The Devil To Pay (Hennessey.) (59 page)

Bentley always looked directly into people’s
eyes; it was part bravado and part challenge, daring people to comment on the ugly scars that marred his face. Some had taken up the challenge but eventually their gaze would shift from those deep brown eyes and the scars to the twisted, deformed mouth that curled up as if in a permanent sneer. And if they dared even further they would look to his left ear, or rather the puckered skin where an ear should be. That disfigurement travelled up into what should have been hair but was instead a bald patch pitted with scars. The whole ensemble should have made him look grotesque but there was something in the sharp, calculating eyes and the almost aristocratic bearing that negated that image.

Bentley was the first to speak, ‘you look quite good for a guy who does what he does for a living.’

‘Maybe it’s the living that makes me look good, keeps me active.’

Bentley laughed and they both sat down.

Bentley nodded his head towards the bathrooms where Adela had gone, ‘so, that’s your new lady love, she doesn’t look like your usual pick up.’

Hennessey grinned, ‘she’s a lady, but she’s definitely
not
my love.’

‘Just a pick up then.’

‘In a manner of speaking.’

Bentley frowned an enquiry and Hennessey hesitated for just a moment before saying, ‘she a target.’

Bentley was rarely, if ever surprised by anything, least of all by what his oldest and closet friend got up to, but the shock on his face was plain to see. Hennessey laughed at his expression and Bentley said, ‘you’re kidding, right?’

Hennessey shook his head, ‘no. There’s a hit out on her and I’m the lucky guy chosen to do the deed.’

Bentley was incredulous, ‘but a woman, I thought you drew the line at doing women.’

‘I do, I did, but when you’re offered five million dollars for the cost of just one bullet it’s hard to stay up there on that moral high horse.’

Bentley’s disfigured eyes opened as wide as the scars would allow and his voice was almost a screech, ‘five…five
million
dollars?’

Hennessey looked quickly around the room, ‘let the whole town know will ya.’

Bentley whispered now, ‘sorry, man, but fuck, pal, five million bucks. Who the hell wants her dead that bad?’

Hennessey trusted his friend as he trusted no other living soul. They had been friends since they were nine years old; they had gotten into trouble with both their respective families and the law. They shared a bond that few men could own to, but still he hesitated to tell his long time friend about Glissando. He knew only to well that money changed people, that it put brother against brother, father against son, husband against wife, friend against friend and he had seen the results, the deadly results, of such betrayal. He said, ‘I don’t know, it was done through an intermediary.’

‘The hell you say. Must be a pretty powerful, not to mention wealthy guy.’

‘He is, according to my contact.’

Bentley forced out a breath, ‘she must have done something awful bad to get a five mil hit on her head.’

‘I didn’t ask, after the words five million dollars I lost all interest in what she’d done…or hadn’t done.’

‘But I don’t get what you’re doing here with your target.’

Hennessey kept his eyes on the door to the bathrooms as he leaned forward and spoke quietly, ‘she knows something, has some important information that the guy wants. Part of the deal is to extract that information by fair means or foul, I thought I would start with fair and work my way up, or is it down?’

Bentley laughed out loud then shook his head at his friend as if trying to figure something out, ‘you never cease to amaze me, Sterling my friend. So when you’ve done being fair or foul and get the info she has you get to do the deed, is that it?’

‘Yep.’

‘And what have you gleaned so far in the fair part of this game of yours?’

‘Not much. I discovered she was involved in what the guy said she was, that she knows something, knows quite a bit actually. I’m just biding my time, getting her to trust me; I think I’m almost there.’

‘And bringing her here is helping to get you all the way there? I’m honoured.’

Hennessey laughed, ‘it
is
helping.’

Bentley laughed now too, ‘so what’s she like?’

Hennessey nodded down the room, ‘you’ll find out for yourself any second now.’

Bentley turned round and saw Adela weaving in and out of the tables towards them. He turned back to Hennessey, ‘so tell me, what do I call you tonight?’

‘Sterling Hennessey.’

If Bentley had eyebrows they would have shot up into his hairline, as it
was his dumfounded expression said it all.

Both men stood up as Adela approached the table. There was just a flicker of surprise in her eyes at her first sight of Carson Bentley, but it was there and gone in less than a second. Hennessey said, ‘I’d like you to meet my oldest and closest friend, Carson Bentley,’ he did not add my
only
friend. ‘Carson, this is Adela Faraday.’

As with Hennessey, as with most people come to
that, she had to look up at Bentley, he was tall but not quite as tall nor as muscular as Hennessey but he was immaculately dressed as if making the most of what he did have. She smiled at him and took his outstretched hand in hers. She said ‘I’m very happy to meet you, Mr. Carson,’ she waved her hand around the room, ‘you have a beautiful place here.’

Hennessey had to smile at her use of
Carson’s last name. Bentley said, ‘thank you, I’m very happy to meet you too.’ Hennessey pulled out her chair for her and as he and Bentley sat down the latter gave him a “what is this?” look. Hennessey knew he was thinking her had let out the significant snippet of information, that she was a foreigner.

He said, ‘I hope y’all been well taken care
of?’ He included both of them in his glance but it was Adela who answered.

‘Oh yes indeed, Jaws,’ she turned pink with embarrassment, ‘I mean your man, was very nice and helpful.’

Bentley said, ‘Jaws? He told you his name? He must like you.’

Her eyes widened, ‘oh no, I mean, is that
really
his name?’

Bentley laughed, ‘funnily enough, it is.’

‘Honestly? You’re not just saying that to make me feel better about my rudeness?’

He smiled, ‘no,
honestly
, that’s what we call him, obviously because of the Bond movies.’

‘That’s a relief then, I was beginning to think I was the only one who had heard of him.’

Bentley grinned, ‘ah, my old friend is a smart man and knows a lot about a lot of things, but he is not fond of the movies.’

He
caught the glance she sent Hennessey’s way as she said, ‘oh I think I got that. I love films but rarely go to the cinema, I prefer to wait until they come out on DVD then I can sit back and enjoy them all by myself, plus I get to keep all the popcorn.’

Bentley and Hennessey laughed, but the latter knew that that wasn’t why she didn’t go to the movies; it was partly because she would be nervous with so many people around her, and partly because from what she’d said she wouldn’t have had anyone to go with.

Adela said, ‘oh, and thank you very much for the wine, Mr. Bentley; I know next to nothing about wines as Sterling can affirm, but I liked it very much.’

Bentley stared at her then cast his eyes
briefly towards Hennessey. He said, ‘you’re very welcome, Miss. Faraday.’

Hennessey held up his hand and said, ‘before we go any further there’ll be no more Miss. Faraday and Mr Bentley, understood?’ He looked pointedly at Adela as he said the last word.

She smiled, ‘understood…Mr. Hennessey.’

He said, ‘don’t start.’ She laughed.

‘Am I missing something?’ Bentley asked.

His friend
said, ‘sorry, it’s just that she likes to be formal, it’s an English thing apparently.’

‘It’s a manners thing actually.’ She turned to Bentley, ‘but that’s something I hardly need to teach
you
, or your fellow southerners, you have manners aplenty in this part of the world.’

Hennessey said, ‘a compliment indeed from the most polite woman I’ve ever met.’

‘Honest Hennessey, fair Faraday.’

Hennessey laughed out loud and Bentley looked from one to the other, mystified by this strange banter between a hitman and his five million dollar target.

Adela said, ‘although Sterling has and advantage he’s twice blessed with charm, both Irish and southern.’

The men laughed again then Bentley asked, ‘are you on vacation here in
Mississippi, Adela?’

‘Yes, well only for two more days, then I leave for
Georgia.’

Hennessey said, ‘she’s doing a tour of the southern states, she’s done
Alabama, now she’s here in the superior state of Mississippi before she moves on to the lesser states.’

‘I
t’s nice to see you still feel like a Mississippian, Sterling, and haven’t gone over to the dark side.’ Bentley retorted.

They all laughed and Adela said, ‘I have to say I’ve had such a lot of fun here and people have been so nice and friendly and helpful.’

Hennessey said, ‘one of her best friends is the sheriff of Eden.’

‘My turn to say, don’t start,’ replied Adela. Hennessey grinned but Bentley although smiling was looking at his friend in amazement.

Adela said to Bentley, ‘I thought you were a Louisianan also, Carson.’

‘No, I was born here in
Mississippi but my family moved to Louisiana when I was eight.’

Adela smiled, ‘Oh, is that why you and
Sterling became friends, you each recognised a fellow Mississippian?’

Bentley sent Hennessey a sideways glance before returning her smile and saying, ‘a man always recognises his own kind.’

She laughed and Bentley added, ‘we moved back here when I was still a young teenager.’

‘You came back to your roots.’

‘Yeah, that’s right.’ He looked at Hennessey, ‘some of us know a good thing when we see it.’

Adela wondered why that comment sounding as if it contained a double meaning directed at Hennessey.

Bentley asked what she had done while she had been in Mississippi. She told him about the day she had spent here in Biloxi, and Hennessey filled in the details about how they’d met and the rude trucker and the nervous waitress. She told him about the panther and Hennessey’s part in that. Bentley took it all in and for the first time was beginning to think that he really did not know his friend, he couldn’t figure out what game he was playing here.

As for Hennessey he was watching Adela closely as she talked to Bentley so easily and naturally, as though she had known him as long as he had. He knew she was shy and uncomfortable amongst strangers, especially men, but once she had talked to them for a while she chatted away as though they were her best friends. But the thing that struck him most was that, apart from a slight raising of her eyebrows when she had first caught sight of
Carson’s disfigured face, she had not shown any reaction. She did not show by any outward sign that she was disgusted or appalled or even curious, but watched Carson’s face closely as he spoke keeping eye contact with him at all times.

As for
Carson he seemed fascinated by her, whether it was her accent or the fact that Hennessey had told him her days were numbered in single figures he didn't know.

Bentley was saying, ‘so, Adela, is there anything you particularly wanted to do or see whilst you were in this country, something you can’t see or do in the mother country?’

She laughed at the term “Mother Country.” She said, ‘did your mother originate from the U.K, Carson?’

‘I think every person in
America’s mother did.’

She laughed again
, ‘to answer your question, I would very much like to watch a football match.’

‘Football
match
?’

‘Oh sorry, I meant football
game
, as in American football.’ She gave a cheeky grin, ‘although over here you obviously just call it football.’

Carson
guffawed. ‘Well football is actually out of season right now, they play between September and March usually. But you can see college football, that’s just as exciting to watch. What else?'

‘Oh I’d love to take a trip on a river boat. Also I would love to see the Mardi
Gras; in fact I should be in New Orleans in time for that.’

‘I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. But be careful, it can be very dangerous for the uninitiated, there are plenty of drunks and troublemakers, not to mention pickpockets.’

Adela recalled Sally’s words of warning before she had left on her trip. She was beginning to think that maybe going to the Mardi Gras was not such a good idea for a woman alone, for the uninitiated as she obviously was.

She said, ‘thank you for the advice,
Carson, but maybe I’ll watch it from my hotel window instead.’