Shadow of Suspicion (Haunted by the Past)

by Danielle Rose-West

  “Because it usually is,” Jason said wryly. He arched a brow at her, conveying silently for her to tell him the truth. Fay threw her hands up.

  “It’s not me this time. Dad’s the one who’s blundered.” She clapped a hand over her mouth, but her giggles still spilled out. “Although, I am enjoying the results immensely.”

  “Fay!” Jason fought to keep a straight face, but his sister’s laughter was very infectious. He coughed to cover his own amusement. “So, what’s he done?”

  Fay held her sides and let her mirth tumble out for several minutes. She sucked in a breath and blew it out before she could speak. “You remember I told you Dad found a letter stuffed into that box he dropped when Sandra moved in with us?”

  “The one from Sandra’s daughter?” Jason quirked a brow at her.

  “That’s the one. Dad got it into his head that if she kept the letter all this time, she must secretly want to get in touch with her long lost little girl.” She started giggling again. “He only went and wrote to the woman, inviting her to come down and visit in order to meet her mother. When he broke the news that she has written back to say she’s coming, I thought Sandra was going to explode. They are having an almighty blow up even as we speak. I reckon they’ll be over before morning.”

  He half expected Fay to rub her hands together. “And you had nothing whatsoever to do with this?” He sat forward and gripped her chin so she couldn’t evade his scrutiny. Her lip poked out mutinously, the small gold stud gracing her mouth winked in the lamplight. She pulled her face out of his grip and dropped her gaze.

  “Okay, fine.” She shifted about on the seat and pulled her short black skirt further down her legs. “I may have planted the idea in Dad’s head about contacting Sandra’s daughter as a surprise.”

  “Why, shrimp?” He kept his tone light. He didn’t want to discourage her from opening up to him.

  “Why do you think? While Dad is with Sandra, he and Mum will never work things out.” Her voice broke slightly with her confession.

  Jason sighed, his heart heavy. He wasn’t surprised at her reason. He just didn’t know what to do about it.

  “Even if Sandra and Dad broke up, he wouldn’t get back with Mum. Surely you know that, Fay.”

  He hated having to be the one to always deal with the tough stuff where his sister was concerned. Fay had been an unexpected pregnancy at a time when his parents hadn’t wanted any more children. His mother had thought she was going through the change. It had been a nasty shock when she’d realised she was having a baby and it was too late to do anything about it. As a result, Fay had been more or less left to her own devices. At fifteen, she needed guidance and a strong hand and he was the only one willing to do it.

  Fay sprang out of her seat and paced the room. She wrung her hands, her eyes firmly clamped to the floor. “You don’t know that things are completely over with them. People do make a second go of relationships, you know. Lots of couples get back together all the time!”

  Jason climbed to his feet and pulled her resisting body into his embrace. He hugged her close and tucked her head under his chin. Their parent’s break up had hit Fay a lot harder than she was willing to admit. She still needed her mother, even if she pretended she didn’t.

  Jason cursed silently. What was he supposed to do with a young girl on the brink of becoming a woman? Why his mother had to up sticks and head to France, leaving them all behind, he just couldn’t imagine. There had only ever been one child in her life and when he’d died, the rest of them had ceased to exist.

  “I hate Jenna Mansfield!” Jason wasn’t really surprised at Fay’s vehement declaration. Every time the subject of their parents’ separation rose up, Jenna’s name did too.

  Jason sighed. It was time to talk frankly with Fay. He couldn’t let this carry on. He pulled back and gazed into her deep brown eyes, so like his own.

  “You have to stop blaming Jenna for what happened with Adam,” he told her bluntly. “She was not at fault. Adam was and to a degree, so were our parents.”

  Fay flung his arms away from her and shot back several paces. “How can you say that? If it hadn’t been for her, Adam would still be alive. Mum and Dad would still be together! You know that!”

  “No, that’s not true. Jenna simply told Adam that she didn’t want to be his girlfriend. Was that really so terrible? Would you go out with a guy you didn’t have feelings for?”

  Fay glared at him, but he forged ahead. “Adam should have taken her rejection with good grace and simply been happy with being friends. He didn’t. He threw a huge tantrum. It was his own idiocy that killed him.” He shook his head sadly and hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his jeans. “If Mum hadn’t spoilt him so much and made him think he could have anything he wanted, maybe he would have dealt with Jenna’s rejection better.”

  “Is that what you really think?” Fay asked, her face white and strained.

  “It is,” he assured her.

  He only wished he’d had the guts to say it before, especially to Jenna. It bothered him no end that the poor woman had suffered such a terrible breakdown and still thought every member of Adam’s family blamed her for his death. Jason never had and he should have told her that at the time.

  “Why did you never say this before?” Fay’s eyes shot accusations at him.

  “Because nobody ever wanted to hear a word against Adam. He’s been immortalised as a hero who died tragically instead of the truth.” He sighed. “He was spoilt rotten because of his talent as a diver. I doubt you remember that about him, considering you were so young at the time. I’m tired of hearing Jenna blamed when all she did was stand up for herself and tell him no. Heaven knows, it would have done him good if a few other people had done the same throughout his life. I truly believe he would still be alive now if they had.”

  Fay sank back onto the sofa, the fight seeping out of her body. She leaned her elbows on her knees. A tear slipped down her cheek and she wiped it away impatiently with the back of her hand. She opened her mouth but the doorbell rang and stopped her words.

  “That better not be Lucinda back again!” Fay growled, her hands curling into fists.

  Irritated, Jason stomped to the door. He didn’t have the patience to go through another round with Lucinda. He peeked through the spyhole and groaned.

  “It’s Dad,” he told Fay as he opened the door. His father marched in and dumped a bag onto the living room floor. Douglas Hawkes ran a hand through his thick silver grey hair. His furious gaze landed on Jason and his lips pursed underneath his thin handlebar moustache.

  “Can I stay the night?” His eyes scanned the room. Surprise lit his features as he spied his daughter slumped on the sofa. “Fay? What the heck are you doing here?” He waved his hand impatiently “Never mind. Probably just as well. There’s no use you being at home tonight. Not the mood Sandra’s in.”

  “I don’t have the room to accommodate you both!” Jason protested. “Can’t you work things out with…………”

  The doorbell rang out yet again and he went to answer it. Jason was beginning to feel like he was in the middle of Piccadilly Circus. What did a guy have to do for some peace in his own home? Sandra flew into the flat before he could utter a word.

  “You are not dumping me with this!” she yelled at his father, her expression murderous. She poked Doug in the chest with one long fingernail. “You got me into this, you’re damn well going to be there when she arrives! In fact, you can be the one to tell her to go home!”

  “I don’t get you, Sandra. This is your daughter we’re talking about. How can you not want to see her? Aren’t you in the least bit curious to know how she’s turned out?” Doug frowned at his partner. Jason had to admit his father had a good point. It seemed strange that Sandra exhibited no desire to see her own flesh and blood.

  Sandra slumped slightly. “Of course a part of me wants to know how she’s turned out. I’ve thought of nothing else since the day she was born. But it’s not as si
mple as that. My whole family live around here. What am I going to do about them? You never saw what happened when I fell pregnant.”

  Doug drew her into his embrace. “This isn’t about your family, honey. It’s about you meeting your only child. It is important for you and for her. I honestly thought I was doing the right thing by contacting her for you. I can’t imagine not knowing my kids.” He squeezed her shoulders.

  Sandra stiffened. “I know you meant well, but you don’t understand. My family will not approve of her being here. You have no idea how bad they can be. I really think it’s best that we tell her to leave and I don’t want to do that on my own.” She whirled around to face Jason and stabbed a finger in his direction. “You’d better not tell Mitch about this. He’ll only report the whole affair to the rest of the family. I’ll skin you alive if he finds out.”

  Jason exchanged a shocked glance with his father. Doug shook his head slightly, warning Jason to say nothing. He rubbed Sandra’s back gently. “Of course he won’t tell Mitch. Nobody’s going to do anything you don’t want them to. There is no pressure. Just think about things. Don’t make your mind up about this right now. Wait and see how you feel when she arrives.”

  “I won’t change my mind!” Sandra slumped back against his chest, the sound of her tears were muffled by his thick coat.

  “I hate to state the obvious, but can’t you just write and cancel the whole thing?” Jason suggested. “It seems the obvious solution under the circumstances.”

  Doug cast a pained grimace towards Jason. “I kind of left it a bit late to spring the surprise on Sandra. Unfortunately, her daughter will arrive here before a letter gets to her. It’s too late to stop her visiting, I’m afraid.”

  “And you don’t have her email address or phone number?” Doug shook his head. Jason sighed. Great! He pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. He could feel the beginnings of a headache.

  Right now, he wished his father had never visited him when he’d moved to Devon. They wouldn’t be in this mess if Doug had never clapped eyes on Sandra. And now her daughter was being thrown into the mix. A daughter that none of the other Fuller’s wanted anything to do with.

  The sinking in the pit of his stomach warned him that trouble was headed their way. He could feel it on the horizon like a thunderstorm.

  “So, when does she arrive?” he asked his father, resigned to the inevitable. Nobody could mess things up quite like his dad.

  “She’ll be here tomorrow.”

  Sandra’s head shot up, her eyes blazing. “She’ll be gone tomorrow too. I won’t have her stay here, Doug. I won’t!”

  Jason stared at the woman’s hardened face. She was hiding something, he was sure of it. Her eyes flashed with fear. What was going on? Judging by the expression on Sandra’s face, he rather thought it would be better for this long lost daughter to stay lost.

  *****

  Callie shifted in her bed and rolled over. She sighed. A soft breeze wafted against her face. Something tickled her nose. Callie raised her hand and swatted at the air. She wrinkled her nose and scratched it.

  Shifting around in the bed again, she tried to relax her body so she could drift back to sleep. She was just on the edges of slumber when something icy cold touched her cheek.

  Callie’s eyes popped open. For a fraction of a second she saw a small pale face staring right into hers. Shrieking, Callie sat up in bed and snapped on her nightlight. The warm glow flooded the room. She stared around, blinking rapidly. Her heart thudded wildly in her chest. There was nobody present.

  Jade barged into the room, her dressing gown half on. “What’s wrong?” she demanded, scanning the room as if she expected a burglar to spring out at any moment.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.” Callie clasped a hand to her chest. “I thought I saw someone peering down at me. I must have been half asleep and dreamt it.”

  “Well for goodness sake, don’t do that again. You stole ten years off me!” Jade blew out a breath and stumbled back to the bedroom door. She turned at the threshold. “You are okay with going to Devon tomorrow, aren’t you? It’s not that giving you a bad night, is it?”

  Callie sighed. “I’m nervous, of course, but this was just a silly dream. It’s nothing to worry about. This trip is something I have to do. Besides, I have a job to do there now too, remember?”

  Jade bit her lip. “Yea, I know. But if it all gets too much, you’ll come right home won’t you.”

  “I will. Don’t worry about me.”

  Jade smiled softly and left the room. She shut the door behind her. Callie grasped the glass of water sitting on her bedside table and sipped it slowly. The cold water slid down her dry throat like nectar. She put the glass down, snapped out her light, and shuffled back down under the covers. Her stomach bunched into painful knots of anxiety. She gripped the edges of her sheets tightly in her hands and stared into the darkness. Tomorrow was a big day. She had quite a journey to reach Devon. It was a long way from London. She only hoped it would be worth it in the end.

  Closing her eyes, Callie spent the next hour tossing and turning until she finally drifted into sleep. Just before oblivion set in, she thought she heard a soft whisper against her ear.

  “Don’t go. It’s too dangerous…………”

  Chapter Three

  Callie ran her fingers through her long red tresses and flicked the layers back into place. She stared at herself in the mirror. The dark circles under her eyes stood out against her pale face, a testimony to her lack of sleep the previous night. Callie sighed. She pulled her compact from her bag and applied a little camouflage. It wasn’t perfect, but at least she didn’t look like the living dead anymore. She threw the compact back into her bag and zipped it shut.

  A toilet flushed and a woman exited the cubicle behind her. The next woman in the long queue leading all the way down to the exit, hurried into the vacated facilities. Callie knew just how the desperate woman felt. She’d been so relieved to see the roadside services sign that she’d nearly cried. She’d been stuck in a traffic jam for hours thanks to an accident on the motorway. Callie’s bladder had been on the brink of bursting when she’d finally cleared the holdup. How she’d made it the extra five miles to the services, she’d never know!

  Callie sighed and slung her bag over her shoulder. She pushed her way through the crowd by the door and exited the women’s restroom. Callie slowly meandered through the service station, glancing into shop windows as she made her way back to the exit she’d come through when she’d arrived. The service station was packed. A mass of bodies heaved their way through the many café’s, restaurants and shops. Their voices blended together into one continuous hum. Callie could barely hear her heels tapping on the shiny surface of the floor.

  Her eyes caught onto a child standing a short distance away from her. The little girl stared intently in her direction. She paused. Something about the tiny face felt familiar, but she couldn’t put her finger on why. The child could be no more than five years old. She was dressed in a flowery dress that was far too summery for the wintry day outside. Her small hands were folded in front of her and her face held a serious expression that seemed far too adult to be on the face of one so young.

  Callie scanned the area but could see nobody with the child. Frowning, she headed towards the little girl. Maybe she had lost her parents. Callie had to make sure the child made it safely to her family if that were the case. There were always so many awful reports in the news of children being snatched. She would never forgive herself if that happened to this girl and she could have prevented it. She reached the child’s side and hunched down to be on eye level with the girl.

  “Hello, honey. Are you lost?” She kept her voice soft and unthreatening. She didn’t want the girl to feel unsafe.

  The child shook her head, her soft reddish brown hair bounced around her tiny face. She leaned forward and stared deep into Callie’s eyes. Callie froze, as though the girl had placed he
r under a spell.

  “Don’t go. You have to turn back.” The child’s voice held a strange quality to it. Almost as if she wasn’t even speaking. It was more like a whisper on the wind. Callie shivered and goose bumps broke out all over her body.

  “What do you mean?” She hadn’t expected such a statement to come out of the child’s mouth. The girl stared at her, almost as if she knew something Callie did not. It was like she was looking at an adult in a child’s body.

  “Are you okay, Miss?” Callie turned at the light tap on her shoulder. A security guard stood behind her, his face concerned.

  “I’m fine. I just thought this child might have lost her family.” She waved her hand in the girl’s direction.

  “What child?” His bewildered expression annoyed Callie. Honestly, did the man need glasses? How could he not see the girl she was talking to?

  “This child, right here.” Callie pointed behind her, but to her amazement the girl no longer stood there. She spun around in a circle and scanned the crowd around her. “Where has she gone? She was here just a moment ago.”

  The man stared at her as if she’d sprung three extra heads. “There was nobody here, Miss. I saw you walk across the aisle, bend down and talk to the bin.”

  Callie peered closely at him to see if he was pulling her leg, but he remained deadly serious. She clutched the strap of her bag. Her head spun for a moment and her vision blurred. The man caught her arm.

  “Maybe you should sit down, Miss. I could send for someone to check you over.” He cleared his throat and shuffled on his feet. Callie could tell he just wanted to get away from her. The man probably thought she was nuts.

  “I’m fine,” she assured him, even though she still felt light headed. “I just………” But she couldn’t think of one single excuse to explain away her odd behaviour. “I have to go.”

  She shot away from him, hoping he wouldn’t detain her further. Callie prayed that she never bumped into the man again! Her cheeks burned as she barrelled her way out of the swing doors and into the car-park.