Alongside Night(24)
“I understand.”
“All right.”
“Maybe,” said Elliot, “it would be best to try forcing the authorities into the open. Possibly hire a lawyer to get a writ of habeas corpus. Or maybe I should just march into the offices of The New York Times and tell them the entire story.”
“I can see your point, and if that’s what you decide to do, I’ll be happy to help in any way I can. But I advise against it.”
“Why?”
“Call it intuition if you like,” said Mr. Gross, “but it is my belief that, if your family is still alive, you’d be running the risk that exposing their kidnaping—and I use the term advisedly—might make certain you would never see them alive again.”
“Then what are you saying? That I should sit tight and not do anything?”
“No, action must be taken—quietly.”
“Are you telling me to hire a detective?”
“This would be beyond any normal investigators. They would have their licenses revoked if they stepped on any political toes.”
“Then what are you suggesting?”
Mr. Gross took a sip of cognac and paused a moment. “In the jewelry business one meets many people. Some of them tell me that almost anything can be obtained—for a price. You told me that you have the means. The question remains how much you are willing to spend.”
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83
“All of it,” said Elliot firmly. “All the gold I’ve got. I figured that out yesterday.”
“Then, if you like,” Mr. Gross continued, “I’ll ask some of my associates what is possible. I can’t do anything until tomorrow, so you’ll spend the night here. Phillip will make up the couch.”
“Mr. Gross, you’re a real lifesaver.”
“I hope to be.”
At that instant, the grandfather clock in the dining room began striking eight o’clock. Mr. Gross rose. “Five minutes slow, Phillip. Your turn to wind.”
Mr. Gross retired to his bedroom to read, and Phillip, having finished his kitchen duties, asked Elliot if he were up to a game of chess. Elliot was, and Phillip set up on the dining table. After picking the white pawn out of Phillip’s clenched fists, Elliot opened with pawn to king’s fourth. Phillip responded king’s pawn to fourth rank also. Elliot played king’s bishop to queen’s bishop fourth, then said, “By the way, how did you know that Mrs. Tobias was being fired?”
Phillip grinned. “Let’s leave it that the ventilation shaft between the second floor men’s room and the headmaster’s office directly below is a useful source of information. And she wasn’t fired.” He moved his king’s bishop likewise. White queen moved to king’s bishop third. “Why did she quit?”
“A power play,” said Phillip. Black queen’s knight’s pawn to fourth, threatening white bishop. “Mrs. Tobias wanted to teach her political views, Dr. Fischer said she was hired to teach, not to propagandize.”
Elliot’s queen took the pawn at king’s bishop seventh. “Don’t you think that’s a rather nasty violation of her academic freedom? She was a bitch—granted—but fair is fair.”
“Nonsense,” said Phillip, taking Elliot’s bishop with the knight’s pawn. “It’s no more a violation of her freedom than 84
Alongside Night
refusing to charter a plane to Los Angeles when you want to go to Miami. What she did on her own time was her own business.”
“You can’t take that bishop, Phil.”
“Huh? Why the hell not?”
“Because I mated you last move.”
Phillip stared at the board, then said softly, “Shit.”
Elliot grinned fiendishly.
Bright sunlight awakened him. After a few minutes trying to keep it out, he gave up, pulling himself into a sitting-up position. A few moments rubbing his eyes, several seconds to remember where he was. He rubbed his calves, removing the kinks—the couch had been too short for him—then came wide awake, hearing that the apartment was absolutely silent except for the ticking from the grandfather clock. It was about nine thirty.
In line of sight with the grandfather clock was a note on the dining table impaled on the white king, the night’s battlefield still displaying his victory. He padded over. Ell,
We didn’t want to wake you because you seemed to need the sleep. There’s hot coffee in the percolator and you can feel free to rustle up anything you want to eat. Suggest you stay put. My uncle and I will return by mid-afternoon.
Keep your powder dry,
Phil
It seemed to Elliot, after he had performed the usual morning rituals, that no day had ever passed so slowly. He felt that there was an immense pressure compelling him to action …but he could not move. He felt as if some great achievement was demanded of him …but that he did not have the strength to perform it.