CHAPTER XXII
It was still dark when Zack woke up in Biarritz the next morning. He felt as though he had been run over by a steam roller. He could barely breathe. He had taken only cat naps during the night. The clock read only four, but he couldn’t sleep any longer. He felt he had to get up and figure out where Francois had taken Cammie.
He questioned Fran yesterday for the second time, but was told he knew nothing about where the honeymoon was to take place. Zack was sure the Countess knew, but it was useless to confront her. She would only deny everything, then warn Francois. Another thing puzzled him. Gabe wasn’t here when Zack came down to breakfast. He seemed to have disappeared. Is he involved in this, too?
He decided that they should leave right after breakfast and explore the countryside, hoping to come up with some clue. As he pondered this, he heard a ring on the doorbell, and the housekeeper informed Lilli that someone was here to see her. She excused herself and quickly exited the room.
Zack became suspicious and sneaked into the hall. He hid behind one of the pillars and watched. It was the priest who had performed the ceremony. He was dressed in jeans and a tee shirt, and his high collar was missing!
Zack recognized him immediately—an actor he had recently seen on the stage! Good Lord, he thought, the wedding was a fake! Lilli gave the man some money, and headed toward the back wing of the Chateau. Zack returned to the dining room before she could catch him spying on her. I won’t tell the others yet, he decided. They’re worried enough as it is.
By this time Hildy and Jay were seated at the table. They looked exhausted from worry and lack of sleep. Jenny and Peter joined them. With Lilli not there they could talk freely. Zack couldn’t stop blaming himself, although the others tried their best to assure him he had done everything he could.
Even Hildy, as frantic as she was, didn’t blame him. “What more could you have done?” she asked. “It’s nothing short of a miracle that you found the button that opened that panel.”
But Zack was inconsolable. “If only I had told you sooner about Andre’s fear of Francois and his mother, I might have been able to save Cammie.”
“Do you honestly think Cammie would have listened?” Jay asked. “Bsesides, you were trying to protect Andre. You had no idea something like this would happen.”
“I wish I knew why Andre is so deathly afraid of Lilli and Francois,” Zack said. “There’s a connection of some kind. It’s my guess he knows something they don’t want anyone to find out.”
“Well,” Jay said, “even if we knew, there’s no guarantee it would have stopped Cammie from going ahead with the wedding. She’s completely mesmerized by all the glamour.”
As soon as breakfast was over, they went to their rooms to finish packing. At Zack’s request, the car rental company sent one of their limousines to accommodate all five of them. After saying goodbye to Lilli and Fran, they left.
Zack got in behind the wheel. Driving, he felt, would keep his mind on something besides the blame he was placing on himself, and would help him to concentrate on what to do next. “Does anyone have any idea at all where to start looking?” he asked the others as they drove off.
For a moment no one spoke. Jay was the first to make a suggestion. “You say you ran into Andre in Nuits? Maybe we should go back there and look.”
“We’d need a plane to get there,” Zack replied. “We’ll have to come up with something else. I doubt that he’s still there, anyway. He moves around quite a bit.”
“I wonder if that’s because of his art, or because he’s afraid of Francois and his mother,” Jay said.
“Probably a little of both,” Zack replied grimly.
“Maybe Cammie isn’t in as much danger as we think,” Jenny suggested.
“I have to agree with Zack,” Peter said. “Francois is up to no good.”
Tears ran down Hildy’s cheeks. Jay, sitting in front with Zack, turned around and reached out to comfort her.
Zack was tight-lipped and determined as he spoke. “We’ll find her if it’s the last thing we do!” he declared.
“Zack, are you sure your intuition isn’t telling you where to look?” Hildy asked. “Not even a hunch?”
Zack shook his head. “After what’s happened, I’m not so sure I can trust my intuition anymore.”
“You suspected Francois all along,” Jay reminded him, “and you think you can’t trust your gut feelings? That’s absurd!”
“You’ve got to stop blaming yourself, Zack,” Hildy said. “Maybe that’s what’s getting between you and your intuition. It wasn’t your fault. Francois is a very clever man. I have to give him that, much as I hate to admit it.”
“Thanks for your vote of confidence,” Zack sighed, “but if my intuition had only told me sooner, we might have avoided all this. I want you to try and think of something—anything you may have seen or heard that might be a clue. Think! Any small thing could be very important.”
They were silent for several minutes when, quite suddenly, Peter spoke up. “What about the Chateau de Boulanger in Chaumont?”
Zack was puzzled. “The Chateau de Boulanger?”
“You remember, Zack!” Jenny exclaimed. “The place where Fran said they spend their winter vacations.”
Zack gave them a blank stare.
“Oh!” Hildy exclaimed. “You weren’t there when Jeremy Douglass asked the director in Mont Richard about it. That’s where Jeremy went when he left the Chateau in Amboise. He thought it might be connected to his forgotten past.” She turned to Jay, her eyes wild with hope. “Oh, Jay! Do you suppose that’s where Francois took her?”
Jay looked discouraged. “Honey, I wish it were as simple as that, but the tourist season is still going on. Why would he take her there with all those people around? It’s too public at this time of year.”
“I was hoping—” Hildy’s voice trailed off.
Zack, however, grew very thoughtful. He remembered Francois’ words—“soundproof” and “locks in place.” Cammie could scream her head off, and no one would hear her. As they drove along he couldn’t get it out of his mind. The idea intrigued him. What a perfect place to take her, where no one would suspect, since the tourist season was still in progress! No one would ever guess she was there!
He pondered this as they rode along the heavily wooded area on the country road. “That might not be such a crazy idea,” he said. “If he locked her in a soundproof room, that might be the answer!” He turned his head momentarily away from the road as this inspiration hit him. “I think we should go straight to the Chateau!” He turned back to the road. “I’ll bet that’s where—Oh, my God!” he gasped, and suddenly jammed on the brakes so violently that if they hadn’t all been wearing seat belts, they could have been thrown through the windshield!
With no warning, a man had appeared out of the woods. He staggered, and fell to the pavement in front of the limousine!
Zack jumped out of the car. Jay and Peter quickly followed him. The stranger was lying face down, bleeding profusely. Zack turned him over.
It was Andre! He had been shot!
By this time Hildy and Jenny had joined them. When Hildy saw who it was lying wounded in the road, she dropped to her knees and cradled him in her arms. She spoke to him in a soothing tone. “Andre—hang in there! We’re right here!”
He opened his eyes and spoke barely above a whisper. “Madame Stuart,” he gasped, “Mademoiselle Cameron—Francois—” His voice trailed off as he lost consciousness.
Hildy put her hand on his neck. “He’s still alive!” she told them, “but his pulse is weak. We’ve got to get some help!”
Zack ran back to the limousine and picked up the car phone. He dialed the emergency number that was listed on the dashboard. After only two rings the dispatcher answered. “A man has been shot!” Zack told him. He look
ed at the map and told him their location. “Fine! Please hurry!” he said. “He’s bleeding badly!”
They tried to keep Andre as warm as possible, and stop the flow of blood. Zack had hoped to find out who shot Andre before he lost consciousness, but now he would have to wait.
The paramedics arrived and managed to stop the bleeding, but said his condition was serious. He had lost a lot of blood. The bullets were lodged somewhere near his heart and in his skull.
Jay and Hildy accompanied him in the ambulance as the paramedics rushed him to the nearby hospital. Zack, Jenny, and Peter followed in the limousine. As soon as they arrived, Andre was rushed into the operating room, while the others waited outside, wondering if he’d make it. Did he know where Cammie was? If so, would he regain consciousness and be able to tell them?
CHAPTER XXIII
Zack sat quietly in a corner of the reception room in the hospital. His intuition was hard at work again. He had a horrible feeling that Francois and his mother had ordered a hit on Andre. But why? By now he was positive Andre knew something they were afraid he might reveal, and this was all a carefully planned scheme by Countess Lilli. What did Andre know that had them so frightened? Zack didn’t have a clue, but these unanswered questions made him all the more determined.
When two hours went by with no word from the doctors, Zack stood up and began to pace.
“I think one of us should go down to the cafeteria and get some food and coffee,” Jay suggested. “We’ve got to keep up our strength.”
“I’ll go with you,” Peter offered. “Zack, I think you should stay with Hildy and Jenny.”
“After what happened to Andre, we can’t be too careful,” Zack agreed.
They were back in twenty minutes with some Danish and coffee, just as the doctors emerged from the operating room. Andre was wheeled out on a gurney.
Zack went over to him, but he was still unconscious.
“He won’t come to for several hours,” one of the doctors told them. “We still don’t know if he’ll make it. One bullet just missed his heart, and the other grazed his skull. Whoever shot him knew exactly where to aim. It’s a good thing he ran when he did. That may be what pulls him through.”
“When will we know if he’ll be all right?” Hildy asked the doctor.
“The next twenty-four hours will be critical,” he told her. “We should know by then.”
* * *
Hildy was haunted by the words Andre had uttered just before he passed out. “Cameron—Francois—” What about Cammie and Francois? She was so petrified she couldn’t think straight. Andre knew something, she felt. His voice was so weak, Hildy doubted that anyone else heard what he said, and she felt impelled to tell Zack now. Maybe he can figure it out.
She was trembling as Zack led her toward the nearest chair. “Hildy, what is it?”
Hildy’s eyes filled with tears. Jay sat down beside her and gently wiped her eyes with his hankie.
Zack stooped down in front of her, and sat on his haunches as he spoke to her. “Did Andre say something to you before he passed out?”
Hildy nodded.
“What did he say?” Jay asked her.
Hildy’s voice was so soft they had to strain to hear her. “He—he said Cammie’s name, and then—” she swallowed hard before continuing, almost afraid to say it out loud—“he said Francois’ name, too.”
“Is that all?” Zack asked.
“Yes. He was trying to tell me something. Then he lost consciousness before I could ask him what it was.”
Zack stood up and looked in the direction of Andre’s room. His fists clenched with frustration. “I wonder how much longer he’ll be unconscious? I’ve got to talk to him. I have a gut feeling we don’t have much time. I’ll be right back,” he told them as he disappeared down the hall to find a doctor. He returned five minutes later looking helpless.
Peter, who had been sitting quietly with Jenny, approached him. “What did the doctor say, Zack?”
“He said Andre’s vital signs were improving, but I must be patient,” Zack replied. “They still don’t expect him to be fully conscious and alert for at least another fifteen to twenty hours. I really don’t think we should leave this area till we’ve had a chance to talk with him. He may have some idea where Francois took Cammie. The doctor said everything necessary is being done for him. Our presence won’t mean anything to him until he’s fully conscious. He suggested that we go to the inn right near the hospital and stay there for the night. I think we should take his advice. By tomorrow they’ll know more about his condition.”
“What if he doesn’t come out of it?” Hildy sobbed. “We may never know what he was going to say!”
Zack took her hand in his as he tried to reassure her. “The doctor promised to call us immediately if his condition got worse.”
Hildy hesitated, but Jay insisted that they do as the doctor suggested. It was almost dinner time and, according to the doctor, there was a good restaurant right there at the inn.
No one ate much that evening, but they did manage to get a good night’s sleep. Early the next morning they rose and met in the restaurant for breakfast before returning to the hospital. They had heard nothing further from the doctor, so they weren’t too surprised when they reached the hospital and were told that Andre was fully conscious and coherent.
“When can I talk to him?” Zack asked the doctor.
“He is still not out of the woods and can’t stand much excitement,” the doctor replied. “It wouldn’t hurt him to know you’re all here, and that you care. I think he needs that right now. But only one at a time, s’il vous plait.”
They looked at each other. Then Hildy spoke up. “Zack, you’re the one Andre confided in. I think he’d talk more freely with you.”
When Zack entered Andre’s room, he was delighted to see that the color had returned to his face and he looked almost normal.
“Ah, Monsieur Zack!” Andre greeted him. “How do you happen to be here?”
Zack was surprised. “You don’t remember what happened?”
Andre winced. “I remember hearing what sounded like a shot, and then a sharp pain. I ran and—that’s all.”
“You don’t recall staggering out of the woods and falling in front of a limousine?”
Andre shook his head. “No. You drove me to the hospital?”
“No. I called the paramedics. They brought you here. Somebody shot you.”
Andre’s eyes widened. “Thank God you were there!” he exclaimed. “I could have died.”
“You almost did,” Zack agreed. “You had two bullets in you, but they got them out. You’re going to be fine.” He hesitated, not wanting to say anything that might excite him, but it was difficult not to overwhelm him with a barrage of questions.
Andre broke the silence. “I suppose you’re wondering how I happened to be in Biarritz,” he said. He winced and lay back on the pillows.
“Take it slow,” Zack cautioned him. “You’ve been through a lot. You mustn’t strain yourself.”
“No, Monsieur Zack, I must continue. We don’t have much time. There is something I must tell you. It is most important.” His voice was weakening.
Zack sat forward in his chair, anxious to hear every word.
“I was concerned for Mademoiselle Cameron,” Andre said. “I read in the paper about her upcoming marriage, and I felt I had to come to Biarritz. I don’t know how I thought I could help her, but I had to try.”
He paused for a moment.
“Go on,” Zack encouraged him.
Andre nodded. “I hope when I tell you what happened that you won’t think ill of me,” he continued. “But this has to be said, and I’ll feel better when it’s all out in the open. Many years ago I was butler to Countess Lilli Claude. This was before she married Count F
rancois Dubonnet I. She was crazy in love with a man by the name of Gregory Wilcox. She had an affair with him and became pregnant, but when she told Monsieur Wilcox, he never came back to her. When she read in the newspapers that he had been killed, she blamed Madame Hilary Stuart, and swore to get even with her. Young Gregory, now known as Francois, was five years old when the Countess married the elder Count Francois.” Andre stopped for a moment to catch his breath. His voice was getting weaker. “She insisted that she bring me along to continue as her butler and to take care of her son. The Count was most agreeable to this. As it turned out, it’s a good thing that he was.”
“Why is that?” Zack asked him.
“It will become very clear when I finish telling you what happened,” Andre replied. “We were at a place called the Chateau de Boulanger. One day she came to me and—” Andre suddenly became quite agitated and began to shake. He tried to sit up.
Zack reached out and took his hand in an effort to calm him. “Andre, the doctor warned me that you mustn’t get excited. We’d better postpone this until later.”
“No! No! We can’t wait!” With a great effort he tried to sit up, but fell back against the pillows, exhausted.
Zack didn’t waste any time ringing for the doctor. He hoped he hadn’t pushed Andre too far.
The doctor told the nurse to give Andre a sedative, and suggested that Zack come back later after Andre had rested. Andre objected, but soon felt the effects of the medication, and drifted off to sleep.
Zack left and joined the others, who were waiting anxiously.
Hildy rushed over as he entered the reception area. “Zack, did he tell you anything?”
“He started to,” Zack told her, “but he wasn’t able to finish. Something he was trying to tell me upset him. The doctor gave him a sedative and he’s sleeping.”
All That Glitters Page 13