by Polly Holmes
Cassidy ignored the butterflies in her stomach. “Great. I guess I’ll see you in the morning,” she said and headed out. “Do you need to grab anything from your car?”
He nodded. “Yes. You head off to bed, I’m sure I can find my way to the car and back again.”
“You sure?”
“Absolutely,” he said.
She smiled, nodded, and turned toward her room.
Thank goodness.
Chapter Nine
Cassidy plonked her foot on the dashboard as Clair headed to the top end of town, toward the mayor’s house. Thankfully, Clair had the genius idea to ring ahead, otherwise, they’d be heading to an empty mayor’s office in the council chambers instead of his home. “Glad you were on the ball this morning. It didn’t even occur to me to ring before we left,” Cassidy said, popping another piece of celery in her mouth.
“Do you mind?” Clair asked flicking her gaze between the road and Cassidy’s foot on her dashboard.
Cassidy slid her foot off the dash, a soft blush warmed her cheeks. “Oh, sorry.”
“What’s with the celery stick?” Clair asked.
Cassidy shrugged, an innocent lie rolling sweetly off her tongue. “Just thought I should eat a little healthier these days. I swear I put on two dress sizes when I was in New York.”
Clair’s eyebrow rose. “Oh… I thought it might have had something to do with our new house guest.”
Cassidy’s head reared back. “What on earth are you talking about? Finn and I are just friends. Charlotte’s health kick rubbed off on me, that’s all.”
“If you say so.” Clair drove on in silence but a quirky smile skimmed her lips every now and then.
“By the way, it was pretty obvious you were playing matchmaker last night,” Cassidy said.
Clair gasped and her hand flew to her heart as if Cassidy’s words had sliced it in two. “Me? I did no such thing.”
“Oh, come on, Clair,” Cassidy said shuffling in her seat. “It was so obvious you were trying your best to convince him to stay.” A fake horrified expression clouded Clair’s eyes and Cassidy knew she’d hit a nerve.
“I would never. I just happened to think it’s ridiculous to have a man sleep in a tent when there’s a perfectly good bed available.”
“I see.” Scepticism seeped into Cassidy’s tone.
Clair turned down the mayor’s street. She giggled. “Of course, if it does happen to turn into something more than friendship, you can thank me later.”
“Clair! Finn and I are just friends. How many times do I have to say it?” Frustration rooting itself in the base of her belly.
Clair cut the ignition of her car and held her hand up. “Okay, okay. I won’t mention it again.”
“Thank you. I’d appreciate that.” It’s going to be hard enough without you putting your two cents in when you feel like playing matchmaker.
They stopped at the ornately-designed, stained-glass door. “You ready?” Clair asked.
“Ready to prove my innocence? You betcha,” Cassidy said as she rang the doorbell.
Within minutes, the door was flung open and they were staring into the pale, drawn face of Mayor Brad Windsor. Cassidy’s eyes widened and she paused a moment, taking in his fatigued appearance. This is not the Brad Windsor I remember. “Mayor Windsor, we’re so sorry to disturb you at home, but it’s a matter of urgency that we speak with you.”
“Clair… Cassidy, this really isn’t a good time. Call my office and make an appointment,” he said as he began to close the door.
Cassidy’s stomach clenched and she could see her freedom slipping through her fingers. “No, it can’t wait. Please, it’s a matter of life and death. My life, anyway.”
His brow creased and the light faded from his eyes. “I’m sorry, but I can’t help you. As I said, now is not a good time.”
“There never is a good time when it comes to murder,” Clair said.
“Murder?
Clair paused, confused. He was the mayor. How would he have missed something so colossal as another murder? Something is not right here. “Christina Jacobs’ murder. I’m sure you’ve heard that Cassidy is the number one suspect.”
He shook his head as if to shift his focus and huffed. “Yes, I may have heard something to that effect.”
Clair continued. “But there has been talk that you may have had something to do with her downfall.”
He balked, his voice raising an octave. “Me?”
“Yes, and we’d hate to get the wrong information. You, of all people, know what bad publicity can do to a career being such a public figure. All we need is a few moments of your time,” Cassidy asked, her raspy voice edged with desperation.
He sighed and opened the door. “Fine, but let’s make it quick. I’m extremely busy today.”
Funny. His receptionist said he called in sick. Cassidy and Clair nodded in unison and followed him into his home office.
He leaned against the edge of his desk, his brow creased in obvious annoyance. “What’s all this nonsense about?”
“Word has it, you had a very public incident on the dance floor of the gala dinner last month where you were overheard threatening Christina,” Cassidy said in her best sleuthing tone.
His jaw tightened, but Clair chimed in before he had a chance for a rebuttal. “I think Christina’s words were, ‘I’ll see you in hell’ and you responded with, ‘Not if I see you first.’ That sounds like a threat to me.”
“That was totally taken out of context,” he said shooting off the desk. “Why would I waste my time killing her, when I could bring to light all her discrepancies through my connections at the council?”
He did have a point, Cassidy thought.
“I don’t have time for this,” he said, heading toward the front door.
It was at that moment Cassidy noticed the run-down state of the house. It wasn’t like Sheryl to let things get so out of order. “I wonder if Detective Anderson would be interested in your conversation with Christina? After all, he didn’t make it to the gala dinner and I’d hate him to get the story third hand.”
He froze halfway to the front door. Cassidy caught Clair’s eye and she shrugged at his static frame. What is going on? This wasn’t the Brad Windsor they elected to office.
“That witch was going to blackmail me,” he said as he slowly turned. His eyes were drawn and his expression suddenly defeated. “I’ve been keeping a secret from Ashton Point and somehow she found out. She may be the worst human being I have ever encountered, but if I killed her, it would take me away from Sheryl and she needs me now more than ever.”
A bad feeling rooted itself deep in Cassidy’s chest. She didn’t like where this was headed. “You’re not sick, are you?” Cassidy asked.
He shook his head and his eyes glistened. “No, I’m not sick.” He paused. “Sheryl is.”
Cassidy gasped. She hadn’t seen the mayor’s wife around town for months, but the last thing she’d ever imagined was that Sheryl was sick. Nausea filled her stomach.
“She has Alzheimer’s and it’s hit her hard and fast. We’ve been trying to deal with it ourselves, but I had no idea it would be so hard.” Brad trudged back over to his office and the life drained out of his body as he sank into a chair by the entrance. “That woman.” He shook his head. “That woman somehow found out about Sheryl’s illness and thought it appropriate to tell me on the dance floor at the gala. Then she proceeded to blackmail me. She’s a nasty piece of work. If I didn’t resign as mayor and nominate her to join the council, she was going to crucify Sheryl in public, tell lies about her illness and make it known that I am unfit to continue my role as mayor, which is ludicrous. There is no way I’d let that woman say a single harsh word about Sheryl.”
“Oh, Brad. I had no idea,” Clair said a silent tear rolling down her cheek. “We were wrong, so wrong.”
“You didn’t know.” He chuckled to himself. “I wanted to kill her, believe me, but I didn’t. There would be no on
e to look after Sheryl if I went to prison.”
Cassidy felt her cheeks redden with embarrassment and a pang of regret ripped through her. They’d stormed his house, his private sanctuary, throwing accusations around like they were the police themselves. I’m no better than Daniel. “I’m so sorry,” Cassidy said, edging closer to the solemn figure. “What can we do to help?”
Clair nodded. “Yes, name it.”
His broken gaze stared right through them and his lips turned up into a semi-smile. “You’re sweet, both of you. But you have enough to worry about without adding my burden to your list. All I ask is that you keep Sheryl’s condition quiet. I’m organising some in-house nursing and I only have three months left in office. When she was first diagnosed, we discussed it and agreed that I would complete my stint as mayor. She made me promise and if I’m nothing else, I’m a man of my word.”
Cassidy’s heart broke in two. “Count on it. No-one will hear about it from us. Right, Clair?”
“Right. And you can expect regular cupcake deliveries to help keep you both smiling.”
He rose and Cassidy felt her body plunge forward as he grabbed both of them in his arms and held on tight. “Thank you, your word means the world to me. I may have my hands full, but if I can help out in any way with clearing your name, let me know.” Relief filled her core when he finally released them. “I’m just so happy that you three girls have settled down with nice men and are making lives for yourselves.”
“Excuse me,” Cassidy said with a raised eyebrow. “Settled down?”
He nodded. “Yes, Alison called earlier regarding some council business and she happened to mention that your boyfriend was there last night. I knew Clair and Charlotte were spoken for, but I had no idea that you had joined them.”
“I have!?”
****
Annoyance ran rife through Cassidy’s body as she sat beside Clair. How dare Finn think he can go around telling everyone he’s my boyfriend? Of all the sneaky, underhanded things to do. As if she needed the hassle of a boyfriend, especially after her experience with Todd. As far as she was concerned, Finn was a friend. She was off dating men.
“Are you okay?” Clair asked, breaking her chain of thought.
“No, not really. I just can’t understand why Finn would do that,” she said, dropping her head back on the headrest.
Clair shrugged. “Maybe he had a good reason. I can think of two right now.”
Cassidy’s breath caught sharply in her throat and she glared at her sister. “Oh, really? And what might they be?”
“For starters, it doesn’t take a genius to work out that Finn is sweet on you. He may have said he was passing by Ashton Point, but when you think about it, what man follows his ‘friend’ all the way from New York to Australia, just to find out why she didn’t say goodbye? Unless he already had feelings for her, feelings that were more than friendship. He could have just called you by phone and asked but he didn’t. He came in person.” Clair paused and took a deep breath.
More than friendship? The pieces of the puzzle seemed to fall into place, like they’d been there all along behind an invisible wall that had just been demolished. Finn had warned her about Todd and he’d been standoffish when she’d blabbed about how smart Todd was and about his job on Wall Street. All the while, it must have been awful for him to endure her schoolgirl antics. Cassidy dropped her head in her hands and groaned, remembering the cold reception she’d gotten from Finn every time she mentioned Todd’s name. Nausea worked its way into the back of her throat. How embarrassing.
“Or…he could have just stretched the truth so they would let him in to see you last night,” Clair added casually.
What the...? Her head snapped and her gaze focussed on the road ahead. “Yes, that must be it. I don’t even want to think about your first option.”
“Why on earth not? He’s cute.”
Her head began to pound under the drone of Clair’s voice. “Exactly. And remember what happened to the last cute guy I met. He chewed my heart up and spat it out, without a care in theworld. I’m not in a hurry to jump back into the dating game. I just want to focus on two things, me not going to prison and my work. Can we do that, please?”
“Sure, if you say so,” Clair said.
“I know you’re heading out to the Sweets place and then on to see Alex at the hot springs, but do you think you could drop me home first? Thanks to this murder business, I’m running behind with the final touches for the new shop.”
“Sure. This change wouldn’t have something to do with Finn, would it?”
Cassidy sat in silence, stone-faced, the throbbing pain in her head increasing by the second.
After a moment, Clair continued. “Okay, no more questions. There’s only one problem. By now, half the town will probably know you’re dating.”
Great, can this day get any worse?
Chapter Ten
Finn jumped out of his car and bolted to Cassidy’s front door, his whole body still reeling from his absentmindedness. How could I have been so stupid? Forgetting to tell Cassidy what he’d said to Alison last night at the police station could destroy her trust in him. He wasn’t deceitful like Todd.
He’d slogged away all morning and into the early afternoon with Liam, working up a good sweat under the intense Australian sun. It was good to work out doing manual labour instead of at the gym. Finn smiled when he saw Clair’s car pull up, but his enjoyment quickly faded when she got out alone. Once Clair explained what happened at the mayor’s house and Cassidy’s absence, he couldn’t get to her quick enough to explain.
He sucked in a deep breath of salty air and rapped his knuckles against the stained-glass door. His heart sank when the door flew open and Cassidy greeted him. The hurt in her eyes ripped his heart in two. Hurt he’d caused.
“Well, if it isn’t the boyfriend I didn’t even know I had,” she said with disdain.
Finn’s gut clenched. “Let me explain. Please?”
Cassidy shrugged. “If you must, but it’s no big deal.” She turned back down the hallway, toward the lounge room.
“It is a big deal, to me, anyway.” Their friendship was too important to let a little misunderstanding come between them. “It’s not what you think,” he said following her into the house.
“Oh, and what do I think?” she asked snuggling into the corner of the couch. “Do you always go around lying and making up fake girlfriends when it suits you?”
He joined her on the couch, unable to bear the distance between them. He hated the barrier she’d erected. “No, absolutely not. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you. I didn’t deliberately keep it from you. After everything that happened at the police station and then when we got back you started to open up about Todd, it kinda just slipped my mind.”
“Pretty big thing to have slipped your mind. Especially in a small town like Ashton Point, where the town folk thrive on gossip.”
The hurt in her voice gutted him. “I know and I’m sorry. I don’t make a habit of lying, but they weren’t going to let me in to see you and I knew I had to be there for you. It was the first thing that popped into my head. I’m so sorry, Cass.” She sat as still as a statue and his stomach churned. Had he blown it for good? “I know after everything that happened with Todd you probably don’t trust easily, but I’m not Todd and I would never intentionally hurt you. You mean more to me than that.”
Her soft blue eyes shot to his and his breath caught in his throat at the tears threatening to drop. “What do you mean?” she asked.
“Like I said yesterday, Todd was crazy to let you slip through his fingers. I’ve done a pretty good job of keeping my feelings for you hidden, but if we’re being totally honest, I like you. I have since the day we met in the apartment foyer in New York.”
Cassidy gasped and her mouth rounded in an O. “I had no idea.”
“You weren’t supposed to. You were in love with Todd. Who was I to come between true love?” he asked.
“I’m just glad you saw him for what he really was before it was too late. You no longer have to deal with him,” Finn said, easing back on the couch.
“I’m glad too.” Cassidy paused, biting her lower lip. “Finn…about your feelings for me.”
He smiled and held up his hand. “It’s okay, Cass, you don’t have to reciprocate. I just wanted you to know how I felt.”
She frowned. “No, that’s not it. You see, I don’t know if what I feel for you is friendship or something more. I enjoy your company and when I’m around you, you make me happy. But my future is so uncertain and I may be facing a life behind bars, if I can’t work out who killed Christina. I’m not prepared to open my heart to another relationship until I know for sure where my life is headed. I understand why you did what you did last night and I appreciate it. For now, I could use a friend. At least ’til I get my life in order. Can you understand?”
Adrenaline danced up his spine. I make her happy? Finn’s heart did a little somersault. He could do friendship. He’d be the best friend she’d ever have. If she happened to fall in love with him in the process, that would be an added bonus. “Of course. If a friend is what you need, then a friend is what you’ll have.” He watched the light return to her expression and he smiled. I did that.
“Thank you.”
****
Cassidy’s eyes flew open. She bolted upright on the couch with a start, her head spinning. “Awww,” she said, rubbing the kink in her neck. “That’ll teach me to do work on the lounge instead of the table.”
After her chat with Finn, she’d settled into putting the final touches on her interior designs for CC’s Cupcake Haven. Judging by the scattered mess of drawings on the floor and the crook in her neck, she’d fallen asleep. Her drawings had borne the brunt of her afternoon snooze.
She gathered her designs and put them back in the folder. The unusual stillness in the house didn’t sit well with her. “Finn,” she called waiting for his calming voice to answer. Silence. Where are you? She stood and headed into the kitchen, her bleary head and tastebuds in need of a coffee fix. “Finn, are you here?” Her words were met with continued silence.
