Anonymous

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter 14
Despite the delay, the flight to Newyork was noticeably short. But the awkward moments of silence between Dani and Andrew were uncomfortable. She had planned for a pleasant chat between them but Andrew... Well he just had to go deaf with headphones over his ears throughout the flight!
Matthew and Janet were already at the airport to pick them up.
That was when Dani noted that Andrew clearly picked the people he mingled with. Friend or foe, even himself, they all had one thing in common; sinful beauty.
Matthew stole a moment when he thought Andrew was not looking to send a smile to Dani.
However, Andrew did see that in every way and he stared at Matthew, "You are a friend. For that,  you can keep your eyes. But beware, the most intimate you are allowed to get with her is a handshake, casual."
Matthew grinned, "I missed you bro."
Janet walked over to Daniella as the two males chatted in front, "Your brother had dinner with Ashley the night she died. Afterwards, he gave her a lift home. Maybe those have a hand in implicating him."
Daniella slipped her hands into the pocket of her jeans and sighed, "I suppose. But Angus was almost home by the time she died."
Janet Gnabry creased her forehead, "What if after he had dropped her off at the hotel, she was killed and all the darn evidence pointed to him?"
Dani nodded at what she already knew, "Yep. All we need is alibi."
                  *                   *                   *
"I found out he works with Alex, " Janet began, "so I tracked him down then Matt got him and tied him up in a garage."
They all walked between tall buildings through the dark night with Dani fighting to hide her fear.
Andrew nodded as he stepped over a puddle,  "Atta girl. At least we are sure of something."
"You sure he will speak, " Dani asked.
Andrew grinned wildly, "Under my custody? Oh please, he speaks or gets dumb."
She shivered. This was not something she was used to.
Andrew pushed the back door open and made Danielle lead the way, entering afterwards. He raised his brows at the sight of a gagged and tied man in a suit.
Janet explained, "He works at the restaurant Ashley had dinner with Angus in the night she died."
The waiter looked up and struggled with his tied body, wobbling to get loose.
Squatting before him, Andrew untied his gag, "Trust me, I'm not finding your torture funny either. But, I can only permit myself to let you go if you tell me the entire truth. Someone's life is at stake here."
The waiter panted tiredly, "Alex would kill me if he found out I told you anything."
Andrew stared at his palm, "That is if I do not kill you first for not telling me." Then he returned his gaze to the tied man.
The waiter searched for a second excuse, "He pays me double my salary."
"I'd pay you triple, " Andrew added.
Out of frustration, the man sighed, "Alex chose that night so he could comfortably make people assume Angus was the killer and save his own neck."
Andrew yawned, "Good. Tell me everything you were made to know."
                       *                *                   *
"Off to Newyork on a honeymoon huh, " Alex joked to his friends.
Robert Gasky answered, "I smell a rat. Andrew wouldn't go to Newyork with Daniella for fun at a time like this."
"Robert's right, " Stella Manuel frowned, "I also met his best friend, Matthew Kelleny while in Newyork."
Alex faced them fearfully, "Do you think Andrew has a plan?"
Thomas sipped rum and answered, "It's very probable."
Then... Somewhere behind, for the first time, a male in his mid-twenties, tall and masked spoke up, "I know Andrew. He wouldn't go on wasting his time in Newyork when his girlfriend's brother has been kidnapped."
Thomas added, "Yeah, he is most likely up to something."
Stella was angered, "If I end up in jail..."
Thomas yelled,  "Oh please! Blame the guy who wasted all the chances in the world of killing him."
The masked male sighed and continued, "I wouldn't argue. I actually felt it would be easier with the mask I wear. But something just always came up."
Stella smirked, "How does the mask help?"
He answered, "Andrew goes bananas when he sees masquerades and figures with their faces covered. He's been scared of them since he was a kid. Going face  open would make him able to defend, a fight I'm sure he's gonna win."
Turning to Alex, he gave a command, "In the meantime, before they're back and we kidnap Daniella, you tell your dad to remind her it's only a trigger he needs to pull to kill her brother. As for myself, I've cooked up something that may stir up an argument between those two. Taking her then would be easier."
Alex nodded as he thought. Andrew was pretty scared of masked figures. That gave him a crazy idea.
                  *                        *                       *
Daniella unloaded her belongings bag after bag while she thought of how considerate Andrew could be sometimes.
Smiling, she sighted something, something like a picture. She frowned and reached out for it.
It was... Fear gripped her heart as she gripped the bed for support, staring at the image, "Andrew! Andrew!" She tossed it away.
Andrew stepped in and raised a brow in worry, "What's wrong?"
She pointed at the picture and blinked back tears.
Andrew stared at the image of Ashley with three bullet holes in her stomach and one through her skull.
Andrew joined his brow as he stared at someone who he once loved lying dead on the streets.
Sighing wearily, he managed to say, "Where'd you get this?"
She nodded continuously to gulp some strength in, "From my own bag. I don't know who put it there."
Andrew looked into her bag and got some more items; a male watch and a gun.
Closing his eyes, he faced Daniella, "Where'd you get these from?"
Dani glared at the watch, "That belongs to Angus."
Andrew spanked his forehead, "And you still swear your brother had totally nothing to do with this."
"What do you mean, " Dani frowned, "Like what other proof do you need? I hope you are not doubting my brother just because you saw some stupid watch of his."
Andrew impatiently blurted, holding the picture up to her face, "Not just because it's some stupid watch Dani. This is apparently the same watch by her side as you can see."
Daniella glanced at the image in his hand. He was painfully right; Angus's watch was the same watch lying beside Ashley's body.
Andrew explained further, "These are some reasons the cops want Angus. A picture of dead Ashley, the gun used to kill her and your brother's watch cannot be in your bag unless someone put them there."
She sniffed, figuring the sense in his words, "Okay, so Angus put something that could implicate him in my bag, how smart."
Andrew ignored her sarcasm, "Unless that masked fool also has access to your belongings!"
"I've lived in two houses Andrew, " she spat back.
Well, Andrew retaliated, "And the killer is just a member of my family, isn't he?"
Daniella stared blankly at him, "You know what... Just leave me alone."
Then she walked out.
Andrew turned around and covered his face with his hands. He knew he had acted unnecessarily. Sliding his hands down, he stared at the background of Ashley in the picture and sighted something; Abao's residence. A building beside where she lay.
Daniella leaned against the sofa and feared that Andrew could,  in the slightest way, be right about the whole thing and her anger for him would not change it.
Staring out the window, she hissed at the flow of the evening breeze. The house seemed to be suffocating her.
Picking up her phone, she looked back one last time to see if Andrew might pop out to apologize. When he didn't,she sighed and gulped her fear in, walking out in no specific direction.
Anywhere apart from the house,  at least for now.