Chapter 9
The sight of the police at her house made her shiver. Daniella stared at Andrew in fear as he walked on. She followed behind him and stopped walking when they reached the house.
"Good evening Mr. Andrew..." The FBI then faced Daniella, "Where is your brother?"
She gasped, they came for Angus? Washing her first judgement off, she replied, "I don't know. He hasn't been home for days now. What's wrong?"
He smiled, "You sure he's not running away from his crime?"
Andrew stepped in, "What crime?"
Daniella shook as she heard his reply, "He is needed in our custody. Suspected for the murder of Ashley Thomas. It was discovered that details on the money he possesses match those on Ashley's. Technically, all his purchases here in Texas has been with Ashley's own money after she died. That is a big suspicion and we are pushed to seize all your property here in Texas for now, including your house, store and account balance."
Daniella vied not to believe that Angus could kill Ashley. But the reason given by the police was concrete enough for that; a poor brat having the opportunity to be friends with someone as affluent as Ashley would want to kill her and take all her money.
She looked at Andrew and returned her gaze to the God-forsaken agent, "So you are leaving me homeless, jobless and broke?"
He sighed, "I'm afraid so, that is until investigation is carried out and we realise otherwise. Since you claim you don't know where Mr. Angus Mccurly is, I just suppose we keep on looking. Good night."
After the dispersal of the police, Daniella leaned on the wall for support, "No! Angus could not have killed Ashley right?"
Andrew slipped his hands into his pocket, "My faith is in his lifestyle. He's got no heart of a killer. But how did he end up with Ashley's money?"
She shook her head, "I dunno. Right now, I'm thinking of what to do with myself."
He sighed, "Why exactly would you be thinking when Andrew Stephen's around. You stay with me."
That sounded more like an order than a suggestion. However, she did not have an option, did she? She tried to swallow the fact she had been living off Ashley Thomas's money.
Andrew was busy thinking evil again, "Let's go home now. Leave everything to me."
She felt comforted. That kind of a promise from Andrew was very reliable.
When she walked through his door that night, though not for the first time, she looked at it in a different way, not as a friend's home but as a place she would start living in from now on.
Andrew made his bed as he tried to think of how Angus, in Newyork was accused of murdering Ashley in Texas, "Danielle, you will sleep in this bed. I wouldn't want you to stay in the guest room alone."
She frowned, "What about you?"
Andrew tried humor, "Nah! I don't really use the bed. Sleeping is not my kind of thing."
Dani shrugged, "Yeah. I figured. Why? "
After a second or two of thoughtful frowns, he replied, "Paranoia, melancholy. I have a lot, like a lot of enemies. Just so you know, we'd be on our way to Newyork next week."
Daniella frowned in confusion, "You and I?"
He gave his smile, "No, you and my driver, " he mocked in sarcasm, "I'd sleep on the couch. Wake me if you need anything."
Dani smiled at him, "Good night Andrew."
"Night Danielle, " he nodded.
Daniella forced the heavy blankets above her. She had to get used to this new-fangled life of being in a place where they had diamonds for breakfast. Like even his blankets had his name on them.
Meanwhile, Andrew had his eyes open in frustration.His breathing rate had increased and he was dripping sweat in the cold.
His drugs....But Danielle.
He watched her sleep soundly, innocently deprived of her peace.
He now stared at his shivering hands and felt he would lose his mind without the pills. But then, he would lose her if he had them.
It felt like an illusion when she saw the figure moving helplessly round the room. The alarm clock read 1:00 in the morning. The figure scattered everything in the room, held his head in his hand and screamed in fury. It took spiritual aid to realise it was not a dream. It was Andrew.
Getting up quickly, Daniella held him, "Andrew, wake up!"
Andrew turned to her and blinked tears back, "I'm not sleep walking Danielle. I don't know what's wrong with me. I can't do it."
The lack of drugs had its effect clearly written on him. She felt she was subjecting him a little too much. Andrew hit his lamp and broke it, a deep cut in his hand. He turned to the door but Dani held him back, "Andrew, look at me, " when she saw he was breathing calmly, she bent his head to hers, looked into his eyes and continued, "This is to help you Andrew."
"But Dani, " he pushed.
Daniella brushed his hair with her hand and pitched in, "A little more time. You'll be fine."
Andrew nodded and blinked the tears away. Soon, he realised how close their bodies were and it was not something he was used to.
Closing his eyes, he gave in to her and what she made him feel.
She caressed his face, "C'mon, stay next to me." Andrew opened his eyes and stared at her blankly as she dragged him gently and tucked him into bed. Lying beside him, she placed her head on his shoulder. Now she was the one protecting him.
Putting himself together, he fell silently, comfortably to sleep, ignoring the crazy reactions going on inside him.
She was there neutralizing everything.
* * *
"I want him, dead or alive, " Alex told Robert Gasky, popularly known as 'Pain'.
Robert shrugged, "I dunno man, Andrew's a hell of a kid. I do not want anything to do with him."
Alex frowned in disgust, "And you call yourself Pain? He is only feared because he has help from friends. Alone, he's pathetic."
A little ray of hope flickered in Pain's eyes, "How 'er you so sure?"
Alex leaned on a crutch, "That's unless you feel Andrew can beat those muscles."
Pain shrugged, "Kid, I still have double feelings about this."
Alex sighed, "I'd tell you what. There's this his girl he's so connected to. A Daniella Mccurly. That is an easy bridge to him."
Pain grimaced, "I know her. She hates you. Why would she help?"
Alex smirked, "Oh she hates me alright, but I know someone who is an acquaintance to her."
Robert frowned, "Wow, who?"
"Ashley's murderer, " Alex replied.
Pain seemed to straighten, "I thought you killed Ashley."
Alex smirked, "Well. I had a hand in it. I mean the one who pulled the trigger."
"And who's that?" Pain asked.
Alex smiled, a smile of satisfaction. This was going to end well. Pain chuckled as he heard the name. The name that would make Andrew believe anything, the same name that could deceive Daniella, kidnap her, force Andrew to come to save her alone and pull the trigger to his head.
That was the plan. His last people to kill so as to save himself from ending up in jail for murder, the ones who knew him in and out.