by Jill Snow
“I wasn’t. I was surprised Declan was involved.”
Kathy’s eyes widened. “That does surprise me but was he?”
“He says no but the reporter says he was.”
“That the same reporter who thought you were over thirty.”
Zoe didn’t reply. Her aunt’s message was coming through loud and clear.
“You know I love you Zoe Clark but you got an independent streak a mile wide. Your father adored the ground you walked on. He would never have expected you to work yourself into the ground trying to keep that garage going. If he knew what the current climate was like, he would have shut up shop long ago.”
“You’re just saying that. It was his dream to have Dominic inherit the garage and keep Clark and Sons going.”
“Yeah like it's my dream my Lily will become a nurse just like me. But unless they take art graduates into nursing school some time soon that isn’t going to happen. Parents have dreams for their kids but the most important wish is that their offspring are happy. Your dad would be rolling in his grave if he knew what you are putting on the line for that garage. He isn’t there you know honey. He’s gone and no amount of working hard in that two bit place is going to bring him back.”
Tears pricked her eyelids. She squeezed them shut but it only made her feel worse. “Oh Kathy I miss him so much.”
“I know you do honey. So do I. But I swear if he was here he may just take you over his knee and spank you.”
“Dad never touched me.”
“I know but maybe he should have. Zoe you have you own life to live, not your dad’s or Dominic’s but yours. You have been happier these past few months than any other time I have seen you. Your dad would love Declan. He would know his little girl has a nice gentlemen to love and honor her.”
“You mean to protect me.”
“That too. What’s so wrong with that? You think you can’t be independent with a man in your life. You’re wrong. Now what are we going to do about Jim and Chris Lyons?”
“We are going to do nothing. Kathy I have to handle this myself and don’t look at me like that. It’s something I have to do. I can’t explain why. I don’t know. But I just have to.”
“Okay darling. But you come and stay with me. I don’t want you in that house alone.”
“I will come stay with you at the weekend. For now I have to sort out some things. Okay?”
Kathy agreed albeit reluctantly. Zoe knew her aunt wanted to keep her out of harms way but she had to face Chris Lyons and Jim alone.
Chapter 59
She showered and changed before meeting Mr. Epstein whom she had called earlier. His window boxes were flowering nicely and his home was so tidy you would swear nobody lived in it. But he had been baking, the smell of blueberry muffins made her stomach grumble.
“Come in Zoe, please. You look lovely today. Did you have a nice vacation?”
“Yes thank you.”
“I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news. The evidence points to Jim being involved. I can show you how I figured it out if you wish.”
“No thank you Mr. Epstein. Math isn’t my strong point. I am going to the garage now to speak to Jim. Then I will be calling on Chris Lyons. Did you turn down his offer?”
“Yes, Zoe I did although I have to say it was tempting. He increased the price by about 20%.”
Zoe hoped the other people Chris had approached had said no too. Otherwise their little village was going to be a thing of the past.
“I have been to see Gertie and the other people at Flower Meadows. Your aunt was wonderful. So inviting and Gertie, well she is the tonic you said she was. She was asking about you and Declan.”
“Gertie should mind her own business,” Zoe spoke sharply but then moderated her tone. “Sorry Mr. Epstein, didn’t get too much sleep last night. Did you have fun at the home?”
“I did. Zoe, you were right. I was lonely but now I have other things to do with my time. Thank you dear. You are a true friend. I am so glad you have found such a nice man as Declan Malone. You deserve to be happy.”
Zoe didn’t reply. She didn’t know what the future held but for now her mind couldn’t focus on anything but her meeting with Jim and then Chris. If what she suspected was true, Chris Lyons was going to see a side of her few people knew existed.
She walked to the garage wanting to enjoy the bright sunshine. As she walked along the beach, she spotted some dolphins playing out at sea. What would they make of Cloudy Bay if their beach was soon full of tourists?
She got to the garage just before shutting up time. She walked in so quietly she found Jim reading something online, his feet up on the desk, a cup of coffee to his side. The familiar smells brought memories of her dad, but she had to ignore them for now. She prayed for strength.
“Busy are we?”
He nearly knocked the cup sideways as he leapt off his seat.
“Zoe I didn’t expect you back so soon. How was your trip?”
“Very interesting. Or should I say the conversations about this garage were. How could you Jim?”
She had debated how to tackle him on the walk over but in the end she’d decided to just be direct. It worked too as Jim looked guilty. He wouldn’t look her in the eye and his face turned various shades of red.
“Please answer me. I think that’s the least you could do.”
“Zoe, you don’t understand. I have no retirement plans. They got eaten up in the 2008 crash. Chris offered me a lot of money for my home and then an amount on top if I got you to shut down the business. I knew you wouldn’t do that unless you had to. I was going to pay you back the money, honest.”
“Sure you were.” Zoe’s sarcasm hit the mark as he narrowed his eyes. “So when did Chris approach you?”
“A year or so ago.”
“And you never once thought about where your loyalty lay?”
“Don’t take that attitude with me. I should have taken over the garage when your dad died. Nobody wants a female mechanic never mind one as a boss.”
Zoe kept her tone cool. She wasn’t going to let him push her buttons. “You were free to leave. Jim, I trusted you. I treated you like one of the family. Just like Dad did. Thank God he isn’t here to see this.”
At least he had the grace to look ashamed. He stared at his feet for a few minutes before asking,
“What happens now?”
“The police will be here in a few minutes to arrest you for embezzlement, fraud and whatever else they can pin on you. I don’t think you need worry about your residence for the next few years.’
Jim stood up and came towards her. She refused to show fear so stood her ground.
“Zoe, please you can't do that. The missus, she will kill me. The boys won’t be happy either.”
“You should have thought of your family before you decided to get in bed with Chris Lyons.”
Zoe looked away as tears filled the older man’s eyes.
“I am sorry, I was weak. I couldn’t resist.”
“Why didn’t you come and tell me?” She hated the pleading note in her voice but Jim had been a part of her life for as long as she could remember. He and her dad had shared lots of time together. “We could have worked something out?”
“Like what? This is a two bit business and we both know it. Your dad didn’t know what he was doing. Always working on things for free or for little money because the car owner was a friend or neighbor in need.”
She could have forgiven him anything but attacking her dad was a step too far.
“Dad knew what a community meant. Those people would have returned the favor when they had cash.”
“People aren’t like that Zoe. Wake up and smell the coffee. All they care about is themselves. Those people your dad helped, where are they now?”
Zoe didn’t answer. She stayed silent until eventually he started packing up his things. The cops showed up shortly after he had finished.
“This him?”
“Yes.” Zoe ignor
ed Jim’s pleas.
“James Richardson I am arresting you….”
Zoe distanced herself mentally from what was happening. Despite Jim’s guilty admission and the proof Mr. Epstein had gathered, she hadn’t wanted to believe it was true. But it was. The final nail in the coffin for her father’s business.
She watched as the police took Jim away. Then she closed the door behind him. Only then did she let the tears fall, for once in her life she was glad her father was dead. It would have killed him to think his close friend had betrayed him.
Chapter 60
She only allowed herself to wallow in self pity for a few minutes. Then she took her bag to the bathroom and set about repairing the tear damage. She had a bigger fish to fry. Chris Lyons wasn’t going to squirm his way out of this one. Although it was relatively late for office hours, she knew he made it a habit of working late. Or at least he stayed in his office. She wasn’t sure his wife would consider what he did was working.
She made her way by cab to the Lyons office. At one point Chris’s father and her father had been friends. But Mr. Lyons senior was nothing like his son. He’d been a gentlemen but had died shortly before Zoe’s dad.
Putting her shoulders back, she walked into his office past his long suffering secretary and straight through the closed door. He was sitting on the couch, a young woman taking notes by his side. He jumped up as soon as he saw her.
“Zoe Clark, while it is a pleasure to see you, this meeting is private.”
‘Leave,” Zoe said to the young girl who possibly sensing her anger left without looking back. Zoe turned her full attention on Chris Lyons having the satisfaction of seeing him go pale before he got a hold of himself.
“Zoe, what is the meaning of this?”
“You are a bully and a thief. How dare you manipulate Jim Richardson and try to put me out of business.”
“I have no idea what you are talking about.” He picked up his phone.
“I hope that’s your lawyer as you will need him. I have turned over all the evidence to the police. You are looking at multiple charges.”
“If you have evidence, why are you here and not the police? I think you are bluffing, Zoe.” He took a step toward her and another but she just stared at him. He wasn’t going to intimidate her.
“I don’t have to bluff. The truth is on my side. I am here as I want to know what Declan Malone has to do with all of this.”
‘That’s none of your business.”
“I think you will find it is. He is a personal friend and his lawyers are the best in the business. I have reason to believe you have been telling people he is an investor in your business. Is that the truth?”
“I don’t have to answer your questions.”
“You just did.” She took a step toward him and was right up to his face. “You picked the wrong woman as an enemy Chris.”
“You don’t scare me Zoe Clark. You are nothing but a dried up two bit mechanic. You will be sorry you ever messed with me.”
“Tell that to the cell walls, Chris.”
With that she turned and strode out of the office, her head held high. She didn’t look at his secretary but could feel her eyes on her. She kept walking until she had left the building behind her. Then she let her breath out.
“Is he dead?”
The familiar voice made her jump.
“Declan, what are you doing here?”
“I know you wanted to handle this yourself but I thought I could be here for you when you were done.”
“So you followed me?”
“Not really. I rang Mr. Epstein and he told me of your plans. When I got to the garage and you had already left, I figured you would go here. I thought I would wait a while before calling you on your cell. I didn’t want to interrupt your moment.”
“Oh.” She was grateful to see him but didn’t want to come across as being weak.
“So what happens next?”
“With?” she couldn’t think straight. All this time she thought she was alone dealing with her problems, he had been at her side.
“With Mr. Lyons. Have you called the police?”
‘Yes but they won’t do anything until they have taken Jim’s statement.”
“Let’s see about that,” Conor replied, a determined look on his face. He picked up his cell and rang the police making a complaint about the fact that Chris Lyons had been using his name to entice people to sign over their homes.
“That should stir them up a bit,” he said smiling as he turned off his cell.
“Yes it should.” She turned to walk toward the beach.
“Zoe, are you angry with me?”
“No. Not with you. I just can’t bear to see Cloudy Bay destroyed.”
“I wanted to speak to you about that. It’s true I want to diversify my investments and I love what Conor did with Flower Meadows. So I wondered if we could do something similar here in Cloudy Bay. Kathy said there was a waiting list of people wanting to move into Flower Meadows? We could build a new retirement village and let it out to people like Mr. Epstein. In fact, assuming you agreed, we could ask him to manage it. I think he would enjoy that. I get the impression being retired doesn’t suit him.”
“No, it doesn’t. He took early retirement to be with his wife when she was ill but now he has way too much time on his hands.” Zoe scrutinized Declan’s face. “How will this make you money? Won’t it be expensive?”
“Sure but it will make a profit. Conor doesn’t get excited about investments unless they do. And it’s a way of giving back to the community.”
“And it will keep predators like Chris Lyons and his followers away.”
“It should. After the cops are finished with him, I don’t think investments will be the topic of interest for Chris or Jim.”
She closed her eyes. What Jim had said about her dad still hurt. More than anything else. “Yeah Jim.”
He put his arm around her and drew her close.
“Zoe, regardless of what is happening between us, I would like to think we are friends. Friends care about each other and help shoulder burdens. Don’t push me away. You shouldn’t go through this alone.”
“Thank you for coming here Declan. It means a lot that you did that.”
He grinned at her before kissing her on the forehead. She wanted him to kiss her properly but it wouldn’t be fair to initiate that when she was still confused about their future.
“I think it would be a good time to take a break away. I don’t think you want to be here when the news breaks do you?”
“No. One disadvantage of a small town is everyone knows your business. They will all see what a fool I was. How stupid Zoe got in trouble over math again.”
“I told you never to call yourself stupid again. You are kind and trusting. People you had known for years took advantage of you. That is nothing to be ashamed of.” He looked into her eyes as if trying to make his thoughts hers. “So will you come to Ireland? Please?”
She found herself saying yes although her head was filled with the same doubts as before. Only now she was an unemployed mechanic without a business.
Chapter 61
It didn’t take long to organize their passports and holiday visas. Kathy thought it was a great idea and Gertie wanted to invite herself along. Zoe thought Gertie was joking but Declan wasn’t as sure.
“Tell his parents I said hello, Zoe. I will bring Emily home to meet them soon.”
“I will Conor.”
Declan smiled at them both. He was thrilled Conor and Emily approved of Zoe. The two ladies got on really well and Conor had teased Declan about his intentions more than once.
Kathy had offered to have Dominic stay with her but Declan refused. Dominic was part of Zoe’s family and if they had a future together, he was going to be part of his family too. He wanted Dominic to meet his mam and da.
“Wow, it pulls out into a real bed. This is an awesome plane. Do you get to travel like this all the time?” Dominic asked.
“Yes, but the attraction wears off pretty quick.”
“It wouldn’t for me. I love it.”
Declan smiled at the kid, thinking how easy it was to make him happy. Unlike his sister. Despite agreeing to the trip, he’d caught her looking at him numerous times. The expression on her face was impossible to read. He’d emailed his ma telling her to move slowly and carefully with Zoe. The last thing he wanted was for his ma to launch into a discussion of churches and wedding venues. Zoe would run for the trees.
“Will we meet your brothers when we go to Ireland? I want their autographs. I’ve never met any famous musicians before.”
Declan grinned. Nothing like a ten -year-old child to put your feet back on earth. “I don’t know if the lads are home, but you’ll get to meet them. And they’ll sign whatever you want. Now settle down and put your seat belt on. We have to listen to the flight attendant.”
“Oh yeah, in case we crash. Zoe’s scared of flying but I told her I would help her. I’m a good swimmer if we have to land in the sea.”
Declan quickly told the kid to shush, given the looks he was attracting. He saw one woman cross herself. The poor old dear was probably terrified of flying and hearing Dominic discuss dropping into the Atlantic so casually didn’t help.
Zoe slept the whole flight so he didn’t get to speak to her. Or at least he thought she did. She remained curled up under her blanket. He hoped Ireland worked its charm and brought them closer together. This trip was really important for a whole lot of reasons.
They landed, collected cases and cleared customs in record time. His da was waiting in the car park for them. He always went to the same spot to avoid any scenes with fans. Luckily, few people were around it being a weekday. He didn’t get stopped once. Zoe and Dominic followed him into the lift and up to the car.
“Nice to meet you Zoe, and you too, Dominic. The wife is at home making some lunch for you. She guessed you would be hungry.”
