Magnificent Folly (13 page)

“And what are the facts?”

“That Andrew is not sticking pins into Cassie but is still performing in-depth surgery. He’s cutting through the barriers and splicing and knitting up the raveled ends. He’s healing her.” Quenby paused. “Telepathically.”

Lily gazed at her in stunned disbelief. “I beg your pardon?”

“I know. I know.” Quenby pulled a face. “Now you think we’re all a bunch of escapees from the cracker factory.”

“The thought did occur to me.” Lily started to get up from the couch. “I think I’ll just go in and tell Andrew I’ve changed my mind.”

“Don’t do that,” Quenby said, her tone suddenly
urgent. “Interrupting him now could be dangerous for Cassie. He knows what he’s doing.”

Lily sat back down. “You’re telling me Andrew is a telepath?” she asked carefully. “You’re either joking, in which case you chose a lousy time for it, or you’re demented. I don’t believe in telepathy.”

“Then you’d better start,” Quenby said simply. “Andrew is a telepath, and so is Gunner. My son, Jed, also has certain telepathic powers.” She paused. “And so does Cassie.”

“No!” Lily shook her head violently. “Now I know you’re crazy. Don’t you think I’d know if my own daughter were a telepath?”

Quenby shook her head. “Cassie’s talent is latent. She probably shows flashes of intuitiveness, but without training she might never reach full potential.”

“And what is her potential?” Lily asked caustically.

“It’s different for everyone. Perhaps her telepathic ability will remain submerged by her other talents all her life. Perhaps later it will dominate.”
Quenby shrugged. “Personally, I’m hoping Jed’s telepathy remains latent. Having powers like Andrew’s can be a curse, not a blessing.”

“I can’t believe I’m sitting here listening to you.”

“You’re listening because those instincts you’re so skeptical about have been sending out signals since the moment Andrew appeared in your life.”

Lily’s fingers dug into the cushions of the couch. “You’re saying Andrew has been reading my mind since the moment I met him?”

“Absolutely not,” Quenby said instantly. “Andrew has a very strong code of honor. He would not invade anyone’s privacy. Only under extreme conditions would he go underneath without your consent. But he can’t help knowing things about you, picking up vibrations or feelings. With Cassie, the bond’s even stronger. She has the same powers, and therefore sends actual thoughts to Andrew and receives them from him.”

His name is Andrew, Cassie had said
.

Someone must have called his name
.

Andrew brought back the music
.

Lily fought back the avalanche of memories. Coincidence, she thought desperately. It had to be coincidence.

“It’s not coincidence, Lily.”

Lily’s gaze flew to Quenby’s face in horror.

Quenby laughed and shook her head. “No, I’m not telepathic. Just an educated guess. I felt the same way when Gunner told me about his telepathic powers.” She wrinkled her nose. “However, he doesn’t have quite as strict a code as Andrew, and provided a demonstration that startled the heck out of me.”

“What did he—” Lily broke off. “Now I’m the one who’s crazy. I was actually starting to believe you.”

“You’ll believe me,” Quenby said confidently. “It will take time to sink in, but then you’ll start remembering things and putting the pieces together. I’m not going to overload you with information right now. I think you have enough to deal with.”

Lily shook her head dazedly. Quenby Nilsen appeared so down-to-earth and practical. It seemed
impossible that she would spout this nonsensical voodoo. “You mean there’s more?”

“We’ve just uncovered the tip of the iceberg.” Quenby leaned back in her chair. “But you’ve actually taken the little bit I’ve given you quite well.”

“Because I’ve heard it’s better to humor nut cases.”

Quenby chuckled. “I assure you I’m not violent.” She suddenly sobered. “There’s one more thing you should know about Andrew right now. He’s not blundering blindly with Cassie. He’s been doing this kind of work since he was a small boy.”

“Telepathic healing? You’ll forgive me if I find that concept impossible to accept.”

Quenby shook her head. “He can’t work miracles. He can only go underneath and reinforce the will to live, he also can teach—he can straighten out most of the snarls and tangles the human mind makes for itself.” Quenby added simply, “He can bring light into darkness. But to do it he has to go down and live in that darkness, feel the
pain and the torment. That’s what he’s doing with Cassie now.”

Light into darkness. “That sounds like pretty much of a miracle to me,” Lily said wearily. “And too far-fetched for me to accept.”

“Then why are you still sitting here? Why aren’t you marching in and snatching Cassie away from Andrew? It’s because down deep you want to believe in Andrew.”

“I don’t believe any of this,” Lily said quickly. “And I certainly have no faith Andrew will be able to—” She broke off, and her head turned toward the closed bedroom door. “What’s that? I thought I heard—”

Music! The silver cascade of notes from Cassie’s music box.

“It’s the Bach,” Lily whispered. “He’s playing Cassie’s music box.” She jumped to her feet and ran toward the door.

“Lily, he may not be ready for—”

Lily threw open the door. The lights were still out, with the room still in darkness.

The melody of the Bach prelude wove silvery ribbons of beauty through the shadows.

Cassie laughed in the darkness.

“Turn on the lights, Lily,” Andrew said.

Lily’s hand trembled as she fumbled for the light switch on the wall.

Cassie was sitting up on the bed. “Hi, Mom. Can I have a cheeseburger? I’m starved.”

“It … could be arranged.” Lily scanned Cassie’s face hungrily. Bright eyes, good color, she was blessedly, wonderfully normal. Lily’s knees felt rubbery as she walked across the room toward the bed. “How do you feel, baby?”

“Great.” Cassie looked at her in surprise. “Why shouldn’t I feel great? You’re the one who got knocked on the head.” For an instant a shadow crossed Cassie’s face. “I thought those creeps had killed you. I called and called, but you wouldn’t wake up. You okay?”

“Perfectly okay.” Lily sat down on the side of the bed. “But I’d be even better if I had a hug.”

Cassie got up on her knees and enveloped Lily
in a fierce bear hug. “Andrew said you were fine. He said it over and over.…”

Yet Lily had heard no voice in the bedroom. No sounds had come from the room at all until the melody of the music box.

“Andrew is quite right. I never felt better than at this moment.” She glanced over Cassie’s head at Andrew. “I think I owe you—” She broke off, stiffening in shock.

Andrew looked ten years older. The skin was pulled tight over his cheekbones, the flesh beneath his eyes imprinted with ink-black shadows. “Are you all right?”

He smiled at her. “A little tired.” He stood up, his movements jerky and uncoordinated. “I think I’ll go get some air and then find somewhere to crash for a while.”

“A tough one?” Quenby asked from the doorway.

Andrew nodded as he moved toward the door. “Lord, she’s stubborn. She wouldn’t be budged.”

“Andrew!” Cassie pulled away from Lily, a
touch of panic crossing her face. “Don’t go. I’ll be alone again.”

Andrew turned to look at her. “You forgot what I told you.” A smile lit his face, momentarily banishing the haggardness. “You’ll never be alone again. I’ll always be there when you want me.”

The anxiety left Cassie’s face, and she nestled back against Lily. “That’s nice to know.”

Lily tried to smother the twinge of hurt she felt as her arms tightened around Cassie.

“It’s not the same, Lily,” Andrew said, his gaze shifting to Lily’s face. “I haven’t taken her from you.”

“Haven’t you? I’m not so petty that I’d begrudge you Cassie’s affection, after what you’ve done to help her.” She smiled crookedly. “Though God knows how you did it.”

“I told you how he did it,” Quenby said. Andrew stiffened. “You shouldn’t have done that, Quenby. She’s had enough to—”

“For Pete’s sake, she’s not made of glass,”
Quenby interrupted. “And she’ll need time to assimilate it.”

“Maybe.” Andrew’s hand rubbed wearily at the muscles at the nape of his neck. “I can’t judge. I’m not thinking clearly at the moment.” He turned to go.

“Andrew,” Lily called impulsively.

He glanced back over his shoulder.

“Why did you play the music box?”

“Bach.”

“What?”

“She identifies Bach very closely with you. You have character traits that remind her of his music. I thought it would be a comfort to her.”

Lily’s eyes widened. “How did you know that? Did Cassie tell you?”

Andrew gazed at her a moment without speaking. “Why don’t you ask Cassie?”

He turned and left the room, with Quenby following close behind.

“H
E’S SAD.”

Lily turned back to look at Cassie. The child’s brow was wrinkled in a frown of concern as she gazed at the doorway through which Andrew had disappeared. “He’s sad about you.” Her gaze shifted back to Lily’s face. “He’s hurting, but you can help him.”

“Right now I’m more concerned about helping you to a cheeseburger,” Lily said lightly as she gave Cassie another hug and then released her. “Andrew appears to be tough enough to handle his own problems.”

“He
is
tough, but he still needs people to like him.” Cassie’s gaze searched Lily’s face. “You’re afraid of him.”

“Nonsense. I’m not afraid of any man.”

“You’re afraid of Andrew. Why?”

“I’m not—” Lily stopped. She wasn’t being truthful with either herself or Cassie, and their relationship had always been founded on honesty.

“He knows too much. I guess it makes me uneasy.”

“But what he knows is really neat,” Cassie protested. “He makes me feel”—she hesitated—“like the music. He
understands
the music, Mom.”

“Cassie …” Lily reached up and tucked a strand of sandy hair behind Cassie’s left ear as she tried to form the question she needed to ask. “You were sick, and Andrew helped you get well. How did—”

“I wasn’t sick,” Cassie interrupted. “I was just hiding out. Then Andrew came in and made me realize what a jerk I was being.”

“And how did he do that?”

“I don’t know,” Cassie said, puzzled. “He was just there. At first, I couldn’t hear him but I could feel him. He was kind of warm and cozy. You know, like drinking hot chocolate after being out on a cold, rainy day. Then the music came, and after that I heard him talking to me.”

“And you weren’t afraid?”

“Of Andrew?” Cassie looked at her in astonishment. “Andrew brought me the music. I couldn’t hear it before he came, and it was getting darker and colder and very scary.”

A chill went through Lily. Where would that darkness have led if Andrew hadn’t forced Cassie out of her hiding place? “Quenby says it’s telepathy.”

“Is it?” Cassie was unimpressed. “No wonder you were a little freaked out. Don’t worry, Mom, it’s nothing like those stupid movies you see about telepathy. Like I said, it’s kind of cozy.” She swung her feet to the floor, got off the bed, and looked at the door on the far side of the bed. “I have to go to the bathroom. Is that it?”

Lily nodded as she rose to her feet. “I’ll order you a cheeseburger from room service.”

“With potato chips.” Cassie grinned over her shoulder with impish humor. “And no vegetables.”

Lily chuckled. In this bewildering world of kidnappings, foreign agents, and telepathy there were some things that never changed, thank heavens. “I’ll settle for a dill pickle on the side.”

“Done.”

Cassie disappeared into the bathroom.

Lily’s smile faded as the door closed behind her daughter. Cassie was definitely back to her old self, but that didn’t mean the threat to her was over. Why had Cassie, who had always been blessedly emotionally stable, gone into shock in the first place? And why did those men so desperately want Cassie and Andrew?

Cassie had accepted the idea that Andrew was a telepath, but could Lily? The evidence seemed irrefutable, but it went against the grain for her to believe anything so outlandish. Yet, in some mysterious fashion, Andrew had brought Cassie back
to her, and she felt passionately grateful no matter how the act had been accomplished.

There was no doubt she would have to think long and hard about what had transpired in the last twenty-four hours, and some decisions would have to be made. But any soul-searching could wait until Cassie had gone to sleep that night. Just now Lily wanted only to enjoy having Cassie safe and well again. She sat down on the bed, picked up the receiver of the phone, and dialed room service for Cassie’s cheeseburger.

“Where’s Andrew?” Lily asked Quenby as soon as she walked into the living room the next morning.

Quenby looked up from the newspaper she was reading. “He went to the airport with Gunner to check out the condition of Hamid Kalom and Baharas before they’re flown to Sedikhan. He should be back soon.” Quenby’s frown was troubled. “Kalom is still in bad shape.”