Magnificent Folly - Iris Johansen [32]
No, it wasn’t Cassie who was the center of the plot; it was Andrew. He had said Cassie had been taken because she was his daughter, so that meant he would be walking into greater danger than Cassie faced.
She would not worry about him. Andrew was an adult, and no doubt responsible for this episode. Cassie, on the other hand, was the innocent victim. Poor baby. Those thugs probably terrified her. The scar-faced man had looked like something out of a horror—
Lily’s eyes suddenly flew open. How had Andrew known what the man had looked like? Or, for that matter, what had taken place at the cottage at all?
She had fallen unconscious before she had been able to tell him anything.
Yet Andrew had mentioned the scar-faced man she had seen, and Gunner had taken off on the kidnappers’ trail before she had regained consciousness.
Madness. Everything was madness. So many questions, and Andrew would answer none of them.
“Why would a Middle-Eastern national name his hotel Edelweiss?” Lily asked as the helicopter sluggishly began its descent in the center of a small glade.
Andrew shrugged. “Why not? Said Ababa hasn’t gained a squeaky-clean reputation on the world scene, and what’s better than an alpine image? The Said Ababans are seldom original. As I said, they prefer to acquire what someone else has created or developed.” He nodded at a figure standing on the perimeter of the woods. “There’s Gunner.”
“Why isn’t he watching the bungalow where they’re keeping Cassie?” Lily’s hands clenched the arms of the seat. “What if they take her away while—”
“Gunner will have left a watch,” Andrew interrupted. “He knows his job.”
The helicopter settled on the ground, and Gunner started toward them.
The young pilot cut the engine and turned toward Andrew. “Will you need me for the return trip?”
Andrew shook his head. “No return, Jake.”
Lily’s gaze flew to Andrew’s face. “What do you mean? When we get Cassie we’ll need a way to return to the cottage.”
Andrew opened the heavy metal door. “No return,” he repeated as he jumped down from the helicopter and turned to lift Lily to the grass beside him. “It’s too late to go back. We can only go forward now.”
“Cryptic nonsense,” she said succinctly. “It may be too late for you, but Cassie and I will certainly go back.”
Andrew took their two small suitcases from the cockpit and closed the door, waving the pilot away. “We’ll see. It’s not the time to talk about it now.” He picked up the suitcases. “Let’s find out if Gunner has any new information.”
She was immediately distracted, and turned and hurried to Gunner. “Cassie, is she well?”
He nodded, his gaze raking her face. “You look like death.” He turned to Andrew. “You couldn’t keep her from coming?”
“Not without putting her in a straitjacket and locking her in a dungeon.” Andrew shrugged. “And even then she’d probably have found a way to follow me. I thought it would be better to have her under surveillance.”
Gunner nodded. “Quenby said that Lily wouldn’t stay behind.”
“Where is Quenby?” Andrew asked.
“We’ve rented a bungalow at a hotel near the one where they’re holding Cassie. Quenby’s waiting for us there.” Gunner took Lily’s elbow and urged her toward the woods. “Come on. I have a rental car parked a few hundred yards on the other side of the woods. Let’s get you to it before you collapse.”
“I’m all right,” Lily said impatiently as they entered the woods. “When are we going to be able to free Cassie?”
“Soon. I didn’t want to move on this one without Andrew’s sanction. Cassie is his daughter, and he has the right—”
“Cassie is my daughter,” Lily said fiercely. “I raised her, I’m the one who cared for her when she was sick and shared—”
“No one’s disputing your right to her,” Gunner interrupted. “That’s why you’re here.” He paused. “But you may not be able to help her, in this case. She may need Andrew.”
“Why?” Andrew asked