The Devil To Pay (Hennessey.) (30 page)

Lando hung onto his anger with difficulty, ‘no, I’m not back on the job. I just wanted some information is all.’

‘Oh gone private now have we? Decided to join the interfering asshole brigade.’

‘No, not that either. Listen, Lester, I caught a guy snooping round one of the cabins near where I live and…

‘They build cabins in the swamps now, Lando?’

Lando sighed, cursing that woman again for putting him through this, he wanted to reach down the phone put his hands around Lester’s throat and throttle him but kept his cool and said calmly, ‘it was the cabin of an English woman here on vacation and this guy said he was a realtor but there was something suspicious about him, if I give you his description will you look into him, make sure his story checks out.’

‘Looked suspicious did he, like he was wearing a suit and tie and carried a briefcase, some big city banker…or
lawyer
perhaps?’

Lando almost snapped the phone in half and through gritted teeth said, ‘I just said, he was a realtor…or not, that’s what I’d like you to find out.’

Lester no longer sounding amused but angry now said, ‘you might be an ex- cop, Lando but you’re also an ex- con, you can’t just call here because you see someone who reminds you of your
dead
wife’s lover and get suspicious, this is not your own private investigating agency. Now I have work to do even if you don’t.’

Lando snapped, ‘listen you fat ignorant bastard, this woman might be in danger, just check out this guy, his name is David Somers and her name is Far…

He realised he was talking to dead air and spewed a mouthful of curses then hung up thoroughly humiliated.

He looked down at the quarters in his hands tossed them in the air then looked at the phone and dialled the number he had previously called before calling the Alabama P.D.

That time he had asked to speak to David Somers and was told he was on vacation in Florida, so that was one story down. He had told her he was trying to get hold of Adela Faraday who had left her cabin a few days earlier and he had lost the address where she was staying in Mississippi and recalled that David Somers was in charge of the properties she was staying in there as well as here in Alabama and hoped he would give him the address she was staying at now.

The woman had been polite but had said she couldn’t possibly give out that information over the phone and to just anyone. He had tried to convince her that it was a matter of great importance that he contact Miss. Faraday but to no avail she was sorry but it was more than her job was worth to impart information to a stranger about a client.

While he admired her dogmatism he was frustrated and wanted to ask what David Somers looked like but thought that would sound suspicious, so he had thanked her and hung up. That’s when he had called Dan Rivers and got that asshole Lester and that’s when he decided to try a different tack.

When the phone was answered this time to his relief by a different female voice he again asked to speak to David Somers and was again told that he was on vacation.

He said, ‘oh shucks, I forgot he told us that. It’s a shame, my fiancé liked dealing with David,’ he gave a fake laugh, ‘in fact I think she had the hots for him, I was a little jealous I can tell you.’

The woman laughed a pretty tinkling sound, ‘oh I know how she feels, good looking guy our David.’

Again he forced a laugh, ‘oh you go for the tall, fair, Nordic type to do you?’

‘What woman doesn’t?’

‘Well now I’m worried, I’m short, balding and while not ugly, certainly not up to Mr. Somer’s standards.’

She laughed out loud now and he said, ‘but I think it was the big brown eyes that did it for her.’

He knew he was pushing it but he had to discover if their David Somers matched the description of the man he had seen in the English woman’s cabin. But she said, ‘oh I go more for the big baby blues myself.’

So the description did fit his guy with the Sig. He said, ‘my fiancé and I met David in Mississippi when he was checking out some cabins there and we talked about renting one for our honeymoon and said we would get in touch. I forgot about his vacation, Florida wasn’t it?’

‘Yes, that’s right.’

‘We told him he must be very consciences to include work on his way to his vacation.

‘Did he? Well that certainly sounds like David. But between you and me it’s more butt licking than diligence in my opinion.’

Lando’s chuckle was sincere this time, ‘yeah, I got that impression too, but then jealousy might be my excuse.’

She chuckled too and not wanting to push his luck said, ‘well I’ll call back again, but maybe we’ll go through you instead, just to be on the safe side. What’s your name?’

Still laughing she said, ‘Doris Erkhart, and I could do with the commission.’

‘Well Doris Erkhart has just supplanted David Somers. I’ll get back to you Doris and thanks.’

‘No, thank
you,
Mr?’

‘Rivers, Dan Rivers.’

‘Nice to speak to you, Mr. Rivers have a nice day now.’

‘You too.’ He hung up and stood staring at the phone. He was disappointed he had not been able to find out whereabouts in Mississippi the English woman was staying.

But the guy in the cabin fitted the description of David Somers and checking out a cabin on his way to his vacation was the kind of thing he would have done. But having been a cop for ten years he could not just ignore the feeling in his gut nor the twinge in his neck which had always warned him when something was not quite right or of impending danger.

He walked out of the seedy looking diner in which he had made his calls.

Then he had did something he did not want to do and had not done in four years, he went  into town and into the hardware store hoping to hear some tidbits about the woman, maybe even where she had gone without asking outright.

There was two people including Mrs. Hosewater in the store and they all stopped talking when he entered and stared at him in open mouthed amazement, so much for hearing any gossip. He hung around pretending to study the hoes and rakes, anyone else would have gotten self conscious with everyone staring and whispering but not him, in prison you couldn’t afford to be self conscious, especially an ex -cop, and if you were, well, tough luck.

So he ignored them and they began talking again, gossiping would describe it more accurately; he knew if he hadn’t been there he would have been the subject of their gossip and would be again as soon as he left. But to his annoyance they never mentioned the English woman.

He turned to leave but just then the door opened and the sheriff entered.

Sheriff Wendell Lomax was a small plump man long past middle age. He was still sheriff not only because he had been so for over twenty five years and everyone was so used to him serving in that role that they couldn’t imagine the town without him in office. But despite his advancing years he did a good job, he was tough yet fair and listened to both sides of an argument with equal care and consideration. In that twenty five years he had had only three challengers to his badge and they were soon dispatched with a flea in their ear and their tails between their legs. He was about the only person in town that Lando actually respected.

When Lando had come back to Eden after his incarceration Lomax had called to see him within the first few days. He had asked him if he thought it was a good idea to come back here after everything that had happened. Lando had told him it was his home, and anyway, he would not be staying in town but had decided to live in his grandparent’s cabin in he woods. Lomax had been surprised but told him that if he had any trouble from the locals to come to him and he would deal with it. Lando had not thanked him but nodded and Lomax had left.

Lando had not of course informed the sheriff when stones were thrown at his cabin and outbuildings, nor when they had set fire to the trees surrounding his home, nor when local youths had ridden by on their motorcycles in the dead of night hurling abuse and missiles.

But somehow the sheriff had found out and had called on Lando telling him that if he wanted to make a complaint it would be taken seriously but Lando had shaken his head. So Lomax had told him that he would have no more trouble with the locals not while he was sheriff. Lando had not believed him, but he should have had more faith in the old guy because from that day to this there had been no more midnight motorcyclists, no more broken windows, no more fires.

Lando had been impressed, and despite his resolve not to be beholden to anyone, grateful.

Now Sheriff Lomax took off his hat and greeted the ladies present and then looked at Lando quizzically. He said, ‘morning, Jonas, not often we see you in town.’

Lando nodded in acknowledgement of the sheriff’s greeting and walked to the door.

Lomax said, ‘wa
it up, Jonas, I’ll walk with you.’ 

Lando hesitated for a mom
ent then opened the door and walked out; Lomax took his leave of those present and followed. He caught up with Lando as he headed towards the woods and his cabin saying, ‘hey, son, I ain’t as young as you ya you know, give an old guy a chance.’

Lando found himself slowing down and matching his step to the sheriff’s. Lomax said, ‘so everything okay, no trouble at Lars.’ Lars was the name of the cabin and the surrounding land, his grandmother’s maiden name. Lando often felt embarrassed by the name which sounded like some grand mansion out of Gone with the Wind rather than a ramshackle cabin and dilapidated outbuildings. He shook his head and Lomax said, ‘good, that’s good.’

There was a silence until Lomax asked, ‘so what brings you into town, Jonas?’

He glanced at Lomax and swore inwardly, he knew it had been a bad idea to come here he cursed the woman yet again. He said, ‘I didn’t know it was a crime to come into town, sheriff.’

‘It’s not a crime, son. I didn’t ask the question as the sheriff but as a friend.’

Lando turned his head to look at him before looking back at the road, he wanted to apologise for his abruptness but didn’t want Lomax to think he was softening; he didn’t want him coming around to the cabin as though they were friends. He didn’t want friends, he didn’t need friends, he didn’t want or need anyone. He said abruptly, ‘I have to be getting back.’

Then to his amazement Lomax said, ‘to take care of your sick animals?’

Lando came to an abrupt halt and said abruptly, ‘sick animals?’

‘Yeah, you know, those animals you look after at your place.’

Lando looked hard at him. Lomax held up his hand, ‘don’t worry, I ain’t been spying on ya. I seen you once or twice carrying a wounded critter to your cabin that’s all.’

Lando stared harder then turned to leave but Lomax grabbed his arm, ‘Jonas, you ain’t been into town for four years, something brought you here today. If you need help with anything just ask, okay?’

Lando wanted to tell him about his suspicions but something held him back some mistrust deep within him. He had trusted a man once, with his innermost feelings, with his secrets, with his wife. And that trust had cost him four years of his life, no, it had cost him the rest of his life. He said, ‘just wanted something I couldn’t get elsewhere is all, but Mrs. Hosewater didn’t have it either.’

‘Shame.’

‘Yeah.’ He turned away saying, ‘I heard someone was staying at old Cartwright’s.’

‘Yeah, that’s right, an English woman, nice pleasant lady. She left though.’

Lando nodded and Lomax said, ‘it’s a wonder you didn’t meet her or at least see her, she wandered around the woods a lot so I’m told.’

‘I saw a woman once or twice, didn’t know it was her though. She gone then?’

‘Yep, day afore yesterday, to Mississippi.’

‘Mississippi?’

‘Yeah, who’d go there unless they had to huh?’

Lando didn’t smile but said, ‘Gulfport is a nice place to visit, maybe she’s staying there.’

‘Gulfport’s okay, she’s staying near there, so Rose Hosewater tells me, and she should know. Place called Eden.’

Eden, Lando thought, where the hell was that? Well he could soon find out, he would call the sheriff or whatever there and ask him to keep his eye on Miss. Faraday, check out anyone suspicious hanging around. If it was a small town like Alban strangers would be easy to spot. He tried to appear unconcerned and disinterested in the information Lomax had given him.

The sheriff said, ‘she’ll be missed around here, she was a friendly, affable soul,’ he grinned, ‘and she also gave great tips too…apparently, though I ain’t saying that’s why she’ll be missed.

Lando did not return his amusement, ‘well, as I said, I have to be getting back.’

‘Yeah, sure. Well, it was nice seeing you again, Jonas.’ Lomax sounded very sincere as he said this.

Lando nodded; again his reluctance to encourage anyone, even a man he liked and respected to get close to him prevented him from reciprocating. He simply nodded.

He turned away but Lomax’s hand on his bicep pulled him to a halt he turned back frowning with impatience as well as the touch and his frown deepened still further when Lomax said softly, ‘I know you won’t, but I have to say it anyway, if you’re ever in any trouble you know you can come to me.’ He squeezed Lando’s arm and stepped closer, ‘you have more friends here than you think, Jonas.’