The Devil To Pay (Hennessey.) (118 page)

Her shock vanished to be replaced with chagrin, ‘yes I said that, and I apologised for it, an apology which you accepted.’

‘Yeah I did, because I don’t give a fuck what you or anyone else thinks of me, lady. But don’t give me bullshit about not believing rumours or listening to gossip, everyone does, they take great delight in it. For some it’s away of life, even a profession, like that old bitch Rose Hosewater. So don’t pretend to be any different than they are, you’re no saint, or you wouldn’t be here now would you.’

Looking at her hurt and mortified expression, once again he regretted his words and wished he could take them back. But the thought of her listening to and believing the gossipmongers angered him and caused him to say things he knew he shouldn’t and that she didn’t deserve. But as he watched the hurt look dissipated and her face hardened bu
t her voice was calm as she said, ‘you’re right, Mr. Lando, it’s hard not to listen to gossip, but listening to it and believing it are two different things. Yet you’re obviously guilty of that which you accuse others.’ He arched his brows perplexed, ‘yes, you must listen to and believe gossip too or
you
wouldn’t have said what you did to
me
, otherwise why would you think that I was cosseted and pampered.’

He was astonished by the accusation and he shot her a venomous look. He fought to keep up his hostility but knew he soun
ded defensive as he said bit out, ‘I don’t need others to tell me that,
lady
, it’s pretty damned obvious from where I’m sitting.’

‘Then maybe you ought to sit here,’ she returned, ‘maybe then you wouldn’t be quite so judgemental, so ready to believe the worst of people. Maybe you should get to know someone before you discriminate. Have you ever heard that old saying, “Practise what you preach?” You might do well to remember it, Mr. Lando.’

Once again he was stunned not so much by her words spoken with a bitterness that matched his own, but that she had put him in the wrong, which he knew he was. He had accused her of doing what he had done, judged her without knowing her or anything about her. But there
was
a difference; whatever she had heard about him was more than likely true. He said, ‘right back at ya.’ The words made him sound petulant, she obviously thought so too because she looked down her nose at him, he had to admit she did disdain and haughty very well indeed.

Before he could speak she said, ‘but just to put the record straight once and for all, I meant you might understand how Hennessey’s mind works because you were a policeman, a detective, unless of course that rumour isn’t true either,’ he glared at her but she ignored him,’ you must have had dealings with all kinds of criminals, including professional killers, I thought you might have some insight into what he might be thinking or what he might do next, that’s all.’

Lando had known in his heart that she had not meant what he had accused her of but he was so used to people assuming things about him, thinking the worst of him, that he had reacted instinctively. But it was hard to back down, hard for him to apologise. As a cop you never apologised because you couldn’t put yourself in the wrong, and as a con you never backed down and never,
ever
apologised, that was a sure sign of weakness. Before he could react to her statement she went on, ‘and since we’re now being honest with each other, and since we’re talking about what we each said to the other earlier, you never did explain how you knew Sterling Hennessey’s name, or that I was in Eden.’

His expression changed from hostility to surprise at her quick change of subject, before it settled on guarded. He thought he had effectively put this question to bed once and for all.

She saw his expression and said, ‘what? You said yourself I should stop trusting people, including you,
especially
you, so here I am
not
trusting you and asking how you knew things you could not possibly have known since you never go into town, and certainly no one ever comes here.’

His jaw clenched as he leaned forward and tried to stare her down by the ferocity of his gaze but she didn’t budge. He had to give her credit, if he had still been a cop and she a suspect he would have had a hard time breaking her.

Adela was glad now she had read so much about interrogation procedures, she knew what he was doing, leaning forward to crowd her space, trying to intimidate her into backing away, holding her eyes with his hard, cold ones, remaining silent trying to get her to speak first, clenching his fists as though ready to hit out. She reacted to none of those things but waited for him to make the next move.

Eventually he leaned back a little and uncurled his fists but his eyes never left hers.

He knew had had fallen into a trap of his own making and he hated being put in this position, but he knew she had a right to know, so trying to keep his tone nonchalant and unconcerned he said, ‘all right, you want to know, I’ll tell you. I knew you were in Eden because I went into town on the pretext of looking for something in the hardware store and Sheriff Lomax told me. And I learned Hennessey’s name through calling Sheriff Taylor in Eden, again on the pretext of looking for someone else.

I used my ex- partners name and my old badge number to get his cooperation. I described the guy calling himself David Somers and asked
Taylor to keep an eye open for him, told him that he was wanted for conning women out of their savings. He told me the only strangers in town were you and a guy called Sterling Hennessey, but apart from the height he didn’t fit the description of David Somers, who had blonde hair and brown eyes, a wig and coloured contact lenses I know now.

I suspected that Hennessey was the man posing as Somers but couldn’t prove it of course without going there and getting a look at him for myself so I told the Sheriff to keep his eye on Hennessey. Having no phone I had to make up some excuse why he couldn’t call me but I called him every day from a borrowed cell or at a diner in the next town.

He informed me that Hennessey seemed on the level, that he seemed to care about you, was very protective of you, even told me about the panther incident. So I thought maybe I was mistaken and that the gut in your cabin calling himself Somers really was who he said he was. Certainly the woman I spoke to at the realtor's office confirmed his description and that checking up on a property on his way to his vacation was something he would do.

Adela was staring at him wide eyed with disbelief but now her jaw dropped almost to her knees. He had checked with Sheriff Taylor, the realtor, even gone into town and spoken to Sheriff Lomax, all on her behalf. Before she could speak and interrupt his flow he hurried on his tone less defensive and more regretful now, ‘the only day I didn’t call was yesterday because of Josie and her foal, and of course we know what happened don’t we? But even if I had known something was wrong I’m not sure what I could have done, except tell
Taylor what I suspected.’

He stopped here and waited for her reaction although she didn’t seem capable of one right now, rendered silent and immobile by his confession as she was. He expected to see suspicion in her eyes but there was none only shock and bewilderment. He said, ‘there that’s it, that’s how I know what I know.’

She was speechless. Then she recalled how Sheriff Taylor had always to be watching when she was with Hennessey, at least in the town, she knew now with suspicion. How he had practically ordered Hennessey to take care of her. He was telling Hennessey that he was watching him. Eventually her voice so low he could barely hear her she said, ‘but…but why? Why would you do that? Why would you go to all that trouble for me?’

He feigned indifference, ‘I was a cop, it’s second nature to be curious.’

‘That doesn’t really answer my question.’

He shrugged, ‘that’s the only answer I have.’

She stared at him completely dumbfounded. He had been worried about her, concerned for her; he had taken so much trouble on her behalf. She whispered, ‘so you met Hennessey and were concerned about my safety, because of Olivia, because of those two men, they aroused your suspicions?’

He nodded. She suddenly leaned forward and put her face in her hands and shook her head saying through her fingers, ‘I can’t believe you did that, I can’t believe you went to all that trouble for
me
.’ She removed her hands and her face once again very troubled said, ‘you said you gave Sheriff Taylor your ex -partner's name and your old badge number?’

Again he nodded knowing where she was going. She said, ‘but if Sullivan or Leyton find out you lied them and to Sheriff Taylor you’ll be in trouble, serious trouble.’

‘I knew that when I made the call.’

She was astounded, he knew he might get into trouble, no, that he
would
get into trouble  and yet he had done it anyway…for her. She felt her throat tighten and her eyes filled with water. Lando looked very uncomfortable and to cover it he said rather harshly, ‘it ain’t no cause for you to fret, you have enough to concern yourself over without worrying about what might or might not happen to me.’

‘But it’s because of me that you’ll be in trouble, of course it’s my problem.’

He stood up quickly, ‘I been in worse trouble as well you know, I don’t need no woman grievin' and frettin' about me, so forget it.’

But…

He turned his glare on her and barked, ‘I said forget it.’

She didn’t want to forget it; she didn’t want to forget what he had done. That all the time she had been in that shack with Hennessey thinking that no one gave a damn about her; he was making calls and lying to a sheriff trying to get information about her, trying to make sure she was safe. But she knew better than to pursue it so said nothing further.

He stood a moment looking down at her then with a sigh sat back down.

He shouldn’t have yelled at her like that, she was just concerned for him and when had someone last been concerned for him? But he couldn’t let her take on the responsibility of his problems too, problems of his own making not hers, she hadn’t asked him to lie.

He knew there were a lot of things he shouldn’t have said and done since she’d arrived here, but he seemed to be fighting a constant war with her, with himself, or more accurately with his libido. He had a woman in his home, a young, attractive, sexy woman. A woman who was soft and feminine yet strong and tough. When she was angry and stood up to him, when she faced him down, he felt an overwhelming urge to throw her to the floor rip off her clothes and have fierce, passionate, hot sweaty sex with her. But when she was insecure and vulnerable, like when she had gripped his shirt and clung to him as she lay helpless in his arms, he had wanted to lay her gently down on the bed, take off her clothes slowly and seductively, run his hands over her soft smooth skin, fondle her lovely, creamy breasts and make long, slow, sweet tender love to her. He was fighting an almost unwinable battle with his lust, and he had no doubt that’s all it was, just lust, pure and simple, although there was nothing pure or simple about the thoughts going through his head. Seven years for fuck’s sake. The sooner he got her out of here the better, for more reasons than one, and for both their sakes.

He said, ‘I’ll see to the animals then when you’re ready I’ll take you into town and to the sheriff’s office, I’ll explain how I found you then you can tell him the rest. As you say with any luck Leyton and Sullivan will be there then you won’t have to tell your story twice.’ He paused for a moment as if contemplating the wisdom of what he was about to say next. ‘I’ll go with you wherever they take you, make sure you’re okay and that Sullivan and Leyton treat you right. Anyway, they’ll probably want me to explain why I lied earlier.’

There was both amazement and anxiousness in the look she gave him. He said, ‘you should call a lawyer from the sheriff’s office get him to meet you in Mississippi. But if the feds want to talk to you I’m not sure where you’ll end up, but your lawyer will be there, and me too.’ He smiled wryly, ‘I doubt your lawyer will be within my financial means, but he might know someone willing to take me on.’

He expected her to smile at his little joke at least out of politeness, she didn’t, just stared at him with that mixture of doubt and concern so he cleared his throat and said, ‘you’ll be all right, I know the routine I won’t let them railroad you.’

To his utter amazement she said, ‘no.’

He frowned, ‘no?’

‘No, Mr. Lando. If you would walk me into town that will be enough. I don’t want you to come into the sheriff’s office with me’

He scowled and opened his mouth to reply but she held up her hand and said softly but firmly, ‘no, you had your say, you informed me of your feelings in no uncertain terms please allow me to do the same.’

He said nothing but waved his hand impatiently indicating she could continue. ‘Thank you. You told me not to worry about you, not to go “frettin'” myself over your problems so I’m saying the same to you. If you come with me and tell them that you lied to the police, that while you were telling them you had not seen me I was hiding in your barn, you’ll be in real trouble, they’ll find out about Sheriff Taylor too. I heard what Sullivan said to you.’

He arched his brows and she knew what he was thinking, that if she had heard Sullivan threaten him she also heard what he had said about his wife. She said, ‘I can’t let you go back to prison because of me, Mr. Lando, and my reasons aren’t purely altruistic either, I  don’t want that on my conscience for the rest of my life. So I’ll tell the detectives and the FBI, if they’re involved, that I was kept longer by Hennessey than I really was then escaped. That I wandered around the woods for ages then hid out somewhere. There’s an old deserted hut about three miles from here I’ll say I hid there. Your name will never have to come into it.’