by Polly Holmes
Emmerson’s hysterical voice hit an octave Cassidy had never experienced before. “I don’t know, she didn’t say. She was going to tell me when we met and then she was murdered and now I have no idea what she did with the photos or where they are.”
“Sounds like motive for murder to me,” Finn said, his sharp tone notching the tension between them up a level.
Emmerson’s eyes widened and her jaw fell open in shock. “No, no, no. I wasn’t even in Ashton Point that night. I was in Sydney. I was following up with some contacts for my new fashion business and then I met this guy and we had dinner and took in a movie.”
“But you could have come back in plenty of time to commit the murder,” he added.
Emmerson stood, her chocolate-brown eyes focused solely on Finn. “Yes, I could have, but I didn’t. I ended up staying in Sydney overnight. I left about eight in the morning, I even have a speeding ticket just as I left the Sydney CBD to prove it. There was no way I could have killed Christina. If I killed her, I’d never find out what she did with the pictures.”
Emmerson’s story seemed pretty solid. Cassidy’s heart plummeted. Another dead end. “I’m sorry for jumping to the wrong conclusion. If it’s any consolation, when I was working next door, I didn’t find any revealing photos of you. Rest assured that if I do hear of any, you’ll be the first to know.”
The corners of Emmerson’s lip turned up into a semi-smile. “Thank you. I would hate for my father to find out. It could ruin his business, not to mention the one I’m trying to get off the ground. And for what it’s worth, I believe you had nothing to do with her murder either.”
By the time they left, Cassidy’s hopes had deflated. The venture had turned out to be a total fizzer. They’d eliminated Emmerson from the murder list but were no closer to finding the real killer. “That didn’t exactly go as I thought it would,” Cassidy said, dumping her bag on the coffee table and collapsing into the corner of the lounge with a sigh. The empty house added to her depressed state.
“I know. I guess we need to keep looking for answers,” Finn said, easing himself down beside her.
She felt a pang of panic in her chest. “Or until my time runs out.”
“Hey,” Finn snapped, a frown crossed his expression. He grabbed her hands in his. Startled by his quick movement, she sat there staring into the depths of his cobalt-blue eyes. “That will be enough of that defeated talk, thank you. I’m not giving up and neither should you. I happen to think you have a long and happy future ahead.”
Finn’s words were like a lifebuoy holding her afloat in the treacherous ocean, supporting her as he’d always done. His hypnotising gaze, combined with his manly aftershave, had her stomach doing flip-flops. Cassidy’s gaze dropped to his lips.
What I wouldn’t give to have you kiss me right now. She could no longer ignore her feelings for him, but how could she start a relationship with so much uncertainty hanging over her head?
He rubbed his soothing thumbs across the back of her hands. “I think you know my feelings for you.”
“Why didn’t you tell me before now?” she asked. She already knew the answer. “Todd.”
He nodded. “I could tell he wasn’t right for you, but I also couldn’t lose your friendship. Can I ask you one question, Cass? And I want you to be honest with me.” He said in a soft but caring tone.
“Of course.”
“If Todd hadn’t come on the scene and I’d asked you out, do you think you may have said yes?”
Would I? She paused, her mind racing through the countless times they spent together in New York. Movie nights on the couch, popcorn fights, shopping sprees, cooking lessons at his expense. All of which had filled her with happiness. A happiness she wanted to experience again and again and again. She wanted Finn, of that she had no more doubt. “Yes. I would have said yes.”
He smiled and her heart melted. “Then how about when this nightmare is all over and we prove your innocence, you and I go on a real date? No pressure, just two people who like spending time together.”
She nodded and her chest tightened as Finn leaned in toward her. She felt her breath catch in her throat. His soft lips on hers. He didn’t force the kiss, but he didn’t have too, she felt it all the way to the bottom of her soul. She savoured the sweet taste of him committing it to memory.
“Ah-hum.” A deep, throaty cough from the hallway interrupted the moment.
She pulled back, her hands sliding from his. Cassidy’s cheeks warmed under Liam’s gaze. How did I not hear him come in? She caught Finn’s lip curl into a grin. Cheeky man. “Liam, what an unexpected surprise.”
“Yeah, sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt your moment. I pulled up at the same time as Clair and she gave me her key to get in since she was on the phone. Guess I should have knocked,” he said, his face turning beetroot red.
“Don’t be silly. Finn and I were just—”
Liam squeezed his eyes shut and held up his hand. “Please, I don’t need to know. Information overshare.”
A giggle erupted in Cassidy’s belly and worked its way up into her throat. “Oh, don’t be silly. I was going to say that Finn and I were just clearing the air.”
“Riiiiight. Whatever you say.” Liam flopped down on the opposite armchair. “Listen, there was a reason I called in. Finn, I was wondering if you have a couple of hours spare this evening? I could really do with an extra pair of hands to finish a decking job for a private client. We’ve at least a few hours of light left and I had someone lined up but they fell through.”
Finn raised his brow and glanced at Cassidy. “Would you mind?”
Why would I mind? It’s not like we’re a couple. At least not yet. “Of course not. Daylight savings can be a godsend, why waste it?”
“Waste what?” Clair said as she walked into the lounge room.
“The light,” Liam said.
“What light?” Clair asked, her gaze searching each one of their faces for answers. She looked so confused that Cassidy lost it and fell back in fits of laughter.
Clair huffed and rolled her eyes to the roof then turned to Liam. “I thought you were out with Charlotte?”
“I was, but I had to drop her at the shop. Suzi called and apparently, she had an emergency order that needed Charlotte’s help. Since we have a few hours of light left, I have a job I could finish tonight and could use Finn’s help.”
Cassidy could practically see the lightbulb flick on in Clair’s head. “Ah, that light,” Clair said.
Liam nodded and stood. “So, what do you say, Finn?”
“Sounds great. Let me just grab some old clothes.” He turned to Cassidy and eased his warm hand over hers. “I’m only a phone call away if you need me.”
“Thank you.”
Chapter Twelve
Cassidy waved and shut the door behind the guys as they left and headed into the kitchen. A feeling of contentment worked its way into her heart.
Is this what it feels like to be in love? How would I know, she thought chuckling to herself. She could hardly call what she had with Todd love. All she knew was what she felt for Finn was so much better.
“Okay, young lady, spill,” Clair said as she put a hazelnut Nespresso pod in the coffee machine.
A frown marred Cassidy’s expression. Is she talking about Emmerson or Finn?
“I know something happened between you and Finn. A guy doesn’t hold your hand and look into your eyes the way he did unless there’s something there. Sisters tell each other everything, so come on out with it.”
Cassidy’s pulse sped up and she licked her lips at the memory of Finn’s kiss. The sweet taste of his soft lips cemented in her heart.
Now sitting at the kitchen table, Clair patted the seat next to her. “Come, sit. Please don’t make me ask again.”
There was no way she was getting out of this kitchen tonight without filling Clair in on the details. “All right.” Cassidy gave in and joined her at the table. “Finn and I came to an agreement this even
ing.”
Clair raised her eyebrows. “And?”
“And, there’s no use starting a relationship while I have a murder charge hanging over my head, but…”
“But?” Clair asked, hopefully.
“But. I can’t deny how he makes me feel. I like him, Clair. I like him a lot and he likes me.” A thrill danced up her spine. “He kissed me and it was so amazingly tender. Probably the best kiss I’ve ever had.”
A grin spread across Clair’s face and she clasped her hands together at her chest. “I’m so happy for you. You two are perfect together. So, what now?”
“We both agreed to wait until this whole Christina mess is sorted out. That way we can start fresh.”
“Good idea,” Clair said as she threw her arms around Cassidy and squeezed. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
With all the talk of Finn, Cassidy had nearly forgotten about the eventful day she’d had. Releasing Clair, she said, “Now that we have the mushy stuff out of the way, would you like to know what else Finn and I uncovered today?”
Clair’s spine stiffened and her eyes widened. “Definitely.”
Cassidy launched into the day’s events, barely taking a breath between sentences.
“Now Emmerson is off the list I’m not sure where that leaves us.” Clair stood and paced the kitchen, her frustration radiating through her words. “Oh, that woman. It wasn’t enough that she meddled in so many lives when she was alive, now she’s doing it from the grave.”
From the grave? Cassidy froze, the memory of a similar conversation played out in her mind. One that included their least favourite newspaper reporter. “Do you remember when we went to see Daniel?”
“Yes…why?” she asked.
“Don’t you find it strange that Daniel said pretty much the exact same thing as Emmerson? I think you made the point that he didn’t have to fabricate information, as his contract would be void since Christina’s dead, and he said, ‘I wish.’ Maybe Christina was blackmailing him as well.” Cassidy’s mind raced. Adrenaline pumped her energy levels up as her deductive skills worked overtime. “There could have been something in his contract that she was holding over him. His alibi for the time of her murder was pretty flimsy at best. At home, alone.”
“Wait a minute, you have the same alibi,” Clair said, draining the last droplets from her coffee cup.
“Yes, but we know I didn’t do it,” Cassidy said, her hand covering her heart innocently. “I really feel another conversation with Daniel is in order. If he has nothing to hide, then his story will be the same. But he might crumble when we bring blackmail into the conversation. What do you say, you up for it?”
Clair glanced at the wall clock. “Okay, but can we take separate cars? Alex rang just as I arrived home and she’s having man trouble. I was going to head over to visit her once I touched base with you and then continue on to see Mason. Two cars will mean I don’t have to double back to drop you home.”
“Sounds good to me.” Cassidy threw her bag over her shoulder. Her keys dangled in her hand. “After we’re done, I’ll give Finn a call and maybe I can pick him up if he’s finished up with Liam.”
Clair grinned. “Sounds like a plan.”
Cassidy eased her car into the bay behind Clair’s red Toyota and then joined her on the sidewalk. “He’s still here,” she said, gesturing toward Daniel’s white Hyundai. “Talk about a workaholic.”
“Where else would he be?” Clair asked. She slid her hand over the cool door handle and pushed. No luck. Tapping her knuckles on the door she called, “Daniel… Daniel are you there?”
Impatience wormed its way into Cassidy’s gut. “How long does it take to open the door?” Clair tapped again, more forcefully this time.
The door flung open, the noise startling the Rosella’s nestling in the trees three shops down. Daniel’s eyes widened when his gaze fell on Cassidy. “Come to give me my front-page story?”
I’ll give you a front-page story, but it may not be exactly what you want to hear. “That all depends on you,” she said with confidence.
“Me? What are you talking about?”
Clair piped up. “I suppose it depends on whether you think blackmail is a front page worthy story.”
Cassidy saw the blood drain from his face and the dumbfounded expression confirmed her suspicions. He was hiding something.
“What’s blackmail got to do with anything?” he asked in a semi-defeated voice.
“Blackmail can be such a nasty business. It’s the innocent people who always suffer. Wouldn’t you agree, Clair?”
Clair nodded. “Oh, definitely.”
Spurred on by her growing confidence, she continued, “I’d hate to see blackmail be your undoing. Daniel, don’t you think it would be in both our interests to clear the air?” It was as if the life drained from his body right in front of her. Bingo. “Was Christina blackmailing you?” Daniel stood stock still and Cassidy wasn’t even sure if he was breathing.
“I’ll talk, but not out here.” He held the door open for the girls and they followed him into the foyer of The Chronicle. Daniel sat on the corner sofa, his head lowered and his hands glued together and shaking.
Why is he so nervous? Maybe he is about to confess. Cassidy stiffened, her senses on high alert.
“What I said to you last time you were here was the honest-to-God truth, I did not kill Christina. But you’re right, she was blackmailing me.”
“I knew it,” Cassidy said. She wanted to jump up and high five the air but seeing Daniel’s miserable expression she contained herself. “Why don’t you start from the beginning?”
“You better sit down, then. This could take a while,” he said, nodding toward the empty chairs.
Clair’s eyes widened and she took a seat, leaving Cassidy standing. Don’t start without me. She settled in the chair next to Clair. “Okay, we’re listening.”
“A few years back, before I moved to Ashton Point and before I got my career sorted, I was mixed up with the wrong crowd. Drugs and alcohol. It wasn’t a pretty sight, let me tell you. I couldn’t go a day without a drink or two or three. Anyway, one night I had a fight with my old man and drank more than I should have and…”
His voice trailed off and Cassidy’s heart clenched when she caught the tear rolling down his cheek. She had a bad feeling about what was coming but didn’t interrupt.
“I stole his car keys and stormed out of the house. I never made it to my mate’s place. Instead I rolled the car and hit a tree.” He paused as if building the courage to continue.
“Oh, Daniel, I’m so sorry,” Clair said softly. “At least you weren’t killed.”
His voice dropped an octave and a sudden chill filled the room. “No, I wasn’t, but the teenage girl I hit didn’t make it.”
Cassidy’s stomach revolted and she thought she might be sick. Clair’s hand darted to her hand and she gripped it so hard Cassidy thought the blood had stopped circulating.
“Clair,” she whispered. “Do you mind?” she nodded toward her frozen hand.
Clair’s gaze followed hers. “Oh, sorry.” She snapped her hand back and focused on Daniel once more. “I can’t tell you how sorry we are. That was the old Daniel. The Daniel we know is smart, kind and may occasionally print an exaggerated story, but on the whole, is someone I enjoy spending time with. How does Christina fit into all of this?”
“I got off on a technicality and realised what a lucky escape I’d had. I turned my life around. I even started a community program in my local high school in western Sydney to help teenagers affected by alcohol and drugs. I had a new life and left the old one buried behind me when I moved here.” A snarl curled the corner of Daniel’s lip. “I was upfront with Christina when I applied for the job at The Chronicle and she said that it didn’t matter and that I was just the kind of go-getter she was looking for. Little did I know that she would use my past failures against me. It started as a favour here and there, but she was getting more d
emanding by the day. It was like she wanted me to be at her beck and call twenty hours a day. As if she was the only person in my life. Then I met Suzi at Beth and Lincoln’s wedding and we hit it off. I like her, really like her. So I told Christina it was over. I wasn’t her puppet anymore”
“And how did she take it?” Clair asked.
Daniel’s grave expression said it all. “Not very well, I’m afraid. She wouldn’t let up and then only a few days before she was killed, she’d told me that she created her own spin on the story that painted me in a more damning light. She said that unless I dumped Suzi, she was going to plaster my past all over the paper for the whole town to see. She wouldn’t tell me where she stored her damning information about me. I couldn’t let that happen.”
Oh no, what did you do? “But you said you didn’t kill Christina?”
His head snapped up. “I didn’t. I told Suzi everything and she convinced me that the past is where it should stay. I haven’t touched a drop of alcohol ever since that night.” His eyes softened as he spoke of Suzi. “She’s the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. She also said people in this town may judge, but they also listen and give people a fair go.”
“She’s right. Well, for most of us,” Cassidy said, remembering her wasted interactions with Detective Anderson. He doesn’t give you a fair go. Otherwise, he’d believe I was innocent.
“So why would you print the lies about me in the paper?” Cassidy asked.
“I didn’t want to, but Christina was so jealous of you all.”
“Jealous,” they said in unison.
“Of us?” Cassidy asked.
He nodded. “You see, she wanted the shop that CC’s Simply Cupcakes occupies and when the council said you could have it instead of her, she never forgave you for stealing it out from under her. She told me that I was to make you pay and if I didn’t, she’d expose me and she’d let nothing stand in her way. She was a very powerful woman.”
Cassidy sucked in a deep breath. “I don’t believe what I’m hearing. I guess that explains why she wanted to get on the council and when Mayor Windsor said no, she went after him as well. That woman was some piece of work.”