Return to Vienna by Nancy Buckingham

Author:Nancy Buckingham [Buckingham, Nancy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romantic Suspense/Gothic
Publisher: Belgrave House
Published: 1971-09-25T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

There was no sound in the room, but I knew that I wasn’t alone. Terrified, I stood there with my back to the door and stared around, picking out the furniture piece by piece in the faint glimmer from the moon. An oval table with chrysanthemums in a big vase. Farther along, an armchair, and then a tallboy against the wall. On the nearer side was the dressing table and built in closets.

But near the dressing table there was something else, a patch of black shadow.

Had Leopold Hellweg found me out? But surely he wouldn’t be standing here in the dark, and anyway, why should he have disturbed the curtains? It must be an intruder.

Should I yell for help?

With a conscious effort I opened my mouth, ready —and the light caught me, a brilliant, dazzling beam that shot across the room. My cry died to a tiny whimper.

“Jessica. Don’t scream.”

I knew the voice, and in my relief cried out too loud. Dangerously loud. “Richard!”

“For God’s sake, keep quiet, or someone will hear.”

I sighed on a long breath. “You did give me a scare.”

“Sorry.”

He came softly across the carpet, flicking off his flashlight when he was only halfway. He felt for me, fingers brushing against my breast before he found my arm.

“We must make sure we haven’t disturbed them,” he whispered. “Listen.”

We waited there just inside the door, utterly still, until Richard was satisfied. Then he took my hand and began leading me across the room. We sat down side by side on the edge of the bed, and I was reminded of the time we’d sat like this once before, ages ago, it seemed, in London.

My voice a husky murmur, I said, “How did you know I wanted you to come? It’s such a relief to see you. I felt desperate when I couldn’t get through.”

“Get through . . . ?”

“I’ve just been trying to phone a message to you at the embassy.”

“What happened?” he asked quickly.

“The phone seemed to be dead. I couldn’t even get the dial tone.”

“I see. I was coming anyway, Jessica. I had an idea you might be needing me,”

“I do, oh how I do! So much has happened here, Richard.”

“Then you’d better tell me all about it. And keep calm.”

I tried to be coherent, to start right at the beginning and progress fact by fact. But I got a bit confused, and Richard said patiently, “I know a lot of this already, of course. I’m more interested in what was said, rather than what you did.”

“It all seems so odd—they talk as if it’s they who expect to get something from me, as if we are bargaining about the amount I’m to be paid for it.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Well, Leopold said something about discussing terms, and went on about wanting evidence of my ability to deliver. I just couldn’t make it out. And another thing, he seemed to be saying that they regretted ever having trusted Max.”

Richard made no comment. I wished I could see his face, because in the darkness I felt lost, unable to gauge what he was thinking.

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