The Devil To Pay (Hennessey.) (16 page)

She sighed heavily and gave in, ‘I don’t mind going a little shorter, and what about red?’

Adela laughed, ‘that would certainly look different, but you need a colour that won't attract too much attention, so what about light brown?’

Olivia looked disappointed then smiled, ‘okay, dull, boring old brown it is then.’

‘Well, thanks for the dull, boring bit.’

Olivia’s expression was concerned and a little worried as she said contritely, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…’

She broke off as Adela’s lips twitched then she smiled and the smile turned into a grin.

Olivia looked confused then impatient then she too smiled. Adela considered Olivia’s reaction to her words and wondered whether Olivia had been trained, or trained herself, to act in a certain way and to watch what she said, and when she forgot or spoke without thinking she feared severe reprisals. Well, in the short time she was be here she would show her that from now on she could be herself, and say and do whatever she liked.

She said, ‘so tomorrow I’ll go into town and get what we need, the only worry is that you will have to stay here by yourself, are you comfortable with that?’

‘Yes, of course,’ Olivia tried to sound matter of fact but the thought of remaining here alone had given her a sudden jolt of fear. Adela was just one woman and obviously would be no match for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, but somehow Olivia felt safe with her, it was as though her positive, glass is half full attitude was infectious.

Adela seemed to pick up on Olivia’s concern because she said, ‘it would be folly to take you with me, those men might have asked questions in the town and asked people to let them know if they saw you, like they did with Mr. Lando. But I’ll be as quick as I can, I promise.’

Olivia smiled and nodded, ‘I understand. I won’t answer the door to anyone. I’ll be all right.’

Adela smiled
, ‘right, well, we can’t do anything else tonight, so let’s take our minds of everything. Do you play cards?’

‘Cards?’

‘Yes, you know, card games.’

‘I have played, yes, I played with…with Dashiel all the time. Although I never won.’

‘Never?’

She smiled, ‘I learned pretty early on that it’s always safer to lose to Dashiel.’
             

Adela didn't smile bus said very quietly, ‘I see.’ She became very serious suddenly’ but we’re going to make sure that he never wins again, not against you anyway.’

Olivia frowned and stared at this woman who was nothing special to look at, nothing about her really stood out, except her hair and her eyes. She looked soft and delicate, and she had to admit, a bit of an easy touch. But something in her eyes as she had said what she just had caused Olivia to suddenly realise why she was here with her, why she was relying on her as she had never relied on another human being since she had been taken from her mother all those years ago, why she trusted her. There was determination in those eyes and a strength that belied her fragile looking frame.

She said, ‘I’ll wup your ass.’

Adela leaned back in surprise at the joke coming from Olivia then laughed, ‘oh yeah, well put your money where your mouth is baby.’

‘I’ll put
your
money where my mouth is.’

Adela looked surprised for a moment then laughed out loud, ‘I’ll get the cards, and try to win
my
money back.’

Olivia smiled as Adela rose to get the cards. The games of cards they played did not actually take their minds completely off their situation but it helped. After half a dozen games in which Olivia won five and Adela one. Adela said, ‘well, all I can say is Glissando would have been upset quite often if you had played him as you have me tonight.’

Olivia smiled, ‘he was easy to beat, he just didn’t know it, or maybe he did but was too vain and too arrogant to admit it.’

Adela said, ‘in a few days you will be free of him, at least psychically. But, Olivia, wherever you go do try to get some psychological help won’t you. You’ll never forget what happened to you but you
can
start to rebuild a life for yourself. And one day you’ll meet someone, get married, have children and be very happy, I know it, I can feel it in my bones.’ She grinned, ‘and I happen to have a very reliable set of bones let me tell you.’

Olivia smiled and Adela noticed that her smiles were getting a little wider and a little more natural every time. She said, ‘anyway, it’s time for bed, we have a long day tomorrow.’

Olivia nodded and stood up as Adela said, 'you have the bed again, she caught Olivia’s hesitation and hurried on, ‘you know, when you’ve gone I’ll think I’ll sleep on the sofa permanently, it’s very comfy.’

Olivia did not look too convinced but said nothing, although her eyes showed her appreciation.
She turned and went into the bathroom to change into the nightshirt she had worn the previous night. She didn’t stow the passport and drivers licence she had retrieved that morning in the same place, instead she wrapped them in her clothes then went back out to the living room. Adela said, ‘try to get some sleep and tomorrow we’ll implement the other part of my plan, okay?’

Olivia nodded; she did not ask what the other part of the plan was but smiled as Adela went into the bathroom.

Adela was wondering whether she could trust Olivia to stay here while she made her trip into Tallahassee, or whether she would bolt as soon as her back was turned. She had the feeling that Olivia trusted her and wanted to accept her help but was very frightened for her, more so than for herself. Well, she would just have to hope that Olivia did not do anything unwise tomorrow, she might not be so lucky again.

She came out of the bathroom to see Olivia sitting on the bed flicking through one of her books, it was the private detective novel she had bought that morning and intended to read later. She said, ‘you know the last person to pick up one of my books now has no fingers.’

Olivia looked up startled but she was now getting a little more used to Adela’s sense of humour and smiled. ‘I take it that means your books are important to you.’

‘Oh yes,’ Adela looked momentarily sad as she continued, ‘sometimes when…when things got to difficult at home I would lock myself in my room and lose myself in my books.’

Olivia nodded in understanding, ‘you like the crime novels?’

Adela laughed and sat on the bed next to Olivia taking the book from her hand, ‘you could say that. The hero in this one, Fenn Llewellyn, he’s my favourite. I used to fantasise about him coming to rescue me from the life I was living. My knight in shining armour. Although I have to say I still fantasise about that happening.’

‘But that’s all they are isn’t it, fantasises? Because real life always interferes again, and then you feel worse than ever, because you have to face the fact that dreams are just that, dreams, and inevitably you have to wake up to a life that sucks.’

Olivia said this not bitterly or angrily just as a s
tatement of fact. ‘There’s nothing wrong with fantasies,’ Adela replied, ‘particularly if that’s all we have.’

‘When I first went to that house of horrors, I made myself believe that one day my mother would come for me. I waited for the door to burst open and she would enter with twelve big men all there to take me away from the horror, but it never happened, and deep down I knew that it never would. I stopped believing in fairy stories and happy endings when I was seven years old.’

Adela’s heart went out to her, not just to Olivia the woman but Olivia the child. ‘You’re right; your waking hours must have been more nightmare than dreamland. For me it was the easiest way out. I had nothing and no one to talk to except my fantasy figures, they would never pull my hair or tell me I was stupid and useless and ugly. But your life was a hundred times worse than I could ever have imagined in my worse fantasies.’ She took Olivia’s hand in hers, ‘I’m sorry, Olivia.’

‘No, I’m sorry, I should not have made fun of your dreams, ‘she smiled, ‘I might try your Fenn Llewellyn one of these days.’

‘Oh do, you’ll enjoy him, I promise you. Now sleep, we have lots of work to do tomorrow.’

‘Yes, ma’am.’

Adela laughed and rose from the bed saying, ‘that’s more like it, a little respect.’

Olivia smiled then lay down and closed her eyes.

Adela lay on the sofa and thought about tomorrow. She hoped her plan would work out all right and that finally Olivia would be free of that sick, sadistic man once and for all.

                                                             ***********

In the morning Adela woke with a start, she had stayed awake for a long time and when she had eventually slept she had dreamed of children and dungeons and private investigators. She didn’t have to be a dream analyst to figure that one out.

She rose and looked over at Olivia still asleep, she wondered how she could sleep as well as she did with all the troubles and fears she had. But then maybe she was used to it now. Perhaps she had got used to being able to sleep anywhere, even in that place in which she had been imprisoned.

She went into the bathroom and showered and dressed. When she came out Olivia was sitting on the edge of the bed.

Adela smiled, ‘good morning.’

Olivia returned her greeting somewhat hesitatingly. Adela knew she was once more questioning the wisdom of being here and Adela’s plans for her.

She was unce
rtain and uneasy herself but made her voice sound bright and optimistic. ‘I’ve put another T-shirt in the bathroom for you and a clean pair of shorts. I think we should eat a nice big breakfast then put stage one of the plan into action, what do you think?’

She did not give Olivia time to answer but swept by her into the kitchen and began to cook a breakfast of bacon and eggs, humming to herself as though she had not a care in the world.

Olivia sat and looked at her for a full minute before rising and going into the bathroom.

When she came out the smell of sizzling bacon assailed her nostrils and the sick scared feeling she had felt since waking was momentarily replaced by hunger.

Adela said, ‘it’s nearly ready, would you get some knives and forks out and make some tea? Or coffee if you prefer.’

Once this was done and they were eating Adela keeping up a constant dialogue trying to keep Olivia’s mind of the coming day and the fact that she would be alone for a while. Olivia did not say a lot but smiled absent min
dedly at some of the things Adela said.

Once they’d eaten Adela said, ‘right, I’ll just brush my teeth then I’ll get going, the sooner I leave the sooner I’ll get back.’

Olivia’s eyes betrayed her apprehension and Adela forced a bright smile and said, ‘now, no letting in any strange men, even if they’re on white chargers, all right?’

Olivia had to smile, ‘what, not even if it’s Fenn Llewellyn asking for you?’

‘Oh well, that’s different, but keep him here until I get back would you?’

'If he’s as nice as you say I may run away with him myself.’

‘You could, but then I’d have to hunt you down.’

Adela thought she’d gone too far with that last comment and was about to apologise when Olivia said mock seriously, ‘understood.’

Adela laughed, ‘right, don’t forget, don’t answer the door, stay out of sight and be as quiet as possible.’ She handed Olivia her mobile phone, ‘here, take this and if those two men or anyone else you think looks suspicious comes by call the police, and Olivia, I mean it.’ Olivia was wearing her fearful, doubtful expression again so Adela said, ‘I know you don’t want to involve them but you can always say you believe someone is trying to break in or acting suspiciously around one of the other cabins. You don’t have to give your name or address, but please call them at the first sign of trouble, okay?’

Olivia looked down at the phone in her hand then very reluctantly nodded. Adela suppressed the sigh she felt coming on and said cheerfully, ‘look, it won’t come that, if those men were coming they would have been here by now, wouldn’t they?’

Olivia nodded again. Adela walked to the window and looked out making sure the coast was clear before unlocking the door. She opened it the turned to Olivia, ‘lock the door behind me’

Olivia walked towards her and when she reached her si
de Adela took her hands, ‘Olivia, I know you’re scared, but please don’t run away, please stay and wait for me. Just trust me, okay?’

Olivia net her gaze and saw the pleading there, she knew she was doing the wrong thing, she knew as soon as Adela was gone she should take her chance and leave, for Adela’s sake, but when she said, ‘yes
, I’ll wait, I’ll be here when you get back, I promise.’ She knew she meant it.’

Adela smiled, ‘see you soon then, with some new clothes, then at least I won’t have to suppress the urge to giggle every time I look at you.’

Olivia gave her an impatient look then grinned; Adela returned it then walked down the few steps. She waited until she heard Olivia turn the key in the lock before making her way along the path that led to the town.

She took the back way into town avoiding the shops, she did not want to meet anyone she had got to know whilst she had been here. She was alert and wary as she walked along the path. As luck would have it she met no one she knew and met Luke the taxi driver from the night she'd found Desi and had called earlier. He seemed very pleased she had called and asked about her friend, she thanked him and assured him that she was now fine then they chatted about this and that until they reached Tallahassee. She did not ask him to wait but asked him to meet her outside the boutique in two hours, that would save time having to wait for a taxi if she could not find one immediately, and he said he'd be pleased too.