“Who?” she interrupted. There was that blank stare again. “Go away!” she told him. “I don’t want anything to do with such liars! Leave me alone!”
Zack had hard work believing that such words were coming from her. “Liars about what, Courtney?” he asked her, puzzled.
“About my parents and my grandfather! Daddy is not my real Daddy! And he’s not Count Francois Dubonnet II, either! He’s Jeremy Douglass! He stole the title from Gregory Wilcox. He’s the real Count, and he’s my real father! He and my mother were married before Jeremy Douglass and Grampa Fran sent him and his mother, Lilli, to prison! She’s my real grandmother. As soon as Mommy and Daddy and Grampa Fran got rid of my real father, my mother married Jeremy Douglass. Then he named himself the Count, and Grampa Fran helped him do it! And Grampa Fran is not my real grandfather! You knew about it all along and never told me!” She put her hand up to her head like someone who was totally confused. “Why did everyone lie to me?”
Zack realized with a shock the extent of the damage Manny had done. He had programmed all those lies into her head when he hypnotized her. Manny must have gotten these wild tales from Gregory and Lilli! That was the only logical answer! They must have promised him the moon to make him agree to go along with this! In a flash Zack knew now who tried to kill Gus! Gregory Wilcox, Jr.!
Be careful what you say, he warned himself. He wanted to blurt out to Courtney that Manny had shot Julia and Nate, but he was afraid she might tell Manny, and if Manny found out that he, Zack, knew about it, it would scare Manny off, and he’d take Courtney with him! And Zack knew he mustn’t let on that Nate and Julia were still alive. Manny would surely find a way to finish the job. They were too much of a threat to him.
Zack watched as Courtney went outside and joined Manny. He returned in a daze to his table where Renee was waiting.
Two Danish pastries and some coffee were sitting on the table. Zack took a sip of the coffee to steady his nerves.
Renee looked at him questioningly. “What took you so long? I gave the order to the garcon ten minutes ago.”
“Did you see a young blond woman pass this table?” he asked her.
Renee looked over at Courtney. “Yes. She’s right over there with Manny. Why?”
“That’s Courtney Dubonnet—Jay’s granddaughter who’s been missing.”
“What?! What’s she doing here?”
Zack felt helpless. “Obviously Manny hypnotized her again and kidnapped her. He programmed her into thinking terrible lies about me and her folks.” Zack proceeded to tell her what Courtney had accused them of. “I’ve known her since she was born, but I’ve never seen her act like this except when he hypnotized her in New York.”
“Didn’t you tell me someone brought her out of it before?” Renee asked. “Couldn’t he help?”
“Nate? He’s the man that Manny shot. He’s in the hospital.”
Her eyes widened as a sudden thought hit her. “Was he the hypnotist that Carlos—uh—Manny worked with years ago when I turned him in?”
“That’s him. He used a different name when he worked the clubs. He’s a veterinarian now. Renee, we have to stay here. We can’t leave now that we’ve found Courtney.”
She nodded agreement. “This explains why we were being pulled like a magnet to this sidewalk cafe.”
“We mustn’t let them out of our sight,” Zack agreed. “Not till we know where they’re staying.” He sighed in exasperation. “I wish I could figure out how to follow them without their seeing us.”
“Do you think Courtney will tell Manny we’re here?”
“I hope not.” Zack thought for a minute, then dismissed it. “She’s in too much of a trance to make sense.”
Zack kept an eagle eye on them. He was disgusted at Manny’s arrogance. He feels pretty sure of himself! he mused. He knows he’s got Courtney under his thumb. But he has no idea there’s a cop at a table nearby. Renee—the cop who put him in prison before. And she could put him in prison again. That would wipe the smug look off of his face. Later. This is not the right time.
Zack rose to his feet. “We can spy on them from inside the cafe. If Courtney should tell Manny we’re here, it’s better if we’re nowhere in sight. He’ll think she’s imagining things.”
They rose, careful to keep their backs toward Manny. As soon as they were inside, Zack peeked through the window. They were still sitting there talking.
While Renee dialed Parisian Airlines on her cellular phone and canceled their flight, Zack dialed Jay in Scarsdale on his own cellular phone, keeping his eye on Manny’s table.
“Jay, we’ve found Courtney,” he told him. “Yes. She’s with Manny, sitting outside the cafe where we’re having breakfast. I won’t be coming back to the States. I’ll find out what Manny is up to. I’ve got a hunch he’s waiting for someone to join them.”
“Is she all right?” Jay asked anxiously.
“Manny has hypnotized her again,” Zack told him. “I guess you know that. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be here. I tried to speak to her, but she refused to listen. She called us all a bunch of liars. He’s done it again, and Nate isn’t here to undo it.” Jay was stunned. “What does she think we lied about?”
“It’s too complicated to go into over the phone.”
“Does she know about Julia and Nate? That Manny shot them?”
“No. I didn’t tell her. She might mention it to Manny. I don’t want to give him any reason to run away. He’d take Courtney with him. There’s too much at stake.”
“I’ll call Cammie and Jeremy. And Glen. We’ll fly to Paris ASAP. Fran and Andre should stay here in the States. They’ll be safer.”
“Good thinking,” Zack agreed. “Let me give you the address where I’m staying.”
“Will you make a reservation for us at La Grande Veue Hotel? That will save time.”
“Sure, Jay.”
Jay sounded curious. “I thought that’s where you were staying, but when I tried to get you there, I was told you had checked out. What happened?”
“It’s a long story. I’ll fill you in later.” He was about to hang up when something arrested his attention. “Wait a minute!” he exclaimed. “Some people just joined Manny and Courtney. Oh, my God!” he gasped. “Well! I’m not surprised! Gregory and Lilli! A piece of the puzzle just fell into place. You’d better get here. We need your help. I wish you could bring Nate. We need him now more than ever.”
“That’s not possible,” Jay told him. “I called the hospital a few minutes ago. He and Julia are recovering nicely, but they’re not able to travel yet. We’ll have to wing it on our own—at least for now. We’ll be there soon.”
Zack hung up and turned to Renee. “Courtney’s parents and grandparents—and Glen Macdonald, Courtney’s fiancé—are on their way here.”
They continued to watch Manny’s table.
“Who are those people?” Renee asked. “Do you know them?”
Zack nodded. “Gregory Wilcox, Jr. and Countess Lilli Claude Dubonnet. You remember—I told you about them. I’ve had a hunch all along that they were mixed up in this. I was right.”
“Are you ever wrong?” Renee asked in an admiring tone.
Zack smiled in appreciation of her compliment. “I haven’t been wrong yet. I wish I could hear what they’re saying, but we’re too far away. It’s too risky to go any closer. They’d know me in a minute. I’m the one who helped put them in jail.”
Renee made a quick decision. “I’ll get the patrol car,” she said, rising to her feet. “You stay here. I’ll be right back.”
“Make sure they don’t see you. The patrol car would scare them away,” Zack warned her.
“I’ll be discreet,” she promised.
In exactly seven minutes she was back. After parking the car on the street in back of the cafe she re
joined Zack. Manny and the others were just leaving.
Manny hailed a cab and the group got in.
Zack and Renee ran to the patrol car and reached the street in front of the cafe just as the cab drove off. Renee was careful to stay out of sight as she followed them quietly. No flashing lights or sirens.
Soon the cab pulled up in front of a stone building that housed apartments. Zack checked the address. 221 Rue de la Parc. Renee and Zack waited in the patrol car, well out of sight, watching as Manny and the others got out and entered the building. When they were sure the group had gone up in the elevator, they went into the foyer and looked at the roster.
At Apartment 2B the name of “Mario Sanchez” was listed—the alias Manny used before he became Manny!
Now they knew where he and Courtney were!
But what Manny, Greg, and Lilli were plotting remained a mystery.
They went back to Renee’s apartment to call Parisian Airlines and find out what flight Jay and the others were on.
Now all they could do was wait till they arrived.
CHAPTER XXVIII
Zhen Zack and Renee returned to their apartment to wait for their friends, for one short moment the sun seemed to shine a little brighter as it streamed through the window—a ray of hope. Courtney had been found.
There was, however, a dark cloud on the horizon,—how to rescue her.
Zack shuddered, knowing she was now in the hands of three murderers—Manny, Gregory, and Lilli—and she was totally unaware of it.
Zack couldn’t sit still. He began to pace nervously. How was he going to tell Jay and the others what Courtney had accused them of?
Renee put a comforting hand on his arm. “Pacing won’t do any good,” she told him.
“It helps me to think—get in touch with my intuition,” Zack explained.
“Really? Strange,” she said, “sitting quietly helps me more. When I’m quiet, ideas come to me.” She took him by the hand and led him over to the sofa. “Sit down and try it.”
Zack put his arm around her. “What did I ever do without you?” he asked. “I can’t imagine it anymore.”
“Good!” she grinned. “That’s the way I like it.” She looked toward the kitchen. “There’s a cheesecake in the freezer. Why don’t I thaw a couple of slices and we can pig out? We can’t do anything till your friends get here and that won’t be for another two or three hours. There’s nothing like a pig-out session with cheesecake and a couple of glasses of wine to calm the nerves.”
She no sooner had the cheesecake out of the freezer when the phone rang.
Zack picked it up.
It was Jay calling from the plane. “We’ll be there in a few hours,” he told Zack. “Don’t try to meet the plane. I’ve hired a limousine to meet us so we won’t have to stand in line for a taxi. We’ll drop our things off at the hotel and come right over to the apartment where you’re staying. See you soon.”
“We’ll be waiting right here,” Zack assured him.
There was a pause. “We?” Jay questioned.
“I’ll explain it all when you get here. I’m staying at someone’s apartment. It’s just around the corner from where I saw Courtney and Manny—and Lilli and Gregory. We had breakfast there. We made sure they didn’t see us. We followed them to an apartment house where they’re staying.”
“Did you speak to Courtney?”
“I spoke to her briefly inside the cafe.”
“Did Manny see you?”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
“How do you know Courtney won’t tell Manny?”
“Jay—I hate to tell you this, but she’s too spaced out to sound coherent. I really don’t think we have to worry about that. What we do have to worry about is that Manny has her believing we’re all a bunch of liars. I think you’d better warn the others so it won’t come as a shock. I’ll fill you in on everything when you get here. That can’t be too soon for me.”
“We’ll be there shortly,” Jay promised.
Zack hung up and breathed a sigh of relief. Things were progressing. Slowly. But there was so much more to do. His stomach was playing leapfrog.
“That was Jay,” he told Renee. “He was calling from the plane. They’ll be here in a few hours, depending on how long it takes them to get here from the airport.”
Renee had defrosted two large slices of cheesecake and poured two glasses of wine, which were waiting on the end tables on each side of the sofa.
Zack kicked off his shoes and stretched out in one of the recliners. He welcomed the wine that calmed his stomach.
Renee had already removed her shoes as soon as she entered the apartment. She stretched out in the other recliner beside Zack.
As they lounged side by side, they relished their cheesecake and sipped their wine. It was quiet, with only the tick tock of the clock and the sound of the crackling fire which Renee had lit with the automatic remote before she sat down. The peace of the surroundings soon lulled them to sleep.
The jangling ring of the doorbell woke them up with a start.
Zack looked at his watch. They had slept for three hours. He jumped up. “They’re here!”
He rushed to the door. “Am I glad to see you!” he greeted them. He shook hands with the men and hugged Hildy and Cammie.
Renee stood beside him, smiling. “Come in,” she invited them.
“What a lovely apartment!” Hildy exclaimed as she looked around.
Renee’s eyes lit up in appreciation. “Thank you.”
Hildy looked curiously at Renee, waiting for an explanation. “I think introductions are in order,” Jay said to Renee. “I’m Jay Stuart and this is my wife, Hildy. And this is our daughter, Cammie, and her husband, Jeremy Douglass—better known as Count Francois II. And Glen Macdonald, Courtney’s fiancé. He’s also the producer of ‘Déjà Vu’.”
Zack put his arm around Renee. “This is Renee Aumont Davis—my wife,” he said proudly. He smiled at the shocked looks on their faces.
Renee extended her hand, first to Hildy, then to Cammie. “Zack has told me so much about you. I’ve seen many of your beautiful musicals. And,” turning to Cammie, “I saw you perform in ‘The Ginger Jar.’ And now Courtney—following in the footsteps of both of you. What a talented family!” She shook hands with Jay, Jeremy, and Glen.
Hildy was the first to recover. “Zack! How wonderful! When did this happen?”
“Just a week ago,” Zack told them.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Jay asked him.
“There wasn’t time,” Zack explained. “We decided on the spur of the moment.”
Adoration shone in Renee’s eyes as she looked up at Zack. “We were having trouble concentrating on the investigation, so—”
“Our emotions were distracting us,” Zack interrupted. “Neither one of us has been married before. It hit us so hard we couldn’t think straight. I think you know what I’m talking about.”
Jay reached for Hildy’s hand. “Yes, we certainly do. There’s nothing like it.”
“We figured we’d better get married and get ourselves settled so we could concentrate better,” Zack continued. “We were married by the Justice Of The Peace a few blocks away. The Justice is a friend of Renee’s. When he saw how much in love we were, he agreed to perform the ceremony right away.”
“We had waited so long to find each other, we felt there was no reason to wait any longer,” Renee explained.
“We knew from the moment we met that we were right for each other,” Zack told them as he gestured toward the sofa. “Please—sit down. Make yourselves comfortable.”
“Can I get you anything?” Renee asked. “Did you eat on the plane?”
“About two hours ago,” Cammie answered. “We don’t want very much. We’re too upset about Co
urtney.”
“How about some sherry? It will help you relax.”
“Sounds perfect,” Hildy said. She turned to Renee, puzzled. “Aren’t you the gendarme that Zack said he was working with?”
Renee stopped pouring for a moment. She had a dreamy look as she answered Hildy. “Yes. That’s how we met.”
“We’re delighted for you, Zack,” Jeremy said. “And for you, too, Renee.”
“It’s about time you found someone!” Cammie agreed.
Jeremy grew serious. “I’m sorry to change the subject,” he interrupted, “but—you say you first saw Courtney around the corner from here?”
“Yes,” Zack replied. “Renee spotted Manny first.”
“You knew him?” Jeremy was puzzled.
“I’m the police officer who sent him to prison five years ago,” Renee told him. “I posed as a customer in the night club and caught him hypnotizing people and then robbing them.”
Jay shook his head in wonder. “It must be fate that brought you two together. You have so much in common.”
Zack put his arm around Renee. “Yes,” he agreed. “She has the same uncanny gift of intuition that I have!”
“I’m surprised Manny got out of prison so soon,” Renee said, puzzled. “He was sentenced for ten years.”
Zack snorted. “I’ll bet he hypnotized the judge or the parole board. He’s very clever.”
Jay looked very sad. “What are these lies that Courtney believes we told her?” he asked.
Zack hated to tell them. It would be a terrible shock. But his common sense told him they had to know sometime. Better get it over with. He proceeded to tell them everything that Courtney had accused them of. When he finished, there was a dead silence.
“How could she believe such things?” Jeremy exploded. “She knows what happened!”
Cammie finally recovered enough to speak. “I told her the whole sordid story! Didn’t she believe me?”
Zack put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Cammie—you’re forgetting—she’s under hypnosis. She’s not responsible for what she’s thinking. Manny has done a real job on her. It has nothing to do with whether or not she believes you. Her thought is clouded beyond reason.” He rose and walked over to the window. Then he turned back, his face red with anger. “Damn!” he exclaimed. “We need Nate so badly. Do you have any idea when he’ll be able to travel?”
Cast An Evil Eye Page 14