Read Online The First Assassin by John J. Miller - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: John J. Miller
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today, so we probably have about ten minutes to get the job done—plenty of time. Now let me show you—”
The sound of a short knock interrupted him. The door to the room opened, and Lucius walked in. He stepped gingerly around the photographic equipment spread across the floor and approached Bennett.
“There is a visitor, sir,” announced Lucius. “He won’t give his name, but he says he’s from Cuba. He insists that you know him.”
Bennett looked at Hughes. “Perhaps our wait is over,” he said. Then he turned his attention to Lucius. “Give us a moment to arrange ourselves.”
The old slave exited the room. Bennett rose to his feet and looked at the photographic equipment. “Mr. Leery, you will have to excuse us. Mr. Hughes and I have a pressing appointment. You must leave immediately.”
“I understand.” The photographer turned to his assistant, but Marcus was already cleaning up. He spoke again to Bennett. “Shall I make prints of these photos for you right away? I can drop them off here, and you can review them later today at your convenience.”
“That would be fine, Mr. Leery. See that Lucius gets them.”
As Leery and Marcus scrambled to pack and go, Bennett put his arm around Hughes. “I will do the negotiating with our guest,” he said in a hushed voice. “You are here primarily as a witness.”
“I know. We’ve gone over this,” said Hughes.
The photographers did not need long. Marcus stuffed the darkroom full of pans and solutions, collapsed it, and carried it away. Leery took the camera. At the door, he paused for a moment. “Thank you very much for this opportunity, Mr. Bennett and Mr. Hughes. I am sure you will be pleased with the result.”
“Yes, Mr. Leery. Good-bye,” said Bennett.
Hughes frowned at Bennett’s curtness. “Thank you, Mr. Leery. Please do deliver those prints. I will be anxious to see them.”
With that, Leery left. The two men could hear him and Marcus stomping down the stairs with their load. The front door opened and closed. There was silence for a moment. Next came the faint sound of footsteps moving up the stairs, getting louder.
In walked Lucius. “Sir, your guest.”
A figure stood in the doorway. He was clean-shaven, lean, and about average height. The man’s hair was the color of sand. Long exposure to the sun had reddened his skin. His expressionless face was long and narrow. Two bright blue eyes took in the whole room before settling on Bennett.
“Welcome,” said Bennett. Lucius thought he had never seen his master’s grin look so guarded. There was even a touch of dread in it. Bennett shook the stranger’s hand, and then Hughes did the same.
Bennett hobbled across the room and motioned to a chair for his guest. The visitor followed and sat down, and Bennett and Hughes took seats facing him. The visitor turned his head deliberately, looking over his left shoulder in the direction of Lucius, who remained standing near the door. His silent request was perfectly clear—he wanted Lucius to leave—but what immediately caught Bennett’s attention was the ear on the right side of his head. Or what remained of it. Half was missing, and most of the rest was mangled. The only unaffected part was a drooping lobe that would have looked large on a fully attached and healthy ear. On this one, it seemed like a bizarre, dangling growth.
The sight distracted Bennett for a moment. Then he spoke. “Lucius, please leave us,” he said. “Why don’t you go see if Mr. Leery needs help?”
The three men listened to Lucius go down the steps. There was a pause, and then the front door opened and closed.
“I have not been in the United States for many years,” said the visitor.
“This is not the United States anymore, you know,” said Bennett earnestly. “This is South Carolina. We have seceded.”
“Ah, yes,” chuckled the visitor. Bennett was not sure whether he was being laughed with or laughed at. He decided he did not want to know the
The sound of a short knock interrupted him. The door to the room opened, and Lucius walked in. He stepped gingerly around the photographic equipment spread across the floor and approached Bennett.
“There is a visitor, sir,” announced Lucius. “He won’t give his name, but he says he’s from Cuba. He insists that you know him.”
Bennett looked at Hughes. “Perhaps our wait is over,” he said. Then he turned his attention to Lucius. “Give us a moment to arrange ourselves.”
The old slave exited the room. Bennett rose to his feet and looked at the photographic equipment. “Mr. Leery, you will have to excuse us. Mr. Hughes and I have a pressing appointment. You must leave immediately.”
“I understand.” The photographer turned to his assistant, but Marcus was already cleaning up. He spoke again to Bennett. “Shall I make prints of these photos for you right away? I can drop them off here, and you can review them later today at your convenience.”
“That would be fine, Mr. Leery. See that Lucius gets them.”
As Leery and Marcus scrambled to pack and go, Bennett put his arm around Hughes. “I will do the negotiating with our guest,” he said in a hushed voice. “You are here primarily as a witness.”
“I know. We’ve gone over this,” said Hughes.
The photographers did not need long. Marcus stuffed the darkroom full of pans and solutions, collapsed it, and carried it away. Leery took the camera. At the door, he paused for a moment. “Thank you very much for this opportunity, Mr. Bennett and Mr. Hughes. I am sure you will be pleased with the result.”
“Yes, Mr. Leery. Good-bye,” said Bennett.
Hughes frowned at Bennett’s curtness. “Thank you, Mr. Leery. Please do deliver those prints. I will be anxious to see them.”
With that, Leery left. The two men could hear him and Marcus stomping down the stairs with their load. The front door opened and closed. There was silence for a moment. Next came the faint sound of footsteps moving up the stairs, getting louder.
In walked Lucius. “Sir, your guest.”
A figure stood in the doorway. He was clean-shaven, lean, and about average height. The man’s hair was the color of sand. Long exposure to the sun had reddened his skin. His expressionless face was long and narrow. Two bright blue eyes took in the whole room before settling on Bennett.
“Welcome,” said Bennett. Lucius thought he had never seen his master’s grin look so guarded. There was even a touch of dread in it. Bennett shook the stranger’s hand, and then Hughes did the same.
Bennett hobbled across the room and motioned to a chair for his guest. The visitor followed and sat down, and Bennett and Hughes took seats facing him. The visitor turned his head deliberately, looking over his left shoulder in the direction of Lucius, who remained standing near the door. His silent request was perfectly clear—he wanted Lucius to leave—but what immediately caught Bennett’s attention was the ear on the right side of his head. Or what remained of it. Half was missing, and most of the rest was mangled. The only unaffected part was a drooping lobe that would have looked large on a fully attached and healthy ear. On this one, it seemed like a bizarre, dangling growth.
The sight distracted Bennett for a moment. Then he spoke. “Lucius, please leave us,” he said. “Why don’t you go see if Mr. Leery needs help?”
The three men listened to Lucius go down the steps. There was a pause, and then the front door opened and closed.
“I have not been in the United States for many years,” said the visitor.
“This is not the United States anymore, you know,” said Bennett earnestly. “This is South Carolina. We have seceded.”
“Ah, yes,” chuckled the visitor. Bennett was not sure whether he was being laughed with or laughed at. He decided he did not want to know the
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