Now You See It... Part 3

Despite her efforts to do likewise, the first Ca.s.sandra was

Now You SeeH... 23

unable to prevent her handkerchief from fluttering to me floor.

The second made a sound of victory and pointed at the first-who made a sound which might have been translated as, "Oh, well, you can't win them all."

The second clearly examined the first. "Not bad," she al- lowed.

"d.a.m.n perfect," said me first, still with Ca.s.sandra's voice.

The smile of the second Ca.s.sandra disappeared. "Are you sure he's still out walking?" she demanded.

"Would I be doing mis if he weren't?" asked me first, now in his own voice.

'^Well, we can't take any risks," Ca.s.sandra told him disapprovingly. "You'd better go upstairs and change."

By now, a chill had begun to settle in my stomach as I stared at mem.

What are they up to?

"I have to set it up first," Brian was saying, gesturing vaguely toward the room,

Ca.s.sandra frowned. "You should have done chat ear- lier," she said.

"With all I had to do?" he answered; again, the coldness in my vitals.

Ca.s.sandra grimaced with impatience. "Well, get it over with/ but/asf," she ordered him.

She started to turn away when Brian grabbed her arm, restraining her. Ca.s.sandra looked around in irritation.

"What?"

"You're determined to do this?" Brian asked.

Now I really felt disturbed.

"Brian, we have gone through this already-endlessly."

Her tone was coldly critical, making it obvious that what- ever was going on, it was her idea, not his. "Now come on,"

24 Richard Mathesofl

die said. "You have to get out of here." She looked around uncomfortably. "Harry could get here any moment/'

"All right." He looked at her/ a distressed Ca.s.sandra ap- praising her calmer twin.

Seeing this, Ca.s.sandra put her hands on his arms and smiled with rea.s.surance. "Brian. Darling," she said. "It's going to be all right. Fear not!"

He did not respond, and she looked concerned now. "I can depend on you, can't I?" she asked.

His look and voice were gravity itself.

"Haven't you always?" he said.

She squeezed his arms. "Get on with it men," she told him.

She turned and moved to me doorway, shoe heels click- ing on the oak floor.

There she turned. "And if you hear Harry's car drive up, or the doorbell rings, for G.o.d's sake, get upstairs right away."

"All right/' he said. He sounded almost angry now. It was the most he could manage with his sister. Anger, he could not permit himself.

He loved her too much.

Before she left, Ca.s.sandra did something which intensi- fied me chill inside me.

She looked at me directly-something she never did- and stuck out her tongue. A childish gesture which dis- mayed me far more man a scowl or a snarl might have done,

"Why don't you leave him alone?" Brian said.

She didn't reply, only gave him a look.

Then she was gone, and Brian was picking up his fallen handkerchief and moving to me fireplace. As Max's a.s.sist- ant, he was expected to complete the preparation of the room. No detail could be overlooked.

The feeling of grat.i.tude I had for Brian's sympathy was

Now You See H... 25

undone by the coldly venomous look he gave to Max's rep- lica as he pa.s.sed me upright casket.

Ca.s.sandra and he had some dark plan with regard to my son. I knew it clearly.

And I could not'do anything about it. Do you want to know the sum and substance of true frustration? It was what I felt as I sat there, watching Brian at the mantelpiece while he lifted me silver box, raised its lid, and removed a single match from its interior. Striking the match on the bot- tom of the box, he began to light me first black candle.

Startled, then, I looked toward me doorway. There had been no car sound and no warning doorbell.

Yet Harry Kendal-Max's booking agent-was striding into the room.

chapter:.

I stared at him, a burst of formless hope inside me. Could this be an answer? I thought. A solution to a problem about which I have no knowledge whatsoever?

Let me describe Harry Kendal; it may help you under- stand.

He was in his upper fifties/ tan, lean and treadmill-fit, his hair profuse and silvery. A distinguished-looking man, but less in the manner of a college don than a Mafia one.

It being July, he wore me accredited New York s...o...b..z uniform-a lightweight, white and blue pinstripe suit, a white shirt and a dark blue tie; nothing but the best in qual- ity of course.