The Devil To Pay (Hennessey.)

by Marnie Perry

  ‘You can say that again.’

  Hennessey’s head snapped up, ‘don’t tell me you wouldn’t have done the same thing, Lando, you with your temper. You beat a guy to death for kicking your dog.’ Lando’s eyes flashed but Hennessey added, ‘or did you?’

  Again Lando didn’t answer but his eyes now sent a clear warning which Hennessey chose to ignore. ‘Maybe you did do it for your dog, but if my guess is right, which it usually is, you did it because of “The woman,” because of what they were gonna do to her…or had already done. I saw your face when I mentioned having the stun gun at her breast, you looked fit to kill.’

  Through clenched teeth Lando said, ‘what I did and didn’t do, and why I did it is none of your concern, Hennessey. But never speak to me again about my motives for killing someone; you’re the last person I should be debating ethics with.’

  Hennessey held up his hands in surrender, ‘all right. But you don’t have to answer my question, you would have done the same thing and you know it.'

  When Lando just glowered at him he held up his hands, ‘okay, okay, no need to get all aggressive.’

  Lando remained silent so Hennessey said, ‘anyways, that’s why I did what I did to Maxwell. She didn’t deserve that, she’s no whore, on the contrary, she’s the exact opposite of a whore.’ He gave the other man a meaningful look as Lando looked first confused then as the light began to dawn, incredulous. ‘Yeah, shocked the hell outta me too. Who’d believe it in this day and age.’

  Lando’s expression changed from surprise to accusation but Hennessey said rather mischievously, ‘I admit I showed her the delights that only being a woman can bring. But I assure you, she was as virtuous when I left her as the day she was born.’

  He grinned at Lando’s dumbfounded expression and the latter knew he was telling him that she had not given herself to him; she had not given her most precious gift to a killer.

  Or maybe he was telling him that he had not taken it from her, either by force or by artfulness. He also knew that would be one of the things that would prevent him from being with the woman. In that case he would have been right. But it was not the only thing, not the only thing by a long way.

  He wanted to get off this subject so said, ‘one thing, Hennessey before I leave and never see you again. Why didn’t you just kill Glissando when you first decided not to kill the woman and help the girl? As you’ve said it seems like so much trouble to go to, all that subterfuge and cloak and dagger stuff. Killing Glissando would have solved both their problems.’

  ‘Yeah, wouldn’t it just. But where would the fun have been in that.' Lando pursed his lip and looked exasperated. Hennessey laughed, ‘I keep telling you, I have principles, I had taken his money. And anyway, just think what kind of reputation that would have given me, an assassin who kills not only his target but his client too. I would never be trusted again.’

  At Lando’s severe expression he said, ‘okay, poor joke considering. But seriously, he was my best source of information about others like him, other crime bosses,’ his smile was wry, ‘an information conduit if you like. I was greedy, I wanted everything, Desi freed, Miss. Faraday safe from Glissando and the information Glissando was supplying me with. And of course, the money. But when my plans went wrong I knew Glissando had to go. Now the contract is completed, not the way Glissando would have liked obviously. The method was the same, only the outcome was different.' He grinned, "Hoist by his own petard," shall we say.'

  He gave a deep sigh, ‘I know she’ll never believe me now, not after what I did to her. I just hope this doesn’t undermine what confidence she had or gained while she was here. She’s felt unwanted, unappreciated and unloved all her life. I think I made her see that she was none of those things, but now, well, now she may believe that I lied about that too, that everything single thing I said was a lie. It wasn’t. But it might damage her confidence and belief in herself to the extent that it never recovers and that would be a damn shame.’

  Lando studied his face and thought that he was either the best liar he had ever heard or he was genuinely concerned about her and her state of mind. He said, ‘I’m sure she’ll survive, when she gets home she can put all this behind her.’

  ‘You think it’s that simple?’

  Lando shrugged as if unconcerned although this contradicted his real feelings, he was concerned for her state of mind too; she had seen so much, so much violence and bloodshed. How would she get through this? She was strong minded but was she strong enough? But first of course she had to survive the surgery and then go through weeks of rehabilitation. Hennessey was right; it was her mental state that would require the most work.

  He said, ‘I’m gonna get back, see if there’s any news.’

  He made to rise but Hennessey put a hand on his arm, ‘one more thing before you go, Mr. Lando.’

  Lando looked down at his arm and the hand that gripped it. Hennessey immediately withdrew his hand a rueful smile on his lips. Lando sat back down and Hennessey said, ‘there’s something I want to tell you, it’s apropos to what we talked about back at your cabin. That time you got angry but at risk of being hit again I wouldn’t feel right not saying it again.’ He ignored Lando’s warning look and his tone rather gentle went on ‘Lando, don’t let what happened to your wife prevent you from having what I know you want, what will be good for you, even if you don’t know it right now.’ Anyone else would have backed off at the deadly look in Lando’s eyes but not Hennessey, ‘you killed one woman by mistake but you saved another, one cancels out the other. As Miss. Faraday said, “All debts are paid.”

  Lando rounded on him his expression dangerous and his eyes almost wild, ‘don’t you dare speak to me about debts being paid. Just because you’ve found some kind of redemption for all your crimes by saving Leyton and the woman doesn’t give you the right to hand out absolution to others.’ He almost spat the words in Hennessey’s face, ‘you, you an assassin, a paid killer, preaching to others about guilt and redemption. You make me sick, Hennessey, and I swear to God if I ever see you again I won’t make the same mistake I made last time, I’ll hand you over for the cold blooded murderer you are. If I don’t kill you myself first.’

  There was no amusement on Hennessey’s face; indeed he looked very grave as he absorbed Lando’s words.

  Lando stood up and began to walk back down the aisle. Hennessey caught him up and stood in front of him blocking his way saying, ‘okay, you’ve made your feelings plain, no more talk about you and the woman. But do one last thing for me.’

  ‘What, more favours for my favourite assassin?’

  Hennessey couldn’t help it; he chuckled but was quickly serious again. ‘A favour, yes, but not for me, for her.’

  When Lando didn’t make a move to walk away he went on, ‘she probably won’t believe it, but please tell Miss. Faraday that I still intend to find Desi, that I will find her. But reassure her that she need worry no more about her. I’m going to tell Desi that she will never have to look over her shoulder again, that she’s free now. Tell Miss. Faraday that I intend to give Desi the money that Glissando paid me to bring her back. She’ll never have to worry about money again. She’ll be a millionaire. That’s one of the reasons I wanted Glissando’s money. No one deserves it more than she does.’

  Lando’s eyebrows rose to his hairline before his face took on that now familiar sceptical look, ‘you’re gonna give the kid five million bucks?’

  Hennessey smiled wryly, ‘well, no, two and a half million, that’s what he paid me to bring her back. The other two and a half was for killing Miss. Faraday. But of course she doesn’t need the money. And Desi will be spending the money of the man who put her through hell for twelve years. Miss. Faraday would appreciate the irony of that.’

  Lando’s tone oozed scepticism. ‘You’d give up two and half million bucks?’

  Hennessey grinned a wolfish grin, ‘I’ll make it up again never fear.’

  Lando grimaced and Hennessey said, ‘of cour
se I could give the rest to you, that would put you on an almost even level with “The woman,” but then you’d probably just hit me again.’

  When Lando said nothing he went on, ‘and of course it would remove one of the excuses from your long list of reasons not to be with her. The cash. And we wouldn’t want that would we?’

  Lando clenched his fist and Hennessey waited for the blow, it never came, instead Lando just turned and without another word walked down the aisle to the door.

  Hennessey watched him until he reached the door and opened it then called out, ‘hey, Lando.’

  Lando paused and gave a deep sigh as he turned around and gave him a “what now” look.

  Hennessey all humour gone now said, ‘I never got the chance before to say this, and since you’re going to kill me if you ever see me again I’d better say it now. Thanks.’

  Whatever Lando had expected it had not been that so wasn’t sure how to react.

  The two men looked into each other’s eyes for a long minute until Hennessey said softly, ‘take care of her…and of yourself. Goodbye, Mr. Lando.’

  Before Lando could reply, if indeed he was going to, a female voice behind him said, ‘Mr. Lando?’ He turned quickly and saw a nurse standing there. ‘Sorry to disturb you, but Miss. Faraday is out of surgery and the doctor would like to speak to you.’

  He was unable to speak, he took in the concerned face of the woman in front of him and his heart plummeted. He had to swallow several times before he could ask, ‘how…how is she?’

  She looked uncomfortable, ‘the doctor will tell you what you need to know.’

  He felt the ground shift beneath him, then the room, then the world and his voice seemed to come from a long way off, ‘is…is she…dead?’

  The nurse’s expression was a combination of sympathy and discomfort; she wasn’t supposed to give relatives information about their loved ones. Lando said, ‘please.’

  The nurse sighed, ‘she made it through surgery, but she’s still very sick.’

  The world stopped whirling, then the room, then the floor and he landed back on solid ground with a painful thud.

  The nurse said, ‘the doctor will tell you more.’ He nodded and she turned away. He looked over his shoulder. Hennessey was no longer there but at the other end of the chapel he heard a door close.

  His gaze shifted and he stood there a moment just looking at the figure of Jesus hanging from the cross above the alter and just for a moment the figure seemed to smile. He frowned then shrugged impatiently at his crazy fancies then turned to follow the nurse down the corridor.

  When they reached the main waiting area the first person Lando saw was Sheriff Lomax, he was standing with the deputy Lando recalled was named Mickey. But it was the two men they were with that caused Lando to pause in his stride and his heart to race.

  If he knew anything about feds, and he did, the two guys had FBI written all over them.

  He had no time to turn and run before one of the men saw him and nodded over the other man’s shoulder towards him. And anyway where could he run too? They would track him down eventually, so he stood waiting as the two men followed by Lomax approached him.

  Before any of them could speak Lando said, ‘I know why you’re here and I won’t give you no trouble, I’ll come quietly. But first let me speak to the doctor about the woman.’

  They followed his gaze towards the doctor who was standing impatiently waiting.

  The two men glanced at each other before turning back to Lando. The taller of the agents said, ‘we need a statement from you about what happened at Dashiel Glissando’s residence and at yours too, but,’ he looked over at the doctor again then at Lomax, ‘the sheriff here tell us you’re trustworthy, he’s given us his word that you won’t try to run. So okay, go get the low down on Miss. Faraday’s condition.’

  Lando looked at Lomax with gratitude then the smaller of the two agents said, ‘the sheriff here tells us she’s your fiancée.’

  This time when Lando looked at Lomax his expression was a mix of exasperation and surprise. When he had first gotten here Lando had told them that he was a cop thinking, in for a penny in for a pound. But Lomax had obviously realised the doctor wouldn’t give out information to him, cop or not, before the feds but he would to a family member…or fiancé, so had lied to them and to the doctor.

  The taller agent said, ‘go, go on and talk to the doctor then we’ll have ourselves a little talk of our own, Mr. Lando.’

  Lando nodded and walked over to the doctor. He said, ‘sorry about that,’ he nodded his head over his shoulder at the other men.

  The doctor whose badge showed his name to be Jackson said, ‘oh that’s all right, Mr. Lando. ‘He looked annoyed for a moment as he looked at the men, ‘they tried to threaten me into giving them the information on Miss. Faraday but I told them family came first. You’re her fiancé I take it.’

  Lando nodded not prepared to actually speak the lie. ‘I know she got through the surgery okay, but how sick is she exactly?’

  ‘Well, she's lost a lot of blood and we had to remove her spleen.’ Lando closed his eyes at this news although he had suspected that would happen.

  The doctor continued, ‘she also had miner cuts to most of her body, particularly her neck and left breast. And a dislocated shoulder.’

  This news was a surprise to Lando. He said, ‘a dislocated shoulder? Jackson nodded. How had that happened? When she had pulled herself away from Glissando’s grip and thrown herself to the ground more than likely. That shoulder had been weakened anyway by her earlier fall.

  He asked, ‘so what’s the prognosis?’

  ‘Right now she’s in I.C.U where we’ll monitor her for signs of infection. The next twenty four hours will be crucial, if she can survive that she’ll probably be all right.’

  Twenty four hours Lando thought, twenty four hours that would seem like twenty four years. He said, ‘can I see her?’

  ‘Well…

  ‘Just for a minute. Please.’

  Gilchrist didn’t like it but saw the urgency in the man’s eyes and said, ‘all right, but only for a minute.’ He called over the same nurse who had come to fetch Lando earlier and said, ‘Nurse Pearson will take you to I.C.U.’

  Lando put out his hand saying, ‘thank you, doctor.’

  The doctor took his hand and smiled, ‘try not to worry too much, the spleen is not really needed you know, it’s not a vital organ. She can live a long and healthy life without it. Is she a strong woman?’

  Lando hesitated then with great conviction answered, ‘oh yeah, she’s a strong woman all right.’

  ‘Well then she’s more than half way there.’ Then he turned and left and Lando joined the nurse. He saw the two agents take a step towards him but Lomax blocked their way and holding up his hands said something. The two men looked at Lando for a moment then apparently gave in and stayed put but watched him intently until he was out of sight.

  When they got to I.C.U the staff made him put on gloves and a mask before he went into Adela’s room, then the nurse left him alone with her.

  He stood looking down on her, she looked so pale and still as though she was in fact dead. He reached out to touch her hand but left it hanging in mid air. He looked at the bandage covering her shoulder and frowned. The right shoulder was bandaged not the left, the one she had fallen on. That meant she could not have injured her shoulder when he had thought she had, so when had she?

  Then he recalled her lying on the ground where Hennessey had pushed her out of the way when they had been ambushed in the woods. God, she must have done it then and she hadn’t said a word. She had run with them to the gate and had not complained about being in pain. And he knew why, she hadn’t wanted them to stop and take care of her; she had not wanted to slow them down. Not even when Glissando had held her tightly to him had she shown by a single sign that she was in agony. And he knew she must have been.

  He knew from personal experience how painful a dislocated shou
lder could be. His had been caused when he had leapt onto the hood of a speeding car whilst trying to stop a suspect from fleeing the scene of a robbery. The guy had slammed on his brakes suddenly and Lando had flown off the hood and into a wall dislocating his shoulder, amongst other things. But that was in the days when he had been cocky and arrogant, when he had thought he was tough and indestructible and before he knew better. The shoulder had hurt like hells flames for an age afterwards. How had she born it? He felt his eyes fill again at the thought of her silent suffering.

  He reached out to touch her face but just then the nurse came back in and said, ‘Mr. Lando, I’m sorry, but you have to leave now.’

  He looked at her as though he couldn’t recall who she was or why she was there. ‘Mr Lando,’ she repeated.

  He nodded and taking one last look at Adela followed her out. She took the mask and gloves from him and threw them in the trash then said, ‘Mr. Lando, she’ll be all right you know. She’s very fit and healthy and a fighter, you can see that, so all the signs are good.’

  He swallowed very hard before he could say, ‘thanks.’

  She smiled at him and he walked back down the corridor to the waiting FBI agents.

  CHAPTER 46.

  Sheriff Lomax had stayed at the hospital, he had wanted to go with Lando to the FBI offices in Birmingham, make sure they treated him right he said, but Lando had told him he would be all right.

  Lomax had remained unsure but had told Lando he had called him a good lawyer whom he had known for years and was a good friend. He had arranged for him to meet him there. He was very tough and would take no crap from anyone, including federal agents. As Lomax said this he had looked pointedly at the two agents who scowled.

  Lando smiled then become serious as he said, ‘if you hear anything about the woman, will you let me know?’