Nothing to Gain

by Claire Boston

  Nicholas leaned against one of the posts as Mai trotted down the steps to talk to her father. It was great that so many people had come to help her, even if her mother and sisters had gone on a picnic instead. A black van slowed down as it rounded the bend in the road. Nicholas straightened. It matched the description of the van Mai had seen, and its windows were tinted too dark to make out who was inside.

  He didn’t like it and waited until the van continued down the road and Mai headed back inside before he went to find Lincoln. “Got a second?” Nicholas asked, glancing around to make sure no one was close enough to hear.

  “Sure.” Lincoln put his paint roller down. “What’s up?”

  He told Lincoln about the car.

  Lincoln scowled. “Did the driver see Mai?”

  “Yeah. She was out the front with her father.” A perfect target.

  “You’d better tell Mai. Are you still staying with her?”

  He nodded.

  “That’s good. It’s better to be safe.”

  Nicholas’s shoulders were tense and he looked over to where Mai chatted with Hannah. He didn’t want her out of his sight. “Have you found anything about the guys?”

  Lincoln hesitated. “Not yet.”

  He wasn’t telling Nicholas everything. That wasn’t good. But he couldn’t pry him for more details here, not with Fleur making her way closer to them as she painted the wall.

  It was up to him to keep Mai by his side at all times.

  He needed to protect her.

  Chapter 16

  It was late afternoon when Mai waved goodbye to the last car and then stretched, groaning as she did so. She was exhausted but exuberant. They had done so much work today and the new cafe was almost finished.

  “Happy?” Nicholas asked.

  “Ecstatic. All that’s left is the shelving behind the display cabinets and moving in.” She would book the removalists for the week school went back, and get the shire out to approve the premise. She let out a sigh. “It’s all coming together.” She walked up the ramp Nicholas and Kit had built. “You’ve done a great job on this. You could become a carpenter.”

  “Thanks.”

  He hadn’t said anything else about hating his job since their date, and when he’d been working next to her during the week, he hadn’t seemed stressed. Maybe he’d just been having a bad day. “Have you thought any more about quitting Shadbolt?”

  “Not a lot.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I want to finish this development before I do anything.”

  “I’m glad. I trust you.” She wanted him to stay.

  She wandered through the cafe confirming that everything had been tidied up and all the doors were locked. The seating area was so much bigger than she’d had before and she could picture how it would look with the tables inside, a couple of large pieces of artwork on the walls to add a little colour. She trailed her hand over the metal shelving in the storeroom which was ready for her ingredients. This was hers for the next six months and she would use it to build her brand further, to attract more people. It would be harder with the smaller kitchen and she’d miss Penny’s company in the mornings, but she would make it a success.

  She moved back into the kitchen where Nicholas waited. She hadn’t pictured him as a handyman, but he’d worked as hard as everyone else and had helped whenever anyone needed it.

  “Is there anything else that needs to be done?” Nicholas asked.

  “No. Let’s go home.”

  Home. She wasn’t sure whether she meant her apartment or Nicholas’s house – home was wherever he was. She got into her car and squeezed her eyes shut for a second. It would break her heart when he left.

  “Are you all right?”

  She opened her eyes and forced a smile. “Just tired.” She started the car. She wanted Nicholas to stay in Blackbridge, she wanted him to find a job he loved and to heal from the incident with his friend.

  She wanted him to love her.

  Did she want too much?

  It was dark when Nicholas opened his eyes and he lay there, not sure what had woken him. He should be dead to the world after working on Mai’s cafe all day. His muscles screamed at him not to move as he shifted.

  Thunk.

  He lifted his head. Mai was asleep beside him and Calypso was curled at his feet.

  Thunk.

  It was outside. Had Creepy Guy discovered Mai had spoken to the police? He took his phone from the table and slid out of bed, careful not to wake Mai. He slipped on a T-shirt and shorts and tiptoed to the kitchen window.

  The car park was dark.

  Slowly he unlocked the apartment door, tucking Mai’s keys into his pocket as he crept down the stairs. At the base of them he stopped. Should he turn on the outside light and hope it would scare off whoever it was? Or would it make him more of a target?

  From what Mai had said, a little light wouldn’t frighten Creepy Guy.

  Thunk.

  The noise was definitely coming from the empty unit next door.

  He opened the back door and slipped outside. The air was cool and the streetlamp down the road gave a measure of comfort. But he wasn’t heading that way.

  Nicholas crept down the steps and clung close to the building’s wall as he moved closer to the unit, his eyes adjusting to the dim light.

  Thunk.

  It sounded as if someone was chopping wood, one strike at a time. He scrolled through his phone to find Lincoln’s number as a figure moved out of the unit. The glare from the phone was bright and the figure swore.

  Heart thumping Nicholas swiped his torch on and held it up.

  He froze.

  Shane.

  His friend was dressed all in black, jeans, T-shirt, jacket. His blond hair stuck out all over the place, not his usual styled hairdo, his face was bruised like he’d been in a bar fight and his hands were empty.

  Nicholas lowered his phone. “Shit. You gave me a heart attack, Shane.”

  “Nicholas.” Shane took a couple of steps back towards the unit so he was in front of the open door. “There you are.”

  He frowned. “What are you doing here?”

  “I, ah, needed to get away for a few days, you know?”

  “Why didn’t you come by the house?” He had stayed there enough times to know the way.

  “You weren’t there. Then I drove through town, searching for a place to stay and saw your car here. I figured this was your development.” He glanced towards the unit. “Thought I’d stay the night here and catch you in the morning.”

  There was something off with what he said. Nicholas held his phone higher to see Shane’s eyes, to see if he was high. Shane squinted and looked away.

  “Why didn’t you call?”

  “I wasn’t sure you’d answer after the things I said.” He cleared his throat.

  “Of course I would have.” He wouldn’t let his friend down again. Hadn’t Shane listened to the message he’d left on his mobile? “Why did you check yourself out of rehab?”

  “The place was for pussies, talking all sorts of bullshit. I didn’t fit there.”

  Shane still couldn’t see he had a problem. After everything that had gone on, the fire, the debts, he still thought he was fine. “What about the men you owe money to?”

  “I’ve worked out a payment plan.” Shane glanced at the unit.

  Nicholas didn’t trust him; every nerve in his body told him there was more to the story, but he needed to help his friend. “Why don’t you get your things and go to my parents’ place? There’s a spare key under the pot plant on the back patio.” Hopefully being there would remind Shane of the good times they’d had together. Of everything he had to lose. “Stay there tonight and we’ll talk in the morning. Where’s your car?”

  “I parked it down the street.” He shrugged. “Figured people would disturb me if they saw it here.”

  Or he was hiding something. Nicholas would inspect the unit after he left. “Do you need a lift?”

  “Nah,
I’ve got it.” He stayed where he was for a second and then said, “Thanks, Nicholas.” Slowly he walked away.

  As Shane rounded the corner of the building, Nicholas’s phone buzzed.

  Fire call out.

  Then he read the location, and sprinted for the stairs.

  A loud high-pitched ring split the air, and Mai sat straight up in bed, her pulse racing. What the? It wasn’t her alarm … it was her phone. No good news came at midnight. She reached for it and her other hand dropped to the empty place beside her. Where was Nicholas?

  She leapt out of bed as she recognised the number. “Where’s the fire, Lawrence?”

  “Mai, it’s the cafe out on Mortimer Road. You leased it didn’t you?”

  Her heart stopped momentarily as she flicked on the light and grabbed her fire gear. “Yeah. How bad?” She wouldn’t panic. Maybe it was a fire in the backyard.

  Nicholas raced into the room already dressed. Where had he been?

  Lawrence’s words brought her attention back to what mattered. “It’s well alight.”

  She squeezed her eyes closed as she fought down the nausea. “Many responders?”

  “We’ve got a full crew. Maybe you should sit this one out.”

  “Nicholas and I will meet you at the cafe.” She hung up.

  “How bad?” Nicholas asked.

  “Bad.” There was a lump in her throat but she refused to let her emotions get the better of her. “We didn’t leave anything on, did we?”

  He shook his head as he threw on his gear. “No, you inspected everything before we left.”

  She checked Calypso’s water bowl and then Nicholas held the back door open for her and she raced out to her car.

  The fire glowed bright orange in the dark sky, a beacon to where they were heading. Even as she drove fast, her focus on the turns ahead of her, she knew there was no hope. A glow that bright meant the building had been consumed. She parked out of the way and ran to the fire tanker, the fire-fighters already suited up wearing breathing apparatus, dousing the flames with water.

  There was no saving it. The cafe was fully engulfed, with smoke pouring out of the roof and flames shooting from the broken windows. The smoke stung her eyes and the heat made her sweat as she stared into the inferno, her heart in her throat.

  All of the work they had done that day burned in front of her.

  Her future was going up in flames.

  She’d been warned.

  And Creepy Guy had delivered on his threat.

  Anger settled over her shoulders as Nicholas joined her, pulling her into his arms.

  “We’ll sort it out, Mai. Don’t worry.”

  She pushed him away. He was spouting platitudes. There was no way to sort this out. The cafe would be a skeleton by the time the fire was out. She wouldn’t be moving into it by the end of the month. She would have to start again – again.

  Lawrence strode over to them. “Either help or get out of the way.”

  His tone snapped her out of it. She would worry about the consequences later. First they had to put out the fire, stop it from spreading to the trees or the neighbouring houses.

  She picked up a hose and worked with Nicholas. The heat was a shimmering wall and the smoke was dark and acrid. The water was having little effect.

  “Mai!” The yell and a hand on her shoulder had her turning to Jeremy. “The bakery is on fire.”

  Mai blinked. “I can see that,” she shouted, gesturing to the burning building.

  He shook his head, his eyes full of concern. “The one in town.”

  She froze. No, not that too. She couldn’t handle them both burning. That was her life. Then her heart stopped. “Calypso …” She shoved her hose at Jeremy and turning, she ploughed straight into Lawrence, bouncing off him with a thud. He was not stopping her.

  “Take the fast attack,” he shouted at her. “There’s another brigade on its way, but we can’t leave here.”

  Gratitude swept through her. She ran towards the vehicle. By the time she had it going, Nicholas was in the passenger seat beside her.

  “What the hell is going on?” he asked.

  “The bakery is on fire. I have to get Calypso out.”

  He swore. “What do we need to do?”

  “It depends on what we find.” Had the fire started in the front or the back of the building?

  It had to be the back, the front was too exposed. And if that was the case, she wouldn’t be able to use the stairs. She’d need the ladder to get to the kitchen window.

  Her heart thudded as she sped into the back car park. Smoke billowed from the door. There was so much of it – too much of it. Was Calypso already dead?

  She jerked the vehicle to a stop and ran to the fast attack trailer, snatching up a BA set while Nicholas set up the hose. “I’m going in.” She hefted the set on to her back and put the mask over her face, then grabbed a torch from the toolbox. “Turn the hose on.” Sirens sounded in the distance. Help was on its way, but she didn’t have time to wait.

  He didn’t argue with her.

  The door jamb was already splintered, the lock broken. This was where they’d entered.

  “On the count of three.” She counted down and then kicked the door open. Heat and smoke rushed out and Nicholas directed the hose into the bakery. The water cleared some of the smoke momentarily. Her kitchen was ablaze. There would be no saving it.

  But she had to save Calypso.

  She raced up the stairs, and into her apartment, slamming the door behind her. The smoke wasn’t as thick in here but the room was hot, the heat coming in waves from the floor. “Calypso!” The mask and the crackle from the fire muffled her voice.

  No response.

  She had to be careful. There was no telling how stable the floor was, but she wasn’t leaving without her cat. She moved quickly, as lightly as she could, to Calypso’s favourite sleeping corner, but he wasn’t there.

  Shit.

  Where else would he be?

  The smoke was thicker at the front of her apartment and it was warm, too warm. She scanned the room with the torch, moving towards her bedroom.

  She didn’t have long.

  “Calypso.” The light beam shone over her bed and hit her cat curled up against her pillow. She ran forward and seized him, tucking him under her arm as she ran for the stairs.

  “Mai, you’ve got to get out of there.” She jumped at Nicholas’s voice coming through the radio of her BA.

  “On my way.” She opened the door and a thick cloud of smoke and flame rushed at her. She slammed it shut.

  “I’m coming out the window. Get me a ladder,” she ordered, racing for the kitchen.

  As she reached the sink there was an almighty crash behind her. She didn’t stop. She vaulted on to the bench and kicked out the glass in the window frame. Someone had leaned a ladder up against the building and a fire tanker was below, with fire-fighters yelling at her. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she had to get out of there. She didn’t have much time.

  She placed Calypso on her shoulders as she backed out on to the ladder. Her heart lodged in her throat at the gaping hole where her living room had once been. She could see down into the kitchen full of flames. Her bakery was gone.

  Her lungs hurt and her eyes watered as she shimmied down the ladder. When she reached the ground, hands gripped her, pulling her away from the building.

  Nicholas.

  “Over there,” he yelled and pointed.

  Lincoln stood there with Oscar, the town vet. Thank God someone had called him. She raced over and gave Calypso to the vet.

  “Let me check him.” Oscar laid him on the ground and examined his vitals. “He’s breathing, but I need to take him to the surgery.”

  Mai ripped off her BA. “Do you need my help?”

  He shook his head. “You’re needed here. I’ll call you.”

  In moments he was gone. Mai looked back at the bakery. Flames and smoke condensed where once her dreams had been. T
wo brigades were attacking the fire from different angles and while it wasn’t spreading, there was no saving the building. Her bakery was gone.

  She seized control of her emotions. She couldn’t afford to grieve yet. She had to see this through. “You need to call Albany,” she said to Lincoln. “This was deliberately lit. The back door was kicked open.”

  Lincoln’s nod was short, his face grim. “Already done.”

  Nicholas wrapped his arm around her waist.

  As her pulse rate came down and the pressure in her chest cleared, the enormity of what was in front of her hit her. Her home and business were burning to the ground in front of her.

  Her eyes filled with tears that had nothing to do with the smoke. She had lost everything. Her ovens, her mixers, all of her supplies. Everything she had worked so hard for, all the time she’d sacrificed to make it a success, gone with the strike of a match.

  Gone because she’d spoken to Lincoln. Gone because some bastard thought he could threaten her, thought that he could control her.

  She’d show him she couldn’t be bullied. She’d do everything in her power to see him behind bars.

  If he knew what was good for him, he wouldn’t show his face near her again.

  As the roof caved in, in a roar of defeat, so did her resolve. Everything was gone. She sank to the ground and hugged her knees. Nicholas pulled her into his arms and she buried her face in his chest and sobbed.

  The sun had appeared on the horizon by the time the fire was out, its glow so reminiscent of the burning building that it would be some time before Mai would be able to enjoy a sunrise again. She’d taken her turn on the hose and had spoken with Lawrence who had dropped by after the cafe fire had been extinguished. There was only a shell left of both buildings.

  Penny had arrived for work and watched in horror as the building burned before Mai sent her home. She had to ring the rest of her staff today, she had to tell them they no longer had jobs. They were going to be devastated.

  She squeezed her eyes shut. Her throat hurt from the smoke she’d inhaled and from trying to keep the tears at bay. She kept hoping this was a nightmare and she would soon wake up.