“Colette!” It was her mother’s voice, calling from the hall.
“I must go,” she said.
“But why?”
“He told me to deliver the tray and leave. He doesn’t trust me.”
“Colette!” called her mother again, just outside the door now.
“You mean the man in the gray suit – the one your mother called Philippe?”
“That’s him. Philippe Vandam. He orders her around. Me, too, if he can.”
“With a car like that he must be rich. What does he do?”
“Who knows. Something mysterious he never talks about.”
Her mother pounded on the door. “Colette, what are you doing in there?”
“Coming, maman!” She went to the door.
“Come back soon,” Adam said. “I beg you on bended knee.”
Colette laughed. “You’re funny, Adam.” Then she left, shutting the door gently behind her.
He stared at the door in such a daze, he forgot about his desperate situation. As long as Colette was around, it didn’t seem so bad.
The sounds Adam had been hearing in the house gradually died away. Perhaps they have all gone out, he thought. He tried the door, just in case, but it was firmly locked. Colette might be friendly, but she was still his jailer.
Then, when he least expected it, she came in again and leaned against the door, frowning. She’s beautiful even when she frowns, Adam thought.
“It’s very quiet in the house,” he said. “I thought you had all left.”
“Maman has gone to the patisserie. And Mr. Vandam had to go somewhere. I’m glad when he goes away. I don’t like how he treats maman and me, as if we are his servants.”
“Will he be back?”
“Oh, yes.” She paused. “Adam?”
“Yes? What is it, Colette?”
“There is something you should know. He is a dangerous man.”
“I’ve already guessed that.”
“But you don’t know what he is going to do with you.”
Adam felt a jolt of alarm. “No, I don’t. Do you?”
She nodded. “I heard him on the telephone. He’s having a meeting with others like him. But in another place, not in Montreal.”
Adam shrugged. “Well, there’s no law against having a meeting. There’s not much you or I can do about that. Best we stay out of it, Colette. If he catches you listening to his phone calls –”
“But you can’t stay out of it, Adam,” Colette interrupted. “That’s why I am telling you. Maman won’t let Mr. Vandam leave you here when he goes away, and he said he won’t free you.”
“Uh-oh. What’s he going to do with me then?”
“He’s taking you with him.”
Adam started. “Good God. Where?”
“I didn’t hear where. But he said he is going to meet with the others at an inn on the river. Something secret to do with the war, but he will say they are there for a fishing trip.”
Just then a door slammed. “Oh!” Colette said. “Maman’s back already. I can’t let her find me here.” She slipped out and quietly turned the key, leaving a worried Adam behind.
NINE
The night before, following the directions from the man on the steps, Scott had come to a main intersection and turned left. Sure enough, it wasn’t long before he saw the outline of the Rapids Prince at the end of the street. The ship was still tied up at the pier, as if it had been patiently waiting for him all this time.
Victoria Pier itself was empty, however. The taxis, buses, and tourists had all left. He’d expected that Lindsay, at least, would still be there, with her father and mother. He had, in fact, worried about them pacing the pier, distraught over his and Adam’s fate and waiting anxiously for them to return.
But when Scott saw that there was no one waiting, either on the pier or on the deck of the Rapids Prince, he was taken aback. They would have been appalled at his foolishness – leaping onto the bumper of a speeding car – and wouldn’t have had any idea why he did it.
In a way, it was a relief that he didn’t have to face them right now. For if he did, he would have to lie to them about Adam’s whereabouts. Not lie exactly, but not tell all that he knew. Not so much a sin of commission as of omission, as the minister back home was fond of saying.
It would be a hard part for him to play. Especially with Lindsay, who often seemed to know exactly what he was thinking. And with the police too, if they became involved. But for Adam’s sake, he would have to do it.
As Scott approached the ship, there was still no sign of anyone. He’d thought someone would be anxious for word about Adam, if not about him. Maybe no one saw Adam being hauled into the backseat of the Packard. Certainly no one had any idea that the men who’d taken him were German agents. No one except him.
Come to think of it, not even Adam knew. And Scott knew only because of his interest in the Packard Twelve Touring Sedan that was parked on the pier in Prescott that morning. Yet his hands were tied; he couldn’t say anything about what he’d heard without endangering Adam’s life. It was just as well no one was here to meet him.
Suddenly, he was utterly exhausted. It had been a long day. All he wanted to do was flop into his bunk and sleep. He trudged up the gangway.
As he did, a dim figure appeared from the shadows, where it had been keeping watch. “Scott!” the figure cried. “It’s really you at last!”
He looked up. Lindsay rushed to him and threw her arms around him. He felt her tears on his neck.
“We’ve been calling all the hospitals, expecting to hear you’d been in a terrible accident. Are you all right?”
“Of course. I’m fine.” He hugged her tightly, feeling the energy flow back into him. “I’m sorry I worried you, jumping on the bumper like that. I wasn’t thinking.”
“Everyone thought you were crazy, but I knew you must have had a reason. And Adam? Where is Adam? He’s disappeared too.”
“I-I’m not sure.”
Lindsay pulled back and looked at him questioningly. “What do you mean, you’re not sure? Is he all right?”
She knows I’m holding out, he thought. She as good as reads my mind.
“Something’s happened to Adam, hasn’t it?” she said.
He made a sudden decision. He’d tell her, the one person he trusted completely, but only her. He looked around nervously. “I have to be careful,” he said. “If I give him away, he’ll take it out on Adam.”
She frowned. “Who will?”
“The man who grabbed him.”
“What man? Scott, what are you saying?”
He heaved a sigh. “It’s a long story. I overheard something I wasn’t supposed to hear. I’ll tell you, but nobody else. For Adam’s sake.”
He led her to the bench and sat down beside her. “It began this morning, when we were still at the pier in Prescott.… ”
“So you see why I mustn’t tell anyone,” he said, when he finished. “Not even your mother and father – or Adam’s parents.”
“Oh, Scott, that will be terribly hard. And poor Adam. His family will be so worried. You’ve got to tell them something. What are you going to say?”
Scott studied a bare patch on the deck where the strong soda solution they scrubbed with had wrinkled the surface. The frown lines on his forehead deepened. “I’ve been thinking and thinking about it while I was finding my way back here. I guess all I can say is that I fell off and never saw where the Packard ended up. I hate lying, but –”
“They’ll ask more than that, though, Scott. And if they call in the police, they’ll want to know why Adam was taken.”
Scott shrugged. “I know. I can only pretend I don’t know anything.”
“Scott, that’s not good enough.”
“Don’t I know it! My only hope is that they release Adam soon.” He looked around at the empty deck. “But where is everybody?”
“Mom and Dad are in the purser’s office, phoning every place they can think of – the hosp
itals, the police. We’d better let them know you’re back. They’ll be awfully relieved.”
Lindsay kept a firm grip on Scott’s hand as they crossed the deck, as if determined never to lose him again.
TEN
Adam paced the room restlessly. The man in the gray suit – Vandam, Colette called him – was going away. To some kind of secret meeting disguised as a fishing trip. But the really disturbing news was that Vandam planned to keep him a prisoner and take him along.
But why? he wondered. If Colette’s mother wouldn’t let Vandam leave him here any longer, why didn’t he just let him go? Hauling him to some meeting, and keeping him locked up, would be a lot of trouble. There could be only one reason to go to all that bother – whatever Scott had learned about him must be something highly secretive. Only by keeping him hostage could Vandam be sure Scott wouldn’t talk.
But what could it possibly be?
Adam felt like he’d been transported to some surreal world, where nothing made sense. At the same time, it reminded him of something, but he couldn’t think quite what. Something Scott had said recently …
The door opened and Colette slipped in. She had paper and a pen in her hand. “I thought you’d want to send a message to someone before you leave,” she said. “To let them know you’re all right. I can take it to the post office if you want.”
“That’s very brave of you, but it’s risky,” Adam said. “What if Vandam or your mother finds out?”
“I will take that chance. Maman cares for him, but she cares for me more.”
Adam looked at her, concerned. “Are you sure you want to do this? You said he’s dangerous.”
“Let me worry about that,” Colette said. “You just write the note.”
For the first time, he saw how strong-willed she could be. “All right,” he said. “I’ll just say I’m well, with some people I met, and not to worry. I don’t dare tell them I’m being held captive, or they will rush right down to the police. And if Vandam finds out the police are on his trail, I could end up in the river, with my feet encased in cement!” He shuddered. “And, if they do catch up to Vandam, they could charge all three of you with kidnapping and forcible confinement, even though it’s all Vandam’s doing. I know it sounds crazy, but trust me – it’s for the best.”
Colette sighed. “I suppose. But I have to go now. I’ll come back later for the letter.”
While Adam was composing the note to his parents, he became aware of loud voices in the house. It sounded like an argument. He finished his letter and sat waiting for Colette.
It wasn’t until lunchtime that she appeared, carrying a tray with a sandwich and a glass of milk. He gave her the letter, and she slipped it in her pocket. “I heard people arguing,” he said. “Is there trouble?”
“It was maman and Vandam. She doesn’t want me to go.”
“Go where?”
“With the rest of you.”
“You’re coming too? Wonderful!”
She nodded. “He wants me to look after the farmhouse he’s rented, where you will be locked up. The chauffeur and another man will guard you. It’s near the inn where Vandam and the others will be. That’s what the argument was all about. ‘I don’t want Colette there with those men,’ Mama said.
“But Vandam said no one would dare bother me and he’d pay me well to do the cooking. I’d make a lot more money than at my part-time library job, he said. They argued, but he won. He always wins. ‘It’s a nice place, right on the St. Lawrence,’ he said. ‘It’ll be like a paid summer holiday for Colette.’ But maman replied, ‘Some holiday looking after those men!’ ”
“So the chauffeur will be in the farmhouse with you and me and the other man, too,” Adam said. “Maybe he’s the one I saw in the car before. Who is he anyway?”
“All I know is, he’s called Heinrik sometimes, Howard other times,” Colette said. “These different names they use are confusing.”
“That’s their purpose,” Adam said. “To confuse people. Howard is probably an alias.”
“Ah, I see.” Colette went to the door. “I’ll go and mail your letter now. I guess we’ll all be in the same car tomorrow. But we’d better not act too friendly, Adam,” she warned. “Vandam might get suspicious.”
As the door closed behind Colette, Adam felt lost. But at least she’ll continue to bring me my meals at the farmhouse, he thought.
That night, as he tried to get to sleep, he lay wondering where, exactly, they’d be going. A farmhouse near an inn on the St. Lawrence, Colette had said. From what he’d seen from the deck of the Rapids Prince, there weren’t that many inns right on the water. There was, however, one near Prescott, where Lindsay had a summer job. I couldn’t be that lucky, could I?
On Tuesday morning, Vandam entered the room and blindfolded him again.
“Must you?” Adam said, but Vandam didn’t bother answering. Instead, he yanked him roughly along the hall and down the outside stairs, a blindfolded Adam stumbling behind.
He’d hoped that he’d be seated close to Colette, but Vandam shoved him in the front seat beside Twitch and climbed in the back with her and the man called Heinrik.
For a while, Adam heard nothing but the purring of the Packard’s engine. Eventually he began to hear other cars as traffic increased around them.
The speaking-tube squawked and he heard Vandam say, “Better stop here and take off his blindfold, Twitch. People are starting to notice. Don’t let him try any funny business, like signaling other cars.”
Twitch pulled over to the curb, and Adam felt fingers fumbling with the knot. Then the blindfold slid off. “You heard Mr. Vandam,” Twitch said gruffly. “No funny business.” He opened his chauffeur’s jacket and showed a blackjack tucked in his belt. “Don’t make me use this. Not that I’d mind belting you one, if I had to.”
“Don’t worry, Twitch,” Adam said. “I’ll just sit here nice and quiet. Shall I get out the map and help you navigate?” He reached for the glove compartment.
Twitch swatted his arm down. “Leave it! And don’t call me Twitch. My name’s Tyler to you.”
Adam lapsed into a temporary silence. Better not push him too far. Anyway, it was a nice change from the room, having a cushy seat to sit on.
He glanced in the back. The man called Heinrik was on the backseat with Vandam, a muzzled German shepherd sprawled on the floor in front of them. Colette, he saw, was on the jump seat, engrossed in a book. He almost smiled at her before he remembered her warning not to act friendly.
Vandam noticed him looking back and scowled. Adam sighed and returned to watch the scenery.
As they left Montreal, the landscape changed from city streets with wall-to-wall buildings to farmland, where cows paused in their grazing to stare at them. The occasional church steeple loomed on the horizon to announce the presence of a town ahead.
The winding two-lane highway was identified by signs as the KING’S HIGHWAY 2.At intervals, the signs would say CORNWALL 70 MILES or TORONTO 310 MILES, so Adam knew they were headed west.
The highway took them alongside a lengthy strip of canal, which looked vaguely familiar to him. It was, he realized suddenly, the Soulanges Canal, looking much different when viewed from the highway than from the deck of the Rapids Prince. Watching a freighter in one of the locks, he remembered, with a shudder, how he’d stumbled around there in the middle of the night, hauling in the Rapids Prince’s heavy lines when he was still a deckhand.
Vandam’s voice came over the speaking-tube. “Go slow along here, Twitch,” he ordered.
Adam snuck another look back. Both Vandam and Heinrik were staring at the canal, talking in low voices. He saw that Heinrik was making notes, and he wished he could hear what they were saying. In the jump seat, Colette appeared to be buried in her book.
He couldn’t know that she was actually paying close attention to what the two men behind her were saying. She wasn’t sure what she’d gotten herself into on this trip, and she was determined to find out more.
They kept their voices so low that she had trouble following. But she did hear Heinrik say something about explosives. And that troubled her.
Eventually, the road veered away from the canal, and they entered the town of Cornwall. Then Adam knew exactly where they were and that they would come to Prescott, the home port for the Rapids Prince, if they kept going.
When they reached Prescott, he looked for the smokestack of the Rapids Prince, but the highway did not go close enough to the waterfront. Though it seemed a long time since that fateful night at Victoria Pier, it had been only two nights ago.
He had a sudden burst of affection for Scott and his other shipmates, and he ached to be out of this mess and back on board. Even Captain Plum would be a welcome sight! But he’d better not think about that anymore, he decided. If he wasn’t careful, he’d start feeling sorry for himself. At least he was back on familiar ground.
They continued on through Prescott and took the highway out of town. Then Vandam told Twitch to slow down as the turnoff was just ahead.
Twitch made a left turn onto the dirt road that was marked by a sign that read THE BLINKBONNIE INN, COTTAGES, GUEST ROOMS, MEETING ROOMS & FINE DINING, ONE MILE.
Adam had to hide his elation. The Blinkbonnie – that was the inn where Lindsay said she had a summer job! Is it just coincidence that Vandam will be holding his meeting at an inn close to the town where the Rapids Prince docks? Is there some reason he and his associates want to be near the ship?
As the car headed down the dirt road towards the river, it hit a bump and scraped bottom. The low-slung Packard might be smooth on highways, but it wasn’t made for country roads. Twitch swore and slammed on the brakes.
Through the trees, the river sparkled, as if luring them on despite the rough road. Everyone hung on as the car bounced over the bumps. When they reached the Blinkbonnie, the car turned in, pulled up to the front door, and stopped.
Yes! Adam said to himself triumphantly. There was hope yet, with Lindsay so close. And where Lindsay was, Scott wouldn’t be far behind.
Man Overboard! Page 4
