by Marnie Perry
He couldn’t help but think of what she’d said about staying here with him. As he watched, the last remnants of the smile disappeared from her lips. She had a nice smile, lovely in fact, she looked very pretty when she smiled; she looked very pretty when she didn’t smile. She was in fact far more attractive on closer inspection that on a first impression. There was just something about her that drew one to her.
Fuck, what the hell was he doing? She had just made a decision that might change her life forever, no, not might, would change her life forever if Glissando had any say in it. And here he was thinking about her lips, those full, sensual, inviting lips that smiled that soft smile. Here he was thinking about his disappointment that she had decided not to stay a while longer. God, but he must stop having these thoughts about the woman before he lost the battle with his common sense and his libido completely.
He stood up quickly and went into the bedroom, Adela watched him leave wondering why he had gone in there. A few seconds later he returned and handed something to her. She looked down at it startled.
As she took the comb she looked up at him. He said hurriedly, ‘it’s not mine.’
It was a silver wide- toothed comb with little diamanté worked into the handle; it was very pretty and very obviously not a man's. As she took the comb she looked up at him and smiled, ‘I sincerely hope not, Mr. Lando.’ He gave her an exasperated look but she knew it wasn’t serious. She stood up and added very softly, ‘thank you.’
He nodded and went into the kitchen where he made coffee while Adela went into the bathroom to use the comb on her knotted hair. As she looked at herself in the mirror she wondered why he had done that, why had he given her the comb, and why now? Why not when she had first washed her hair? Maybe it was some kind of reward for making the right decision, or what as an ex -cop he would consider the right decision.
She looked at the comb, it was indeed very pretty, the first thought that came to her when he had said, ‘It’s not mine,” was that it had belonged to his wife, his dead wife. Funnily enough the thought that she was using a dead woman’s comb didn’t make her shudder or even hesitate to use it. She had far more pressing things on her mind that getting all freaked out over things like that. But still, it had been a nice, a very nice, gesture on his part.
He was a strange man, one minute offering to go with her to another state and to pay for the bus fare, or offering to escort her to the embassy. The next minute he could be sarcastic and acerbic and downright nasty. Like when he had said that maybe she could pay Hennessey with sex, that had shocked her she had to admit, it had hurt her too although she wasn’t sure why, why should she care what he thought of her? Perhaps the comb had been a means of apologising without actually saying it. But still she felt as though she was walking on eggshells around him.
Although she had to admit she felt a little better now, more relaxed. Maybe because she had made her decision about the best course of action to take, or maybe because the more time went by the less likelihood of Hennessey showing up.
She also had to admit that even though they had been discussing her situation for the last hour she had not really thought about Hennessey overly much, it was as though they had been talking about a stranger, which she supposed he was. Or perhaps she felt better because now she knew that Lando was on her side, that he believed her. She didn’t feel quite so alone any more.
CHAPTER 38.
Lando was trying not to think about why he had done what he had, given her the comb. He knew she would think that it had belonged to his dead wife, it had of course but she had never used it. Maybe the woman was at this moment repulsed by the thought of using someone else’s comb, if she was she had not let it show, in fact she had appeared very grateful.
He looked up as she came into the room and sat down opposite him. Her hair was now neat and tidy and tied back in a ponytail. He was struck once again by how beautiful her hair was; even dirty and dishevelled it had looked lovely, why she had wanted to cut it was a mystery to him.
But maybe she hadn’t really wanted to; there had been a certain relief in her eyes alongside the annoyance she had felt towards him for stopping her. Maybe she had merely been doing everything she could think of to protect herself.
She held out the comb to him saying once again, ‘thank you for that, Mr. Lando, I feel much neater now.’ She smiled, ‘if slightly uneven.’
The sides of his mouth curved upwards ever so slightly as he handed her the mug of coffee, ‘it’ll grow again.’
‘Yes, but so will the other side, so I’m going to be permanently lopsided.’ She tipped her head to the side. His smile widened just for an instant before it disappeared completely as she asked, ‘why did you stop me from cutting it?’
He looked at her in surprise then gave her an impatient look, making her wish she had not asked knowing he would not appreciate being put on the spot. But he shrugged, ‘I told you, you’d regret it later. And it would probably have served no useful purpose.’
That didn’t altogether answer her question but she knew better than to persevere.
She said softly, ‘well thank you for stopping me.’
He shrugged again and they sat in silence for a moment then as if getting his own back for her surprise question he asked, ‘are you sure going to the cops is what you want?’
She looked up quickly; ‘no.’ The reply was abrupt and honest. She smiled albeit a little shakily, ‘no, Mr. Lando, I’m not sure, but I’m still going to do it. If Detective Leyton is still here I’ll ask to speak to him, he seemed to believe me, to like me I think. But then obviously Hennessey hadn't set me up to look guilty when last I spoke to him, he might feel differently now. On the other hand I gave him the raincoat and why would I do that if I were involved with Hennessey’s murderous lifestyle? But I’ll need a lawyer, someone very good. I should contact one before the FBI arrive, if they haven’t already. Perhaps Detective Leyton could help me with that.’
There it was again, Leyton this and Leyton that. Why Leyton? Lando thought, why him and not Sullivan? Why not Sheriff Lomax? He probably knew as many lawyers as Leyton did. He felt that stab again in his ribs but shrugged it off as a touch of stress, which was not surprising considering.
But what was wrong with this woman, had she not learned her lesson about trusting people? This thought, or so he told himself, made him speak more sharply than he intended, ‘you should call a lawyer yourself, not rely on others to do it for you, Id've thought you’d learned not to rely on others so much.’ She looked perplexed so he enlightened her, ‘according to you everyone could be on Glissando’s payroll, cops, feds, lawyers, yet you’re going trust a cop to recommend a lawyer for you. I can see now how you ended up in this situation, Miss. Much- Too- Trusting.’
She looked down chastened. He was right, she was too trusting, she should learn to start relying only on herself. ‘You’re right, I’m sorry, it’s just so hard when you don’t know anyone or how to go about things, it’s just sometimes easier to lean on others, to trust them.’
He regretted his outburst but if he had gotten through to her then all to the good. She said, ‘I’ll try not to be so reliant and trusting in future.’ She gave a half smile, ‘except you of course, I do trust you, Mr. Lando.’
His face darkened as he barked, ‘well don’t.’ She frowned, ‘did you not hear what I just said? It’d pay you not to trust anyone, even me,’ he added as though to himself, ‘especially me.’
She didn’t understand, why shouldn’t she trust him of all people? He had helped her, she desperately wanted to know what he had meant but thought it best to let it go.
As for Lando he was thinking that yet again that he shouldn’t have snapped at her like that. He tried to see it from her point of view, that she needed to trust someone, anyone. And of all people she had chosen him, him with his track record. She knew of course that he’d been in prison for murder, the murder of a woman no less, and yet she had not run screaming from him when they had first met
in the woods, on the contrary she had smiled at him, even spoken to him with only the slightest trace of the nervousness that would have been natural with anyone she met in a lonely place. And she had trusted him enough to tell him her story. How many women would have done all that? Not many.
She brought him out of his reverie by asking, ‘Mr. Lando, why do you think Hennessey hasn’t shown up yet?’
He was nonplussed by her change of subject and scowled as he said, ‘how should I know?
She ignored his brusqueness, ‘well, I just thought you would be able to deduce what he might do next. If he suspected I would come here why he would wait so long before coming for me? How his mind might work, that kind of thing.’
‘And why would I know how his mind works?’ He raised his head and his voice was dangerously low, the same tone Adela had heard before when he had answered Sullivan’s accusation’s earlier. ‘I see, because we’re both killers, right? I can get into his mind because I have the mind of a murderer too?’
Adela’s face was a portrait of shock and dismay, whatever she had expected him to say it wasn’t what he had. She stammered, ‘no, no, that’s not it at all, I only meant…
‘I think it was very clear what you meant, ma’am.’ He interrupted.
She was desperate to reassure him, ‘I assure you, Mr. Lando that thought never…
Again he cut her off, ‘it goes without saying that the good folk of Alban have been kind enough to warn you about me, stay away from that crazy bastard in the woods, Miss. Faraday, he’s a nutcase, a murderer, killed his own wife no less.’
She winced but said firmly, ‘I’ve told you before, Mr. Lando, I don’t pay any attention to gossip or rumour.’
He snorted derisively, ‘you obviously listen to it though or you wouldn’t know about me would you? You wouldn’t have said what you did about me getting away from my memories and my guilt.’ His eyes challenged her.
Her shock vanished to be replaced with chagrin, ‘yes I said that, and I apologised for it, an apology which you accepted.’
‘Yeah I did, because I don’t give a fuck what you or anyone else thinks of me, lady. But don’t give me bullshit about not believing rumours or listening to gossip, everyone does, they take great delight in it. For some it’s away of life, even a profession, like that old bitch Rose Hosewater. So don’t pretend to be any different than they are, you’re no saint, or you wouldn’t be here now would you.’
Looking at her hurt and mortified expression, once again he regretted his words and wished he could take them back. But the thought of her listening to and believing the gossipmongers angered him and caused him to say things he knew he shouldn’t and that she didn’t deserve. But as he watched the hurt look dissipated and her face hardened but her voice was calm as she said, ‘you’re right, Mr. Lando, it’s hard not to listen to gossip, but listening to it and believing it are two different things. Yet you’re obviously guilty of that which you accuse others.’ He arched his brows perplexed, ‘yes, you must listen to and believe gossip too or you wouldn’t have said what you did to me, otherwise why would you think that I was cosseted and pampered.’
He was astonished by the accusation and he shot her a venomous look. He fought to keep up his hostility but knew he sounded defensive as he said bit out, ‘I don’t need others to tell me that, lady, it’s pretty damned obvious from where I’m sitting.’
‘Then maybe you ought to sit here,’ she returned, ‘maybe then you wouldn’t be quite so judgemental, so ready to believe the worst of people. Maybe you should get to know someone before you discriminate. Have you ever heard that old saying, “Practise what you preach?” You might do well to remember it, Mr. Lando.’
Once again he was stunned not so much by her words spoken with a bitterness that matched his own, but that she had put him in the wrong, which he knew he was. He had accused her of doing what he had done, judged her without knowing her or anything about her. But there was a difference; whatever she had heard about him was more than likely true. He said, ‘right back at ya.’ The words made him sound petulant, she obviously thought so too because she looked down her nose at him, he had to admit she did disdain and haughty very well indeed.
Before he could speak she said, ‘but just to put the record straight once and for all, I meant you might understand how Hennessey’s mind works because you were a policeman, a detective, unless of course that rumour isn’t true either,’ he glared at her but she ignored him,’ you must have had dealings with all kinds of criminals, including professional killers, I thought you might have some insight into what he might be thinking or what he might do next, that’s all.’
Lando had known in his heart that she had not meant what he had accused her of but he was so used to people assuming things about him, thinking the worst of him, that he had reacted instinctively. But it was hard to back down, hard for him to apologise. As a cop you never apologised because you couldn’t put yourself in the wrong, and as a con you never backed down and never, ever apologised, that was a sure sign of weakness. Before he could react to her statement she went on, ‘and since we’re now being honest with each other, and since we’re talking about what we each said to the other earlier, you never did explain how you knew Sterling Hennessey’s name, or that I was in Eden.’
His expression changed from hostility to surprise at her quick change of subject, before it settled on guarded. He thought he had effectively put this question to bed once and for all.
She saw his expression and said, ‘what? You said yourself I should stop trusting people, including you, especially you, so here I am not trusting you and asking how you knew things you could not possibly have known since you never go into town, and certainly no one ever comes here.’
His jaw clenched as he leaned forward and tried to stare her down by the ferocity of his gaze but she didn’t budge. He had to give her credit, if he had still been a cop and she a suspect he would have had a hard time breaking her.
Adela was glad now she had read so much about interrogation procedures, she knew what he was doing, leaning forward to crowd her space, trying to intimidate her into backing away, holding her eyes with his hard, cold ones, remaining silent trying to get her to speak first, clenching his fists as though ready to hit out. She reacted to none of those things but waited for him to make the next move.
Eventually he leaned back a little and uncurled his fists but his eyes never left hers.
He knew had had fallen into a trap of his own making and he hated being put in this position, but he knew she had a right to know, so trying to keep his tone nonchalant and unconcerned he said, ‘all right, you want to know, I’ll tell you. I knew you were in Eden because I went into town on the pretext of looking for something in the hardware store and Sheriff Lomax told me. And I learned Hennessey’s name through calling Sheriff Taylor in Eden, again on the pretext of looking for someone else.
I used my ex- partners name and my old badge number to get his cooperation. I described the guy calling himself David Somers and asked Taylor to keep an eye open for him, told him that he was wanted for conning women out of their savings. He told me the only strangers in town were you and a guy called Sterling Hennessey, but apart from the height he didn’t fit the description of David Somers, who had blonde hair and brown eyes, a wig and coloured contact lenses I know now.
I suspected that Hennessey was the man posing as Somers but couldn’t prove it of course without going there and getting a look at him for myself so I told the Sheriff to keep his eye on Hennessey. Having no phone I had to make up some excuse why he couldn’t call me but I called him every day from a borrowed cell or at a diner in the next town.
He informed me that Hennessey seemed on the level, that he seemed to care about you, was very protective of you, even told me about the panther incident. So I thought maybe I was mistaken and that the gut in your cabin calling himself Somers really was who he said he was. Certainly the woman I spoke to at the realtor's office confirmed his description and
that checking up on a property on his way to his vacation was something he would do.
Adela was staring at him wide eyed with disbelief but now her jaw dropped almost to her knees. He had checked with Sheriff Taylor, the realtor, even gone into town and spoken to Sheriff Lomax, all on her behalf. Before she could speak and interrupt his flow he hurried on his tone less defensive and more regretful now, ‘the only day I didn’t call was yesterday because of Josie and her foal, and of course we know what happened don’t we? But even if I had known something was wrong I’m not sure what I could have done, except tell Taylor what I suspected.’
He stopped here and waited for her reaction although she didn’t seem capable of one right now, rendered silent and immobile by his confession as she was. He expected to see suspicion in her eyes but there was none only shock and bewilderment. He said, ‘there that’s it, that’s how I know what I know.’
She was speechless. Then she recalled how Sheriff Taylor had always to be watching when she was with Hennessey, at least in the town, she knew now with suspicion. How he had practically ordered Hennessey to take care of her. He was telling Hennessey that he was watching him. Eventually her voice so low he could barely hear her she said, ‘but…but why? Why would you do that? Why would you go to all that trouble for me?’
He feigned indifference, ‘I was a cop, it’s second nature to be curious.’
‘That doesn’t really answer my question.’
He shrugged, ‘that’s the only answer I have.’
She stared at him completely dumbfounded. He had been worried about her, concerned for her; he had taken so much trouble on her behalf. She whispered, ‘so you met Hennessey and were concerned about my safety, because of Olivia, because of those two men, they aroused your suspicions?’
He nodded. She suddenly leaned forward and put her face in her hands and shook her head saying through her fingers, ‘I can’t believe you did that, I can’t believe you went to all that trouble for me.’ She removed her hands and her face once again very troubled said, ‘you said you gave Sheriff Taylor your ex -partner's name and your old badge number?’