remorse in his voice, but the wildness was still in his eyes. "I never intended to let it go this far. But I can't have you ruin me."

  "I won't… tell. I promise."

  "I'm sorry. Truly." He checked the scarf. Her hands had begun to cramp painfully, and they twitched when he touched them. "I'll come back and untie you," he murmured gently. "Afterward."

  Afterward. After she was dead. Before anyone discovered her body. They would think she had killed herself. "No," she moaned.

  He turned on the ignition and the Chevy's engine sprang to life. Helplessly she watched as he went over to Paige's Mercedes and turned it on, too. The powerful German engi
ne roared. He stood by the car and straightened his tuxedo. For a moment the scene looked to her like a slick magazine ad. Expensive car. Expensive clothes. Expensive, evil man.

  She screamed and began to struggle against the knots, trying to slide her wrists along the steering wheel so she could reach the gear shift. But the knots were too tight and her struggles were pushing the sharp prongs of the rhinestones deeper into her flesh. He walked toward the door that led into the house, returned the gloves to the shelf, and then removed his handkerchief from his pocket. Using it to turn the doorknob, he disappeared.

  She refused to go silently to her death, and she cried out until her throat was raw. How long did it take to die of carbon monoxide poisoning? Maybe someone would come into this wing of the house. Maybe someone would hear her.

  Her wrists wouldn't move. Sobbing, she began to throw herself against the steering wheel, trying to sound the horn. But it was recessed and she couldn't reach it with her body.

  Her struggles were forcing her to consume the tainted oxygen at an alarming rate. She cried out as she saw blood beginning to seep through the scarf, and she realized that the rhinestones had cut into her flesh in a dozen places. She tried to hit the gear shift with her legs, but the rope around her ankles made it impossible for her to maneuver.

  While she struggled, the automobile engines roared away in a death chorus. As she watched her blood seep in rusty patterns through the scarf, her life had never seemed more precious. She didn't want to die. When the police saw the blood on her wrists, they would know she hadn't committed suicide. And sooner or later someone would find the tape recorder. But bringing Cal to justice no longer seemed to matter.

  Mitch's face swam in front of her eyes. As she faced death, she knew that she loved him. She had loved him for years, but since she was married, she had made herself believe it was merely friendship. He was good and kind and strong, everything a man should be. And the fact that he loved her sister didn't diminish her feelings for him at all.