The Devil To Pay (Hennessey.) (137 page)

Hennessey said, ‘when I’m through follow me right away, but don’t touch any other part of the fence, okay?’

Lando nodded but looked uncertain which made Hennessey chuckle again. He said, ‘but first.’ He took out a bottle from his pocket and handed it to Lando saying, ‘put some of this on.’

Lando didn’t take the bottle but said suspiciously, ‘what is it?’

‘You’ll see, just put it on, liberally.’

Lando took the bottle and opened it then took a sniff, he recoiled screwing up his face, ‘you gotta be kidding me.’

Hennessey laughed at his expression, ‘no. Look, it’s not poison although it might smell like it, it’s just cologne.’ When Lando hesitated he said, ‘just put it on will ya and be quick.’

Lando said, ‘tell me what for before I douse myself in
au
de
cesspit.’

Hennessey laughed again, ‘good one, Lando. All right, it’s Glissando’s favourite aftershave.’

Lando said, ‘no wonder he has to force women to have sex with him.’

‘Tell me about it, you didn’t have to sit opposite him while he was wearing that.’

‘Neither did you,’ replied Lando wryly.

Hennessey raised an eyebrow at the jibe, ‘Yeah, well.’

Lando cottoned on, ‘the dogs will recognise it.’

Hennessey grinned, ‘at last, you’re thinking like a cop again.’

Lando sniffed the bottle once more and once more recoiled but poured some into his hand and splashed it over his face and neck.

Hennessey said, ‘your clothes too, if we get separated you’ll be safe from the dogs.’

Lando looked at him as though he might throw the bottle at him but complied.

Hennessey took the bottle from him grinning from ear to ear and splashed the remainder of the bottle over himself. He pocketed the bottle and crouching down crawled through the gap he had cut, Lando following close behind.

Hennessey had been right because as soon as they were through the lights came on in that part of the grounds. They stayed low amongst the bushes and Lando whispered, ‘so what now?’

‘Now we wait for the dogs and just hope those guys don’t check the fence.’

‘That don’t seem like a good idea to me, the cologne might not work, why don’t we just run for it?’

‘So impatient. Look, if
we run we wouldn’t make it more than fifty yards. Just trust me, okay.’

This time it wasn’t a question and Lando said nothing because just then he heard the unmistakable sound of dogs barking and growling coming straight for th
em. He tensed and Hennessey commanded, ‘don’t move whatever happens, okay?’

Lando obeyed without question. The dogs came bounding up as a man’s voice yelled, ‘go get 'em boys.’

Hennessey placed a restraining hand on Lando's shoulder as he stood. The dogs came within a few feet of them then suddenly stopped dead no longer barking but panting and sniffing round him. Lando noted that the lead dog was a Doberman; there were also an Alsatian, a pit bull and a bull mastiff, all big and all ferocious looking.  Hennessey reached out and patted the lead dog saying, ‘good boy, that’s a good dog.’

Lando looked at him in astonishment, he didn’t even sound like the Hennessey he knew. He realised what he was doing, impersonating Glissando. He just hoped the dogs were fooled and before they were joined by the man who had yelled. Hennessey said, ‘go on, boys, nothing to concern yourselves with here. Go home.’

To Lando’s relief the lead dog turned and headed back to the house followed by the others.

The
men must have been close behind because Lando heard one of them say, ‘huh, must be squirrels or cats getting in again or maybe that damn fox.’ Despite Lando’s fears they did not check the fence Hennessey had cut but followed the dogs back to the house.

Then there was silence and Lando gave an almighty sigh of relief. He had to admit he was impressed with this guy, if he hadn’t taken up the career he had he would have made a terrific cop.

Hennessey couldn’t resist saying, “oh yea, of little faith.”

Lando said nothing only gave him an exasperated look but Hennessey noticed how pale he was and asked, ‘you all right?’

Lando nodded, ‘you’re something else, Hennessey.’

Hennessey chuckled, ‘I’ll take that as a compliment.’

Lando wasn’t sure himself if it was one or not but said nothing.

Hennessey said, ‘come on, let’s go get Miss. Faraday, sorry I mean “The woman.”

Lando gave him an impatient look but crouching low followed him along the fence to the trees, dodging the moving cameras as they went. 

      ********

Adela had finished telling her story to Leyton leaving nothing out but the fact that she had told Lando everything and that Hennessey had turned up at his cabin. If they survived this she would tell him that part later.

Leyton leaned back against the wall they had been sitting next to while she talked and let out a slow breath, ‘wow, that’s some story, Adela. If it were anyone else telling it I would think it was some story out of a book.’

‘So you believe me?’

He looked at her and frowned, ‘of course I do. It fits in with everything else. Except why Hennessey beat up Maxwell maybe.’

‘No one can understand why a man like that does what he does, Ellis.’

‘I hope I get the opportunity to meet Hennessey, I’d love to slap the cuffs on that guy. But this Lando guy, he’s quite something; he put down all those guys by himself.’

Adela shifted uncomfortably but made it look as though her back was aching sitting on the stone floor, which it was. Leyton said, ‘so Glissando wants to know where this Desi is?’

Adela hadn’t told him Olivia’s real name. She nodded, ‘yes. I’m sorry, Ellis.’

‘Will you stop saying that; I’m here because I’m a cop on the trail of a killer, Hennessey, not because of something
you
did.’

But if I hadn’t given you the coat…

She was cut off, ‘you did the right thing, Adela, a courageous thing. But you are a very brave woman.’

She shook her head, ‘I’m not brave, terrified is what I am. I think back on what I did, helping Desi I mean, and the trouble that one simple thing has brought. If I’d listened to her and let her leave alone and told those two men that she had ran off or something and that I never saw her again. If I had heeded her warning and gone home right away none of this would have happened. Dean Maxwell would not be lying in hospital not knowing if he will ever walk again, Mr. Lando’s house would not have been destroyed, and you wouldn’t be here now.’

Leyton reached out and took her hand, ‘all right, all you say is true. But, Adela, those men would have killed you anyway, this Glissando seems like the kinda guy who must have his revenge.’

‘But that changes nothing, if I’d died then no one else would have been hurt.’

He gripped her hands tighter, ‘listen to me, you did what you thought was right by helping that girl, and it
was
right. You did the right thing, the
brave
thing. You have nothing to blame yourself for, nothing to be ashamed of.’

He saw the tears come into her eyes and pulled her to him unheeding that Glissando might be watching, she needed comfort and he needed to comfort her.

Suddenly they both jumped startled as a key turned in the lock of the door and it opened.

Borachio entered and held the door open for Glissando. He was followed by two other men. Leyton, his arm still around Adela stood up bringing her to her feet; he left his arm around her shoulders and looked at Glissando defiantly.

Glissando’s lips twitched as he said, ‘you’re both right of course.
You,
Miss Faraday, should have let Desi go when she wanted too then I would have found her, just like I did before. Or you should have been sensible and gone home when you had the chance, now you’ll never see your home again I’m afraid. So all of this
is
of course your fault.’

Leyton squeezed Adela’s shoulder as if to say, take no notice of this bastard.

Glissando noticed and smiled an awful twisted smile,

Leyton said, ‘if you heard everything we said you’ll know that she had no idea where the girl went after she left her.’

'Perhaps. But, "Methinks the lady protesteth too much." He quoted.

Adela snapped, 'it's true, I don't know where she went.'

Maybe, maybe not, but if you suspected I was listening then you would be unlikely to tell the truth would you? But as I said
you,
Detective Leyton were right also in that I would have had her killed anyway, just for interfering in my business. But we shall see whether she lied or not.’

He turned and nodded to Borachio who grinned a horrible, cruel grin and walked towards Leyton and Adela followed by the other two men. Borachio took Adela’s arm and pulled her form Leyton’s grip while the other two grabbed Leyton’s arms and began to drag him forward.

He struggled but to no avail, they dragged him over to the far wall and pushed him roughly against it then pulled his arms above his head. Leyton managed to get one of his hands free and punched one of the men in the nose the man cried out and sank to the floor. Leyton kicked the other man in the stomach and he doubled over groaning. He ran towards Adela meaning to grab her and get out of there but was stopped in his tracks by Borachio, or rather the gun that Borachio had pointed at his face.

The two men had gained their feet and once more took Leyton by his arms holding him very firmly. Borachio stepped forwards raised his arm and hit Leyton in the face with his closed fist. Leyton heard the bones in his cheek crack and blood gushed from his mouth and ran down his chin. He saw stars and felt sick and dizzy as the pain shot through his entire body.

Adela gasped and cried ‘stop, please, please stop this. I told the truth, I don’t know where Desi went. Hennessey threatened to torture me for the information but I couldn’t tell him where she went because I don’t
know
, and I still don’t know. Torturing Detective Leyton is not going to change that.’

Glissando stared hard at her. He knew people, he could read them very well and he knew she had lied to Leyton when she had related her story, or at least omitted some things. But he didn’t think she was lying when she said she did not know where Desi had gone. He said, ‘I believe you.’

She was dumbfounded, ‘what!’

He smiled, ‘I believe you, Miss. Faraday?’

‘Then why…’ She didn’t finish the question, she already knew the answer.

‘Because someone has to be punished, you helped Desi, or should I say Viola, to betray me. And you are Katharina, the shrew. “Katharina the curst. A title for a maid, of all titles the worst.” So you must be punished, you must make remuneration for your crimes.’ He looked at Leyton, ‘and
he
in his turn must be punished for helping
you
.’

Adela felt faint and staggered back against the wall. She knew he was mad, quite mad, and that there was no use pleading with him, no point asking for pity. They were doomed. Her voice was low and hoarse as she pleaded, ‘all right, kill me if you must, but let Detective Leyton go,
please
.’

She of course knew he wouldn’t, he couldn’t afford to now.

Glissando said, ‘the good detective was right about another thing too, you
are
brave, brave but very foolish.’

With more spirit she said, ‘he’s a policeman, they’ll track down his murderers, they’ll never stop looking, never.’

Glissando actually laughed enjoying this, ‘they’ll never even know he’s dead, they’ll never find his body. Or maybe we’ll put you both where we found you, each with a gun in your hands, he with a bullet hole in his stomach and you with one in your heart. Make it look as though you shot him before he killed you then died of his injuries.’

Adela’s eyes opened wide with horror and Glissando went on, ‘but then Borachio and his boys would be disappointed at having missed out on all the fun they were so looking forward to having with him. And I would miss out on all the fun I was so looking forward to having with
you
.’

Leyton struggled again but fruitlessly.
Glissando impatient now said, ‘enough prevarication.’

The two men pulled Leyton back against the wall and put his arms over his head and this time secured his wrists in the clamps that hung from the chains on the wall.

One of the men then tore Leyton’s shirt down the middle exposing his chest. The other walked over to the other wall and took down the shortest but most lethal looking whip.

Leyton tensed and Adela put her hands over her mouth. The man raised the whip and swung it through the air, it made a horrible cracking sound and both Leyton and Adela jumped.

The man advanced towards Leyton so did Adela but was held back by Borachio. The man stood in front of Leyton then turned to look at Glissando who looked first at Adela whose eyes were filled with tears beseeching him not to do it. He looked at Leyton then at the man and nodded his head. The man turned, raised the whip over his head and swung it.