He wasn’t telling her something, but now wasn’t the time to argue with him. He needed to let Nicholas know about the extent of the break in.
She nodded a greeting and went into her building, locking the door behind her. With the sound of the bolt clicking into place, the anger and fear left her. Why would anyone want to burn down a building that would be demolished in a couple of months? It made no sense.
It would do nothing except hurt her. The florist was already wrapping up her business, so soon it would only be Mai in the building.
But she couldn’t think of a single person who would do this to her.
She needed to get answers – if not from Lincoln, from Nicholas.
She’d make sure of it.
The sense of dread built as Nicholas walked towards Lincoln and Mai. Lincoln had said there’d been a break in. This was the second time he’d had to meet the police at one of his sites. At least this time, the building still stood.
But the reality didn’t stop his lungs from constricting. Whatever had happened, his father would be pissed. He barely acknowledged Mai leaving as he focused on Lincoln. “What happened?”
“We’re still working it out. When was the last time you were here?” Lincoln was direct, to the point with no friendly greeting. He was in cop mode.
“Friday, after I spoke to Mai I took a quick look inside to check if anything needed cleaning out.”
“Nothing was out of place?”
“No. The water and electricity were off because it’s been empty a while and there was a layer of dust on everything, but whoever had been in there last had cleared it out before leaving.”
“So nothing was broken?”
“No.” Nicholas braced himself. He wasn’t going to like what was coming next.
Lincoln gestured for him to follow. “There are a couple of things you need to see.”
He entered the building and the strong light from Lincoln’s torch illuminated the small storage area cum kitchenette. As the light panned down nausea rose in Nicholas’s stomach.
No.
Not again.
The pile of broken wood in the middle of the small floor was the remains of a campfire.
But the cloth would spread the flames to the cabinets.
Not a campfire. An attempt to start a fire.
His stomach heaved and he clamped down on his teeth, refusing to let the nausea out.
Fuck.
This was bad, really bad.
“This wasn’t here on Friday?” Lincoln asked, his question mild.
He shook his head, unable to speak. What did Lincoln think, that he’d leave something like this here, that he wouldn’t call the police?
“You need to see this as well.” Lincoln walked out towards the shop front and Nicholas followed mutely. What else was there?
The smell of wet paint hit him first and he screwed up his nose. A female police officer was in the room taking pictures, a torch set up to illuminate the wall. The large, scrawled black letters that ran the length of the entire room captured Nicholas’s attention.
Will this one burn too?
Nicholas took a step back, his throat squeezing shut. No.
“Do you know what that means?”
He didn’t want this. Really didn’t need this now. But it answered the question that had been haunting him.
The fire in Baldivis hadn’t been an accident.
“Nicholas?”
He let out a deep breath and nodded once.
“Care to explain?”
Nicholas swallowed, hoping it would ease the tension in his throat. He had to get a grip, had to explain to Lincoln. “It’s going to take some time.”
“All right. Why don’t you wait outside and I’ll be out in a minute?” It wasn’t a request.
It was starting again. The police, the explanations, the suspicion. He’d hoped it was all over.
In a slight daze, Nicholas walked out of the building. He noticed Mai’s car and glanced up at her darkened window. Had she seen what was inside? Would she refuse to do business with him?
Everything was unravelling.
And he could do nothing to stop it.
By the time Lincoln came out, Nicholas’s nerves were wound tight. He followed Lincoln over to the steps outside the bakery’s back door and sat down.
He needed to take charge of the discussion, needed to lead it where it had to go. “Did you find any evidence as to who broke in?”
“We have a few leads.” Lincoln took out his notepad. “We suspect that attempting to light a fire was an afterthought, otherwise the person would have brought the necessary tools.”
Nicholas nodded. It made sense, but it didn’t make him feel any better.
“Do you want to explain what the words on the wall meant?”
He didn’t want to go over it again. He’d lost count of how many times he’d repeated himself. Taking a deep breath, he straightened his posture. “There was a fire at the last development I worked on,” he said. “A shopping complex in Baldivis burnt to the ground and the police suspected arson.” He had to tell Lincoln the whole truth. “I was the main suspect for a while.”
Lincoln raised his eyebrows. “Why?”
“The development was going badly, we had unions protesting and I discovered a partner had made some bad business decisions.” That was putting it mildly. If he’d kept a closer eye on what Shane was up to … “The police thought we’d burnt it down so we could claim insurance and start again.”
“Did you?” Lincoln’s expression was impassive, a far different person from the cheerful, friendly man he’d been on New Year’s Eve.
Lincoln was doing his job, but it still hurt. “No.” He swallowed hard. “If it had been me, I would have made sure the insurance was paid.”
“It wasn’t?”
Nicholas shook his head, the familiar nausea clouding his stomach whenever he thought about it. “It was overdue, but I’d been so busy I hadn’t approved the payment.” That single fact had moved the suspicion away from him and turned his father and his colleagues against him. They had lost everything in the fire, millions of dollars because he’d not clicked authorise on a single payment. He’d tried to negotiate with the insurance company but they hadn’t listened. He hadn’t paid so they weren’t insured – simple as that.
He’d almost ruined the company.
Lincoln’s attitude softened slightly, his tone more questioning than accusatory. “Who knew that you’d bought the bakery building?”
He wasn’t sure. Settlement had only just gone through. “Shadbolt of course, Aaron who sold it to me, as well as the tenants Mai and Janet. I’ve got a planning application with the council so whoever has access to that, and I guess anyone those people have told.”
“Who stood to lose from the Baldivis fire?”
He answered on rote, the questions so familiar to him. “Shadbolt Property Developers and Jameson Construction.”
“Anyone from Jameson’s know about the development down here?”
“I don’t know. I was on a leave of absence while the police investigated and then I was sent down here.” The Jamesons weren’t talking to his parents yet and Shane was in rehab.
“Has anyone asked you about your development here?”
“Jamie and the musketeers.”
Lincoln scowled. “Where were you this afternoon?”
And there it was, the insinuation he had something to do with this. “I was working at home. After lunch I went surfing where I ran into Jamie and Mai and they came to my place afterwards for a drink.”
“Can you think of anyone who might hold a grudge against Shadbolt?”
Nicholas hesitated. Shane had been pretty mad about the whole Baldivis incident, but he didn’t need the police asking questions of him again. “No.”
“All right. If you think of anything that might be useful, give me a call.” Lincoln handed him a card and shook his hand.
“Thanks. Let me know if you find anything
else.”
He walked back to his car. It was dark and late, but there was one thing he had to do.
He had to call his father.
Chapter 8
Nicholas’s ultimatum switched Mai into business mode. She wouldn’t get emotional, but she would get what she wanted. After she’d left his house, she’d calmed down and realised Jamie had been right. Nicholas couldn’t control what his father did, which meant she needed to be quick. She’d been to view the cafe out on Mortimer Road and while it wasn’t perfect, it would do for the interim. She’d started the paperwork for leasing it straight away. Step one was complete.
Now it was time for step two.
Scanning her living area to make sure it was tidy, she cleared the table of everything aside from her paperwork. Calypso was flaked out on the couch as if he owned it and the espresso machine was on.
When Nicholas knocked on the door, she ran her hands over the lapels of the one business suit she owned, rolled her shoulders back and down and opened the door. She’d show him she was a business woman who knew what she wanted.
He was all business as well, dressed in a black suit with clean lines that accentuated his lean frame and a green tie that made his eyes look even greener. His leather laptop bag was draped over one shoulder like a stylish accessory. Why couldn’t he look awkward or have a badly fitted suit? Why did he need to look so delicious that she wished he was here for other matters? She stepped back and gestured him inside. “Come in. Would you like a coffee?”
“If you’re having one.” He stood stiff as if waiting for an attack.
That was her fault. She’d lashed out at him. “Take a seat.” She gave him a small smile, made him an espresso and poured herself some ice water with mint leaves in it, before sitting down with her notes.
“Do you still want the two units you indicated?” Nicholas asked, pulling out the plans.
The stiff, impersonal vibe wasn’t going to work. She could do business and still be friendly, relaxed even. She needed to crack the tension, needed to get him back on side. The negotiations had to go well. If they didn’t, she’d lose everything. “Yes.” She got up again and took the biscuit jar from the bench. Food always helped. “Help yourself.”
He took a melting moment. “Are you trying to butter me up?” His smile thawed the freeze in the room.
“Will it work?”
“Maybe.”
Some of the tension in her shoulders melted away. “This is what I had in mind.” She handed him the floor plan sketch she’d worked on. The designated kitchen and cafe areas were clearly marked, as were the modifications she wanted.
He examined it carefully. “What are these?”
“Power points and an extraction fan.”
He frowned. “All right. I’ll need to talk to my builder.”
She was happy with that. “Some of the interior modelling will be able to be carried over from the existing cafe. Will the flooring and painting be included in the lease?”
“To a certain value – you should be fine as long as you don’t want diamond-encrusted paint.”
She smiled. “No. It’s all fairly standard.” She passed him the sheet with the costs, pleased her hand didn’t shake. She couldn’t show him how much this meant to her.
He perused the list and nodded. “What else have you got for me?”
This would be trickier. He didn’t have to agree to any of it, above what he’d already offered. “I’m happy to sign a ten-year lease.” Perhaps it would make him more amenable. She sipped her water and braced herself. “The cafe on Mortimer Road will require the least amount of modification to be ready as a temporary location,” she said. “The issue with it is kitchen space. I’m going to have to purchase a large enough freezer to allow me to do some of the prep during the day and freeze it.” If she had the ovens working during the day, she could keep up her production schedule. Penny could work daylight hours and they’d partially cook some of the goods, which would mean they would only need a short time to bake in the morning.
“How much?”
Mai handed him another document. “The freezer would of course then move to your development.”
He nodded. “What about the numbers for outfitting the cafe?”
“Here.” She couldn’t read his expression. He’d make a brilliant poker player. She clenched the glass in front of her. She wasn’t sure the bank would give her the money for the freezer if he refused, not when it was a temporary solution.
Nicholas read through the figures and jotted down some notes. The silence hurt her ears and she barely dared to breathe. Finally he looked up. “Is there anything else you need?”
She shook her head.
“When would you vacate this building?”
“After the school holidays – the beginning of February. It will take at least that much time to outfit the cafe.” But it meant he could start on the demolition sooner.
“All right.”
Her heart leapt as she stared at him. “Were you agreeing with my last statement, or to the whole proposal?”
He smiled. “The whole proposal.” He held out his hand. “You’ve got yourself a deal. I’ll do up the paperwork tomorrow.”
Relief coursed through her and she leapt out of her chair. “Thank you.” Mai shook his hand. She was shaking. She hadn’t thought he would actually agree to everything. She squeezed her eyes closed, trying to prevent the flow of overjoyed tears.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Nicholas stood up. “I said yes and you’re trembling.” He pulled her into his arms and she wrapped hers around him. He felt so good; warm, strong and comforting, and she was too emotional to care whether this was a good idea.
“I’m happy,” she mumbled against his chest.
“What?” He drew her away and looked down at her.
“I’m happy,” she repeated. “Really, Nicholas. Thank you.”
“It’s my pleasure. You’re not asking for much in the scheme of things, not when I’m disrupting your business so much. A world without On the Way would be a much sadder place.”
His expression was intense, those green eyes the colour of her Christmas biscuits and all of a sudden she was aware of being in his arms, his firm hands holding her hips. It wouldn’t take more than her rising up onto her toes to have her lips meet his. She stepped back, breaking the hold and cleared her throat. “For a sweet comment like that you can have one of my secret stash.” She took a container out of the fridge and placed one of the pastries on a plate, handing it to him.
He glanced down at it and then back at her. “What is it?”
“It doesn’t have a name as yet.” She kept her distance from him, hoping her hormones would stop dancing around.
“You developed it?”
“Yeah.” It took an age to make so it wouldn’t be a regular item on her menu, but she was considering making it as part of her special orders list.
He took a bite and his eyes rolled back in his head. “Oh my God.” His groan sent her hormones into a frenzy.
Damn.
“This is amazing. It’s tart and creamy, and the outside is crisp and …” He took another bite and groaned again.
Her whole body tingled. She liked the sound of him being pleasured. Maybe after she’d signed the contract she could explore where this attraction could go. She cleared her throat. “I take it you like it?”
“It might be addictive. You should call it Mai’s Delight, or Mai’s Challenge, because you won’t be able to stop at one. I want another one.”
“Help yourself.” She gestured to the container on the table, liking the warm glow at his praise.
Calypso jumped onto one of the dining chairs and Nicholas grabbed the container, holding it out of the cat’s reach. “You’re not getting any.”
“He gets his own cat treats,” Mai said.
“You bake for pets as well?”
“Just for my friends. I’m not licenced for pet food so I do it at home.”
“Is there any
thing you can’t do?” He laughed, but his eyes captured hers and there was earnestness in them. His respect and admiration were clear. It was a heady combination that boosted his appeal.
She blinked and moved away. “I can’t paint.”
“Sorry?”
“I can’t paint – like walls and stuff. Well it’s more like it doesn’t interest me. I should be able to twist Jamie or the musketeers’ arms to help me with the Mortimer Road cafe.” She collected their cups and put them in the sink.
“I’ll help.”
Surprise and then pleasure coursed through her. “Thank you. That would be great.” She could do with all the help she could get and it would give her a chance to get to know Nicholas better.
He glanced at his watch. “I need to go. The council meeting starts shortly and they’re discussing the planning permission today.”
“Good luck.” Her mother had been right. There was no point fighting the development, not now she had everything she wanted. She walked him to the door. “Does Lincoln know who broke in downstairs?”
The good humour vanished from Nicholas’s face and his body tensed. Mai wished she hadn’t asked.
“Not yet.”
She’d ask Lincoln for more details because it was obviously a sore point for Nicholas. She wasn’t happy about the situation either. Changing the subject, she asked, “Are you going to the training session at the fire station tomorrow night?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll see you then.”
Nicholas shook his head as if shaking something off and then smiled. “I’ll look forward to it.”
Heat rushed through her at his smile.
“Me too.”
Nicholas shoved the thought of the break-in out of his head. There wasn’t anything he could do about it. He needed to focus on the positives and that was the meeting with Mai. It had gone far better than he’d expected, and after she’d signed the contract he’d have only three more units to sell.
But he never should have offered to help her.
It had been an automatic reaction to comfort her when she’d teared up inside, and she’d felt so good in his arms, soft and warm, and she fit him perfectly. He’d wanted to cheer her up, to hold her, to make her feel better.
Nothing to Gain Page 10
