After a few minutes, when Andrea did not appear, Hammond went around to the back door. He had a ring of keys in his hand and was preparing to unlock the door when he saw that it was ajar. Debby must still be around, he figured, and he was going to give her all kinds of hell for being so careless; but then, when he stepped in and tried to close the door, he found that it would not latch.
Bending for a closer look, he understood. The door had been jimmied! The implication caused him to stand in petrified shock for a moment, listening in a vacuum so intense that he could catch the faint sighing of the wind, the whispery whine of the refrigerator.
He bolted through the lighted kitchen and rushed to the foot of the stairs. After shouting her name, he went up to Mrs. Tillman’s bedroom. Her door was open, the lights blazing. Everything seemed in good order, so he crossed to the bathroom, glanced at the sunken tub, still damp, and into the empty stall shower. Her purse stood open on the vanity and he poked a finger inside. The contents included a cosmetic bag, an expensive lighter, and a wallet. The wallet was stuffed with bills.
He made a quick search of the other bedrooms, then went below, where he saw that in the livingroom a lamp and a table had been overturned. On the carpet, just beyond, was one of Andrea’s shoes and her jeweled wristwatch, its platinum band twisted when the watch was wrenched off in the struggle.
The study was empty, but the door had been smashed in. This indicated, Hammond concluded, that Andrea had fled to the study where she had locked herself in, perhaps hoping to escape by a window, or gain enough time to use the phone.
In any case, it all became clear when he reached the front door. A note had been attached to the inside of the door by means of a thumbtack. Printed on a piece of cheap yellow paper in severe block letters that must have been fashioned with a ruler, the note read:
Stanford Tillman:
We are holding your wife for a ransom of one million dollars. She has not been harmed but we will return her to you in sections if you do not obey the following instructions:
1. Do not inform the police or the FBI. Keep this matter secret from all persons, trust no one!
2. You have one day to gather the money. The bills must be old and unmarked, in denominations of fifty and one hundred dollars. Place the money in a suitcase and keep it in your house, ready for delivery on Tuesday evening.
3. Further orders will come to you by phone after six p.m. tomorrow. At this time your wife will be allowed to speak to you briefly.
Don’t try to play cops and robbers with us, or she will be dead. One million or your wife — take your choice!
Hammond read the ransom note without touching the paper. Using his handkerchief, he removed the note and folded it into a pocket of his uniform jacket. He went back to the study, sat behind the desk and pondered what to do next. Mr. Tillman had been flown to Sacramento in his own jet. It was a short hop in a fast plane, yet there had not been time for him to reach the hotel. Nevertheless, Hammond placed a call, leaving an urgent message for Tillman to phone home immediately upon his arrival.
He phoned Mrs. Brunswick and told her that at the very last second Mrs. Tillman had decided to fly to Sacramento with her husband. She had asked Hammond to convey her regrets and to apologize for her inability to call in person.
This done, Hammond sat waiting. In a little over thirty minutes Tillman rang, his usually calm voice now edged with tension.
“What’s the trouble, Fred? Is Mrs. Tillman all right, or why—”
“Well, I... I believe so, but—”
“You believe so? What does that mean, Fred?”
“I can’t possibly tell you on the phone, Mr. Tillman. Not if there’s any chance we could be overheard.”
“I see.” His voice sank.
“You’d better come home, sir. It’s a big problem, real trouble.”
“Fred, you’re scaring hell out of me, you know that, don’t you?”
“Yes, I know. But try to keep cool, sir. It’s something we can work out if you’ll hurry back.”
“Is there some way you can help until I arrive?”
“No, sir. I can do nothing further. There are decisions to be made, and there’s a great deal of money involved. But I would suggest that you cover your trail with some logical reason for leaving, one that won’t arouse suspicions.”
“Yes, I understand. In fact, I think I’ve got the whole picture. Are you alone there?”
“Yes.”
“And Mrs. Tillman has been — detained?”
“Yes, that’s right. Exactly. I called the Brunswicks, said she went with you.”
“Good. Then drive to the airport and wait for me, Fred.”
Seated in the study with Fred Hammond, Tillman had placed the ransom note before him on the desk, Andrea’s tangled watch resting beside it. When he saw the watch and the lone shoe, his face crumpled, but then he quickly composed himself.
“I’m not going to touch this note with my bare hands,” he said, “but I don’t think there’s any chance that a single print will be found on it.”
Nodding, Hammond nervously fingered his uniform cap. “Does that mean you intend to call the police?”
“No, no!” Tillman shook his head, lighted a cigarette. “I don’t care a damn about the money. I’m going to pay the ransom. It’s only important to save Mrs. Tillman. Do you agree? I want your honest opinion, Fred.”
“I wouldn’t give you my opinion,” said the chauffeur. “It might influence you to make the wrong move. Then I’d never forgive myself.”
“Unless there’s a change in the situation, my decision is final, Fred. I just want you to tell me what you think.”
“In your place, I’d do the same thing, Mr. Tillman. But I might hedge my bet a little,” he suggested.
“How would you do that, Fred?”
“I’d pay the ransom but I’d inform the police of every turn. I’d have them standing by, just in case.”
“In case they don’t let her go?” he asked.
“No. By the time you were sure they weren’t going to turn her loose, it would be too late. But when the delivery is made, that’s when these creeps are most vulnerable. The cops might be able to tail the pickup man to the hiding place. That’s important, because if the kidnappers are going to... silence Mrs. Tillman, they won’t do it until they’ve got the money.”
“Why not?”
“Until they have the cash, they need her for insurance. They can’t put her on the phone, otherwise, to break you down.”
Pursing his lips, Tillman considered. “I see your point. The police could give us an advantage.”
“Sure. They might even take the contact man into custody and make him talk.”
“Yes, they might. But this has been well-planned and I have a hunch we’re not dealing with amateurs. They’ll be watching for a trap and if the cops tip their hand, the kidnappers will run scared. If they see the net closing in, their first thought might be to get rid of Andrea, then scatter in all directions. No, I can’t afford to risk it, Fred. And I want your solemn pledge to keep this from the police. Not a word. Just don’t interfere.”
“I wouldn’t think of it,” he answered. “I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize Mrs. Tillman’s safety. She’s a fine person and I’m very fond of her.”
“Thank you, Fred,” Tillman said quietly, and seemed on the verge of tears. “But I’m not just fond of her, I love her beyond words. I own a good slice of this world but I’d give it all up, and my life in the bargain, if I could save her. That’s how fond of her I am, Fred.” Tillman sealed his eyes as if in prayer.