«Not exactly,» countered the mercenary. «Why do you think I was at the door? Desi the First radioed that the tall loco was back.»
«He’s always had a way with words,» said Devereaux, slowly turning his head and looking over at Jenny. «Hi,» he said cautiously.
It was like a pavane filmed in slow motion, as Aaron Pinkus and Cyrus M gracefully moved away from the line of contact. Tears flowing from her eyes, Sunrise Jennifer Redwing ran across the carpeted floor as Sam walked gallantly, if unsteadily, down the marble steps into the living room. Devereaux held his place as she rushed into his arms; they embraced, their lips meeting in swollen agony and delight.
«Sam,» she cried, holding him fiercely. «Oh, Sam, Sam, Sam! It was Switzerland all over again, wasn’t it? Mac told me! You did what you did because you knew it was right. It was the legal, moral thing to do! Leaping off a boat and swimming miles and miles in a storm to right the wrong! Oh, God, I do love you!»
«Well, it wasn’t that many miles, maybe four or five—»
«But you did it! I’m so proud!»
«It was nothing.»
«It was everything!»
«I failed. The tape was drowned.»
«But you weren’t, my darling, you weren’t!»
Suddenly, there was the eruption of static and a squawking Hispanic voice over Cyrus’s radio. «Hey, mon! A big leemoseeno ees racing into dee house! You want me to blow it away?»
«Not yet, Desi!» ordered the mercenary. «Cover the door; and you, Roman, come to the front, all weapons ready!»
Moments later, the middle-European voice of Roman Z could be heard. «It iss only one old man weez white hair walking to the door. Iss driver inside turning on raadio. Iss lousy music.»
«Stand to,» ordered Cyrus, removing his gun from his shoulder holster. «If I have to fire, converge.»
«Was dat? Con-sompding?»
«Iss no problem. Old man don’ go for pockets or gun.»
«Out. Stay at the ready!»
«Reddy wad …?»
«Out!»
«Wad …?»
The doorbell rang as Cyrus waved Pinkus, Jenny, and Devereaux away from any conceivable line of gunfire. He yanked the door open, his weapon at his side, only to be faced by a tall, slender, elderly gentleman.
«You’re the butler, I presume,» said R. Cookson Frazier, his anxiety in no way mitigating his genuine courtesy. «I must see your employer immediately, it’s of the utmost urgency.»
«Cookson!» cried Aaron Pinkus, emerging from a curtained beach window. «What are you doing here?»
«It’s unbelievable, Aaron, absolutely unbelievable!» said Frazier, clutching a paper in his hand and rushing down the marble steps, his arms upright in apoplectic disbelief. «You and I and all of Boston have been gulled, old fellow, positively caged!»
«What is that in English, Cookson?»
«Here, look!» Again, suddenly, the entangled figures of Jennifer and Sam came out of the far right shadowed corner. «Who the hell are they?» yelled Frazier.
«The young man with one shoe and rather distressed clothing is Samuel Devereaux, Cookson—»
«Oh, you’re Lansing’s son. Damn fine man, your father. Damn shame he was taken so early.»
«And our lady friend is Jennifer, Jennifer Redwing… Cookson Frazier.»
«Lovely tan, my child. Caribbean, no doubt. I’ve a house in Barbados—I think. You and Lansing’s son must go down and enjoy it—haven’t been there in years.»
«What’s so unbelievable, Cookson?»
«As I say, here … look!» The old gentleman thrust out the paper in his hand. «This came to my house over the fax machine that has a noninterceptor, nonmemory line confirmed by Washington—just a moment, old boy, can everyone here be trusted?»
«My word on it, Cookson. What does it say?»
«You read it. I’m still in a state of shock.»
Aaron took the thin fax paper, scanned it, and slowly, in bewilderment, lowered himself into the nearest chair. «It’s beyond my understanding,» he said.
«What is it?» asked Devereaux, his arm protectively around Jennifer’s shoulders.
«It says, and I quote: ‘This communiqué is top secret and must be destroyed upon perusal, its contents restricted to the highest levels of law enforcement. Geoffrey C. Frazier, code name Rumdum, is a highly effective and covertly much-decorated undercover agent for the federal government. Proceed accordingly with maximum regard for Officer Frazier’s cover, credibility, and safety.’ … It’s signed by the director of the Drug Enforcement Agency. My word!»
«The boy’s a damned Scarlet Pimpernel!» cried Cookson Frazier, throwing himself into the chair next to Aaron. «What in heaven’s name am I to do?»
«To begin with, I’d say you should be enormously proud as well as relieved. You yourself said there was another man inside your grandson and you were right. Instead of a wastrel, he’s a highly successful, highly decorated professional.»
«Yes, but good God, old boy, the only way he can continue to be successful without being killed is to bring further disrepute on the family!»
«I hadn’t considered that,» said Pinkus, frowning and nodding in agreement. «But surely one day the truth will be revealed, and all manner of praise will be heaped on the Boston Fraziers.»
«If that day comes, Aaron, the last male Boston Frazier will have to skip to Hackensack or Tierra del Fuego and assume another name. He’ll be a marked man!»
«That, too, I had not considered.»
«Protection,» said Cyrus, walking down the steps, «and extremely thorough protection can be purchased, Mr. Frazier.»
«Oh, forgive me, Cookson, this is … Colonel Cyrus, an expert in security.»
«Good Lord, forgive me, Colonel! Damned stupid of me at the door. I do apologize.»
«No offense. In this neighborhood, it’s a perfectly understandable mistake. However, I’m not really a colonel.»
«I beg your pardon?»
«What he means,» cried Sam, his eyes boring in on the mercenary, «is that he’s retired from the military. He’s not with any army—the army, that is.»
«Oh, I see,» said Frazier, turning back to a bewildered Cyrus. «Well, obviously, your expertise in security matters serves you well. Aaron only hires the finest. As a matter of fact, although it’s probably too minor for your time, I’ve an alarm system in my house that confuses the hell out of me. I keep setting it off.»
«The pinpoints either aren’t clean or they overlap in the circuitry,» said Cyrus offhandedly, frowning at Devereaux. «Call your alarm’s service department and tell them to check the point relays.»
«Really? Just like that?»
«It’s common in house systems,» replied the mercenary, trying to read Sam’s nodding expressions. «Even a momentary power shortage can louse up those firefly circuits.»
«I’m sure the colonel would be happy to take a look at it, wouldn’t you, Colonel?» said Devereaux, his nods now jackhammering behind Cookson Frazier’s head.
«When my work for Mr. Pinkus’s security concerns are over … certainly,» answered the hesitant soldier of fortune-chemist, definitely confused. «Perhaps sometime next week,» he concluded weakly.
«Good fellow!» exclaimed Frazier, slapping his hand on the arm of the chair, then suddenly reverting to his previous state of quandary. «I can’t get over my grandson. It’s positively incredible.»