Chapter Fifty-six
When Hanna pulled up to the house along the river in Dugganville, she saw Alex sitting alone out on his father's shrimp boat. She was relieved they would have some time together without Adrienne. She had been regretting her decision to decline Alex's invitation to the wedding. It was more than just the presence of his ex-wife. When Alex had asked her to attend, she still hadn't sorted out all her feelings about the events of the past weeks. The shock of her role in Sam Collins' death was haunting her days and nights. The unthinkable man he had become in their years apart was still more than she could comprehend or been ready to work through with Alex.
But, as she sat at home earlier today, stewing about whether she had made the wrong decision in not coming to the wedding, she had time to play it all out in her mind again... her feelings for Sam... the man who used to be Sam, and more importantly now, her feelings for Alex Frank. On the drive up this afternoon, she tried to convince herself she wasn't coming because she was jealous of Alex's ex and afraid of what she might try to pull to get him back again, but of course she was.
She watched as Alex turned when he heard her coming down the dock. She was pleased to see him smile. He stood and walked over to help her onto the boat. She was surprised when he pulled her into his arms and held her close.
"I'm sorry, I should have been here today," she said.
Alex pulled back and she saw a sad expression staring back at her. "It was quite an affair," he finally said. "I hope the two of them can have a happy life together... and not kill each other." He smiled again. "I think Ella may actually be good for him. His mind seems clearer these past weeks."
"That's great. And how is the lovely Adrienne?" she couldn't help asking.
He just shook his head, then sat on the rail of the boat and patted the space next to him for her to sit.
Hanna's mind raced with all the doubts and fears she'd been trying to process. She looked over at Alex and saw the wound on his neck was healed, though it left a nasty scar. The bruises and cuts on his face were gone.
Alex said, "Thank you for coming. I'm sure Skipper will be glad to see you."
"And how about you?" she asked, afraid of how he might respond.
He put his arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek. "I've missed you, Hanna."
Smiling, she said, "I've missed you, too."
She watched his face stare back, uncertain, then he said, "I've had a lot of time to think about all this."
"So have I."
"How about a walk?"
Hanna walked alongside Alex through the quiet main street of little Dugganville, not much traffic or commotion on a Saturday evening. Little had been said, other than Alex's brief recap of the wedding and Adrienne's attempt to wash away past sins.
They came up to the park, heavily shaded with big live oaks and tall pines. They walked up the gently sloped lawn to a white painted gazebo on a knoll overlooking the town. They sat on a bench together and Hanna watched Alex sigh heavily and put his hands on his knees.
"I hope you didn't come up here today to break it off." He looked over at her and she could see he was serious.
In that moment, all her thoughts and doubts came together in a flood of clarity. "No, I came to apologize and..."
"You have nothing to apologize for."
"Well, yes I do. I want to get this thing about Sam behind us. I almost betrayed you and I've lost a lot of sleep trying to sort all that out. Anyway, I'm sorry, and I hope you'll forgive me." She looked over at him, her heart beating out of her chest when he didn't say anything.
A flood of relief washed over her when he pulled her close and she felt his face in her hair, and then he kissed her.
“Hanna, you are a saint to put up with all the chaos and nonsense I put you through.”
This time, she kissed him. “For some crazy reason, I still think you’re worth it.”
She held Alex's hand as they came up the sidewalk to Skipper Frank's house, the party noise still loud from the back. They had been catching up on their past few weeks, mostly apart from each other.
"My client, the young girl whose father got her pregnant, had her abortion last month."
"Sounds like her father's going to be doing a long stretch in the penitentiary."
"The mother is facing charges for abuse, as well," Hanna said. "I went with Calley the day of her abortion and it brought back all those memories of my time..." She felt Alex squeeze her hand. "I'm still trying to convince myself it was the right thing for her. We talked again about adoption, but I understand she just couldn't go through with the pregnancy, with her father and everything."
"You and the judge helped her make the right decision," Alex said.
"Calley's sister has moved back to Charleston and she's going to be Calley's guardian and stay with her here until she finishes high school."
"Good, I hope she can get beyond all this," Alex said.
They walked out on the dock again. The sun was down now, and the last light of day filtered through the trees. A trace of the moon was showing just above the trees. A light at the end of the dock lit up the dark water of the river's slow current drifting by.
Hanna said, "I got an interesting call from an attorney in the Bahamas yesterday."
"What was that?" Alex asked, sitting beside her on a long bench at the end of the dock.
"It seems Sam had accumulated a considerable fortune over the years, including a very nice home in the hills in St. Croix and of course, the boat we got to see way too much of."
"I assume the money didn't come from the photography business."
"I wouldn't think so," Hanna said. "The thing is, this attorney informed me that he left a sizable sum to me in his will."
Alex looked over at her with an expression of total surprise. "You're kidding?"
"No, I'm afraid not. The man caught me so off guard, I didn't know how to react or what to say. I told him I would call him back on Monday."
"Collins had no family or anyone else close?" Alex asked.
"He was married once, but otherwise, I don't know. I assume his ex-wife got the bulk of the money." Hanna had already made up her mind about the inheritance. "I certainly don't want his money, Alex, particularly knowing how he earned it."
"What are you going to do?"
"I'll be donating all of it to the Women's Shelter in Charleston. They've been trying to raise money for years to add-on to their facility and bring in more help. Unfortunately, the demand for their services continues to grow."
She watched Alex processing what she'd just told him. He finally nodded his head and said, "Good for you. That just feels right. After all the death and darkness linked to that money, it's right to use it now for some good."
"I haven't told my friend, Greta the director, but she's going to be overjoyed."
"You're doing a good thing," Alex said.
Hanna caught Skipper Frank's eye as she and Alex came around the side of the house. His face lit up and he excused himself quickly from the group he was talking with and came over to them. He wrapped her in a big bear hug.
"Damn, Hanna, I'm so glad you were able to come."
"Congratulations, Skipper. I'm really happy for you." She noticed his bride coming up. They had met previously, and Hanna always felt she was a little guarded because of her daughter's former marriage to Alex. She had a big smile today and also gave Hanna a hug and kiss on the cheek.
"Hello, honey," Ella drawled. "Thanks for coming." The big woman pulled her new husband close and gave him a wet kiss on the cheek. "Finally corralled this old salty dog."
"You look beautiful, Ella," Hanna said. "Congratulations."
"Thank you, dear." Ella leaned in close. "When you gonna get this guy to settle down again?" she said, looking over at Alex.
Hanna noticed the word again, not surprising from Alex's ex-mother-in-law.
"One step at a time, Ella," she replied. She felt Alex put his arm
around her waist.
Alex handed Hanna a glass of white wine as they stood apart from the rest of the gathering in a dark corner of the yard. A DJ was still playing dance music and half the guests were putting on their best dance moves in celebration of Skipper and Ella Frank's wedding day. She toasted Alex's beer bottle with a gentle clink. "To the happy couple," she said.
"Cheers."
They both turned when a voice from behind said, "Couldn't let the night get away without saying hello."
Adrienne walked around and held out her hand. "Hello, Hanna."
Hanna gave her a firm grip in return, trying her best to control the urge to throw the glass of wine in the woman's face. "Hello, Adrienne. We're very happy for your mother." She looked over at Alex who was obviously concerned about this little gathering.
"Well, that's nice of you, thanks," Adrienne said, cozying up to Alex and putting her arm around his waist. "Looks like we're family again, darlin'," she said, the effects of a long afternoon and evening of drinking evident in her slurred speech.
Alex pushed her away with a not so subtle shove. He reached for Hanna's arm to lead her away. "Goodnight, Adrienne." They left her standing there. Hanna looked back and the woman was weaving a bit and unsteady. She watched as Adrienne took a long drink and then threw the empty glass on the ground and stomped away toward the mass of dancers.
Alex led Hanna into the house and the small kitchen along the back. "Always a pleasure seeing your ex again," she said.
"Don't start," he said. "How about some coffee or..."
"I need to get back to town tonight. I've got an early morning at the office."
"When can I see you?" he asked.
"How about dinner at my place tomorrow night."
"Should I bring my toothbrush?" he asked.
"I think that would be a good idea."
Chapter Fifty-seven
The last few guests were saying their goodbyes to the bride and groom. The music had stopped, and the bartender was packing up. Alex was sitting on a chair on the back deck, nursing a cold cup of coffee. He watched as his ex-wife staggered around the side of the house in the arms of Robbie Reynolds, his father's first mate on the Maggie Mae. Good luck, partner, he thought and drained the rest of the coffee.
He got up and walked across the lawn to his father and new bride, Ella. Both had been drinking and celebrating for hours, which was actually a normal evening for the two of them, but Alex could see the day's events had taken their toll. Skipper was doing his best to support his new bride from slipping in the dewy grass.
"Great party, Pop," he said and then hugged them both. "You got a ride to the B&B?" They were staying at a local inn just outside of town.
Skipper said, "Yeah, Gilly's droppin' us off.
"And you're off to Key West in the morning," Alex said, confirming the honeymoon plans they had shared earlier.
Skipper nodded and said, "Gonna get some sun, drink some rum, catch some fish..."
"Get naked!" Ella said, and giggled.
"Well, you two have a great trip. It was quite a wedding, Pop. Congratulations." Alex had a fleeting thought about the times shared in this backyard with his mother, now gone many years following a tragic car accident. He was happy for his dad, though. He'd been alone a long time. He wasn't sure the old man and Ella would be the best influence on each other, but who was he to judge.
Gilly came up and said, "Y'all ready to go?"
They all said their goodbyes. Ella kissed him sloppily on the lips and gave him a big hug. He watched as they disappeared inside the house.
An hour later he was just about to turn out the light to go to bed when his phone buzzed on the nightstand. He looked at the screen and didn't recognize the number. He looked at the time and it was just past 2am. He took the call. "This is Alex."
There was a pause for a moment and Alex was about to end the call when a low voice said, "We need to talk, Detective."
"Who is this?"
"You've been a thorn in my side far too long, Frank."
Alex then recognized the distinctive Cajun accent of Asa Dellahousaye. "Thought they had you locked up."
"I got good lawyers."
"What do you want?"
"The question is, what do you want?"
"What are you talking about?" Alex asked, sitting up on the bed now, his internal alarms flaring in his brain.
"Do you want to see your lawyer girlfriend alive again?"
Alex felt the air sucked out of his lungs. He tried to control the panic that raced through him, standing and pacing across the small bedroom in his father's house.
"Detective?" he heard Dellahousaye ask.
"I swear..."
"No time for idle threats, Frank. I'm trying to clear-up a few things, and frankly there are some people who continue to piss me off... and you're one of them."
"Where's Hanna?"
The gangster didn't reply at first and then Alex heard Hanna cry out in the background, "Alex!"
"Dellahousaye!" Alex yelled into the phone.
"You and I need to have a chat, Detective," the gangster said slowly."
"Tell me where."
"We're at your old man's fish camp. Nice wedding by the way."
"You have no reason to hurt her," Alex said, trying to control the fear in his voice.
"I have your other lovely friend, Miss Richards. She tells me you have something I need to get back."
Alex immediately realized the FBI hadn't been able to successfully secure Amelia Richards.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Alex said, trying to buy time and think through his options.
"No time for games, Detective!" Dellahousaye hissed. "You and your girlfriend took out one of my primary 'enforcers' shall we say, but I have another associate here with me who is very anxious to get his hands on these two lovely ladies."
Alex's heart was pounding through his chest and he struggled to push back the nausea rising in his gut. The phone trembled in his hand as he said. "When I know the women are safe, I'll bring you what you want." He knew the Feds already had the taped conversations, but he had to buy as much time as he could.
"You're in no position to haggle, Detective. Get your ass up here now, or we'll start feeding pieces of these ladies to the gators!"
"I'll be there... I'm coming right now," he said, his mind racing on how to handle the situation.
"Do not call anyone or bring anyone with you. If we get any indication you've called for backup, it's going to end very badly up here. Do you understand?"
"Loud and clear."
Chapter Fifty-eight
Hanna tried with all her will not to show these men the fear that was consuming her. She was tied to an old wooden chair, her hands bound painfully behind her in Alex's father's fishing camp. She and Alex had spent some weekends up here to get away. Amelia Richards sat across the table from her, also bound. She had already been at the camp when Hanna arrived. Her face was flushed and swollen with tears. The old cabin, built up on stilts over the marshes north of Dugganville, was faintly lit with two kerosene lanterns. It smelled of mildew and ash from the stone fireplace.
She was only a few miles out of Dugganville after leaving Alex at his father's house when a large SUV had passed her on the dark two-lane road and then pulled over sharply to run her off the road onto the shoulder. Two men rushed out and pulled her from her car. They quickly bound her hands behind her then threw her in the back of the SUV. One man followed in her car. She had recognized Skipper Frank's fish camp as they drove the final stretch of the narrow two-track through the swamp.
She had listened to Asa Dellahousaye's phone conversation with Alex. Fear and panic were nearly overwhelming her ability to think clearly. The gangster had two men with him who had abducted her. Both were tall, stocky men, dressed in dark clothes. Each had a side arm visible on their belts and one was holding a shotgun, pointed at the ceiling. Dellahousaye was dressed in a w
hite dress shirt, open at the collar, and pressed jeans above a pair of brightly polished black leather loafers. His gray hair was swept back from his tanned face. She watched as he came over and sat beside her.
"You seem to have the worst taste in men, Miss Walsh," he said, grinning.
Hanna didn't respond, afraid her voice would reveal the terror that was pulsing through her.
"Your husband, Ben, was a stupid man. He thought he could steal from us."
Hanna's belief that Dellahousaye was involved with her husband in the disastrous land deal that had led to his death and her son's kidnapping was now confirmed. She just stared back at his face trying her best to keep from shaking.
"And now you're with this idiot detective who should be dead... and will be shortly."
The events of the past weeks, including the death of Sam Collins by her own hand, had shaken her but more recently had also given her a new strength and sense of purpose. She was now determined not to let this man see her fear.
"This will all be over soon," he said, grinning before he stood and walked over to talk to one of his men. She watched as the man with the shotgun nodded and went outside.
She was startled when Amelia Richards cried out, "Please don't hurt us! We'll give you what you want!"
Hanna looked across at the woman who was near hysteria.
"Please!" she yelled out again.
Dellahousaye's other man walked calmly over and slapped the side of Amelia's face so hard the sound almost echoed in the small cabin. Hanna flinched as she saw the woman topple over, still tied to the chair. The man left her there on her side and then glared at Hanna as he walked back to a front window to check outside.
She felt Dellahousaye's hand on her arm and looked back as he said, "Not sure how you and Frank got the best of my man, Caine. He was one of the best I ever worked with."
Hanna saw images of Dellahousaye's hit man, the man she knew as Sam Collins, being pulled under by the sharks. She cringed and looked down.
"And your friend, Holloway..." she heard him say. She looked back. "He better find a big rock to hide under."
DEATH ON THE NEW MOON (A Troubled Waters Suspense Thriller Book 6) Page 22