The Devil To Pay (Hennessey.)

by Marnie Perry

  Lando hesitated then took the card and Leyton said, ‘well, we’ll let you get back to your mare and foal, Mr. Lando.’ He put out his hand. Lando hesitated then thrust his hand into Leyton’s for a split second only then retracted it. He turned to go back into the barn but turned back as Sullivan said, ‘if I find out you’ve seen her or spoken to her or even smelled her I’ll arrest your ass for harbouring a fugitive.’

  Pat!’ Leyton snapped again this time even more forcefully.

  Lando said, ‘I thought you said she was a kidnap victim.’

  Leyton looked at his partner infuriated. Sullivan said, ‘she’s a kidnap victim until we find out otherwise.’ He tried to sound oblique but it came out merely defensive.

  Lando said, ‘well when you make up your mind, don’t let me know.’ Then he walked into the barn and closed the door on the two men.

  *********

  As they walked through the woods to their cars Sullivan was the first to break the silence. ‘All right, Ellis, get it over with.’

  Leyton didn’t look at his partner ‘get what over with?’

  ‘Tell me I shouldn’t have done that.’

  ‘Done what exactly, made a really crass and offensive remark about his wife? Threatened to get a warrant? Acted like a spoilt kid who can’t get his own way and not like a cop, or even a grown man? Or told him we suspect Adela Faraday of being on the run from the law?’ Which of those should you not have done, Pat?’

  Sullivan sounded petulant, ‘well, he got to me, murdering sonofabitch. Pulling that rifle on us. Telling us that his damn horse is more important than a woman’s life. Wonder they didn’t send him down for twenty five plus if that was his attitude in court. Anyway you no need to talk about being indiscreet, and Lando isn’t even a suspect in a crime, not like your lady friend.’

  Leyton was silent and Sullivan said more mildly, ‘look, Ellis, I know I acted like an asshole, but I heard about that guy, about how he showed no emotion when he was a charged with his wife’s murder, not then and not at the trial, and apparently not now either.’

  ‘All the more reason to believe he had nothing to do with Miss. Faraday. He didn’t strike me as the kind to take care of a woman, whether kidnapped or on the run. And anyway, what you said about her being a fugitive might turn out to be a good thing. No matter what you or anyone else might think, he was a cop, he would do the right thing I think, and turn her in.’

  ‘Maybe.’

  ‘But you still shouldn’t have said that about his wife.’

  Sullivan looked at his partner, ‘sometimes, Ellis, I think you’re too damn soft for this job.’

  ‘Why, 'cos I don’t think insulting and threatening people is the way to get them to cooperate with us?’

  Sullivan’s tone was serious now, ‘no, ‘cos your soft heart will get you killed one day, buddy.’

  Leyton looked askance at his partner then smiled, ‘you worried about me, partner.’

  Sullivan gave him a derisive smirk. Leyton laughed, ‘when this is over, Pat, you should get together with Lando, you can sit and whine and moan over the trials and tribulations of living with disloyal and adulterous women.’

  Sullivan gave him an exasperated look, ‘you want another partner, partner?’

  Leyton laughed then was suddenly serious; ‘even after finding that comb next to Jones, or even the ticket to Brazil on her credit card I still can’t see her being in cahoots with Hennessey. She just doesn’t fit the type.’

  ‘Only because you don’t want her to.’

  Leyton cast his partner an infuriated glance, ‘and why come back here?’

  Sullivan shrugged, ‘why do women ever do what they do? But the tip we had said she had been seen near here. Maybe she left something she needed, another passport perhaps, money, who knows.’

  Leyton was frowning, ‘I never trust anonymous tips, they always smack of deceit, troublemaking, revenge.’

  ‘Don't forget about those calls to Taylor asking about a conman. Who was that? 'Cos I don't believe for one moment that it was Rivers. There's something funny going on there and Lando is involved you mark my words.'

  Leyton sighed and shook his head, 'I don't get it, why would he do that and use his ex- partner’s name? Besides the fact that he's been in a shitload of trouble, why would he do it? It makes no sense. None of this makes sense, Pat?'

  'Well, the woman stayed here close to Lando's cabin, that's the connection. That combined with the comb and the ticket means we have to follow it through, Ellis.’

  Leyton nodded and said, ‘let’s go talk to sheriff Lomax again, see if he can tell us more about what she did here, who she met, that kind of thing.’

  Sullivan nodded, ‘he was certainly right on the nose about Lando, unsociable, surly, curt, obnoxious.’

  ‘I’ll give you the first three but Lomax never said he was obnoxious, and he only seemed so to you because he called your bluff, serves you right. Anyway I liked him.’

  Sullivan looked incredulous then annoyed then smirked, ‘we’ll go see Taylor but let’s get some dinner first.’

  ‘The bar?’

  ‘I thought the café.’

  ‘She may not be on duty this late.’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘The sassy waitress, what’s her name? Lil?’

  ‘Jill.’

  Leyton grinned, ‘Mrs. Sullivan number four coming up.’

  Sullivan looked fit to hit his partner but Leyton laughed and after a few moments Sullivan joined in. They walked down the street towards the diner and the sassy waitress.

  *********

  In the barn Lando thought about what had just happened. He had expected any moment for one of then to ask him why he had called his old partner Dan Rivers, and why he had told Lester about a man sneaking around the woman’s cabin. He thanked God he had been cut off before he could say her name.

  But anyway, he wasn’t too worried about Lester, if they questioned him he was hardly likely to tell them that Lando had called worried about the woman and he had hung up on him was he?

  The only real worry was his calls to Sheriff Taylor. Although there was no real proof he had made those calls they would put and two together and come up with Jonas Lando. He had expected any moment for them to mention the fact he had given his badge number to Taylor. But Taylor may have forgotten it, or maybe he thought that giving Rivers name was enough. Still, it was enough that they had that much information. Sullivan would just love to nail him, he would as he had said, “Arrest his ass,” and he would be in real trouble then. The thought of going back to prison sent a shudder through his body. Dante who had moved to stand beside him whined seeming to know that his master was troubled.

  Lando bent down and patted his head reassuringly saying, ‘I been in worse trouble, Dante old pal, I’ll get us through this.’

  Dante put his head on one side as though to say he didn’t believe it for a moment. Lando didn’t blame him.

  He walked down the barn towards the communicating door and pushed it open. Adela was still where he had put her. He moved some boxes and saw her standing there straight and tense her eyes wide and he could see suspicion and fear in them, she looked as she had when she had woken up and seen him standing by the bedroom door. He said, ‘they’re gone…for now.’ She didn’t reply just looked at him with that same expression. ‘You heard what was said?’ Still she said nothing, ‘they think you’re somehow involved with Hennessey’s escape.’

  At the mention of his name she narrowed her eyes. He said abruptly, ‘what’s wrong with you? Why are you looking at me like that, like I’m the criminal here.’

  Her expression surprised him; it was calm and controlled no trace of nerves or hysteria. But if he was surprised by that he was amazed by her words. ‘Are you?’

  ‘What the hell does that mean?’

  How did you know it was Eden I had been staying in?’

  The question flummoxed him for a moment; he had been dreading this question and wondered why she had not a
sked it before.

  He said, ‘does it matter?’

  ‘Yes.’ The reply was abrupt.

  He took a step closer to her, ‘what difference does it make?’

  ‘Maybe none, maybe a lot.'

  He stared into her eyes which were hard and challenging. She watched his face closely looking for telltale signs of guilt or worry but as usual it was a closed book. She said, ‘all right, maybe you can answer this question. How did you know the man you met in my cabin was Sterling Hennessey?’

  He frowned but before he could answer she went on, ‘because if he was looking for me, he would hardly tell you his name would he? At least not the name he was going to give me. He’s too smart for that.’ She could not understand why she had not thought of this before, but maybe she had been too confused, to intent on telling her story to Lando, too scared that he might not believe her to think rationally.

  As for Lando he was getting concerned now; he did not want to tell her that he had been calling Sheriff Taylor it might give her the wrong idea, in more ways than one. Nor would he tell her that he had watched her cabin until she and the girl had left. He had seen the two bogus P. I’s call there and their departure, he had kept his eyes on them until they had left town. He had stayed in the woods all night and into the next day until he saw them get into a taxi and leave Alban when he had breathed a sigh of relief which had been tempered with concern. No, best not tell her any of that, she would think he was a stalker or something and be even more suspicious. He waited for her to mention Dan Rivers being his ex partner.

  He glared at her, ‘I’m not going to stand here and be interrogated by you, lady, I’ve had my quota for the day thanks, and I have work to do. And in case you’ve forgotten you came to me, I never asked to be involved in this; I never asked to have to lie to the police.’

  ‘Why did you?’

  He looked fit to do her a serious harm as he stepped even closer to her, ‘you’d rather I’d said, oh, Adela Faraday, yeah sure, she’s here, right through there hiding behind some crates, go do your stuff, detectives. Oh, and maybe she can tell you where her lover is.’

  Her face blanched and her fist clenched, he looked down at it and smirked and this caused a great anger to grow in her, a fury against him and against Hennessey. Against Sullivan, against everyone would had been responsible for her dilemma, against everyone who had insulted her and mistreated her and hurt her.

  After looking her up and down insolently then turned and left the animal hospital and walked into the part of the barn where Josie and her foal were. She followed and he was brought up sharply as she said, ‘you know what I think, Mr. Lando, I think you’re involved in this,’ he turned slowly to face her, ‘I think you’re in league with Sterling Hennessey. I think you’re his partner in crime.’

  He was dumbfounded but before he could reply, if indeed he had been able to she added, ‘why else would he bring me back to Alabama and so close to your cabin,’ it seemed she was asking the question of herself as much as him, ‘he probably called you and told you to lie to the police if they called, to keep me here while he went to fetch Glissando.’

  She walked towards him her face flushed her fists clenched at her sides and her breathing coming in shallow gasps as though she found it hard to breathe. Her body trembled as she approached him, ‘but maybe not, maybe you’re not in league with him but you think that now you can do his job for him. I saw your face when I mentioned Glissando’s name, the speculation there, at first I thought it was because you didn’t believe me, but now I know it was because you know what kind of man Glissando is. You know he would reward someone who did him a favour, like handing over someone he desperately wants,’ she stabbed her chest with her finger, ‘me.’

  He knew she was hysterical and wondered whether he should reason with her, ignore her, or slap her. The latter he baulked at doing, hitting a woman was anathema to him, which was strange considering he had killed one. He decided on ignoring her.

  Then suddenly she turned and wrapping her arms around herself she began pacing. Dante who had been standing close by moved out of her way as she paced quickly up and down the words tumbling out of her, ‘yes, that’s it, you lied to the police because Glissando is on his way to get me and to pay you for services rendered.’ She swept her gaze around the barn, ‘and you could certainly use the money he’s offering, everyone know you have nothing and five million dollars could go a long way to improving this place, maybe get you out of Alban, away from your memories and your guilt.’

  Lando’s face stretched in amazement, not at what she’d said about his needing money or about his guilt, but at the amount Glissando was willing to pay to get hold of her. She turned back to him her face no longer red but white now, ‘well I didn’t escape Hennessey just to be caught and handed over to a sadist by an uncivil, miserable, bitter, twisted...ex- con.’

  It was Lando’s turn to clench his fist but like her he kept it by his side and his expression gave nothing away of his feelings.

  Somewhere in Adela’s tortured mind was the knowledge that everything she was saying was preposterous and so far fetched it was up their with people saying they’d been abducted by aliens. But at this moment she was too confused, too consumed with dread and fear to rationalise what she was saying. She wasn’t aware that everything she had experienced and endured, the rescue of Olivia, the hiding from Glissando’s men, her relationship with Hennessey, Dean’s beating, the interrogation by the police, her abduction and subsequent escape had all come together to send her over the edge. The arrival of Sullivan and Leyton and the latter's statement to Lando that she was a fugitive, had all been too much for her already traumatised mind to cope with. She was only vaguely aware that a voice which seemed to come from a long way off and that sounded like hers yet couldn’t be was saying things she did not want to say, things she did not believe.

  But Lando saw what was happening, the only surprise was that it had taken so long. He took a step towards her but she turned swiftly and grabbed up the shovel that was leaning against the wall. He hesitated as she swung it over her shoulder with both hands.

  He stared at her for a long time his face giving nothing away of his feelings then relaxed his shoulders before shrugging them, ‘okay, go.’ He tipped his head towards the barn door, ‘go, and good riddance.’ He picked up his rifle from where he had put it on a box. She swung the shovel higher when he moved obviously not trusting him.

  He smirked and calling to Dante walked towards the communicating door to go back into the hospital.

  She stood watching him, breathing very hard feeling bewildered and sick. She lowered the shovel but still holding onto it walked to the door that led outside. She was four feet from it when she was grabbed from behind, in the ensuing struggle they both fell to the ground the shovel sliding out of her hand and across the floor as he sat on her legs. She had never even seen or heard him approach.

  All her fears and suspicions, suspicions that she had not wanted to be true or even really believed suddenly seemed to make sense and with her fear grew her anger and she fought him much as she had done Hennessey not two days earlier. She lifted her body from the floor only to be pushed back down again the force knocking the wind out of her but still she struggled and writhed and jerked her body backwards and forwards and from side to side. His voice in her ear said, ‘quit that will you, you don’t know what you’re doing. I don’t want to hurt you.’

  She did not hear Lando’s voice but Hennessey’s so instead of being pacified it galvanised her into further action. She reached behind her and grabbed his hair and pulled then dragged her nails down his face. He let out a hiss of pain, ‘for fuck’s sake, lady stop will you, I’m not going to hurt you but I can’t let you leave, you’re sick, you need help.’

  Once again she tried to reach around and scratch him but he held her hand firmly behind her back, she tried with the other but he only did the same to that one too so that her arms were pinned behind her. He was acutely aware of her
injured shoulder but he had no choice, he had to subdue her before she did something really stupid.

  Adela thought, this is it, he’s going to tie me up then I’ll be helpless again and then he’ll hand me over to Glissando. And suddenly, just like that, all the fight went out of her and she let her upper body drop to the floor. He hesitated a moment wondering whether this was some kind of trick and when he relaxed his grip she would fly at him again.

  But then he felt her body shaking beneath him, he released her hands and very slowly and warily turned her over, and realised that she was not shaking with fear or anger but with dry, racking sobs that threatened to rob her of breath. He drew back mortified.

  There were no tears in her eyes and although her mouth was open no sound came from it. He had seen babies of his friends like this, when they were so upset that they couldn’t breathe and the parent had blown on their faces causing them to catch their breath and begin crying properly. He didn’t know if this worked with adults but he had to do something.

  Just as he bent down to try it she let out a sudden sharp explosive breath and the sound that emanated from her was like the cry of a wild animal in pain, he should know, he had heard that sound countless times. The tears gushed from her eyes like waterfalls. He had seen women cry before, both in his home life and in his work as a cop but never had he witnessed anything like this and never had a woman’s tears affected him this way. He sat rigid and uncertain for a moment then raised her upper body and held her head against his chest as she wailed and sobbed as though her heart would break.

  He held her close to him one hand across her back the other stroking her hair and all the time he spoke gently and soothingly to her, ‘that’s it, it’s all right, just cry it out, it’s okay, it’s all alright now.’

  Her shuddered sobs of anguish racked her thin frame as though she was convulsing. He said, ‘that’s it, let it all out, everything is okay now. I’ll help you, I’ll keep you safe. I won’t let anyone hurt you, I promise.’ Even as he said this he asked himself how he alone could protect her, from Hennessey, from Glissando, from the law, but he knew he would try with his last breath to keep his promise.