“You’re missing out. There’s something tranquil about pulling up weeds and tending to plants.”
Mai snorted. “Except when the weeds grow back and the plants wither and die.”
Her mother chuckled. “Mai didn’t inherit my green thumb.”
“Speaking of which, could you and Dad drop by the cafe on Mortimer Road sometime this week and tell me what I can do with the yard?”
“I’ll get your father to stop by tomorrow.”
Mai stiffened. “Thanks.”
Why was Mai upset? It was nice for her father to help her. The relocation was really going to mess with her business and he regretted that most of all. But with her family and friends’ help, she would be a success.
Dinner was a fun, boisterous affair with everyone talking about their upcoming plans. Leanne had finished university and was searching for work and Mai’s other two sisters were on summer break for another six weeks. They talked half-heartedly about getting jobs, but neither was too interested. Nicholas couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t worked. All through university he’d had part-time jobs at Shadbolt or working in construction. He envied their free time, their freedom to do absolutely nothing if they wanted to.
What would that be like?
He had no idea.
After Nicholas helped clean up, they all sat in the lounge room.
“Mai, we’re going on a family picnic this weekend,” Anh said. “Can you come?”
Mai screwed up her face. “I’d love to, but we’re having a busy bee at the cafe. I’m hoping to get most of the work done over the weekend.”
“You do nothing but work,” Eden grumbled.
“It’s what happens when you own your own business,” Mai snapped back.
“Dad doesn’t work as much as you do.”
“Dad has a different business to mine.”
“They’re both food.”
Anh interrupted Mai’s retort. “Mai’s move is going to take a bit of effort.”
Eden pouted.
Nicholas shifted. It had been a long time since he’d squabbled with his siblings like that. He wouldn’t have dared argue in front of guests – that wasn’t acceptable in his family.
Mai checked the time. “We’d better be going.”
“Yeah, you’d better get your beauty sleep,” Kim teased.
Mai rolled her eyes as she got to her feet.
“Thanks for having me.” Nicholas stood up and shook hands with Anh and Bian.
“It was a pleasure,” Bian replied.
It had been. He’d enjoyed getting to know Mai’s family, enjoyed their family dynamic. On the drive to his place, he said, “Your family is nice.”
“Thanks.” She pulled up outside his house. “I like them.”
He wasn’t ready for their evening to end. “Do you want to come in?” he asked. “You could stay the night.”
Mai hesitated. “I really do need to get a decent night’s sleep tonight,” she said. “I should go straight to bed, and you won’t want to.”
He didn’t care. He wanted her to stay, liked the idea of her being asleep in his bed. “I can tuck you in and I’ll be sure to be quiet when I come to bed.”
She studied him for a moment and then turned off the car. “All right.”
He grinned, elation coursing through him. Mai was staying. “Can I get you a drink?” he asked as he opened the front door.
“No.” Mai wrapped her arms around his waist. “I’m going to bed. You mentioned you’d tuck me in?” She squeezed his butt.
He hardened. “I thought you needed sleep.”
“I’m sure you can help me relax.”
He liked the way she thought. “I’m sure I can.” He led her into the bedroom.
Mai woke in a strange bed with a warm man curled up beside her, his arm cuddling her. She vaguely remembered Nicholas coming to bed sometime after she’d gone to sleep. After she’d been thoroughly relaxed. She smiled and reached for her phone to confirm the time. Two minutes until her alarm went off.
She sighed, turned it off and then carefully tried to slide out of bed without waking Nicholas.
His arm around her tightened. “Awfoserwkdlksjd,” he mumbled.
“I have to go.”
“I thought you were staying the night,” he said.
She smiled. “I did. It’s time for me to go to work.”
“But it’s dark outside.”
He was still half asleep. “That’s when I go to work, remember?” She kissed his cheek and slipped out of bed, before gathering her clothes and leaving the room. She ducked into a spare bedroom, switched on the light and dressed quickly. She’d have a shower when she got home.
In the kitchen she grabbed her car keys and looked around for Calypso. He hadn’t been in the bedroom and he wasn’t on the sofas either. She didn’t have time to search for him now. Instead she wrote a note asking Nicholas to bring Calypso home when he had a chance and left it on the kitchen bench. Then she drove through the dark, quiet town to work. There wasn’t a single other car on the road and the lamp posts seemed far apart. The whole town was sleeping.
She yawned, forcing her eyes wide to focus on the road. She would have to get used to this. No more going down the stairs and into work. It would completely suck.
It had been inevitable that one day she’d move out of her apartment, but she’d hoped it would be further in the future.
Mai pulled into the car park at the back of the bakery, her lights illuminating the dark corner. A black van was parked outside the empty unit and a man stumbled into view, his clothes dark, his hair blond. She slammed on the brakes, her headlights illuminating the whole area.
Her heart raced.
He was the same guy who’d been with Gordon and the creepy guy at her cafe.
She leapt out of the car. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” She strode over to him.
“Miss On, you do consistently turn up at the wrong time.” Creepy Guy stepped out from behind the van, his tone mild.
Fear slammed into her and she took a step back.
The blond guy turned towards her, his face bruised and bleeding.
Shit.
What on earth had she just walked into?
It didn’t matter. She couldn’t show her fear, even though every urge screamed at her to run. She wouldn’t get very far. Puffing herself up so she stood tall, she said, “You’re at my workplace, I start early.”
“You should go inside,” Creepy Guy said. “I’m teaching Shane a lesson. He didn’t listen to me.” The threat was there.
Had he killed Gordon? Had Gordon done something he didn’t agree with? She couldn’t ask, couldn’t even hint that she suspected. “You’re not burning down my building?” What a stupid thing to say.
“Have you gone to the police?”
“No.” Not yet. She itched to get her phone out and take his photo but she wasn’t that stupid. The car number plate however … she glanced over. It was covered in thick red dust and she could only make out the first two letters.
“Then I’m not burning your bakery.”
“Well that’s good.” She took a step back, glancing at the blond who was silently watching them both but making no move to run or ask for help. “My staff starts in half an hour.” She didn’t want Penny getting involved.
A hint of a smile crept on Creepy Guy’s face, making him look even scarier. “I’ll be done by then. As long as I’m not interrupted further.”
Mai backed away, not wanting to turn her back on them. She was in way over her head. This time she had to call Lincoln, had to get help.
Creepy Guy reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette lighter. He flicked it on and then glanced casually at the building.
Her heart jumped. His message was clear.
She got back into her car, the urge to drive out of there and straight over to Lincoln’s place strong. But what if Creepy Guy didn’t stop with the bakery? What if he hurt her family?
&nbs
p; No. She parked and hurried up the steps, her hands shaking as she tried to unlock the door. Finally it opened and she raced in, slamming and locking the door behind her before sinking to the floor.
How had she got into this mess?
How could she get out of it?
She had to talk to Lincoln. People were getting hurt. She had to tell him about Gordon, Creepy Guy and the blond. He’d be able to protect her family.
Her apartment, her bakery didn’t matter.
That was a lie. Her bakery was everything to her, but she couldn’t put it before people’s lives. That wasn’t right.
She slid her phone out of her pocket and stared at the screen for a long moment. Maybe she could get some footage, some proof of what was happening. She slipped off her shoes and quickly padded up the stairs to her apartment, unlocking it and tiptoeing to the kitchen window. She couldn’t see anything through her lace curtains and she didn’t dare move them in case Creepy Guy was watching.
She strained to hear voices and there was a murmur but she couldn’t make out any words.
She had to act now. Had to call Lincoln.
A car engine roared to life and seconds later the black van peeled out of the car park.
They were gone.
A figure wandered into the light by her back door. Creepy Guy.
He looked straight up at her window, straight at her, and flicked the cigarette lighter on and off. Then he walked down the street as if he had all the time in the world.
Mai didn’t start breathing until he was out of view.
This was not a guy to mess around with.
She had to be careful what she did. Had to make sure nothing could be traced back to her.
But how on earth did she do that?
All morning Mai debated how she could speak with Lincoln without risking her family. She kneaded the bread dough, hoping inspiration would strike, but it didn’t. Creepy Guy would know it was her if the police started searching for him.
“Has someone annoyed you?” Penny asked.
Mai blinked and looked up, her hands buried in the dough. “What?”
She nodded towards the table. “You’re really giving that dough a good workout.”
Mai relaxed her hands and shook her head. “Just thinking.” She set the dough aside to prove and went to the storeroom for more flour.
She needed to talk to her family, let them know to be careful, make sure her sisters didn’t go anywhere alone.
Surely there would be no reason for Creepy Guy to hurt them.
With all of the bread prepared and proving she started on her list of pastries. Top of the list was bee stings – Lincoln’s favourite. He bought one every day when he came in for his morning coffee.
She grinned. That’s when she could catch him, take him into her office so she didn’t need to go to the station.
It was the perfect solution.
When Lincoln strode into the bakery he greeted Sylvia and asked for his usual. Mai hurried into the front room. “I’ve got this, Sylvia. Lincoln, can I talk to you for a moment?” He was dressed in his full blue uniform, looking as handsome as ever. The bell above the door rang as a new customer came in and she automatically checked who it was. Her heart stopped.
Creepy Guy.
He wore the same clothes as he had last night, and he shifted his black jacket to show the hand gun beneath it. Her blood froze. Somehow she’d ended up in an American cop drama – except this was real.
He was real.
“Sure, Mayday. Sorry I didn’t return your call yesterday. What’s up?”
Mai blinked. This wasn’t good. She couldn’t ask Lincoln out the back and she couldn’t talk to him in front of Creepy Guy. She got a bee sting out of the cabinet and boxed it.
“Mai?”
“I, uh, wanted to ask you about Jamie.” Jamie was a safe topic of conversation, a reasonable thing to talk about.
“What’s he done now?”
“Nothing. I wanted to ask if he’s really all right after breaking up with Sandra.”
Lincoln frowned. “I didn’t know he had.”
Great, now she was betraying Jamie’s confidences. Crap. “Don’t worry about it.” It took all of her willpower not to look at Creepy Guy who was ordering from Sylvia. “I’ll call him this afternoon.” She made his coffee and handed it to him. “I’d better get back to work. I’ll see you later.”
“Thanks, Mai.”
She didn’t wait for him to leave. She hurried back into the kitchen and shut herself into her office, her pulse racing.
What the hell should she do now?
Mai spent the day trying to convince herself that she didn’t need to say anything to Lincoln. Blond guy and Gordon were involved in drugs in some way which meant they were doing illegal things.
But any way she spun it, it didn’t feel right. No one deserved to be beaten up, no one deserved to be killed. Gordon deserved justice like anyone else.
She had to talk to Lincoln, but Creepy Guy was obviously watching her. Was he able to tap her phone, trace her calls?
She had no idea what he was capable of.
So she needed to be covert. The station or Lincoln’s place were out. Perhaps she could get Fleur to invite everyone over for dinner – no, she didn’t want to get her friends involved.
Maybe she should invite Lincoln surfing – but that would look suspicious as well. It could only work if she happened to bump into him at the beach.
And she didn’t know what his roster was, or even if he’d been surfing lately.
She hugged herself as she searched her apartment for Calypso. He usually met her at the door. So where was he?
She’d left him at Nicholas’s place. She sent him a text.
Do you still have my cat?
The response came a moment later.
Cat? I don’t remember a cat …
Mai frowned.
Big, fluffy beige animal with blue eyes.
Ah, that cat. I’m keeping him.
Surprise had her chuckling.
You can’t, he’s mine.
Possession is nine-tenths of the law.
That’s a myth.
Then I’m holding him ransom.
She grinned, the tension of the morning melting away.
What are your demands?
A kiss and one Mai’s Delight.
Done. When do you want to do the switch?
How about now?
Interesting. It was the middle of the morning and he wanted to see her.
Where?
The bridge at dawn.
Just kidding.
My place?
Be right there.
She should be sleeping, but her apartment didn’t feel safe. She felt too exposed. Besides it wouldn’t take long to drop off the pastry and pick up Calypso, and she wanted to see Nicholas.
During the drive over, Mai kept an eye on her rear-view mirror to make sure she wasn’t being followed. Traffic was light and she couldn’t see Creepy Guy anywhere. Maybe he was convinced she was suitably frightened.
She hoped he was.
Nicholas met her at his front door, Calypso around his neck. “The pastry?” he asked, waggling his eyebrows and twirling a make-believe moustache.
It was absurd, and a little of the stress faded as she swallowed her smile and showed him the box. He reached for it and she snatched it back. “The cat first.”
“We’ll do a switch on the count of three – one, two, three.”
Mai handed him the box and before she could reach for Calypso, Nicholas had taken off down the hallway. “Oi!” She laughed and followed him inside, glancing down the street before she shut the door behind her.
He was in the kitchen, the box already open and the pastry on a plate. “Want to go halves?”
“No, thanks. I should take my cat and have my siesta.”
“Why don’t you nap here?” he suggested. “Calypso’s not ready to leave yet.”
Her cat did appear to be rather
comfortable slung around Nicholas’s neck and the idea that Nicholas wanted her to stay appealed. Plus his bed was far more comfortable than her own.
And she had zero desire to be by herself now that Creepy Guy knew where she lived.
No, she wasn’t going to think about that now. She had a very sexy man in a playful mood in front of her. She wanted to make the most of it.
How far would Nicholas’s playful side go? “All right. Mind if I take a shower?” She stripped off her T-shirt without waiting for an answer and dropped it on the floor, heading towards his bedroom. Her bra soon joined it and Nicholas said, “Sorry, Calypso, you’re staying out here.”
She laughed.
This was exactly what she needed.
Chapter 15
Nicholas leaned back in his chair, his gaze going to the time at the bottom of his laptop screen. Mai had been asleep for two hours. Was it too soon to wake her? He wanted to spend more time with her.
His phone rang as he got to his feet. “Hi, Mum.”
“Honey, how are you? Are you getting enough rest? I haven’t heard from you in over a week.”
Nicholas smiled at the worry in her voice. It was nice to know someone still cared. “I’m fine, Mum.”
“Your dad isn’t working you too hard is he? The doctor said you’re only allowed to work on the one project.”
“Don’t worry, after my stuff up Dad doesn’t want me working on anything else.” It didn’t hurt anymore, not now he was debating changing his career.
“It wasn’t your fault, Honey. None of it was.”
That wasn’t true, but he appreciated her support. “How are you?”
“Good, I’m good.” She paused and he heard her hesitation.
“What is it?”
“Have you heard from Shane recently?”
His best friend’s name jolted him. “No. He’s not allowed to make phone calls in rehab.”
“Ah, well that’s the thing … he checked himself out.”
Nicholas sank into the chair. “When?”
“Right after Christmas. Vicki only just called to tell me. They haven’t been able to contact him.”
Shane’s parents had stopped talking to his parents after the fire. The police had treated the Jamesons as suspects as well and they’d all blamed him for the insurance failure. “Do you want me to ring him?”
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