Sidney Sheldon (26 page)

“Prima…” It was a whisper.

Kelly leaned closer. “Prima?”

“Gary told…told me about it a few…a few days before he was killed. Their machine that can control…control weather. Poor Gary. He…he never got to Washington.”

Diane said, “Washington?”

“Yes…They were all going to…all going to see some senator about…about Prima…. Gary said Prima was bad….”

Kelly asked, “Do you remember the senator’s name?”

“No.”

“Please think.”

Lois Reynolds was mumbling. “Senator somebody…”

“Senator who?” Kelly asked.

“Levin—Luven—Van Luven. He was going to see her. He was going to meet—”

The door flew open, and a doctor wearing a white jacket, with a stethoscope draped around his neck, strode into the room. He looked at Diane and Kelly, furious. “Didn’t anyone tell you no visitors were allowed in here?”

Kelly said, “I’m sorry. We had to—speak to—”

“Leave, please.”

The two women looked at Lois Reynolds. “Good-bye. Get well.”

The man watched them leave the room. When the door closed, he moved to the bed, picked up a pillow, and leaned over Lois Reynolds.

K
ELLY AND DIANE
made their way down to the main lobby of the hospital.

Diane said, “That’s why Richard and Mark were going to Washington, to see Senator Van Luven.”

“How do we get hold of her?”

“Simple.” Diane took out her cell phone.

Kelly held up a hand to stop her. “No. Let’s use a pay phone.”

They got the telephone number of the Senate office building from information, and Diane called from a public phone.

“Senator Van Luven’s office.”

“I’d like to speak to the senator, please.”

“May I say who’s calling?”

Diane said, “It’s a personal matter.”

“Your name, please?”

“I can’t—just tell her it’s very important.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t do that.” The line was disconnected.

Diane turned to Kelly. “We can’t use our names.” Diane called the number again.

“Senator Van Luven’s office.”

“Please, listen to me. This is not a crank call. I need to speak to the senator, and I can’t give you my name.”

“Then I’m afraid I can’t let you speak to the senator.” The call was disconnected.

Diane dialed again.

“Senator Van Luven’s office.”

“Please don’t hang up. I know you’re doing your job, but this is a matter of life and death. I’m calling from a pay phone. I’m going to give you the number. Please have the senator call me.” She gave the secretary the number and heard the secretary slam the phone down.

Kelly said, “What do we do now?”

“We wait.”

They waited for two hours, and finally Diane said, “It’s not going to work. Let’s—”

The phone rang. Diane took a deep breath and rushed to pick it up. “Hello?”

An annoyed female voice said, “This is Senator Van Luven. Who is this?”

Diane held the phone toward Kelly, so that they could both hear what the senator was saying. Diane was so choked up, she could hardly speak. “Senator, my name is Diane Stevens. I’m here with Kelly Harris. Do you know who we are?”

“No, I don’t, and I’m afraid I—”

“Our husbands were murdered on their way to meet with you.”

There was a gasp. “Oh, my God. Richard Stevens and Mark Harris.”

“Yes.”

“Your husbands made an appointment to meet with me, but my secretary received a call saying that they had changed their plans. Then they—died.”

“That call was not from them, Senator,” Diane said. “They were murdered to stop them from seeing you.”

“What?”
She sounded in shock. “Why would anyone—?”

“They were killed to prevent them from talking to you. Kelly and I would like to come to Washington and tell you what our husbands were trying to tell you.”

There was a brief hesitation. “I’ll meet with you, but not in my office. It’s too public. If what you’re saying is true, it could be dangerous. I have a home in Southampton, Long Island. I can meet you there. Where are you calling from?”

“Denver.”

“Just a moment.”

Three minutes later, the senator came back on the line. “The next flight out of Denver to New York is a red-eye. It’s a United flight, nonstop to La Guardia. It leaves at twelve-twenty-five
A.M.
and arrives in New York at six-oh-nine
A.M
. If the flight is full, there’s one—”

“We’ll be on that flight.”

Kelly looked at Diane, surprised. “Diane, what if we can’t get—?”

Diane held up a reassuring hand. “We’ll be on it.”

“When you get to the airport, a gray Lincoln Town Car will be waiting for you. Go right to the car. The driver is Asian. His name is Kunio,
K-U-N-I-O
. He’ll take you to my home. I’ll be waiting for you there.”

“Thank you, Senator.”

Diane replaced the receiver and took a deep breath. She turned to Kelly. “We’re all set.”

Kelly said, “How do you know we can get on that flight?”

“I have a plan.”

T
HE CONCIERGE AT
the hotel arranged a rental car, and in forty-five minutes, Diane and Kelly were on their way to the airport. Kelly said, “I don’t know whether I’m more excited or more frightened.”

“I don’t think we have anything to be frightened about anymore.”

“It looks like a lot of people tried to meet with the senator, but none of them made it, Diane. They were all killed first.”

“Then we’re going to be the first to make it.”

Kelly said, “I wish we had—”

“I know. A weapon. You said that. We have our wits.”

“Yeah. I wish we had a weapon.”

Kelly looked out the car window. “Pull over.”

Diane pulled over to the curb. “What is it?”

“There’s something I have to do.”

They had stopped in front of a beauty parlor. Kelly opened the car door.

Diane said, “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to get a new hairdo.”

Diane said, “You’re joking.”

“No, I’m not.”

“You’re getting a new hairdo
now
? Kelly, we’re on our way to the airport, to catch a plane, and there’s no time to—”

“Diane, you never know what’s going to happen. And in case I should die, I want to look pretty.”

Diane sat there, speechless, as Kelly walked into the beauty parlor.

T
WENTY MINUTES LATER
,
Kelly came out. She was wearing a black wig that was a luxurious upsweep piled high in the back.

“I’m ready,” Kelly said. “Let’s go kick some ass.”

T
HERE’S A WHITE
Lexus following us,” Kelly said.

“I know. There are half a dozen men in it.”

“Can you lose them?”

“I don’t have to.”

Kelly stared at her.
“What?”

“Watch.”

They were approaching an airport gate with a sign that read
DELIVERIES ONLY
. The guard behind the gate had opened it to admit the car.

The men in the Lexus watched as Kelly and Diane got out and stepped into an official airport car that started across the tarmac.

When the Lexus reached the gate, the guard said, “This is a private entrance.”

“But you let that other car in.”

“This is a private entrance.” The guard closed the gate.

T
HE OFFICIAL AIRPORT
car crossed the tarmac and stopped at the side of a jumbo jet. As Diane and Kelly stepped out, Howard Miller was waiting. “You got here all right.”

“Yes,” Diane said. “Thanks so much for making the arrangements.”

“My pleasure.” His face became grim. “I hope some good comes out of all of this.”

Kelly said, “Thank Lois Reynolds for us and tell her—”

Howard Miller’s expression changed. “Lois Reynolds passed away last night.”

The two women both felt a sense of shock. It took Kelly a moment to speak. “I’m sorry.”

“What happened?” Diane asked.

“I guess her heart gave out.”

Howard Miller looked over at the jet. “They’re ready to go. I’ve arranged seats for you near the door.”

“Thanks again.”

M
ILLER WATCHED AS
Kelly and Diane went up the ramp. Moments later, the flight attendant closed the door, and the plane began to taxi.

Kelly turned to Diane and smiled. “We’ve made it. We out-smarted all those brainiacs. What are you going to do after we talk to Senator Van Luven?”

“I hadn’t really thought about it,” Diane said. “Are you going back to Paris?”

“It depends. Do you think you’ll be staying in New York?”

“Yes.”

Kelly said, “Then maybe I’ll stick around New York for a while.”

“Then we might go to Paris together.”

They sat there, smiling at each other.

Diane said, “I was just thinking how proud Richard and Mark would be if they knew we’re going to finish the job they started.”

“You bet.”

Diane looked out the window and up at the sky, and said softly, “Thank you, Richard.”

Kelly glanced at Diane, shook her head, and said nothing.

Richard, I know you can hear me, darling. We’re going to finish what you started. We’re going to avenge you and your friends. It won’t bring you back, but it will help a little. Do you know what I miss most about you, my love? Everything
.

W
HEN THE PLANE
landed at La Guardia airport three and a half hours later, Diane and Kelly were the first passengers to disembark. Diane remembered Senator Van Luven’s words:
When you get to the airport, a gray Lincoln Town Car will be waiting for you.

The car was waiting at the terminal entrance. Standing next to it was an elderly Japanese man in a chauffeur’s uniform. He stood up straight as Kelly and Diane approached him.

“Mrs. Stevens? Mrs. Harris?”

“Yes.”

“I’m Kunio.” He opened the door of the car and they stepped in.

Moments later, they were on their way to Southampton.

“It is a two-hour drive,” Kunio said. “The scenery is very beautiful.”

The last thing they were interested in was scenery. Both were busily thinking about the quickest way to explain to the senator what had happened.

Kelly said to Diane, “Do you think the senator will be in danger when we tell her what we know?”

“I’m sure she’ll have protection. She’ll know how to handle this.”

“I hope so.”

After almost two hours the Town Car finally drove up to a large limestone mansion with a slate roof and tall, slender chimneys, in the style of eighteenth-century England. There were extensive, manicured grounds, and they could see a separate house for the servant quarters and garage.

As the car stopped at the front door, Kunio said, “I will be waiting for you, if you need me.”

“Thank you.”

The door was opened by a butler. “Good morning. Come in, please. The senator is expecting you.”

The two women entered. The living room was elegant yet casual, furnished with an eclectic assortment of antiques and comfortable-looking couches and chairs. On the wall, above a large fireplace with a baroque mantel, were mirrored candle sconces.

The butler said, “This way, please.”

Kelly and Diane followed the butler into a large drawing room.

Senator Van Luven was waiting for them. She was wearing a light blue silk suit and blouse, and her hair was hanging loosely. She was more feminine-looking than Diane had expected.

“I’m Pauline Van Luven.”

“Diane Stevens.”

“Kelly Harris.”

“I’m glad to see you both. It’s taken much too long.”

Kelly looked at Senator Van Luven, puzzled. “I’m sorry?”

Tanner Kingsley’s voice behind them said, “She means you have been very lucky, but your luck has just run out.”

Diane and Kelly turned. Tanner Kingsley and Harry Flint had come into the room.

Tanner said, “Now, Mr. Flint.”

Harry Flint raised a pistol. Without a word, he aimed at the
women and fired twice. Pauline Van Luven and Tanner Kingsley watched as Kelly’s and Diane’s bodies tumbled backward and fell to the floor.

Tanner walked over to Senator Van Luven and hugged her. “It’s finally over, Princess.”