The Devil To Pay (Hennessey.) (70 page)

She had been glad of the distraction of their fun and banter, it had taken her mind of her embarrassment about last night, about what he had done to her and how she had reacted to him, but now she felt the embarrassment returning. She lowered her eyes, ‘
er, yes.’

‘That means you didn’t.’

‘Well, a little.’

He grinned, ‘you’re a hopeless liar you know.’

She blushed knowing he knew that she had stayed awake thinking about him. She tried humour, ‘so you know I didn’t sleep because I look awful this morning, is that it?’

He laughed, ‘not at all, you look wide awake and refreshed, and very pretty.’

He looked her up and down and took in her pale blue calf length pants, a sleeveless white blouse with green and brown flowers on the front, and white sandals. She wore those big chunky beads she seemed to like so much around her neck, they were a shiny brown in colour, she wore the big red watch as usual. Her hair was piled into a bun on the top of her head. He much preferred it how it had been last night when he had left her, wind swept, messy and very sexy. But the neat bun was nice too; it made her look schoolmarmish. Which was always a turn on, especially if the schoolmarm wore stockings.

He also noticed the flower he had given her the previous night in a small vase on the table and couldn’t help but feel a satisfaction, satisfaction and pleasure and something else he did not want to identify.

Adela wished now she had not said what she had, it sounded as if she had been fishing for compliments. She said, ‘did
you
sleep all right?’ Then cursed herself for asking that question.

‘N
o, not really.’ This much was true, he had eventually dropped off around 6.00clock only to wake again when his phone rang at 8. It was not like him not to be able to drop off at a moment’s notice, but last night he had lain awake his mind busy and sleep would not come until he had tried meditating, something he had not done or needed to do for a long time.

He had cursed at the phone for disturbing his sleep thinking it was Glissando but he was not altogether surprised when
Carson’s voice said, ‘I knew if I started letting the scum of Mississippi into my club I’d get burned.’

‘Hey,
Carson.’

‘Don’t hey me you asshole.’

‘So Jaws told you did he.’

‘Of course he did, I pay his salary, and a damn good one it is too.’

‘Hey, man, you pay him to deal with troublemakers don’t you, and that’s what he did. I were you I’d give him a raise not a hard time.’

‘It’s not him I want to give a hard time to jerk off, it’s
you
.’

Hennessey acte
d innocent, ‘Me?’

‘I don’t see you for two years and when I do you tell me your date for the night is your target, that you’re getting five mil to whack her, then you defend her from three good regular paying customers, emphasis on the
paying
there ass wipe, rendering them all unconscious and hospitalised.’

‘In all fairness, Carson, your man Jaws rendered the third one unconscious.’

‘Only after you broke the guy’s arm and made him mad. And what was with the choking business, Jaws said you near killed one guy. You know he’s still in a coma?’

Hennessey thought that at least Jaws hadn’t told him he had nearly drawn his weapon and shot the guy with the knife dead. But he was no longer amused, ‘so? He got what he deserved; he assaulted my date,
Carson. I go get the car and when I walk in what do I see, this guy with his hand up my girl’s dress.’

‘Your girl?’ Your
girl
? Fuck man, she’s a
target
, a
hit
, a five million dollar lottery ticket.’

‘Man, I hope to God you’re alone wherever you’re calling from.’

‘Of course I am. But what were you thinking, Sterling, what does it matter if some bozo cops a feel, she’ll be dead in a matter of days.’

‘And your point is?’

When Carson didn’t answer he went on, ‘have you changed that much in two years, Carson that you’d rather suck up to some spoilt, self important, drunken jerks. You’d rather look the other way while some
assholes
assault a woman in your club because you’re worried about losing their custom. Because you’re concerned for the reputation of your oh so elite, ass licking club, if so, you’re not the Carson Bentley I knew. And F.Y.I it doesn’t matter one fucking iota that she’s my target, my hit or whatever, while she’s with me she’s
my
woman and under
my
protection and I’d do the same again, in your club or anywhere fucking else.’

Although Hennessey’s tone was calm and controlled
Carson knew that his old friend must be seething to curse like he had and what’s more he had a right to be. His tone calmer now and not a little ashamed he said, ‘you’re right, Sterling, I’m sorry. It’s just that one of the guys you hurt has influence,’ there was a telling pause before he went on, ‘he has mob connections and some guys came over here this morning bright and early and threatened all kinds of reprisals,’ he gave a small laugh, ‘threatened to do me over if I didn’t tell 'em who y’all were. I told 'em they couldn’t make me look much worse than I already do.’

Hennessey was silent for a moment then his tone like
Carson’s was more subdued, ‘I’m sorry, man. What did you tell them?’

‘That I don’t know you, had never met you before, I just welcomed you to the club, I had to say that in case anyone saw us talking.’

‘Good thinking. Did they ask my name?’

‘Yeah, I told
'em it was Linford Cross, I used the last name I recalled you using.’

Hennessey gave a wry laugh, ‘did they believe you?’

‘No reason not to. I told 'em you were staying in Meridian somewhere.’

‘Thanks, dude, I appreciate it.’

‘I don’t think they’ll bother us again, it just put the frights up me is all, this is the
mob
you know.’

Hennessey’s tone was serious now, ‘
Carson, you haven’t had the frights put up you since you were fourteen; you can deal with the mob or anyone else.’

There was a short silence before
Carson’s laughter came down the line, ‘while that might be true I’d rather not have to deal with them if it’s all the same to you, I can do without the hassle.’

‘Well, if you don’t think you can handle it by yourself call me, I’ll deal with it for you, free of charge of course.’

Carson laughed louder this time, ‘thanks, man.’ Well, ya seem to have made a fan of my man Jaws, not much impresses him, but he certainly admired the way you dealt with those guys, even if I didn’t.’

‘Your man Jaws has a more discerning character no doubt.’

Carson chuckled then his amusement gone he asked, ‘I don’t think for a moment they’ll involve the cops, they’re the kinda people rather deal with trouble themselves. But watch out for anyone hanging around looking like a mob enforcer.’

Hennessey laughed, ‘thanks for the heads up,
Carson.’

Carson
asked, ‘how is she anyway, not too upset I hope?’

Hennessey hesitated a moment before saying, ‘she was very shook up, but she rallied, she’s a lot tougher than she looks.’

'Good, I’m glad she wasn’t hurt. Look, I’m sorry for what I said about her, I liked her, she wasn’t what I expected. When you told me you had been hired to, well, you know, I imagined a kinda Mata Hari or something, a
femme
fatal
, an industrial spy or some such.’

Hennessey laughed again, ‘no, none of those things, just a woman in the wrong place at the wrong time is all. She liked you too by the way.’

There was a silence on the other end of the line, Hennessey said, ‘Carson?’

‘Yeah, sorry, I was just thinking. I’ve known you most of your life, Sterling, and I think I know you pretty well, so I don’t think I’m all that far out when I say, I think you liked her too.’

This time the silence was from Hennessey’s end of the line, when he did speak his tone was abrupt, ‘I never said I
didn’t
like her, but you know what I like more, Carson? The thought of five million dollars being dropped into my Swiss bank account. Wining and dining her was part of the plan, the way I treat her is part of the plan too. And what happened with those three guys helped rather than hindered. I’m the knight in shining armour…yet again.’ He didn’t of course tell Carson what she’d said in the car about his overreacting.

Carson
said, ‘yeah okay, buddy. I just hope you know what you’re doing.’

Hennessey thought of last night and the way he had felt when she had gripped his hair and called out his name in her frenzy and the way she had looked at him. He said, ‘oh yes,
Carson, I know
exactly
what I’m doing.’

‘Well, take care, pal. And don’t leave it two years before you come see me again okay?’

Hennessey’s voice was soft now, ‘I won’t, thanks, Carson. And don’t forget, if you have any more trouble call me okay, I mean it.’

‘I know you do, pal, thanks. Oh and next time you come to my club please try not to bring your next victim with you okay.’

Hennessey could not help but notice Carson had said “Victim” and not target, he wasn’t sure whether there was a reason for that. He said, ‘I’ll try.’

‘Try real hard.’

They both laughed this time.

Carson
surprised him by asking, ‘oh, just out of curiosity where
are
you staying anyway?’

Hennessey’s answer came spontaneously and quickly, ‘
Jackson.’ Later when he questioned why he had lied to his oldest, closet friend he had no answer.

Carson
said, ‘well keep in touch, bye, pal.’

‘Bye,
Carson.’

He thought about this conversation now, although he wouldn’t tell her about it of course. He felt an overwhelming sadness that he might never see his old friend again, unless
Carson came to Scandinavia of course.

He pulled himself together when she asked, ‘
Sterling, are you all right?’

His head snapped up and he looked at her vaguely for a moment then smiled and said, ‘yeah, sure.’ He opened the door and said, ‘shall we?’

‘Yes please.’

She thought they might see the Carters leaving for their day’s fun but they didn’t. She couldn’t help but be pleased about that, she didn’t really want to explain Sterling to them, and they might ask where they were going and could they tag along, Sterling would not like that and neither would she, she wanted to keep him all to herself. This was his last day after all and she had two days left here in
Eden counting today, plenty of time to visit with the Carters and the Youngs, and Dean too.

They walked to the town to Hennessey’s car which was still parked in the hotel car park. As they walked through the town she hoped afresh that they would not see Annie or Dean or the sheriff. Annie because she did not want her to make jokes about “her young man” again and make
Sterling uncomfortable and herself embarrassed. The sheriff because he didn’t seem to trust Sterling and if he told him to make sure he took good care of her Sterling might be annoyed again. And Dean because he did not like Sterling and the feeling was mutual, and also she didn’t like the look in Dean’s eyes when he looked at her, a look of concern and of warning.

She didn’t want anything or anyone to spoil her day, her last day with Sterling Hennessey.

They had almost made it to the car park when she saw Dean and the sheriff on the opposite pavement. She knew Sterling had seen them too but pretended he hadn’t, but Adela couldn’t just ignore them so she smiled and waved. The sheriff touched his hat in greeting which Adela thought was a nice gesture, no where else in the world, that she knew of anyway, did they do that. Dean merely nodded his head in acknowledgement of her greeting but even from this distance Adela could see his eyes narrow when they alighted on Hennessey. He bent forward and said something to the sheriff who looked at Sterling too and nodded. Adela’s heart sank as the sheriff began to walk down the few steps to the street, but to her relief he continued to walk down the street and away from them.

It was barely perceptible but she saw
Sterling’s shoulders relax as he walked next to her.

She was herself relieved when they reached his car, he opened the door for her and she got in, when he was settled in the driver’s seat he started the engine and said, ‘I’ll bet he was thinking you might go and have tea with him again this morning.’

She feigned ignorance, ‘who?’

He turned to look at her, ‘your dear and close friend, old Deanie.’

She hated herself but she was always amused when he called Dean that. She hid it though and said, ‘or maybe he was thinking that
you
would call on him.’ He turned to her his eyes narrowed, ‘after all you did tell him you’d call in his shop for coffee before you left, he’ll think you’re a not a man of your word.’