Their Forever Home

by Syndi Powell

  “So he couldn’t have sent someone to do the job?” Biggie stepped up to the hole.

  “Maybe,” she admitted. She sighed and voiced the part that had really hurt. “That was rough having everyone accusing me of this. Let’s hope it’s a one-time thing,” she said.

  John returned to the living room and held up his phone to them. “That was Mr. Belvedere. We have a meeting tomorrow morning at the foundation’s offices.”

  Cassie checked her schedule. “That doesn’t work for me. There’s a delivery I need to be here for and it’s happening at nine, so I can’t go.”

  Tiny stepped forward. “I can take care of that, so you can go. No problem.”

  Another meeting? She was more interested in checking on the flooring delivery and starting to install that. Tiny put a hand on her shoulder as if to reassure her that she could do the meeting. He gave her a wink before leaving the living room to inventory the damage in the kitchen.

  Cassie sighed and peered at John. “That solves that problem.”

  “And what do we do about this?” He gestured to the room.

  “Well, the good news is that it’s mostly cosmetic.” She walked to the wall that had the graffiti painted on it and stared at the word Loserz. The word brought a tear to her eye. “Did I ever tell you what my dad called coming in second place?” She glanced back at John who shook his head. “First loser.” She glanced at the graffiti again. “I can’t lose, John. I can’t.”

  John walked up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. She turned into his embrace and held on to him. “You’re not a loser, Cassie. Not in any way. Don’t ever let some jerk convince you otherwise.”

  She rested her cheek against his chest, drawing comfort from his kindness.

  CHAPTER SIX

  THE THOUGHT OF what the directors of the Belvedere Foundation would want to discuss had John tossing and turning for hours that night until he finally fell into a fitful sleep after three. When his alarm woke him at six thirty, he groaned and slapped it off.

  Despite his fatigue, he dressed in his running clothes and laced up his sneakers before leaving the apartment for his morning jog. The steady pounding of his feet against the pavement soothed his worried thoughts, and he pushed himself to run faster than usual to keep from thinking. Whatever it was that they had to talk to them about would be okay. He’d survived losing a career he loved. Had borrowed money from his mother until he could get back on his feet. This contest was more than just starting a different direction for him. It meant winning money that he could pay back to his mother. And maybe find some validation in the process. Even finding a career that he was starting to love. He would handle this, too.

  After a quick shower and breakfast, he met Cassie at the house so they could drive over in one car. She acquiesced to riding in his car so that the brothers could use the tools in her truck while they were gone. On the drive, she fidgeted in the seat. Maybe she was as nervous as he was. At a red light, he reached over and took her hand in his. “Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out. We’re in this together, right?”

  She squeezed his hand and took a deep breath. “I don’t think I slept much last night. You?”

  “Not much.”

  “I keep wondering what they want to talk to us about.”

  “Another twist?”

  She nodded. “That’s what I figured, too. But what?”

  He pulled into the parking structure next to the office building where the Belvedere Foundation held offices. “I guess we’re about to find out.”

  Mr. Belvedere greeted them as they stepped off the elevator. “Thank you for meeting with us on such short notice, Cassie, John.”

  “Of course.”

  “Such bad business with the damage to the houses over the weekend.”

  “Is that why we’re here?”

  Mr. Belvedere ushered them into a private office where a man and a woman sat in front of a large desk, two boys of about six playing with small cars on the carpet Mr. Belvedere introduced them to the young family. “Cassie and John, I’d like you to meet the Tanners.”

  Cassie nodded to them. “It’s nice to meet you all.”

  “And you. I’m Donny, and this is my wife, Jo.” She gave a soft smile. “And our twins, Milo and Gage.”

  John squatted beside the boys who looked up at him with open-eyed curiosity. “You boys like cars, huh?”

  Jo made a noise and shook her head. “Love them is more like it. We don’t leave home without them.”

  Mr. Belvedere smiled warmly as he took a seat behind his desk. “This is the family that will own your house after the contest.”

  This announcement startled John more than he’d expected. “This is a twist.”

  “I did warn you they’d be coming.” Mr. Belvedere smiled even wider. “You will now need to alter your design to meet the needs and wishes of the Tanner family. I’m sure they’ll have ideas of what they’re looking for.” He checked his watch. “Another family is about to meet their design team, so I’ll leave you all to get to know one another. John, once you’ve changed your specs, I’ll expect copies to be delivered to me by the end of this week.”

  Nothing like the pressure of a deadline to make sweat break out on John’s forehead, but he nodded. “Of course. Friday.”

  Mr. Belvedere left the office, and John took a seat beside Cassie. “As he said, I’m John, and this is Cassie. We’ve been working hard on the house. Your house.”

  Donny smiled and put his hand on Jo’s shoulder. “We never thought that we’d own a house, so this is a surprise to us, as well. When the Belvedere Foundation called, we felt like we’d won the lottery.”

  “I should take notes about what you’re looking for. If I had known we were meeting with you, I’d have brought my sketchbook.” He pulled out his phone and opened the notes app. “So, what should I know about you all with respect to the house?”

  Donny and Jo looked at each other and laughed. Jo said, “I’m not sure what to tell you.”

  Cassie suggested, “How about we start with your current home? Tell me what it’s like.”

  They described a cramped one-bedroom apartment that had toys strewn in the living room because that had the most space for the twins to play. The boys slept in the bedroom while Donny and Jo shared the pull-out sofa at night. When John asked about the kitchen, Jo sighed. “When I dreamed of my own place, I thought it would have enough counter space to roll out the dough for Christmas cookies. And more than two burners to cook on.”

  Cassie nodded as John typed on his phone. “You’re a cook, then?”

  “I’d love to be able to create the meals my mother used to when I was growing up.” She looked over at Donny. “We’ve been saving for a house since we got married, but it never seemed possible. There was always another bill waiting that ate up what we’d saved.”

  “So a big kitchen is on your list. Tell me what else you dreamed about for your first house.”

  John typed all their ideas into his phone. A tub big enough to bathe both boys at the same time. A master bedroom that would be their retreat at the end of the day. A backyard for the kids, and maybe a dog one day, to run around in. Enough room to invite their families over for the holidays. He wrote all of this down plus ideas of his own. He could see Jo cooking at the kitchen island they’d already planned. Donny working in the garage, showing the twins how to fix a car. And the decorated Christmas tree in the front window with the Tanner family posing for pictures much like the ones Loretta had shown him of the Czarnecks.

  He discovered that Jo’s favorite color was purple while Donny favored blue. The twins had a fascination with cars and trucks, making him glad that he’d saved the pedal car from the attic. And Donny worked two jobs so that Jo could work part-time at the library and still be at home and supervise their boys.

  After almost an hour, John figured he ha
d all he needed. He glanced at Cassie. “You have any other questions?”

  She peered at the boys, then back at Jo. “What’s most important to you to have in your dream home?”

  Jo also looked at her children and sighed. “I’ve always wanted a home that would be a safe place for them to grow and learn. Size doesn’t matter as much as that.”

  * * *

  JO’S WORDS SEEMED to almost follow them as he and Cassie drove back to the house, discussing how they could make changes to their plans to meet the needs of the Tanners. This twist would make more work for him this week to get the new designs to Mr. Belvedere. While changes in deadlines before had brought him headaches, this had sparked a flame of creativity. John personally couldn’t wait to start on the designs for the boys’ bedrooms. After all, he understood a fascination with cars and trucks.

  He pulled up in front of the house and turned in the seat to look at Cassie. “I hate to leave you all working here to go sketch, but these new design ideas are going to take up most of my time this week.”

  “It’s fine, John.” She gave him a shy smile. “But I will miss having you constantly underfoot when I’m trying to lay the new living room floor.”

  “Or tiling the bathroom?”

  “Or picking out the new cabinets.”

  “You wouldn’t dare do it without me.”

  They smiled at each other for a long moment until Tiny tapped on the passenger window. “Hey, boss lady. Are you planning to work today? Or do Biggie and I have to pick up your slack?”

  Cassie made a wry smile. “Give me just a second.”

  Tiny shook his head and walked up to the front door. Cassie turned back to John. “So, listen, don’t be a stranger. I admit I’ve gotten used to your face.”

  Then she opened the door and exited the car before he could say another word.

  * * *

  CASSIE SAT UP straight in the plastic molded chair next to the detective’s desk as he read through a file, glancing up at her several times as he did so. She spotted his nameplate. Tyler Matthews. Once he was finished with the file, he closed it and pulled a notepad and pen from a drawer. “Ms. Lowman, I appreciate you coming down to talk to me about this unfortunate business. Thankfully, the damage done to the contest houses isn’t too severe.”

  “No problem. I’m happy to help. I have nothing to hide.” He had interviewed the Buttucci brothers that morning, so she had expected him to call her in for questioning shortly thereafter.

  The detective nodded but didn’t look at her. Instead he wrote her name along with the date. “You understand that you’re not being accused of anything at this time.”

  At this time. She felt her insides drop into her shoes at his words. As if she could be accused at a later date. This was so frustrating. She hadn’t done anything. “I understand.”

  “The Buttucci brothers were adamant this morning that you weren’t involved in the vandalism.”

  “They’re right. I’m not.”

  He nodded and wrote some words on the notepad as she took in the busy precinct. “Aren’t you going to take me into an interrogation room like they do on TV?”

  He grinned but shook his head. “Like I said, you’re not being accused. I’m simply trying to get more information about what happened.” He looked at a clock on the wall. “We’re just waiting for someone to join us. And of course, he’s late.”

  “Who?” Her first thought was John, but if he’d been asked to come down to the station, he would have said so earlier when she’d called to check in on his progress with the sketches. Maybe Nick? He seemed to be convinced that she was guilty.

  A man in a rumpled suit walked over to the detective’s desk and took a seat next to Cassie. “Ms. Lowman.”

  It was George August, the detective from her father’s case. She looked back at Tyler. “Why is he here?”

  George held his hands up as if he were surrendering. “Tyler called me when he saw your name. Thought I might be able to give him some insight into his case.”

  “You have nothing to do with this case.” She scooted her chair a few inches away from the one George sat in. “My father has nothing to do with what happened.”

  “Maybe. Maybe not. But you have to admit that the name Lowman keeps popping up. And not in a good way.”

  If she thought things were frustrating before, George’s appearance made it even more so. Did they think, like the other contestants did, that because her father was accused of crimes his daughter would be as culpable? She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. “I would never purposely ruin what my team has been doing. Damage the house I’m working my butt off to renovate. Winning this contest means I can start my own company. I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize that.”

  George leaned back in the chair and put his hands behind his head. “To be honest, Ms. Lowman, I don’t think you did it. Neither does Tyler. But we have some other questions.”

  Tyler cleared his throat. “Do you know where your father is, Cassie?”

  She stared at the two men. “Is that why you brought me down here? To ask me about my father again?”

  “We have reason to believe he’s in the area. Would he try to sabotage the houses in order to give you an advantage over the competition?”

  Cassie glared at George. “No. If that was the case, why would he trash my house, too?”

  “When’s the last time you heard from him?”

  She considered lying about the phone call she had received but realized that it was pointless. George acted as if he seemed to already know about it. Had her mother told him? She swallowed and clasped her hands together. “Last week. To congratulate me on making it into the contest. I’m sorry, I should have told you. But with the demo starting and the project going full tilt—”

  “Come on, Ms. Lowman.” George looked skeptical. “You couldn’t find a minute to report this?”

  “There was no point.” She pulled her phone out and swiped it open, locating the date and time of the call. She handed the phone to the detective. “The call lasted only a few seconds.”

  George peered at her phone, then recorded the details for himself. “You still should have told us about it right after it happened. Are you trying to hide his whereabouts?”

  “No!”

  He gave her phone back to her, stood and walked away, pressing his own phone to his ear. Tyler sighed and doodled on the notepad. “He said he wasn’t going to take over the interview. But I pretty much expected this from George. He’s like a dog with a bone and won’t give up.”

  “Do you really think my dad was the one who caused the trouble at the houses?”

  Tyler shook his head. “No. Evidence suggests it was someone connected to the contest. Someone who knew when the crews would be finished for the day.” He looked at her. “How much do you know about the Buttucci brothers?”

  “They’re like family. They wouldn’t do this, either.”

  “Did you know about their ties to the Holisters? They’re bad news in this state.”

  Cassie cleared her throat. “Their mother was a Holister, but Tiny and Biggie are not involved in the way you’re thinking.”

  “Hmm. And yet, here they are with a number of Holisters.” He pulled out pictures of the brothers surrounded by what must have been family members, and pushed them along the desk’s surface toward her. She picked up the top one. “You’re wrong. They have relatives that have been convicted before, but they’re clean. They worked hard for my father and now for me.”

  Detective August rejoined them. “And doesn’t that make you pause and wonder how your father was able to hide the money he was embezzling from the company? How he learned to be able to hide his crimes for years?”

  Her father wouldn’t do that. He’d been proud of how far he’d come by the sweat of his own brow and wouldn’t jeopardize the company he’d started b
efore she’d been born.

  Would he?

  If she was wrong about her father, could she be just as deluded about the Buttucci brothers? Tiny and Biggie watched over her like favorite uncles. They knew how important winning this contest was to her, and by extension them. She picked up another photo and studied it. It seemed to show money exchanging hands between Tiny and one of the Holisters.

  She shot to her feet and shook her head. “Are we done here? I don’t think there’s anything more to say.”

  Tyler handed her a business card with his phone numbers. “If you think of anything else to share, call me.”

  She pocketed the card. “I get what you believe about my father, Detective August, but he’s just not capable of the things you’re accusing him of.”

  “The truth is that you don’t want to think he’s guilty, but I have ironclad proof that he is.” He held out his arm and ushered her to the front door of the precinct. “If you hear from your father again, I need you to tell me right away. Not days after the fact.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Ironclad?”

  He gave her a curt nod and opened the door for her to pass through. She left, wondering how she could be so wrong about the people she loved.

  * * *

  JOHN SURVEYED THE empty house. Being here when the brothers and Cassie were gone made him feel as if he was intruding into someone else’s life. He had initially thought about staying home to rework the designs but wanted to visualize his ideas in the space before finalizing them. He stood in the room that would be for one of the twins and closed his eyes. They liked cars and trucks, so what if he made each of the boy’s bedrooms like a mechanic’s garage? Trucks. Tools. Bold colors in red, yellow and black, and green, blue and white.

  “Hello in the house,” a voice called out.

  John opened his eyes and walked into the living room. A man with a clipboard stood in the entryway. “I’m Darren, from the city. Electrical inspection. I’m scheduled to do this place tomorrow, but as I’m in the neighborhood now, thought I’d squeeze it in. Okay?”