"I did get what I wanted from Beverly" Heather said
-0-
They were sharing a coffee with pastries talking about the history of the town.
"I wonder how much the Benchleys know about their history."
"They insist what all their illustrious ancestors were without blemish." Beverly said a bit acidly. "They do not like to be criticized, not even in the past."
"How about the new one? The one from England?"
"Amos?" Beverly's hand moved quickly to touch her throat but then she recalled herself. "I do not think that he cares that much…"
Heather had seen her and she smiled inwardly. It was going to be easier than she thought.
-0-
"You used me." Beverly said accusingly.
"I did what I had to." Heather shrugged.
"You lied to me… and I had begun to like you."
"Honey, if lying to you was the worst thing I ever did, I would be a happy woman."
"Frank did get into trouble didn't he?' Danny tried to change the conversation."
"YES! And how!" Wendy said
-0-
She was on a break looking at the stores, when she felt a bump.
"This is a gun, honey. Come with us if you don't want to die."
"Who, how? You made a mistake"
"No mistake. You are Carruthers' girlfriend"
They took her away faster than she could think and drove her to a boat.
"If Frank wants to see you again he should come here."
Fear and anger filled her. She had warned Frank again and again about the drugs, but he did not listen. He knew better… and now… now she might get killed.
Her hand fell on her throat… If she could stay alive until dusk… if Amos knew what was happening… If Frank did not come here too soon. She looked at the clock, wanting it to move faster.
She tugged at the handcuff that tied her to the heavy pipe… Very heavy. She could not bend it… But maybe she could slide her hand… They did not watch her too closely. They figured out that she could not escape…
"I have to go to..to.." She said.
"To the head, right? Well… One of them got up, took a length of chain and used it to link the handcuff to the pipe. "That is long enough. Go and come back."
Inside the head she tugged and pulled at the handcuff… but they had closed it too tightly. She gave up and came back… back to waiting..
The sky was blue and the sun was shining…
With luck Frank would take time to be back to port… and when he got the news, he'd have the sense to wait until dusk, and ask for help…
But Frank could be headstrong and impulsive… and he did not fully trust Amos, either…
He could be coming in any moment, confident that he could talk his way out of anything…
"Oh, Frank, why would you not listen?"
Slowly, slowly, the sun begin to sink in the horizon… If only Frank kept away a bit longer…
"He's taking his time."
"He's on his boat, and he probably left his cell at home"
"Well he'd have to come in when it is dark… if he wants to see you again"
The call came:
"You got our message? Do you want to see your girlfriend again?"
..
"Nothing will happen to her if you give us what we want"
...
"Well, go get it… and come here."
Let Frank stall. Wendy put her fingers on her throat again. The wounds that Amos had made were closed, but she could still feel them.
Please let Frank stall….
Darkness crept in slowly. Wendy's heart kept beating fast. A few more minutes… a few more minutes.
"Seems that your boyfriend does not care for you. Or maybe he thinks we are not serious… Maybe if he gets one of your fingers he will see that we do not play around."
Then grabbed her as she fought. They extended her hand and one of them produced a knife.
Then Frank came in.
"I do not have it." He said as he entered "but I know where to get it."
"Still stalling. Cut her finger."
Frank jumped on them, and there was a shot. Frank fell, bleeding.
"No! Wendy screamed trying to get to him.
"Well, it is a loss. Get rid of him. And her."
The door flew open and a wind tore through the room.
Men were thrown against the walls… and yet the wind did not touch Wendy.
"Amos" she recognized him.
There was blood on his face…Wendy looked away and went to Frank.
"He is alive" she said.
Amos bent over him remembering his first responder lessons. Frank was shot and had a bullet inside.. it needed stitching… he summoned Lawson and tried to keep Frank alive.
Wendy talked telling Frank that she had told him not to deal with drugs…that the people he was dealing with were killers… that they had almost died…if it had not been for Amos…
It was not long until Lawson came. HE took in what had happened… realized that while Frank was alive the other men had been killed by Amos' fury. …
He knew that he had a decision to make…And in a sense it was an easy one because he had to protect Amos… it was forced on him…and so it was easy to blame Amos for it…
"I will take him and her. I will stitch him up at my place. You take the boat out and sink it.. nothing here should connect you with it…then come and see me."
Amos accepted it. Yes, no one knew these men… it was not the first boat to sink and if it was deep enough it will be a long time before it was discovered… he felt a twinge of regret… yes, those were bad men, criminals… they were going to ikll someone under his protection…. But still he had killed them all… or not? He though that there was one more… one who had gone over the railing…
Well that made no difference now…
-0-
"So Doc Lawson covered up? To protect you?"
"To protect Frank. When I saw him later he told me that Frank was his son… when he was younger he had made a very stupid thing, have an affair with a patient… something that would have cost him his license… he regretted it but it was done… and he made his business to protect and help Frank without ever acknowledging the truth….he said that to me, as he gave me bullets that he had taken off Frank so I could make them disappear…. Because he was bound by law to report shootings… but not boating or fishing accidents… and he would classify Frank as an accident…"
"So he was not so upright as the show makes him to be."
:He was more complicated than that… as are we all"
-0-
He was bound to protect Amos…he was at Amos' command.. that's why he had done it…
He had been complicit in hiding the death of several men.. he knew that they had been killed and by whom and he had protected the killer… because he had to…
He knew that he was lying to himself. He was protecting Frank, his unacknowledged son, and he was blaming Amos for his decision…
..Even without Frank he would still have helped Amos cover up…
…but not so willingly…
Amos had killed those men so easily, tossing them around tearing into them… even feasting on the corpses…
Amos was what he was…what was HIS excuse?
He barely registered when Heather came in.
"Do you know that there is a vampire in town?" she asked him point blank
"Ridiculous!" he said without conviction his hand going to his throat reflexively.
"John, do not ever play poker. You'll lose your shirt….He got to you didn't he? Is it Amos Benchley?"
"Heather…you do not know how dangerous he can be."
"Yes, it is Amos Benchley. Well I will have a talk with him"
"Heather…don't… you have no idea what he is capable of"
"Thanks for the advice. Maybe I will follow it."