The Cove

Then she walked into her mother's arms.

24

    DILLON NODDED TO Quinlan and smiled at Sally. "That was well done. Quinlan's good at helping people remember."

    He turned to Dr. Beadermeyer. "I don't think you want to leave just yet. I've got lots more buddies coming any minute now. And they're all special agents, which means they can shoot off the end of your pinky finger at fifty yards and make you sing out every secret you've had since you were two years old. They're really very good, so it's best that you just stay put, Doctor Beadermeyer." Noelle was staring at Dr. Beadermeyer. "I hope you rot in the deepest pit they can find to throw you in. Now, you miserable ass, where is my husband? Who was the poor man both of you murdered?''

    "That's an excellent question," Quinlan said. "Tell us, Norman."

    It happened quickly. Dr. Beadermeyer pulled a small revolver out of his coat pocket. "I don't have to tell you anything, you son of a bitch. You've ruined my life, Quinlan. I have no home, no money, damn you, nothing. God, I'd love to kill you, but then I'd never know peace, would I?"

    They heard several car doors slam. "It's too late to whine, Norman," Quinlan said. "Now you're going to the slammer. You might consider cutting a deal. Tell us where Amory St. John is hiding. Tell us the name of that guy whose face you rearranged. Tell us the whole sordid story." "Go to hell, Quinlan."

    "Not for many years yet, I hope," Quinlan said. "So it was Amory St. John who was continuing to pay you to keep Sally a prisoner. Was it indeed her father who followed her to The Cove and peered at her through her bedroom window that night? Were you with him? Did the two of you knock us out and take Sally back to your wonderful sanitarium? Yeah, that sounds right. It was Amory St. John on the phone to his daughter, his own face staring in at her through the bedroom window."

    "It's all a lie, all of it. I'm leaving now. Come here, Noelle. I don't think anyone will shoot if you're with me."

    Sally said, "My father must have been furious when I saw him run out of this room. He would have thought I'd shout it to the world. That's why he wanted you to keep me in the sanitarium."

    "Don't be ridiculous, Sally," Dr. Beadermeyer said. "You're crazy. You escaped from a mental institution. Even if you'd spouted all this out as soon as the cops got here, no one would have believed you, not a single soul."

    "But it would have raised questions," Quinlan said. "I would have wondered and chewed on it. I'm a real FBI nerd when it comes to things like that. I wouldn't have let it go. Sally's right. That's why you and her father wanted to keep her locked up. She was out of the way permanently. And her father still believed she knew he was a traitor, or at least suspected that he wasn't a solid citizen."

    "Shut up. Come here, Noelle, or I'll shoot your bloody daughter."

    "How much money are we talking here, Norman? A couple million? More? It just occurred to me why you wanted Sally so badly. She was your insurance policy, wasn't she? With her, you didn't have to worry that

    Amory St. John would kill you. Of course, he could have killed Sally too, but that would have raised questions inevitably.

    "No, better for him to just keep paying you off until he came up with a bright idea to rid himself of you. Have I gotten anything wrong, Norman? I love real-life wicked plots. Novels can't even come close."

    Dr. Beadermeyer waved the gun. "Come here, Noelle."

    Scott stirred on the floor, shook his head, and slowly sat up. He moaned and rubbed his ribs. "What's going on here? What are you doing, Doctor Beadermeyer?''

    "I'm leaving, Scott. If you want to come along, you can. We've got Noelle. The cops won't take a chance of shooting because they just might hit her. Come here, Noelle." He pointed the revolver at Sally. "Now."

    Noelle walked slowly to where he stood. He grabbed her left arm and pulled her tightly against him. "We'll just go out through the French doors. Nice and slow, Noelle, nice and slow. Ah, Scott, why don't you just stay put? I really never liked you, always thought you were a no-account worm. Yes, you just stay here."

    "What you're doing isn't smart, Norman," Quinlan said. "Believe me, it isn't smart at all."

    "Shut up, you bastard." He kicked open the French doors and pulled Noelle through them. Quinlan didn't move, just shook his head. Dillon said, "You did warn him, Quinlan."

    There were voices, two shots. Then dead silence.