Shadow of Suspicion (Haunted by the Past)

by Danielle Rose-West

  Callie sighed and trudged to the bathroom. She clicked the light on and promptly wished she hadn’t. The bathtub held a yellow cast to it. Callie could see hairs scattered all over it, which she was sure wasn’t from someone’s head. She hated to think how many other guests had used that tub without it being scrubbed clean. The heavy scent of mould clung to the air. Although not the worst place she’d ever seen, it was certainly the worst one she’d ever stayed in. Callie’s skin crawled at the very idea of putting one foot in the tub, let alone her whole body.

  She glanced at the shower that hung like a dying swan on the wall. The heavy build-up of scum on the head didn’t leave her feeling optimistic that any water would come out of it. Callie sighed again. She resigned herself to a sponge bath using free running water from the tap on the sink. Something told her it would be cleaner than using the bath, which she simply couldn’t bring herself to do.

  She trudged back into the bedroom and glanced around her slowly. Depression dogged her heels and she swallowed hard to hold down the tears that choked her. Don’t let it bring you down, she told herself. All she had to do was force Mr Cunningham to change her accommodation. How hard could that be?

  Nothing would persuade her to stay in this dump. She would never survive in this place for the length of time it would take for her to turn it around and she saw no reason why she should. Images of the hallway rose up in her mind. She glanced around her room again and wondered what state the rest of the place was in.

  Kathy’s words came back to haunt her. If this was the best room, what the heck were the others like?

  Chapter Six

  Jason leaned against the smooth wooden surface of the bar and waited for the barmaid to bring the drinks he’d ordered. The noise in the pub rose around him like a swarm of bees. The press of so many bodies in such a confined space was almost more than he could take. It had been a bitch of a day, and Jason craved some peace and quiet. He’d suggested dinner at his place, but Lucinda had insisted on eating out. If it hadn’t been for yesterday evening, he wouldn’t have relented.

  Jason rubbed the back of his head with one hand. He’d managed to drop Callie Price’s car at the garage before he’d trudged back to the flat to freshen up. An image of her rose up in his mind’s eye and his lips twitched. He had to admit, the air of sophistication had swiftly departed by the time he’d left her at the B&B. She’d been more of a drowned rat than anything else. He wondered what she’d made of the Lazy Boy. From the expression on her face when they’d entered the place, he imagined she was far from impressed.

  “Here you go, Love.”

  The woman behind the bar flashed him a flirtatious grin. She slapped his drink order on the bar in front of him. Jason smiled his thanks and grabbed the drinks. He pushed his way through the crowd to reach the table that Lucinda had managed to secure for them. They’d been very fortunate. The Fox and Hound usually filled up quickly on a Sunday night.

  “Here you go,” he said, setting her glass of wine down in front of her. He slid into the seat opposite her.

  Lucinda glanced up briefly. Her fingers flew over her keypad. “Great.”

  “Who are you texting?” He made a grab for her phone, but she quickly pulled it out of his reach. Jason frowned. Was that a flash of guilt he saw in her expression or was he imagining things?

  “Oh, just Sue.” Lucinda cast him a peeved glare. “She was all for stringing you up after last night. I told her how you kicked me out and frankly, she was disgusted.” She stuck her phone in her bag. “I texted to tell her that you’ve taken me out to dinner tonight. To be honest, she thinks it’s not enough……….considering.”

  Jason slowly unzipped his coat and attempted to hold on to his temper. He knew Lucinda always told her friend every little detail, but he hated it. He couldn’t stand Sue. She was forever sticking her nose into their relationship; all to stir up trouble he was sure. Lucinda never noticed the conniving character Sue possessed and that drove him crazy.

  “I don’t see what it has to do with her,” Jason growled. He slipped his coat off and hung it over the back of his chair.

  “At least she has my best interests at heart. And I think she has a point.” Lucinda leaned forward and poked Jason in the chest. “Yesterday just proved that I am nowhere near the top of your priorities. It’s always your family first. I’m your girlfriend. I should be top of your list.”

  Jason rolled his eyes and rubbed the spot where her nail had dug in. “You are important, Luce, but I can’t ignore my sister when she needs me. Fay is having a hard time lately. I wish you would cut her some slack.”

  “Like she does for me?” Lucinda cocked an eyebrow at him.

  “You’re the adult here. She’s only fifteen, Luce.”

  Lucinda threw her hand up in the air. “You would say that. Fay can do no wrong in your eyes. I am sick to death of coming in last with you. I think it’s about time you proved that I matter.” She paused. “I want a stronger commitment from you.”

  Jason choked on the mouthful of beer he’d just gulped. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and regarded her through watery eyes. He did not like the sound of this.

  “Meaning what, exactly?” he forced out of his tight throat.

  “Meaning, I think we should move in together.”

  Jason stared at her for a sign that she was joking, but her face remained serious and determined. “What the hell has brought this on? You’ve always maintained that you like your own space. What’s changed?”

  “Sue made me realise that your family will never take me seriously, and you will never put me first, if I’m only ever a casual girlfriend.” She leaned forward and stabbed the table with her finger. “We’re a couple, Jason. It seems ridiculous to me to have separate places to live. It makes perfect sense to pool our resources and live in one location. Don’t you agree?”

  Jason slowly sat forwards. He folded his arms and rested them on the table in front of him. He glared into Lucinda’s eyes. “Would you be asking me this if Sue hadn’t stuck her oar in?”

  “What has that to do with anything?” Lucinda pouted. “She has a valid point. I want to be taken as family. Moving in together will accomplish that.”

  “I disagree. You and Fay aren’t going to magically become best buddies just because we live together.” He held up a hand to stop her from speaking. “Being family is about give and take. You haven’t made enough effort with mine for them to accept you. That needs fixing before we take the step you’re suggesting.”

  “You’re saying no?” Lucinda’s hands curled into fists and her face hardened.

  “I am for the time being. I won’t have Fay feeling like she can’t come to me when she needs me. She’s lost far too much and I won’t have her feeling like she’s lost me as well. I’m sorry. If things get better between you both, then we can discuss this again.” Jason sat back. As far as he was concerned, the discussion was at an end. “Now, do you want to order dinner?”

  He grabbed a menu from the stand at the side of the table, without waiting for a reply. Lucinda snatched it from his hands. “You can’t think to leave it like that. I deserve better.”

  He slowly picked up a second menu, his gaze never leaving her furious face. “If you are serious about us living together, show me. Make a considerable effort with my sister and I will reconsider.”

  “And what about her? Are you going to say the same thing to her?” Lucinda’s mouth had gone white around the edges. The fury in her eyes didn’t stir him in the slightest.

  “Fay is only fifteen. I expect her to behave childishly at times.” Lucinda grabbed her bag and jumped up from the table. “Where are you going?”

  “To powder my nose! What do you care?” He grabbed her wrist as she passed him.

  “Do you still want dinner?”

  She stuck her face into his. “I’ll think about it while I’m in the ladies.”

  She twisted her wrist out of his grip and stomped through the crowd. Jason sighed.
He kind of hoped this evening would simply come to an end. He’d bet anything that Lucinda had left the table to call Sue. Whatever the poison gnome advised her, Lucinda would do.

  Jason ran a hand through his hair and sipped at his beer. He hated the fact that his relationship now had three people in it. Things had been so much better before Sue moved to the area. When he’d first met Lucinda, he’d been in a dark place. She’d brought fun back into his life. Her company had lifted his depression and helped him move past the disintegration of his family and his brother’s death.

  He tapped his finger against the rim of his glass, lost in distant memories. Things had changed so much since Lucinda hooked up with Sue. He no longer enjoyed her company the same way that he once had. He wondered if they still fitted each other. Was it enough to stick with someone, just because they were familiar? The answer eluded him.

  Lucinda swept past him and slid into her seat. She glared down her nose at him. “I bumped into Andrew Cunningham on the way to the Ladies. I’ve asked him to join us for dinner.” She stared at him stonily, a warning glinting in her eyes. “He is on the brink of offering me a really great new job. I want you to be nice to him. It’s the least you can do.”

  “Shouldn’t we settle things between us?” Guilt tugged at his heart as he observed the slight redness around Lucinda’s eyes.

  She sniffed and dabbed at her nose with a tissue. “I think you’ve made yourself perfectly clear.” She gazed over his shoulder with a bright, false smile and waved her hand. “Over here, Andy!”

  Jason turned to see Andrew Cunningham gliding through the pub. The crowd seemed to part as if they were the red sea before Moses. Cunningham grinned with arrogant confidence, nodding his head here and there in thanks as he passed people. Behind him, a glass of wine in hand, followed Callie Price. Her gaze collided with Jason’s and she tripped. Jason bit back a smile as she caught herself and muttered something under her breath.

  Her lips pursed and a glint of displeasure lit her features before she resumed her path to their table. A small frisson of disappointment niggled at Jason. Gone was the drowned rat he’d left at the B&B and in her place was the sophisticated, city business woman. He had to admit, he’d liked the messed up version of Callie better. She’d seemed more human and approachable.

  “So nice of you to ask us to join you for dinner.” Cunningham swept his suit jacket off and placed it on the back of the chair beside Lucinda. He hiked up his trousers slightly and sat down.

  Callie stared at the chair beside Jason for several seconds before she gingerly settled herself next to him. She placed her wine on the table and flicked a glance in his direction.

  “Nice to see you again, Miss Price. You seem well recovered.” He shot her a wicked grin. Callie’s cheeks flushed red.

  “Do you two know each other?” Cunningham asked, curiosity alight in his clear blue eyes. Lucinda sat forward, her expression deadly as her gaze swept over Callie.

  Callie cleared her throat. “Not really. I told you I broke down today. Mr Hawkes was the guy that towed my car and dropped me at the Lazy Boy.”

  “Oh.” Cunningham dismissed the explanation with a flick of his wrist. “I suggest we order right away. I’m famished.” He picked up the menu that Lucinda had discarded earlier. “What do you suggest?”

  He leaned towards Lucinda. She smiled and edged closer, her gaze flicked briefly in Jason’s direction. He gritted his teeth. He could read the calculated edge that had crept over her as if it were a neon sign above her head. If she thought to use jealousy to manipulate him, she could think again.

  He gritted his teeth and grabbed up his own menu. He ignored the flirty exchange carrying on in front of him. His lips pursed at the burst of overdone laughter that exploded from Lucinda’s lips.

  “It would appear that your girlfriend isn’t quite as enamoured of you as you thought.” He glanced at Callie. Amusement lit her features. He should have known she would remember his glib remark from earlier! The woman had a quick mind.

  “She’s just mad at me, that’s all.” He refused to explain things to someone he’d only just met.

  “How could that possibly be?” She grinned at him and sipped her wine.

  His lips twitched, despite himself. “I have no idea. I’m usually so charming.” Her throaty chuckle washed over him.

  A hand slapped his arm and he glanced in Lucinda’s direction. Her eyes darted between them and her mouth thinned. “If you can tear yourself away, perhaps you could order for us now?”

  Jason narrowed his eyes at Lucinda. She had the cheek to berate him when she’d done nothing but flirt with Cunningham since the man sat down. She stared back at him with a silent warning written all over her face. She cocked an eyebrow at him.

  “Sure.” He slowly rose to his feet and gathered everyone’s requests.

  Jason headed to the bar and pushed his way to the front. Anger burned in his chest. He didn’t appreciate Lucinda ordering him around, but he didn’t want to cause a fuss in front of Cunningham. He’d been able to feel the man’s gaze on him like a branding iron. One glimpse of Cunningham’s expression had told Jason just how much the guy was enjoying the discord he was witnessing. Jason refused to feed that enjoyment by creating a scene.

  He ordered their food and reluctantly headed back to the table. Cunningham grinned at him as he slipped back into his seat.

  “You’re a lucky man to have such an ambitious girlfriend. A beautiful one at that. I think she has a bright future ahead of her, given the right encouragement.” Cunningham smiled, charm oozing out of every pore.

  Lucinda practically preened at the compliment. “I keep telling him how lucky he is to have snared me.” She cast a triumphant glance in Jason’s direction. “He just hasn’t fully realised it yet.”

  “Perhaps I value different things in a person,” Jason replied grimly. “Business orientated people have never held much appeal for me.” He gripped his pint glass tightly as he regarded them both.

  “Maybe that’s why you stick to one small garage in a tiny town, when you could own a chain.” Lucinda turned to Cunningham. “I’ve always said he wastes himself, but he never listens to me.”

  “I don’t think anyone is wasting themselves if they love what they do.” Jason turned in surprise at Callie’s remark. She cast him a wicked grin. “Besides, I think mechanics manage to procure a rather good living. There are plenty of us poor souls who know nothing about cars. It’s like another language. Who knows how much extra labour gets added on every time our car is in the shop?”

  “How very true,” Cunningham laughed. “I’m sure Jason makes a very tidy sum from that garage of his, despite what he says about business people.”

  Jason refrained from answering as their food arrived. He couldn’t care less what anyone thought of him. His business kept him in comfort. He didn’t need to take over the world and money didn’t rule it for him. Cunningham was the kind of person that would put anything aside for money. Lucinda may think he was amazing because of his business acumen, but Jason doubted that the kind of man Cunningham was would make her happy in a relationship.

  Jason pushed aside his resentment and tucked into his food. The smell of his chicken pot pie made his stomach rumble. It had been hours since he’d last eaten. He let the conversation buzz around him, without getting involved. He had no interest in the refurbishment of an old, rundown B&B.

  He’d almost cleared his plate when Lucinda tapped his arm. He glanced up. Her expression could curdle milk. He flicked his gaze to Cunningham and Callie. Both were staring at him expectantly.

  “I’m sorry, did you say something?”

  Lucinda’s long, drawn out sigh stirred the hair hanging over his forehead. “Haven’t you been paying even the slightest bit of attention to what we’ve been discussing?”

  Jason shrugged. “Not really.”

  Lucinda’s eyes narrowed. “I was telling Andy how I redecorated part of Warner House. You remember that, don’t you?” She kic
ked him under the table. Jason gritted his teeth. “It received so many compliments. You must remember me talking about it.”

  He cleared his throat. From what he could recall, Lucinda had simply kept an eye on a couple of decorators. It was hardly redecorating the place herself. “I remember you saying something about it. Why?”

  “I was hoping Andy would have need of someone to help with the Lazy Boy project.” She sent a beaming smile in Cunningham’s direction.

  “I’m sure we have room for you on the team. Callie could certainly use an assistant. Right, Callie?” Cunningham didn’t even bother to wait for Callie’s acknowledgement. “I could take you around the project tomorrow, if you like.”

  Callie’s head shot up from her dinner. “I don’t think so, Mr Cunningham.” He turned towards her with his mouth slightly open. “I don’t work with an assistant.”

  Jason was amazed at the steel that entered Callie’s voice. She drew herself up in her seat, her expression clearly stating that she would not be swayed. Cunningham leaned slowly forward in his seat, his face slightly flushed.

  “I wish for Lucinda to work on this project, Callie. Since I’m paying you a lot of money, I think you can accommodate me.” Cunningham’s expression brooked no argument.

  Callie put her cutlery down and pierced Cunningham with a deadly glare. “Mr Cunningham, you seem to be under the illusion that you’re my boss, and can therefore issue me with orders. Let me make something very clear to you.” She leaned forward in her seat, and matched him glare for glare. “I work for myself. If I decide not to sign the contract for this project, either by your choice or mine, I have a number of clients that will snap me up the minute I step foot back in London.” She clicked her fingers together. “I don’t need this project as much as your project needs me.”