The Devil To Pay (Hennessey.) (22 page)

Hennessey nodded but said nothing, he was not in the least interested in where Glissando did his dreaming or even if he dreamed at all. But this was not the usual way Glissando did business with him, first the meeting in his own private sanctuary as he had put it, then the drink, something which had never happened before, and now this sharing business. He wanted to get on with it and get out of there as quickly as possible so said, ‘you have a special job for me you said.’

Glissando star
ed at him for a moment, ‘yes, a very special job.’ He leaned forward slightly and looked down at his glass which he rolled round and round as Hennessey has seen people do with Brandy glasses on the T.V, although until now never in real life. Glissando said, ‘you mentioned my problem earlier, I don’t know how you knew I had a problem but it’s true, I do.’

Hennessey said, ‘the girl?’

Glissando’s looked up his eyes wide, ‘how did you…

Hennessey interrupted, ‘oh don’t worry I’m not psychic. Neither have I heard anything,’ he knew this would concern Glissando more than anything else and couldn’t help but add
, ‘it’s just that I didn’t see her when I was here last. And she
has
run away before, it wouldn’t take Sherlock Holmes to work out what your problem was.’

Glissando continued to stare, with anyone else he would have had them punished for even interrupting him let alone bringing his problems out into the open. He
swallowed his annoyance, ‘yes, you’re right, she’s gone…again, and I need her brought back.’

‘W
hy don’t you just let her go,’ Hennessey asked, ‘seems to me she’s more trouble than she’s worth. You can easily get another girl, man like you.’

Glissando knew that Hennessey was not complimenting him but said, ‘that’s not the point, Mr. Hennessey, there’s a principle at stake here. I’ve been good to her and she’s thrown it back in my face time and time again. I will not tolerate disrespect; you can understand that can’t you.’

It was not a question but Hennessey answered anyway. ‘Yes I can. But if she’s disrespecting you so much surely you’d be glad to be rid of her and not keep her as a constant reminder of her…disrespect.’

‘You
don’t
understand then.’

‘I do. It’s not really about her, it’s about other people, other people seeing her make a fool of you, one young kid constantly giving you grief.’

Glissando stood up abruptly and stood over Hennessey, his face red and furious. Hennessey sat looking back at him. They stayed like this for a full minute, the only sound the ticking of the gold carriage clock on the marble mantle piece. Hennessey could see the effort it took Glissando to calm himself. Eventually he did and sat down abruptly embarrassed by and regretting his show of emotion. Something else he would punish Desi for. He smiled a smile that must have scared his staff and associates half to death, it did nothing for Hennessey.

Glissando said calmly, ‘yes, you’re right. A man in my position can’t afford to be seen as not being able to control his…employees, it gives others the wrong idea, makes them think that if one gets away with disrespecting me then they can too. And no one, but no one, betrays Dashiel Glissando.’

Hennessey understood that completely but he could also tell Glissando that very few people had any respect for him anyway, and his employees feared rather than respected him. He said, ‘so how does this concern me? Because if you want me to kill her the answer is no. I don’t do females or kids, and that girl is both.’

Glissando smiled with real amusement now, ‘no, I don’t want you to kill her, Mr. Hennessey. I want her back yes, and she
will
be punished, but by me, not you.’

‘Then what do you need me for?’

‘There’s a woman, an English woman, she…rescued Desdemona from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern the other night, they nearly had her and this woman comes along and interferes. My two guys traced Desdemona to her cabin in a place called Alban, ever heard of it?’ Hennessey shook his head and Glissando went on, ‘its’ about five miles outside Montgomery and about ten from Tallahassee a small town not much bigger than a village. This English woman is staying there as part of a tour of the southern states.’

‘Alone?’ Hennessey was surprised.

‘Yes, alone.’

‘Why do you think she’s still helping Desi?’

‘Let’s just say we’ve made inquiries. We think they have already left Alban but where they’re going we don’t know…yet. But we do know that this woman is going to Mississippi on the next leg of her tour.’ He did not want to tell Hennessey that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern had screwed up; he knew it would amuse him that he had two such bozos in his employee. He would give him the information he required when he took the job and if he didn’t, well there was no need for him to know how badly they had messed up.

Hennessey was thinking, Mississippi, his home state. He asked, ‘where in Mississippi?’

‘A place called Eden, not far from Gulfport.’

Gulfport, not his home town but close enough. He said, ‘I still don’t see what this has to do with me.’

Glissando leaned forward, ‘I can’t send Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to find her; she’s seen them…twice, and they have already asked questions about her in Alban. If she hasn't left and they bring her here the police will start asking questions, maybe even the FBI and I don’t want my two guys traced to me. Besides, I don’t want the woman hurt until she gives up Desdemona’s whereabouts.

If she has already left for Mississippi I want you to track her there. I have this idea that someone could, let’s say,
befriend,
the woman, get her to trust them and to maybe talk about her adventures. She might want to unload some of it onto someone else, maybe boast about how smart and benevolent she’s been.’

‘So, where do I come in?’

Glissando gave a "huh" of a laugh, ‘oh come now, Mr. Hennessey, don’t be modest. You’re a very handsome man, tall, sophisticated, charming…when you want to be, well educated and very bright. Not to mention a big hit with the ladies. No pun intended.’

Hennessey’s face was just as impassive throughout these compliments as it was when Glissando was giving him the name of his next target. Glissando went on, ‘this woman is in her late twenties and unmarried, a spinster, and not much to look at according to my guys. She’s alone on vacation and probably desperate for company, male company.’

It was a good thing Hennessey was so good at hiding his feelings because not by a sign did he give away his amazement. Who’d a thought it? He said, ‘you want me to woo this woman, find out where Desi is then, then what exactly.’

Glissando leaned back in his chair, ‘then what exactly? Then I want you to kill her, Mr Hennessey.’

Hennessey shook his head and put his glass down on the little table next to his chair.

‘I’ve told you, I don’t kill women.’ He made to rise but stopped dead when Glissando said, ‘I’ll pay you five million dollars.’

Hennessey stared at Glissando in astonishment. He stayed motionless half in and half out of his chair then abruptly sat back down. Glissando controlled his mirth with difficulty. Never had he seen Hennessey taken aback and it was almost worth the five million dollars just to see his incredulous expression.

Hennessey eventually said, ‘you’d pay me five million dollars to kill one woman?
'A
nd
bring Desdemona back to me. Find Desdemona, kill the woman and you get the five million.’

‘Why, why kill her, why not just get the information and let her go home. Why is it so important that she die?’

All amusement gone now Glissando answered, ‘because she insulted me, Mr. Hennessey and that cannot go unpunished nor should it. Desi obviously told her some sob story, told her I treated her badly. She lied to her and convinced her to help her escape me and this woman chose to help Desdemona knowing she belonged to me. She interfered and deserves to be punished for it.’ Hennessey sat and listened to Glissando’s ramblings and saw real madness in the man’s eyes. He could see the sadistic pleasure he derived at the thought of that woman dying.

Glissando went on, ‘I can forgive most anything, Mr. Hennessey,’ Hennessey did not for one moment believe that this was true but did not contradict him, ‘anything but betrayal. And “For this revolt of thine, me thinks, is like another fall of man.”

Hennessey frowned and Glissando said, ‘Henry V, act 11, scene 11.’ Mad indeed thought Hennessey. ‘Besides, she knows things now that she shouldn’t know. She might even go to the police, she probably would, she seems to be the kind of woman who would not let it go, and that would bring attention I do
not
want.’

Hennessey thought, no, I bet you don’t. He said, ‘so you want me to go to Mississippi, woo this woman, get her to divulge Desi’s hiding place then kill her, is that what you’re asking?’

‘Yes, Mr. Hennessey, for five million dollars, that’s what I’m asking. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern also mentioned that she called out to someone in the alley; I want you to find out who this person was. See if they are involved too.’

Hennessey continued to stare at Glissando as though he was seeing him for the first time. Five million dollars, my God he could retire on that, he would never have to work again, never have to put himself in danger, never have to take another human life. He could take as many vacations as he liked, he could even live in Europe or Scandinavia, a wealthy man. But then the money had never really been his first interest, he did what he did and got paid for it, got paid a lot for it, it was just work, just a job like any other, although not many would see it that way of course.

He’d never really thought about retiring, retirement meant boredom and lethargy. He had no illusions that one day he would meet someone and settle down. And buying that ranch like his grandparents had before they had to sell up was just a pipe dream. And he knew he was fooling himself that maybe he would have a kid or two to carry on his name. And his profession? Yeah, he could see himself telling a prospective wife what he did for a living and regaling his adventures to his offspring as bedtime stories.

He almost laughed. But to kill a woman and a tourist at that, that was serious, outsiders might become involved, Scotland Yard, maybe even Interpol. Still, with five million dollars he could hide anywhere in the world. But kill a woman that was anathema to him. He even baulked at hitting a woman. If there was a woman with the target he had forced her into another room, the roughest he ever got was to tie them up and gag and blindfold them. On only two occasions had he had to hit a woman. The first time the woman had had a gun under her pillow and had turned it on him as he moved her to the bathroom, he had knocked her out with a trick he had learned in the marines which would have left her with a bad headache but otherwise unscathed.

The next time he was not sure even counted because this woman was as tall as him and built like a sumo wrestler, she had put up quite a fight and he had had no alternative but to clock her one, he’d almost broken his fingers on her jaw. Still, it had left him feeling dirty and miserable. As for his targets he always made it quick and painless with no surprises. That was always the best way to go, quick and clean,
he
would want to go like that, he did not want to see it coming.

But to kill a woman, an innocent woman at that, who had done nothing except help another human being and upset Glissando. That had been her only crime; she had taken on a madman who was willing to pay five million dollars to get back his respect. He wondered what kind of woman would put herself out like this for a girl she hardly knew, especially if she had been informed of what kind of man Glissando was. But something inside him was stirred. He felt an excitement, an exhilaration he had not felt in a long time. Yes, he at least ought to find out what made this woman tick before he decided what to do.

But mostly his feelings were of astonishment that this man was willing to pay him five million bucks. What were the chances of this happening? A million to one, five million to one. He almost laughed out loud.

He asked, ‘what’s her name?’

‘Adela Faraday.’

Adela Faraday, Adela. Nice. He said, ‘give me the address of the cabin where she was staying, I’ll need to confirm what your two goons have told you. I also want to make my own enquiries. Find out where exactly she’s staying in Mississippi; get the feel of the place, what the local law is like and so on. And more importantly, find out what I can about the woman.’

Glissando almost liked Hennessey at that moment. ‘So you’ll do it?’

‘I’ll find her, yes. But what if she isn’t desperate for someone to talk too, what if she doesn’t boast about her exploits? What if she doesn’t fall for my…charms?’

Glissando moved his mouth into what was tantamount to a grin for him, ‘you should perhaps have more faith in your abilities, Mr. Hennessey, she’ll open up to you, I’m sure of it.’

‘And if she doesn’t? Do you want me to kill her anyway? Just for
disrespecting
you perhaps.’

Glissando’s jaw tightened. ‘If she won’t tell you willingly then I leave what happens next to your own judgement. For five million you should be able to think of something to, er, persuade her.’

‘Are you talking about torture by any chance?’ Glissando’s eyes glittered when Hennessey said this and Hennessey went on his tone hard now, ‘why don’t I just bring her back here to you, you probably have far more
persuasive
methods than I do.’