The Cauldron (47 page)

"The removal men arrived just before Vanity found me here.' he called out to Tweed.

'Removal men?' Vanity queried.

'Furniture.' Newman replied.

'I ought to get back to the party now.' Vanity commented and said good night to everyone.

As they drove down the slope they saw the right-hand gate was still open, blocked by the BMW. Newman continued on to the highway, followed by Marler, turning in the direction of Carmel.

"Three thugs removed the body bag.' Newman reported. 'Never said a word. What's the idea?'

'It was rather a desperate decision I took.' Tweed explained, 'but it worked wonderfully. My aim was to get the top people at each other's throats. Angry men make the wrong move. A form of psychological warfare. Now, what have we up there?'

Parked outside the terrace of The Apex was a car. Mrs Benyon had a visitor. This was the second unexpected twist of the night. Tweed told Newman to drive up the slope to The Apex.

34

Tweed's dangerous gamble had succeeded beyond his most hopeful expectations. Moloch returned to his office the moment his guests, including Keller, had left, summoned Brand, Landis and Hogan. He was behind his desk as they came in together.

'Don't sit down!' he shouted at them. 'Stand up and stand still.'

'Something wrongRIGHT SQUARE BRACKET' Brand began.

'Shut your big trap! Martinez's body is in the large fridge in a locked garage. Hogan, give me the key.'

Nervously, Hogan trudged forward, laid the key on the desk.

'Now go back and stand where you were,' Moloch barked.

'Isn't it dangerous to keep a body on theRIGHT SQUARE BRACKET' Brand began again.

'It's dangerous to open your stupid mouth. Don't do it again or you're finished,' Moloch raged.

'Excuse me, but I don't know why I am here,' Landis ventured.

'You're here because one of you murdered Martinez with a shotgun, then walked off with half a million dollars.'

'Shotgun?' Hogan sounded puzzled.

'A shotgun, you ham-fisted cretin. I've checked the roster. All of you were absent from Black Ridge this afternoon.' His voice became an alarming purr. 'Did someone play truant while I was away in San Francisco?'

'I went into Carmel to meet a girl,' Landis mumbled.

'A call girl, I presume?' Moloch sneered. 'Her name?'

'Lola.'

'It would be. Give me her address. I'll have Keller check that out.'

'I was her last customer.' Landis adjusted his black tie, a nervous gesture Moloch noted. 'She'd borrowed a flat on Junipero from another girl. When I left she was off to San Francisco. She said the money was better there.'

'How very convenient. Her last name?'

'Never knew it.' Landis mumbled.

'May I ask a question?' Brand suggested quietly.

'If it's relevant. It had better be.'

'You mentioned the loss of half a million dollars...'

'I wondered which of you would be the first one to pick up on that. Taken from the safe. You gave the combination to Hogan when he was appointed guard master?'

'Yes, I did.' Brand said eagerly.

Hogan looked at him. His face was a picture of uncontrolled hate.

'So, all three of you could have opened the safe.' Moloch said fiercely. 'Now I wonder which one of you is now half a million dollars richer?'

'May I ask you, who is this Keller?' Brand asked in the same quiet voice.

'He's the man who is going to investigate all three of you inside out and upside-down.'

'I don't like that,' protested Brand.

'So what are you going to do about it?' Moloch purred. 'And where were you this afternoon?'

'I went fishing.'

'Gone fishing!' Moloch's tone was like a whiplash. 'Catch anything?'

'No. The wind blew up.'

'Anyone with you who can confirm your thin story?'

'I went alone. I always do.'

'What about you, Landis? Meet anyone during your kicks trip?'

'No, I didn't. Not anyone I can remember.'

'And what happened to you, Mr Hogan?' Moloch demanded.

'I drove up Palo Eldorado. I was looking for that girl Ethan sees. I was going to warn her off.'

'How very noble of you. See anyone who can confirm that?'

'Don't see anyone up Palo Eldorado. The hippies hide when they see you coming.'

'Great!' Moloch threw up his hands. 'So not one of you has an alibi. You're all suspect.' He leaned forward. 'Well, you might like to know why Martinez is having a freezing time in the fridge. I'm bringing in a Medical Examiner to check exactly how he died.'

'But that's dangerousRIGHT SQUARE BRACKET' Brand began again.

'Dangerous for one of you. The ME I'll use is in my pocket. May take a few days before I get his report. Now, all of you - get the hell out of here. Get on with your jobs.'

When he was alone in his office Moloch stood up, stared out of the window down at the coast where the Pacific roared. It suited his mood. The three key men at the summit of his organization would be disturbed, but he'd had no option. At this vital moment when the coming operation was soon to be launched chaos reigned.

Then he remembered that Ethan was missing. Why on earth had he disobeyed orders and gone to see his mother?

Tweed got out of the car as Newman turned off the engine. It was parked just below the terrace running round The Apex. He asked Newman and Alvarez to stay with the car while he visited Mrs Benyon with Paula.

Then he heard above the howl of the wind and through a ventilator by the front door the scream of a voice. It sounded like a soul in the torment of hell.

'I'll kill you! I said I would. I'll kill you, you hideous creature. I'll kill California!'

Tweed pounced on the iron knocker, hammering it down with great force. He glanced at Paula. She took out her automatic, held it by the barrel, slammed at the ventilator with the butt. There was a sudden silence as the wind dropped briefly.

They heard someone on the far side of the door releasing chains, unlocking several locks. The door opened slowly and Paula slipped her automatic inside her shoulder bag when she saw who it was. Ethan stood framed in the doorway, illuminated by an inside light.

His eyes were almost staring out of his head. His tie was loose, his hair all over the place. He gazed at them and then smiled strangely, pointing a finger at Tweed.

'I know you. I showed you the upper chamber at Black Ridge. You were interested in my chart recorders. Yes, I know you.'

'May we come in, please?' Tweed suggested. 'It's rather cold out here.'

'My mother awaits you. Damn her to hell.'

He pushed past them, ran round the corner. As they entered they heard his car engine starting up. Paula closed the door on the elements as Tweed walked into the living room. Just as on his previous visit Mrs Benyon sat upright in her thronelike chair.

'Good evening, Mr Tweed. And Paula. Please do sit down. I expect you heard my son. He's a little upset. There's a party up at Black Ridge. Vincent's birthday. May he never see another.'

'Not very charitable,' Tweed replied. 'And we did hear your son. A little upset? He sounded to be in a manic rage.'

'I don't like the word manic.'

'Mrs Benyon.' Tweed said gently, 'this is important. Has Ethan ever needed medical attention? Has he ever had what they call a nervous breakdown? Doesn't he need help?'

'Oh, no!' She hammered the stick in her right hand. 'Not one of those places. Not again. Thaf s why he hates me.'

'Not again? Then there has been trouble in the past?'

'You are British. I would not tell this to an American. They gabble.' She paused. 'When he was working for a Professor Weatherby back home Ethan was obsessive. He thought he had discovered some new theory in seismology. He didn't let Weatherby know what he was doing. He began behaving strangely. He would shout at me at the top of his voice. He even did it to strangers in the street. They thought he was going to attack them. They reported him to the police. I had to do something.'

'Yes, I understand.' Tweed's voice was persuasive, sympathetic. 'What did you do?'

'A special doctor saw him. He coaxed me into signing a piece of paper. Ethan was taken away for treatment. That was after he had left Weatherby. Ethan has never forgiven me. In a few months he recovered. But he has never forgiven me.' she repeated. "That is why he hates me.'

'Must be difficult for you.' Paula suggested.

'He goes into a trance of rage. The only way I can bring him out of it is to hit him with my stick. Vincent doesn't understand. He came in once when I struck Ethan with both my sticks. Vincent tore the sticks out of my grasp, broke them, threw them on that fire. Luckily I had spare sticks.'

Oh, come on, Paula thought. You can walk as well as I can. You're just trying to intimidate VB. Sounds as though it doesn't work.

'I could talk to Vincent.' Tweed suggested while Paula was thinking, 'but certain events have taken place recently at Black Ridge which would make this the wrong moment. What did Ethan mean when he screamed, "I'll kill California"?'

'I've no idea. Just his bad temper. He doesn't like the Americans. Says they're too brash for his liking.'

'Yet he works for one.'

'No, he doesn't. Moloch is a Belgian. He's kept his Belgian citizenship. Ethan prefers Europeans.'

'Is he rather shy?' Tweed asked.

'Always has been. His whole mind is devoted to seismology and to breaking through new frontiers in his field.'

Tweed sat silent for a short time, deep in thought. Paula knew he was taking a decision. He spoke suddenly.

'You are British, Mrs Benyon.'

'Yes. And proud of it. I lived in Cheltenham before I came out here when Ethan was offered this huge job by VB.'

'I would advise you to be ready to go home at a moment's notice. To transfer all your assets to a bank in Cheltenham. Would you consider doing that?'

'Yes, I'd like to go home,' she said instantly. 'I have faced the fact I can't do anything more for Ethan. And his latest threat was the last straw.'

'I repeat,' Tweed emphasized, 'be ready to leave at a moment's notice. Pack up now as far as you can. Don't forget to transfer your assets back to Britain in the morning. Just hold on to enough to keep you going for a few days.'

'When should I go, then?'

'When I phone you. I will use the code word Angelo so you know it is me talking. Mention this to no one. And I think perhaps we should go now.'

"Thank you, Mr Tweed.' She held out her hand. 'It has taken a load off my mind - talking to you. If I may say so you are a very kind man.'

'I don't know about that.' Tweed smiled at her. 'But one thing is for sure - I am a very realistic man. Your phone number is ...' He gave her a number. 'I noticed it on the phone in the hall.'

'You have a remarkable memory.'

'Just a knack for remembering figures.' Tweed winked at her. 'Don't get up - we can see ourselves out...'

'What was all that about?' Paula asked.

They were sitting in the back of the Merc. Tweed didn't reply. He was staring out of the window at the wild coast below as they moved along Highway One -back towards Carmel. Behind them Marler followed in the BMW with Butler and Nield. After a while Tweed spoke.

'Alvarez, do you think it would still be possible to contact Cord Dillon?'

'I don't know. You mean if we elevated the aerial?'

'Yes. But only when we get back to Spanish Bay.'

'We could try,' Alvarez said in a dubious tone. 'I suppose it would depend on what you wanted. All backup for us has been withdrawn.'

'This would be to request the ultimate support.' Tweed said grimly.

He didn't elaborate. Paula glanced at him and he was sunk in thought again. The storm coming off the Pacific was increasing in fury. It began to rain heavily. Great sweeping curtains of rain flooded the windscreen and Newman slowed. The wipers were full on.
Whip-whap-whip-whap
... They passed again through steep sandstone gulches with walls rising vertically on either side. They were furrowed vertically where previous storms had cut into them. Tweed began to hum a popular song.