The Devil To Pay (Hennessey.)

by Marnie Perry

  He looked at them meaningfully so that there was no doubt he thought them incapable of being smart.

  He said, ‘I have someone else in mind for this particular job, and this person will also deal with her after he has the required information.’ He almost smiled, ‘find out where she will be staying in Mississippi and call me. Meantime I have a phone call to make so you can go now.’

  They both turned with immense relief but Glissando said, ‘oh, and Rosencrantz?’

  Rosencrantz did not want to turn and meet those cold callous eyes but was compelled too. ‘Yes sir?’

  ‘I’m overlooking the mistakes you have made this time, but this is your last chance I will not tolerate stupidity, it is an unforgivable sin. Do not let me regret giving you another chance.’

  ‘No, Mr. Glissando, you won’t, regret it I mean, and thank you.’

  Glissando turned his attention to Guildenstern, ‘and you, you have hardly equated yourself with distinction either. I expect you both to redeem yourselves, is that clear?’

  ‘Yes, Mr. Glissando, thank you, Mr. Glissando,’ they said in unison.

  He waved them away and they both left feeling very fortunate.

  When they had gone Glissando picked up the phone and dialled a number he knew off by heart, it was after all a number he had called at least a dozen times. As usual he had to wait for it to be answered which angered him because he knew that the man was perfectly aware who was calling. Eventually it was picked up and the voice said, ‘yes?’

  ‘Mr. Hennessey, good of you to answer.’ Glissando felt braver when he was not face to face with Hennessey so could afford to be sarcastic.

  Hennessey said, ‘you’re welcome.’

  Glissando bit back a nasty retort, ‘I have a job for you, it’s a little…different than the usual jobs, so I’ll like to speak to you in person about it.’

  ‘I’m a little busy. Planning my vacation actually.’

  ‘I’ll make it worth your while, more than worth your while, you’ll be able to afford a trip to the moon with what I have in mind as payment for this particular task.’

  Hennessey’s interest was peeked although he would never let on to Glissando, besides he liked winding the bastard up. ‘I’ve been working non stop for months, I really need this vacation.’

  Glissando bit his lip till it bled, ‘well, if you accept the job you can always take your vacation later and with more money to spend. If you don’t want the job you can turn it down, what would it hurt to hear me out?’ Glissando hated the imploring note in his tone and promised himself that when this was over he would deal with Hennessey once and for all. When Hennessey said nothing he forced himself to say, ‘at least come to the house and hear my proposal.’

  Hennessey sighed dramatically, ‘I suppose I could put off my vacation for another day, when do you want me to come?’

  ‘As soon as possible, today preferably.’

  Another pause whilst Hennessey was tempted to say tomorrow, but he wanted to get this over so said, ‘okay, I’ll be there this evening.’

  ‘I appreciate it. And I’m sure that when you hear what I have to say you’ll be more than interested.’

  ‘I’m intrigued,’ said Hennessey sounding anything but.

  Glissando’s phone almost broke in two so hard did he grip it but he said amicably, ‘thank you, Mr. Hennessey.’

  Hennessey did not reply but hung up. He stood looking at his phone for a moment. The fact was he was intrigued. He wondered if Glissando’s “proposal” had anything to do with the girl's disappearance. But why would that involve him, Hennessey, what did he expect him to do to her? Kill her for him? No, if Glissando wanted her dead he would do that himself and take great delight in it too. He looked longingly at the holiday brochures. Well, he would hear Glissando out and if he didn’t like what he had to say he would book that vacation to Poland, taking in Hungary and Czechoslovakia too. After he had done what he had to do, what he had sworn to do.

  He made himself something to eat and then sat back and listened to The Carpenters album whilst sipping a very expensive red wine and thinking about Glissando and the girl. Desi. His instinct’s told him that whatever Glissando wanted was something to do with her but he was at a loss as to what. But it might just be to his advantage, in a way Glissando had not envisaged.

  Finally he finished his wine, showered and changed and left the house. He walked to where he left his car, he never left it in the garage or outside of any place he was staying in case anyone got a make on the vehicle and traced it to him, it was unlikely, but he was a very cautious man. He arrived at Glissando’s house at 9.45, hardly evening but what the hell, he was doing Glissando the favour after all, he may as well let him know that.

  The door was opened as usual by the straight faced butler with the contrived English accent about as authentic as his name…Balthazar.

  Balthazar said, ‘this way if you please.’

  Hennessey almost laughed out loud but managed to control it. He was shown, not into Glissando’s office as was usual, but into his study, that was significant in itself. Balthazar opened the door and announced imperiously, ‘Mr. Hennessey to see you, Mr. Glissando.’ He pronounced the last syllable as “Arndo.”

  Glissando was sitting in a wing backed leather chair and did not rise as Hennessey entered but said, ‘Mr. Hennessey, thank you for coming,’ he looked at his watch, ‘so promptly.

  Hennessey gave a small smile, ‘well, your request sounded rather urgent, I thought it best not to delay.’ Hennessey could do sarcasm too.

  Glissando’s eyes narrowed but he said nothing to that but asked, ‘would you care for a drink? It’s an excellent brandy.’ He held up his own glass as if that proved his words.

  Hennessey walked over to the drinks cabinet and picked up the brandy bottle then turned to Balthazar who stood waiting to either pour him a drink or to be dismissed. Hennessey said, ‘I’ll have a scotch…neat.’

  Glissando knew that his refusal of the brandy was a deliberate insult and his hatred of Hennessey reached boiling point. He took a sip from his glass as thought swallowing his rage with the excellent brandy. He nodded to Balthazar who looked daggers at Hennessey before pouring the scotch. As he handed it to him Hennessey half expected to get the contents thrown in his face, but just like his master Balthazar controlled himself. Hennessey looked around the room; it was certainly impressive with a vaulted ceiling, herringbone walnut floor and limestone fireplace.

  Bookshelves filled with leather bound books lined the walls from one end of the room to the other. Hennessey was not at all surprised to see one wall totally dedicated to Shakespeare. Glissando watched him his lips turned up slightly at the corners. ‘Are you fond of reading, Mr. Hennessey?’ He asked.

  ‘I read from time to time, when the mood takes me.’ He was in fact very fond of reading, Shakespeare included. In fact he had a degree in English literature but Glissando did not need to know that, or anything else about him.

  Glissando waved a hand towards a chair, ‘please, sit down, Mr. Hennessey.’

  Hennessey sat facing him in a chair which was a twin of the one Glissando sat in; he had to admit that it was very comfortable indeed. Glissando said, ‘you’ve never been in here before have you?’ Hennessey shook his head and Glissando smiled, ‘this is my own private sanctuary, this is where I do my thinking and…dreaming. It’s been designed especially for maximum comfort and tranquillity.’

  Hennessey nodded but said nothing, he was not in the least interested in where Glissando did his dreaming or even if he dreamed at all. But this was not the usual way Glissando did business with him, first the meeting in his own private sanctuary as he had put it, then the drink, something which had never happened before, and now this sharing business. He wanted to get on with it and get out of there as quickly as possible so said, ‘you have a special job for me you said.’

  Glissando stared at him for a moment, ‘yes, a very special job.’ He leaned forward slightly and looked down at
his glass which he rolled round and round as Hennessey has seen people do with Brandy glasses on the T.V, although until now never in real life. Glissando said, ‘you mentioned my problem earlier, I don’t know how you knew I had a problem but it’s true, I do.’

  Hennessey said, ‘the girl?’

  Glissando’s looked up his eyes wide, ‘how did you…

  Hennessey interrupted, ‘oh don’t worry I’m not psychic. Neither have I heard anything,’ he knew this would concern Glissando more than anything else and couldn’t help but add, ‘it’s just that I didn’t see her when I was here last. And she has run away before, it wouldn’t take Sherlock Holmes to work out what your problem was.’

  Glissando continued to stare, with anyone else he would have had them punished for even interrupting him let alone bringing his problems out into the open. He swallowed his annoyance, ‘yes, you’re right, she’s gone…again, and I need her brought back.’

  ‘Why don’t you just let her go,’ Hennessey asked, ‘seems to me she’s more trouble than she’s worth. You can easily get another girl, man like you.’

  Glissando knew that Hennessey was not complimenting him but said, ‘that’s not the point, Mr. Hennessey, there’s a principle at stake here. I’ve been good to her and she’s thrown it back in my face time and time again. I will not tolerate disrespect; you can understand that can’t you.’

  It was not a question but Hennessey answered anyway. ‘Yes I can. But if she’s disrespecting you so much surely you’d be glad to be rid of her and not keep her as a constant reminder of her…disrespect.’

  ‘You don’t understand then.’

  ‘I do. It’s not really about her, it’s about other people, other people seeing her make a fool of you, one young kid constantly giving you grief.’

  Glissando stood up abruptly and stood over Hennessey, his face red and furious. Hennessey sat looking back at him. They stayed like this for a full minute, the only sound the ticking of the gold carriage clock on the marble mantle piece. Hennessey could see the effort it took Glissando to calm himself. Eventually he did and sat down abruptly embarrassed by and regretting his show of emotion. Something else he would punish Desi for. He smiled a smile that must have scared his staff and associates half to death, it did nothing for Hennessey.

  Glissando said calmly, ‘yes, you’re right. A man in my position can’t afford to be seen as not being able to control his…employees, it gives others the wrong idea, makes them think that if one gets away with disrespecting me then they can too. And no one, but no one, betrays Dashiel Glissando.’

  Hennessey understood that completely but he could also tell Glissando that very few people had any respect for him anyway, and his employees feared rather than respected him. He said, ‘so how does this concern me? Because if you want me to kill her the answer is no. I don’t do females or kids, and that girl is both.’

  Glissando smiled with real amusement now, ‘no, I don’t want you to kill her, Mr. Hennessey. I want her back yes, and she will be punished, but by me, not you.’

  ‘Then what do you need me for?’

  ‘There’s a woman, an English woman, she…rescued Desdemona from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern the other night, they nearly had her and this woman comes along and interferes. My two guys traced Desdemona to her cabin in a place called Alban, ever heard of it?’ Hennessey shook his head and Glissando went on, ‘its’ about five miles outside Montgomery and about ten from Tallahassee a small town not much bigger than a village. This English woman is staying there as part of a tour of the southern states.’

  ‘Alone?’ Hennessey was surprised.

  ‘Yes, alone.’

  ‘Why do you think she’s still helping Desi?’

  ‘Let’s just say we’ve made inquiries. We think they have already left Alban but where they’re going we don’t know…yet. But we do know that this woman is going to Mississippi on the next leg of her tour.’ He did not want to tell Hennessey that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern had screwed up; he knew it would amuse him that he had two such bozos in his employee. He would give him the information he required when he took the job and if he didn’t, well there was no need for him to know how badly they had messed up.

  Hennessey was thinking, Mississippi, his home state. He asked, ‘where in Mississippi?’

  ‘A place called Eden, not far from Gulfport.’

  Gulfport, not his home town but close enough. He said, ‘I still don’t see what this has to do with me.’

  Glissando leaned forward, ‘I can’t send Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to find her; she’s seen them…twice, and they have already asked questions about her in Alban. If she hasn't left and they bring her here the police will start asking questions, maybe even the FBI and I don’t want my two guys traced to me. Besides, I don’t want the woman hurt until she gives up Desdemona’s whereabouts.

  If she has already left for Mississippi I want you to track her there. I have this idea that someone could, let’s say, befriend, the woman, get her to trust them and to maybe talk about her adventures. She might want to unload some of it onto someone else, maybe boast about how smart and benevolent she’s been.’

  ‘So, where do I come in?’

  Glissando gave a "huh" of a laugh, ‘oh come now, Mr. Hennessey, don’t be modest. You’re a very handsome man, tall, sophisticated, charming…when you want to be, well educated and very bright. Not to mention a big hit with the ladies. No pun intended.’

  Hennessey’s face was just as impassive throughout these compliments as it was when Glissando was giving him the name of his next target. Glissando went on, ‘this woman is in her late twenties and unmarried, a spinster, and not much to look at according to my guys. She’s alone on vacation and probably desperate for company, male company.’

  It was a good thing Hennessey was so good at hiding his feelings because not by a sign did he give away his amazement. Who’d a thought it? He said, ‘you want me to woo this woman, find out where Desi is then, then what exactly.’

  Glissando leaned back in his chair, ‘then what exactly? Then I want you to kill her, Mr Hennessey.’

  Hennessey shook his head and put his glass down on the little table next to his chair.

  ‘I’ve told you, I don’t kill women.’ He made to rise but stopped dead when Glissando said, ‘I’ll pay you five million dollars.’

  Hennessey stared at Glissando in astonishment. He stayed motionless half in and half out of his chair then abruptly sat back down. Glissando controlled his mirth with difficulty. Never had he seen Hennessey taken aback and it was almost worth the five million dollars just to see his incredulous expression.

  Hennessey eventually said, ‘you’d pay me five million dollars to kill one woman? 'And bring Desdemona back to me. Find Desdemona, kill the woman and you get the five million.’

  ‘Why, why kill her, why not just get the information and let her go home. Why is it so important that she die?’

  All amusement gone now Glissando answered, ‘because she insulted me, Mr. Hennessey and that cannot go unpunished nor should it. Desi obviously told her some sob story, told her I treated her badly. She lied to her and convinced her to help her escape me and this woman chose to help Desdemona knowing she belonged to me. She interfered and deserves to be punished for it.’ Hennessey sat and listened to Glissando’s ramblings and saw real madness in the man’s eyes. He could see the sadistic pleasure he derived at the thought of that woman dying.

  Glissando went on, ‘I can forgive most anything, Mr. Hennessey,’ Hennessey did not for one moment believe that this was true but did not contradict him, ‘anything but betrayal. And “For this revolt of thine, me thinks, is like another fall of man.”

  Hennessey frowned and Glissando said, ‘Henry V, act 11, scene 11.’ Mad indeed thought Hennessey. ‘Besides, she knows things now that she shouldn’t know. She might even go to the police, she probably would, she seems to be the kind of woman who would not let it go, and that would bring attention I do not want.’

>   Hennessey thought, no, I bet you don’t. He said, ‘so you want me to go to Mississippi, woo this woman, get her to divulge Desi’s hiding place then kill her, is that what you’re asking?’

  ‘Yes, Mr. Hennessey, for five million dollars, that’s what I’m asking. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern also mentioned that she called out to someone in the alley; I want you to find out who this person was. See if they are involved too.’

  Hennessey continued to stare at Glissando as though he was seeing him for the first time. Five million dollars, my God he could retire on that, he would never have to work again, never have to put himself in danger, never have to take another human life. He could take as many vacations as he liked, he could even live in Europe or Scandinavia, a wealthy man. But then the money had never really been his first interest, he did what he did and got paid for it, got paid a lot for it, it was just work, just a job like any other, although not many would see it that way of course.

  He’d never really thought about retiring, retirement meant boredom and lethargy. He had no illusions that one day he would meet someone and settle down. And buying that ranch like his grandparents had before they had to sell up was just a pipe dream. And he knew he was fooling himself that maybe he would have a kid or two to carry on his name. And his profession? Yeah, he could see himself telling a prospective wife what he did for a living and regaling his adventures to his offspring as bedtime stories.

  He almost laughed. But to kill a woman and a tourist at that, that was serious, outsiders might become involved, Scotland Yard, maybe even Interpol. Still, with five million dollars he could hide anywhere in the world. But kill a woman that was anathema to him. He even baulked at hitting a woman. If there was a woman with the target he had forced her into another room, the roughest he ever got was to tie them up and gag and blindfold them. On only two occasions had he had to hit a woman. The first time the woman had had a gun under her pillow and had turned it on him as he moved her to the bathroom, he had knocked her out with a trick he had learned in the marines which would have left her with a bad headache but otherwise unscathed.