by Marnie Perry
But the important thing was that they had found minuscule droplets of blood on the coat which belonged not to Blakemore but his business partner, the silent supposedly secret partner in crime.
The D.A. spoke first, ‘it looks like this Hennessey guy is becoming more and more interesting as far as the Blakemore murder is concerned. First he lied to his lady friend about the hire car, not that that is important in itself, what man wouldn’t want to own a car like that? But it looks like he lied to the car hire company about being car jacked in order not to use his credit cards, and there’s only one reason a person would do that and that’s to stay under the radar.’
Leyton recalled that Adela had said almost the same thing. Lang went on, ‘all of this could be explained of course. What can’t be explained away so easily is what the raincoat of a murdered man is doing in his possession.’ They all looked at each other then at her, ‘so, any leads to where our Mr. Sterling Hennessey is right now?’
Lieutenant Freling said, ‘no, nothing, nada, zip, he’s disappeared off the face of the earth.’
‘No, he’s still on this earth somewhere,’ Lang said, ‘and said, ‘and we need to find him ASAP. This man, if he is our killer, found a way past five heavily armed men, two attack dogs and a state of the art security system to get to Blakemore. Shot him in his own bed, stole his car and made his getaway without anyone being any the wiser until five hours later.’
Leyton said, ‘he also somehow discovered who Blakemore’s partner was tracked him down and did away with him too.’
Freling nodded, ‘if he is our guy he’s smart, very smart, cunning and crafty and damn good at what he does.’
‘He could be more than that,’ said Leyton quietly, ‘they all looked at him, ‘why do you think he went after those two guys in particular? Because they’re lowlife’s and don’t deserve to live? Because he’s a kinda vigilante getting rid of the scum to make life safer for the rest of us? Because he hates the way drugs ruin lives and wants to help stop it?’
Sullivan said impatiently, ‘so what you getting at, Ellis?’
Leyton opened his mouth to answer but Lang got there first, ‘he means, what are his motives for killing Blakemore and Stanton?’
Leyton nodded, ‘and there’s only one answer. These men had competitors, enemies, powerful enemies, people in the same kind of business they were in; people who would want to see them erased.’ He looked around at all present, ‘which means that Hennessey could be a contract killer.’
They were all silent digesting this. Sullivan opened his mouth as if he was going to argue with this conclusion and come up with some other, more reasonable explanation; he obviously couldn’t because he closed his mouth again.
Then Hooper said, ‘but why would he linger here in Mississippi, in small town Eden, why would he get involved with this woman, this Adela Faraday?’
They all looked at him then at each other and Leyton’s skin turned cold and his heart did a quick somersault. This time the silence was palpable.
Freling’s tone was low and serious sounding as he asked, ‘what’s this woman like, is she the kind to have a hit put out on her?’
Sullivan looked at his partner smirking, ‘Ellis has become pretty pally with Miss. Faraday, isn’t that right, Ellis?’
Ellis looked daggers at him as he felt heat creep up his face, not just with embarrassment but also with guilt. He had decided to keep to himself the fact that he had told her about Hennessey’s non de plume’s, one, because he would get a severe reprimand from his boss and two, because he didn’t want them to ask why he had told her and he had no answer to that, he didn’t know himself. He cleared his throat and said, ‘in my view she’s the most unlikely person to have a contract put out on her. Besides, she’s only been in Mississippi for a week, she’s only been in the country for two weeks.
He could have just chosen Eden to hide awhile, either after the Blakemore hit or for some other crime he committed. And he might have just been using her as cover. A couple would arouse less suspicion that a man alone.'
'That makes sense,' said Lang, 'or she is a target and he just hasn't had the opportunity as yet to strike, maybe he's just been biding his time.'
Leyton inwardly shuddered and said, 'no, he's had ample opportunities.' He went on to tell them about their trips out, about the panther. Finishing with, 'they've spent time in the woods and other isolated places, if she were a hit he would have found a chance to strike.'
Freling nodded, ‘where was she before?’
‘Alabama.’
‘Anything happen there. Did she get into any trouble; piss off the wrong people, anything like that?’
Leyton had not thought of that. He said, ‘she didn’t mention anything. But I’ll ask.’
Freling nodded, ‘do that,’ then with some urgency added, ‘and now would be a good time. If for whatever reason she is Hennessey’s target he seems like the kind of guy who won’t let a small thing like police protection stand in his way. At the very least she's a witness to his attack on Maxwell.' He picked up the phone, ‘I’ll call Jones, he’s watching her cabin, tell him to be on high alert for anything remotely suspicious and to take extra care of her…and himself.’
Lang said, ‘I’ll call the FBI and fill them in, see if they have anything on Hennessey, or anyone fitting his description or M.O in their files. Leyton was already at the door but turned when Freling said, ‘and, Ellis, it maybe that we’re jumping to conclusions about this Hennessey guy. He may not be a hired killer and that she don’t have a hit on her. But he could still see her as a potential threat and come after her to shut her up.’
Leyton’s stomach clenched as did his jaw. He nodded.
Sullivan stood and said, ‘I’ll get a hold of Sheriff Taylor, ask if he knows where she stayed in Alabama and if not, who would. Then I’ll make enquiries there.’
Leyton nodded again then left at a run hoping that they were completely wrong about Hennessey, and if not, hoping they would not be too late.
CHAPTER 28.
Adela awoke suddenly and abruptly and for a moment she couldn’t think where she was; only the fact that she was cramped and uncomfortable reminded her that she had fallen asleep on the sofa, and apart from her shoes and socks she was wearing the clothes she had been wearing earlier. She raised herself up and groaned, her head ached as did her right arm where she had lain on it. She switched on the lamp which was on the small table next to the sofa and looked at her watch, 1.30a.m. Going to the window she peeked through the curtains She knew she was being watched by the police, she had seen a man out there several times and had seen Detective Leyton look towards the trees as he had entered the cabin earlier, so knew they had sent someone to either watch over her, or to catch Hennessey if he attempted to contact her, or if she had read Sullivan right, she to contact him.
Sullivan didn’t like her and didn’t trust her so it was probably his idea to have someone watch her cabin. She gave a derisive little smirk; as if she would contact Hennessey again, as if she would want too, and why would he try to see her again, his plans to con her had gone awry thanks to his violent temper.
She closed the curtain impatient with herself, she must stop thinking about him, must stop conjuring up his image in her mind, stop seeing that smile, that laugh, those remarkable blue eyes.
She stood a moment looking around the room then went into the bathroom. When she’d done she splashed her face with cold water and brushed her teeth. She had showered twice since Leyton had left and this would be the forth time she had brushed her teeth, but still she thought she could smell Hennessey on her body, taste him on her lips. But she realised that no matter how many times she washed herself and brushed her teeth she would never completely erase him. She knew it was stupid, crazy even, but that’s how she felt, dirty and cheap.
In the bathroom she looked at herself in the mirror and saw what Leyton must have seen, a too pale face and wide bewildered eyes. She turned and left the bathroom. She sensed the prese
nce four seconds before she saw it and reacted two seconds after that, but it took only three seconds for him to strike. He came up behind her clamped a hand over her open mouth and an arm around her waist and pulled her to him. She froze as a French sounding voice said, ‘just do as I say and you won’t get hurt.’
He began to drag her backwards into the living room and towards the bed. Her eyes opened wide when she realised his intentions. She struggled against his hold but his grip was very strong. She writhed and bucked trying to throw herself forward into the bathroom, she kicked backwards but her bare feet made no impression. His words were low and very calm as he said, ‘stop struggling, I don’t want to hurt you.’
His words registered in her terrified mind; nevertheless she did not heed them. She struggled even more furiously. She clamped her teeth down on his hand, he hissed with pain and his hand loosened just the slightest and only for a few seconds, but it was enough for her to open her mouth and let out a scream until his hand once again clamped over it, and this time her nose too. She gasped and her chest heaved as she tried to breath, she was fighting a losing battle and knew it, but she didn’t give up.
She raised both legs and pressed her bare feet against the doorframe and pushed back very hard, but he pulled her backwards so that her feet slipped down the door frame and hit the floor with a painful slap. The man exclaimed, 'merde.'
Still she fought on, she lifted her right leg and bought the heel down on his instep, he let out a low grunt and his hold on her waist and mouth loosened just enough for her to act and she did. She dashed back into the bathroom; she had the door partially closed when he caught her up. She pushed the door with all her might but to no avail, it was thrust all the way open and she staggered back landing painfully on her side next to the shower. Using the shower curtain as leverage she tried to stand upright, but it slipped from her fingers pulling some of the rings from the curtain and bringing down the towels drying on the rail, they fell on her face obscuring her vision. He took advantage, grabbed her shoulders and threw her face down onto the cold tiled floor.
She bucked trying to throw him off but he pinned her arms behind her and put his knee between her shoulder blades. She screamed again. He put his face very close to her ear and whispered, ‘no point screaming, your bodyguard won’t be coming to your rescue.’
She froze in shock but again did not heed his words and opened her mouth to scream again when suddenly a pain like no other shot through her entire being. Her body convulsed as if she’d been electrocuted which she would discover later she had.
Just as her body began to calm another pain this time in her neck took every last ounce of fight from her as her head exploded in agony and then there was nothing but darkness.
*********
Leyton had driven with the siren blaring and the light flashing until he was within half a mile of Adela’s cabin when he turned them both off, he did not want to warn any would be intruder of his presence. He knew he should slow down because he was well over the speed limit even for a cop responding to an emergency. He had tried to call Adela on her cell phone but had gotten her voice mail time and again. He cursed, what was the stupid woman thinking to turn off her phone at this time?
He tried to call Jones but to his horror couldn’t reach him either. His heart hammered in his chest as he called Sullivan telling him that Jones could not be reached and asking him to send back up to Adela’s cabin.
Leyton punched the steering wheel in frustration then took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. He told himself that nothing had yet been proved against Hennessey, and even if he was a killer, contract or otherwise, it didn’t mean that his next hit was Adela Faraday. If it had been why would he stay in Eden to be with her, why would he escort her on trips and buy her dinner at expensive restaurants? Why do that with someone you’ve been paid to kill? It made no sense. But then who knew what went on in a killer's mind.
Unless there was more to it, unless it was some kind of smoke screen as he’d said. But Leyton knew, as much as he tried to tell himself that it was highly improbable that she was his target, that they were right about Hennessey, he had killed Blakemore and Stanton and for some bizarre reason intended harm to Adela Faraday, he didn’t know how he knew, he just did.
It seemed to take him forever to cover the few miles from Gulfport to Eden but in fact took less than fifteen minutes. When he got there he parked as close as he could to Adela’s cabin, flung himself out of the car and ran into the woods taking out his gun as he did so. When he reached the periphery of the trees he stopped dead and looked around, he saw and heard nothing, not a sound, not even insects or animals, it was eerily quiet. He just hoped no one would come out of their cabin, especially kids.
Adela’s cabin was in darkness and there was no sign of Jones. Where was he for God’s sake? He walked a few steps towards the cabin and tripped over something lying on the ground, he cursed and looked around to see what it was he had fallen over. His blood ran cold as he looked down at the inert form of his colleague Simon Jones. On hands and knees he crawled towards him and turned him over, Jones eyes were closed and his face very pale. He put his ear to the man's chest and gasped with relief, he was breathing. Leyton took out his phone and in an urgent whisper relayed to dispatch what had happened and urged them to send an ambulance and back up immediately. He hung up then took off his jacket and put it under Jones' head. Then on all fours he made his way through the trees to the back of Adela’s cabin.
He knew he should wait for Sullivan or his back up but he knew somehow that Adela Faraday couldn’t afford for him to wait, maybe he was already too late, he prayed not.
When he got within a few feet he stopped and looked around, again he saw and heard nothing. He had taken one step towards the cabin when he heard a car start up. He looked towards where the sound was coming from but saw no lights, it sounded as if it was coming from deep into the woods, he had probably only heard it at all because everywhere was so silent.
He walked around to the side of the cabin hoping he could see through the window but the drapes were drawn. Very slowly and quietly he made his way around to the front of the house where once again the drapes were drawn across the window. He sighed with impatience before trying the door, it was locked. He reached into his pocket and took out a small bag from which he withdrew a lock pick; he had the door open in ten seconds. Crouching down his gun gripped in both hands and his heart beating very fast he very slowly pushed open the door with his foot.
There was a little light from the lamp on the coffee table next to the sofa. He approached hoping and praying that she would be lying there. He looked very carefully over the back of the sofa not wanting her to wake and see him standing there holding a gun. She would be furious, furious and scared to death but he would rather face her furious than dead. But to his great disappointment and ever increasing fear, she was not there.
He looked around the room; she was not in the bed he had seen that immediately. He saw the door to the bathroom door was slightly ajar although no light came from within, he cautiously made his way towards it. He slowly pushed open the door, again with his foot, it swung open, he switched on the light and glanced around but saw nothing amiss. So where the hell was she? Had she left already, without informing either he or Sullivan? But some of her things were still here, a pair of socks and stockings hung over the bath, he touched them, they were damp, her shower gel and soap were still here and her toothbrush. He looked at the shower, he touched the curtain, it was damp too, so she hadn’t long had a shower. He noticed some of the little plastic rings were not attached to the shower curtain.
He went back into the living room and glanced around, there seemed nothing out of place here either, it was as neat and tidy and clean as it had been when he was here earlier in the day. Even the bed was made so she had not been slept in it unless she had made it again, but why do that in the middle of the night. He opened the door of the wardrobe and saw her clothes still hanging there. He checked th
e drawers, they contained her underwear and night things as well as socks and more stockings. He fingered them, they were fine and delicate, he shut the drawer with a sharp thud, he felt like a pervert.
He looked under the bed, nothing, he stood up and went into the kitchen and from there he looked around the room again slowly this time. Something was missing; her purse which had been on the table in the centre of the room.
Her purse had gone as well as the backpack he had seen hanging on the back of the door.
What had she done, had what he had told her frightened her so much that she had fled Mississippi? No, she wouldn’t do that. One of the last things he had said to her was not to go anywhere until she had contacted them and they would get someone to escort her to the airport. If she was scared enough to consider leaving immediately she would have been too scared to venture out alone surely, unless she had panicked. He felt a wave of guilt overtake him until common sense prevailed, he was being stupid, why would she leave without her things, her clothes etcetera. And anyway, even if she had left it still didn’t explain what had happened to Jones.
Just then he heard the sound of a vehicle approaching and another, then several car doors being closed. He went to the front door and opened it. Sullivan met him on the little veranda. His first words were, ‘so our little English pigeon has flown the coop has she’
Leyton frowned annoyed, ‘she’s gone if that’s what you mean.’
Sullivan looked complacent, ‘thought so.’
Before Leyton could speak again Sullivan barged past him and into the cabin. Leyton walked down the steps and directed the paramedics to where Jones lay still unconscious but breathing. He then spoke to the two uniformed cops who had come with Sullivan. He told them about the car he’d heard and from which direction the sound had come. They said they would check it out so he left them to it and went back into the cabin.