by Polly Holmes
“I suppose we’ll find out soon enough after the police finish their investigation,” Cassidy said, her uncertain fate hanging over her head like a gloomy thunderstorm about to hit at full force.
Charlotte and Clair exchanged worried glances. “Um, I’m not sure that’s such a good idea,” Clair said.
Her words sprouted concern and Cassidy frowned. “What? Why?”
Charlotte’s disgruntled tone filled the baking room. “Detective Anderson couldn’t solve a murder if all the clues were laid out for him like a map.”
“What Charlotte means is, if it weren’t for us doing our own investigating, we’d both be in prison now. Doing time for murders we didn’t commit,” Clair said, her gaze drilling into Charlotte.
Cassidy’s heart sank as Clair’s words rang true in her mind. After she’d unexpectedly arrived home, her sisters had shared their close brushes with murder. They’d also shared how if it weren’t for their individual investigative efforts, she might have had to visit them on weekends in Silverwater Women’s Correctional Centre. “Maybe you’re right. The last thing I want is to be the convenient scapegoat and have Christina’s murder pinned on me.”
Charlotte finished pouring the last of the red velvet mixture into the cupcake trays and popped them in the oven. “Okay, then let’s look at this from an outsider’s perspective,” she said wiping her hands down her apron. “I suppose it does look a tad suspicious that she was found strangled with a scarf similar to yours—most probably is yours—then wrapped in material you chose for the curtains.”
Cassidy’s mind was all over the place, sluggish as if she’d done an all-nighter cramming for a test. “Not to mention the note.”
“What note?” Clair and Charlotte uttered in unison.
“You never said anything about a note,” Charlotte said, the bowl she’d picked up frozen mid-air.
“Didn’t I?” She cringed as Clair stepped forward, her crossed arms matching the scowl on her face.
“No, you didn’t. Now spill. What note?”
A muffled sigh escaped Cassidy’s lips. “There was a note found next to the body. Scribbled on it were the words, ‘you owe me.’ Detective Anderson assumed I wrote it after my and Christina’s very public argument yesterday.”
“I hope you put him straight?” Clair asked.
“I certainly did, but…” She trailed off, her gaze roaming the article once more. She couldn’t shake the niggle in the base of her neck. Something wasn’t right, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. “What I don’t understand is why Daniel hasn’t mentioned it in this article.”
“Maybe he doesn’t know,” said Clair.
A tense knot formed in Cassidy’s chest and she continued. “Or maybe he has something else in mind and is keeping it to himself for the time being. Either way, I’m not letting him unravel everything I’ve worked so hard to achieve with false information. I think Daniel and I need to have a little chat.” She gazed up to her sister’s inquisitive stares. “Who’s with me?”
“I’m in,” Clair said as she grabbed her handbag from the table. “But afterwards, I have to drop you home so I can head over to see the Sweets place to meet a contractor.”
“No problem.”
“No fair.” Charlotte pouted, her bottom lip sticking out like a sore thumb. “I have to get these red velvet cakes iced and decorated before I leave. They need to be ready for Mrs Griffin to pick up, later this afternoon.”
A rush of adrenaline bled through her body. “We’ll keep you posted,” Cassidy called over her shoulder as they exited.
Chapter Four
Daniel stood at the back of the Ashton Point Chronicle office, his head jolted upward at the chime of the doorbell. His lips thinned. “Of course, I should have expected a visit for you ladies.”
Cassidy’s eyes narrowed at Daniel’s condescending tone. “Why, Daniel? Why would you write all that stuff about me on the front page, when you know it’s not true?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “It’s nothing personal, it’s just business.”
Clair gasped and Cassidy’s jaw almost hit the ground. “Nothing personal? It’s personal to me,” Cassidy said, annoyance running through her words.
Clair glared at him through slitted eyes and Cassidy could feel Clair’s anger begin to rise in her voice. “You and I both know this paper has taken great pleasure in printing lies about our family. First Charlotte, then me and now you’re targeting Cassidy. Why?”
He looked guilty, as if he’d just been caught climbing through his bedroom window after curfew. “I don’t make the rules, I just follow them,” Daniel snapped.
But Christina is dead. “Whose rules?” Cassidy asked.
He frowned. “Christina’s?”
Frustration twisted her stomach into knots. “Christina’s your boss and she’s no longer around to call the shots, so whose rules are you following?” Daniel paled and a spark of triumph spurred in her gut. “Do you have something to hide, Daniel?”
He huffed and balked at her question. “Hide? Me? I don’t know what you’re talking about. Even though she may no longer be here, I’m under contract to the paper. My job is to sell newspapers. So, that’s what I’m doing.”
Cassidy’s gut churned with speculation. “Really? It certainly looks like you’re making a lot of assumptions. One could say you’re covering for the real murderer. Maybe you killed her. What better way to hide the truth than to start rumours with that story you wrote?”
“What?” he asked, recoiling at the accusation. “Why would I do that? I had nothing to do with her murder.”
“So, you have an alibi then?” she asked, an eyebrow raised.
His eyes darkened. “I don’t need an alibi because I didn’t murder anyone, but if you must know I was home. Didn’t leave my house until I came to work at my normal time, early this morning, to sort the morning edition.” Daniel’s smug attitude was beginning to grate on Cassidy’s highly-strung nerves. “I was all set for a cover page about this year’s Christmas parade in honour of poor Mr Hutson when my sources came up with something better. You,” he said glaring at Cassidy.
“Oh, come off it, we all know there’s no love lost between you and Christina. Some would say you despised her. Especially when she refused to make you a partner in the paper,” Clair snapped.
Daniel’s eyes widened. Now we’re getting somewhere. “For that matter, if you have a contract as you say, surely it would be void now that she’s dead.”
“I wish,” he muttered the words so that they were barely audible. He sighed. “Listen, sure, I took a disliking to Christina and I even thought about killing her sometimes, who hasn’t? But I didn’t.” Daniel said, heading over to the coffee machine tucked away in the corner. “I’m sure the majority of residents in Ashton Point have thought about it once or twice. She wasn’t the easiest person to get along with. But before you start accusing me of her murder, why don’t you take a good look at some people who really had it in for her?”
Clair frowned. “Like who?”
“Like our beloved mayor for starters.” Daniel turned his gaze on Cassidy’s blank expression. “Surely your sisters told you about their public display on the dance floor at the Gala Dinner last month?”
Cassidy turned to Clair. “What is he talking about?”
Clair slapped her forehead. “Of course. I’d almost forgotten. I didn’t see them, but Charlotte told me about it the next day. She said that it was pretty entertaining. Christina and Mayor Windsor were in a heated discussion that ended with some choice words and her storming from the dance floor.”
Cassidy’s mind began to swim, with information mingling like a whirlpool. “Why am I only hearing about this now?”
Clair’s apologetic gaze softened the blow.
“Choice words? Ha. I’d call it more like a threat,” Daniel said with a smirk.
“Threat?” Cassidy asked.
“Yes. I was nearby, dancing with Suzi, and Christina said loud enough for t
hose around to overhear, ‘I’ll see you in hell’ and he said, ‘not if I see you first.’ Then she stormed off toward the exit, leaving him red-faced for all to gawk at.”
Cassidy’s jaw dropped. “Seriously?”
Daniel leant against the counter and folded his arms. His arrogant expression added to Cassidy’s frustration. “Yep, so before you try and convict me, why not give our trusted mayor a visit?”
“How about you do the same?” Clair snapped.
“Yes, Daniel. It works both ways,” Cassidy said, leaning in to hold his stare head on. “From now on, you only print the facts. We’ll find them for you and neither of us will be convicted of a murder we didn’t commit.”
Cassidy’s gaze watched his Adam’s apple ripple as he swallowed. “Fine.”
Satisfaction bled through Cassidy’s body as Clair drove back home. “Did you notice Daniel didn’t mention anything about the note? I thought for sure he’d use it against me… That is, if he knew about it.”
“Well, either he doesn’t know or he’s keeping it to himself for some reason,” Clair said as she turned off the main street. “Either way, I don’t trust him and I don’t think you should either.”
Cassidy shook her head, unease gnawing at the base of her gut. “Oh, I don’t. Although I am curious about his under-the-breath comment. Did you hear it?” she asked. Cassidy smiled as she watched the clogs in Clair’s mind click over.
“Oh, the one about the contract?” Clair said.
“Yeah. I thought it was strange. It makes me think that he’s hiding something. It’s as if Christina still has him under her control, even from the grave.” Pain shot through Cassidy’s head. Her mind was whirling at full speed, trying to decipher what Daniel was insinuating.
“Maybe Suzi knows. I could ask her…in a roundabout way,” Clair said, a hesitant grin working its way across her face.
Cassidy’s curiosity began to eat at her insides. “Maybe. What I really want to know, though, is what happened between Christina and Mayor Windsor on the dance floor?”
Clair shrugged, keeping her eyes glued to the road ahead. “I’ve no idea. I was a little pre-occupied that night with trying to prove my innocence.”
Guilt forced a knot in the back of Cassidy’s throat and a shiver of regret raced across her skin. Extending her stay in New York had been a huge mistake. She should have been here to help Clair. How could I have been so gullible?
She’d fallen for the perfect man, who had promised her the world, only to find out he was as selfish and self-centred as they come. If only she’d woken up sooner to her blunder, maybe she would have been in Ashton Point to help Clair when she needed her.
A tightness filled Cassidy’s chest as Clair continued. “But whatever it was, it must be pretty big. I’ve never known Brad to lose his cool in public like that.”
“I know, me neither. As mayor, I’m sure the last thing he would want is a public scandal.” They sat in silence and Cassidy’s mind began to jump from one intriguing conclusion to the next. Deception. Stealing. Blackmail. What sort of secret would destroy anyone if it went public? Especially in a small town like Ashton Point. She thought biting her bottom lip.
An affair! She gasped, catching Clair’s attention for a split second.
“What’s wrong,” Clair asked, concern seeping through her words.
Cassidy shook her head. “Nothing, sorry. I was just thinking. What about an affair?”
Clair frowned. “Who, Daniel and Christina?”
“No, no, no. Brad and Christina,” Cassidy said turning to face Clair. “What if they were having an affair? We know Christina has had many affairs, her latest with James Hapworth, what’s one more? What if he realised what he was doing was wrong and tried to break it off with her? What if he was hoping that by doing it on the dancefloor, in view of everyone in town, she wouldn’t cause a scene, but it backfired? They got into a heated argument and then she threatened him.”
Clair huffed. “You sound like you’re writing an episode of Home and Away. I hardly think Brad would be sleeping with Christina.”
“What makes you so sure?” Cassidy asked, in a suspicious tone. “She has been known to use her charm to get what she wants.” Clair frowned and Cassidy knew in her gut she’d planted the seed of doubt in her sister’s mind. “Well…” Cassidy badgered Clair for an answer. When she didn’t get one, she continued, feeling she was on the right track. “You know what this town is like for gossip. Stephanie, over at the Classic Curl, happened to mention the other day that prior to Christina’s affair with James Hapworth, she was spotted getting chummy with several men here and over at Watson’s Creek.”
“Really? I thought Brad would never do that to his wife, but now that I think about it, I haven’t seen Sheryl around for a while,” Clair said as she drove down their street. “Which is highly unusual, as she used to pop into the shop almost every week to get orange and poppy seed cupcakes for her husband.”
The tightness in her chest eased a little and a plan started to form in Cassidy’s mind. “Well, there’s only going to be one way to find out. We ask the mayor what the fight was about. Maybe, if we’re lucky, he’ll confess to sleeping with Christina.”
“I suppose it couldn’t hurt to ask. Either way, we’d be able to eliminate him from the suspect list or give Daniel his next front-page story.”
Triumph filled Cassidy’s heart and she bubbled with satisfaction at her deductive reasoning skills. She’d have the real murderer wrapped up by sunset.
As Clair pulled into the driveway, her gaze turned toward the front porch and the air suddenly vanished from her lungs in one fell swoop.
No, it can’t be.
A tallish man stood on the front porch. His bleach-blond, wavy hair, which hung just below his shoulders was tied back neatly in a ponytail. Even with his back turned, there was no mistaking his broad shoulders, prominent torso and tight backside.
Finn! What on earth are you doing in Ashton Point?
After discovering Todd’s philandering ways, she’d high-tailed it back to Australia on the first available plane. She’d left without so much as a goodbye to Finn and now he was here, in the flesh, standing on her porch.
“I wonder who that is.” Clair said, one eyebrow raised. “I don’t recognise his car.”
“His name is Finn Beckett,” Cassidy said, swallowing the lump in her throat. “He’s a freelance travel reporter. He was staying in the same building as Mum and Dad while on assignment in New York. We became good friends.”
Clair’s eyes widened. “Really? What’s he doing here?”
That’s a very good question. As far as she knew, his contract in New York had two months left on it. Her fingers twisted together into a ball at her stomach. Cassidy’s heart lurched as he turned, his cobalt-blue eyes locking onto hers. It was like being doused with ice cold water. His steely gaze drilling hers.
Please, please, please, don’t be here because of Todd. The last thing she wanted to do was confess to her sisters how naive she’d been falling for the wrong man. She’d never live down the embarrassment.
“Well, let’s not keep our guest waiting,” Clair said as she jumped out of the car like an excited child on Easter morning. “I, for one, can’t wait to hear an update on Mum and Dad and what’s been happening in The Big Apple.”
Chapter Five
Finn stood rigid, his gaze focused on the familiar red-headed beauty seated in the car, and he didn’t mean the driver. He’d waited long enough. Just when he’d thought he was making headway with Cassidy, she ups and leaves New York. It didn’t matter how long it took and he wouldn’t push her, but he was going to get some answers.
A shiver of excitement danced up his spine as the two ladies headed in his direction. He took in the tall, red-head woman as she approached. An older version of Cassidy, but with stunning emerald eyes as big as jewels. He outstretched his hand. “You must be Clair. Cassidy’s talked about you so much I feel like I know you already. Or maybe it’s
Charlotte?”
Clair eased her hand into his. “Right on your first go. And you are?”
His brow creased. She hadn’t told her sisters about him. “Finn. Finn Beckett. Your parents live in the building where I was staying and Cassidy and I became friends.” At least I thought we had. “It was great to have a fellow Aussie to chat with about home. By the way, your Mum and Dad say hello.”
Clair paused and her gaze shot from Finn to Cassidy and back again. “Would you like to come in for coffee and cupcakes?”
His stomach knotted. Cassidy stood there silently, as if she were annoyed by his presence. The knots had worked their way up to his throat and it was like talking around a tennis ball. “I’d hate to impose. I’ve been visiting friends up in the Coffs Harbour and now I’m on my way back down the coast to Sydney.”
Clair stepped past Finn, heading for the door. “In that case, you’re probably desperate for a good coffee and we have only the best.”
Cassidy stood there, silently staring at him. It was as if the beautiful woman he’d met in New York had vanished and been replaced by a mute. “As long as Cassidy is okay with it? I know I arrived unexpectedly and I probably should have called first, but I wasn’t sure I’d be welcome.”
Clair frowned.
Cassidy spoke for the first time, her voice as perfect as he remembered it. “Of course, you’re welcome. Why would you think anything else?”
Finn shrugged, relief filling his chest. “One day you were there and the next you were gone. You left in such a hurry and you didn’t even say goodbye. I figured you must have had a good reason, I just hope it wasn’t because of me.”
Cassidy’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped open.
“I’m sure there’s a simple explanation but its way too muggy to discuss it out here on the porch,” Clair said, opening the door. “Come in and Cassidy can straighten this whole thing out over coffee and cupcakes.”