Masterful Trickery

XXXIII. Teething Troubles

Alex simply stared at him blankly, unsure whether she was facing the devil himself or the angel of Osegod's victims.

"Unbind me, Marcus, you bastard," Vega demanded.

Durley's face suddenly turned grim but he immediately erased it with a sigh. He turned away from Alex to slowly make his way to Vega.

"I almost died. Did you hear me? I almost died!" the beautiful woman continued to scream.

Durley ignored her by motioning his head at his two men. Understanding his silent order, both men walked over to Osegod's body and very easily dragged it behind the large wooden study table. The trail of blood was evident but no one in the room seemed to be bothered about it.

No one was staying here for long, after all.

"I almost died," Vega said to Durley once more as he approached here.

"I heard you the first time, Vega," Durley wryly replied as he began to untie her. "Repetition would not deliver the effect you wish. There is no need for dramatics."

"My aunt shall hear of this!" Vega said, voice shaking with fury.

"I am certain she shall hold a ball for what I did."

"What you did!" Vega cried with a mocking laugh. Finally she was free and she jumped to her feet, pointing at the wooden study table that hid Osegod's body. "You killed the bastard in his own estate! His guards are standing outside, probably on their way here to murder all of us! Are you deaf and did not hear the same gunshot we all heard!"

Durley simply smiled as he waited with great patience for Vega to finish. When she said nothing further, he looked up at the glass ceiling above. "I understand your great concern, Vega," he said, moving his head back down to face the woman, "but you must have realized by now that I do make my move after taking ten steps ahead of everyone else. For one, you are here simply as a second ticket should my first one fail." He pointed at Alex. "Apart from Aurora Randolph and the child, he had always wanted you amongst his deck of cards, you see. And I have always been holding you off for this very day." He smiled as Vega's eyes flared with an even more intense kind of fury.

"Now, you ask what happens next. Wait a day or two and you shall find an article on the Herald of Lord Osegod's unfortunate natural demise. The article, of course, is one I can weave and control as you should know by now. I do not own The Town Herald for nothing, yes?

"What of his family and acquaintances then? His wife and daughter are currently in Tiny Town for vacation in one of my estates, one I gladly offered when dear Lady Osegod needed a different atmosphere other than this horrid estate. His entire household staff is naught but the same men and women who would have paid me every townsend they had to have him where he is at this very moment. None of his business associates shall miss him as they are also my so-called friends and business partners. What of the body then? His family need not see the hole between his eyes for he shall soon be burned. His daughter would not mind, of course. She would most assuredly express her gratitude for she would hate to see her mother's sickly state worsen seeing her dead husband's body. And I assure you, dear, no love is lost in the Osegod family.

"And how could we escape from here, you ask? Osegod's guards are currently being taken care of by my men outside. Thoroughly, I should say."

Vega's jaw tightened, his hands balled at her sides as she haughtily lifted her chin as if to stare down at Durley. "You truly believe no one would suspect you? You could have just hired someone—"

"I wanted to do it myself," Durley coldly uttered. A short silence followed his statement. "And why would they suspect me when I was with you?"

Vega scoffed incredulously. "You mean to make them believe we spent a leisurely walk in the park? A picnic in the woods? Are you bloody insane!"