Still Image

by Allie Parker

  Over breakfast on the day of the launch, Byron was clearing his inbox and opened an email from the same address which had sent Grace the threatening letter.

  He rang Grace immediately.

  ‘It reads - You people are not taking the hints ... such a nuisance web hackers and vandal’s can be ... now you have forced me to reveal the secret that will put the final nail in the Cassidy Design coffin. Enjoy reading about your precious photographer, or should I say criminal, in tomorrow’s newspaper. James Madden was a fool to hire you but at least the publicity will ensure your demise. I know I’ll enjoy watching your company reputation finally go up in flames where it belongs.

  ‘I don’t know who this is or what they’re talking about but Meg’s about to be wrongly exposed. The police have cleared her, so this just makes no sense.’ Byron said to his sister, only worried about his own business as an afterthought.

  ‘By, take a deep breath. These emails obviously aren’t from Patrick. He was in custody when this last one came through. We assumed it was from him to try and extort money from us in some way. But this person’s intent is to bring Cassidy Designs down. Who the hell have you pissed off lately?’

  ‘Fuck.’ Byron rubbed his hands over his face.

  ‘Let’s just deal with one thing at a time. I’m going to make some calls and get back to you, but before I go – can I have a word to Meg?’

  He handed the phone to Meg and she listened to Grace, nodding her head every now and again.

  Grace had already written a media release which she’d hoped she wouldn’t have to use. By the time she met Meg for coffee at nine, Grace had contacted the newspapers and found who had the fabricated scoop. They wouldn’t name their source but they were more than willing to drop the story once she told them Meg had been completely exonerated by the police. But they did want an exclusive direct from Meg. Grace let Meg read the statement before she explained how the process would work. ‘Do you understand why I think we should do this?’

  ‘Definitely, I just hope it doesn’t affect the launch too much, everyone has worked so hard.’

  ‘But remember, we’ve all worked hard for the outcome, the reason for the building’s existence, the launch is just the pretty bow on the present.’

  ‘Yes, but...’

  Grace cut Meg off before she could finish.

  ‘Meg, I have worked my ass off over the last few months building the hype and anticipation around this project for James. No offence, but this will not even blemish the media attention I’ve got lined up. This press release is more about you and your reputation than it is about James’ job or Cassidy Designs. We’re doing this for you.’

  Meg could feel herself swell with love for a family that had welcomed her so warmly into their lives at such a traumatic time in her life. ‘I’m ready to do this,’ she said levelly to Grace.

  ‘I know you are. I wouldn’t be suggesting it otherwise.’ Grace smiled a cheeky, we’re-going-to-show-them smile which reminded Meg very much of Simon.

  They talked through the details and Meg made a couple of minor changes to the statement before she said, ‘Grace, there is something else you need to know.’

  After Grace finalised the story to run in the following day’s media, she, Meg and Flynn met with Byron to fill him in on the new development and what they planned to do about it.

  Meg was feeling stronger than she had in months. Knowing her story would be in the media the following day was energising, the way Grace had portrayed the events, Meg wasn’t a victim but a strong and capable business woman. Nigel had contacted the police and had received confirmation the story was fit for publication. As it turned out, feeling gullible and stupid was not a crime.

  Once they held everyone’s attention, Meg started. ‘First there was the painting of Avery’s that was badly defaced. The hotel was having problems identifying the suspect on the security footage in the hallway so Flynn contacted a friend at the security firm who owed him a favour. They knew roughly what time the painting was defaced so they went through the footage of the entrance and elevators looking for anything suspicious. Flynn identified a local graffiti artist he had had trouble with on building sites around town, tagging containers and equipment. He confronted him, and promising not to go to the police found out the guy was approached to deface the painting and paid in cash by a woman. She even told him where the security cameras were so that his face couldn’t be identified. With a little bit of gentle persuasion, the kid told Flynn that the only distinguishing features on the woman was a logo on her jacket and an unusual necklace in the shape of a peacock.’

  ‘While Flynn was figuring out the origin of the logo, another Cassidy Design website was hacked. But a similar incident happened to a friend of Simon’s so we weren’t sure it was connected. But then we get an email linking both incidences with the Madden job, threatening to reveal the secret that will put the final nail in the Cassidy Designs coffin,’ Grace added.

  ‘At first, Grace assumed it would be a story about my alleged involvement in the money laundering investigation and that Patrick was behind the threats. Waiting for some sort of extortion attempt. But the emails weren’t from Patrick or any of his associates. After Flynn showed me the logo from the jacket, we figured the woman must work at or have some connection with the company whose logo it was. It was an easy deduction. They have the design on all their marketing.’

  ‘This is my favourite part,’ Grace tag-teamed with Meg again. ‘Flynn gets all dolled up and goes to the boutique to see if he can find any leads.’

  ‘I’m the only one she wouldn’t recognise,’ Flynn answered Byron’s questioning look. ‘I didn’t see her behind the counter, but then more people came into the shop and the shop assistant got Tracey, the assistant manager,’ Flynn smiled grimly.

  ‘And what was she wearing? An exquisite turquoise peacock necklace,’ Grace added.

  ‘Flynn approached Tracey, Bella’s sister in-law, after work one day and, once again applied the right amount of pressure to get her to talk. You have a knack for that, don’t you Flynn?’ She continued without waiting for a response from the self-conscious Flynn. ‘It turns out Bella’s husband had had enough of Simon being in Bella’s life and when he found out about the Madden job, he paid his sister to sabotage the job and lash out at Simon by hurting him where it counts. Everyone knows how important the business and its reputation are to him.’

  ‘First Tracey tried to get Avery off the job because she adds huge weight to our team, given her standing in the art community, especially after winning the Clementine Prize. The media we’re receiving by association is already significant.Then she attempted to discredit our website services, hacking a number of sites we manage. And even attempted to warn James off us as well.’ Byron was cottoning onto the flow now.

  ‘She was stupid enough to think we didn’t know about Patrick Heathcliff and she thought she could disgrace us by linking Cassidy Designs with the scandal.’

  ‘How did he even know about that? It took me a fair bit of digging to find out.’ Byron looked sheepishly at Meg.

  ‘Tracey’s husband works in the insurance agency where Meg lodged her claim to recover some of her stolen funds. Turns out he’s not great on confidentiality when pillow talk is involved,’ Grace explained.

  Byron sat stunned for a moment. ‘Fuck me, how the hell do we tell Simon?’ Byron felt ill at the thought.

  ‘Avery’s telling him now,’ Meg answered.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  That night, Simon got in his car and drove. First to nowhere in particular, just drove. Then he found himself in Bella’s street. It occurred to him that he would jump into the deepest ocean or climb the highest peak for Bella, just to keep her safe. But he couldn’t walk up the path to her home. He loved her so much but he couldn’t knock on her door. He had tried to leave; many times he tried to sever their friendship. But he always returned. He longed for her to be happy. To be content with life. To be content with the love he gave her, th
e way she deserved to be loved.

  What he realised, sitting in his car on her street as the rain poured down around him, was that she would never be content with him. Not because she was married to another man. But because she didn’t want to be happy. She wanted to be saved time and time again. To be loved by the forbidden. And he didn’t mind catching her, soothing her, comforting her. He used to think he would happily spend every day of his life holding her if she would let him. He was the one person on earth that knew everything about her. She was completely open and honest with him. Always had been, since that majestic day in the cafe many years before.

  He was not honest with himself though.

  Until now.

  He knew she loved him. He knew that above all else. But he wanted to, longed to, save her. At times it felt like his life’s purpose. It hit him hard and swift, the fact that she would never give him that. Would never allow him that. She was broken and she knew it. But she wanted his unconditional love, to play the damsel in distress, not to be put back together.

  He didn’t know why it had taken him so long to figure that out, it seemed so clear now. But now that he had, Avery’s words, Byron and Grace’s fears for their brother, rang in his ears. Simon always said that Belle could never hurt him, could never cause him pain. But sitting in his car now, he realised that she had been doing just that for longer than he could remember.

  When was the last time Simon had a serious relationship? A relationship that lasted beyond Bel’s phone calls at all hours of the night. A relationship that endured Simon responding, no, running after her every notion. No, Simon thought, that’s not fair. Just because Bella could depend on Simon didn’t make him her gofer. She knew he would run to the end of the earth for her, and she took full advantage of it.

  It didn’t matter how he twisted the truth, it didn’t change the fact that he was out of breath, out of strength. This latest attempt at sabotage from her husband was just another blip on the radar that he was too tired to face.

  Sitting on her street, like he had done so many times before, he suddenly felt his vision had been wiped clear for the first time. The sun had melted the frost. And he was tired. He felt guilt for the way he had treated countless other women over the time he had known Bel. He could finally glimpse the life he could have if Bel wasn’t in it. It wasn’t so bad, was it? It wasn’t the end of his universe. It was probably for the best. Not just for him but for Bella too.

  After another minute sitting in silence, Simon started his car and paused only slightly before pulling out onto the road, driving down the street and turning the corner for the last time.

  *

  The day of the launch, everything was coming together. Grace, working with Madden’s PR team, had organised the media and dignitaries to attend site inspections, as well as an official lunch for government and industry leaders. There was also an unofficial cocktail party planned in the evening for investors and those involved with the project.

  Byron had completed the info packs, ready for Grace to work her magic. Simon was ready to launch the website at midday from the studio. He had decided not to attend the launch because he knew Bella’s husband, being one of the most successful businessmen in town, was invited. The invitations had gone out weeks before and James had told Grace not to ban him from the building, as she’d suggested. James said he wouldn’t let the scumbag get the better of them and that Mr Williams wasn’t invited to the cocktail party, where they could all relax and be around people they loved and trusted.

  During the launch Meg and Avery made their way around the building, stationing themselves beside their respective works of art and talking through the meaning and significance of each photograph and mural. Avery was quickly running out of business cards. She was getting overwhelmed by the amount of commissions she was being offered. She considered the murals among some of her most precious work, which she would always be proud of and hold close to her heart. She didn’t care about the media frenzy happening around her, her paintings were and always would be priceless.

  Adrenaline and excitement coursed through Meg. After the first hour, she stopped obsessing over who might have read or heard the article about her and just focused on the event. Seeing people react to her images was doing wonders for her self-esteem. Proudly introducing herself and telling the story behind each image was almost more rewarding than the generous amount James Madden was paying her.

  Meanwhile, Meg’s message bank was filling up with people wanting to ask questions and get more information on her involvement with Patrick Heathcliff. She trusted that Grace could handle them all tomorrow, probably with one hand tied behind her back. Meg particularly liked the part of the article that quoted her thanking Cassidy Designs and James Madden for their support through this difficult time. Grace was a strong believer in proactive not reactive strategies.

  They were surprised that Bella’s husband hadn’t tried to contact any of them when his article was replaced with their own. Avery and Meg spotted him wandering around with the other big-wigs but he didn’t participate in any of their information sessions. Neither did he engage in conversation with Byron and Grace, who were handing out information packs and media releases. He spoke briefly to James but neither mentioned the threats.

  Flynn would usually have been long gone by now. Everything about the building was in working order and James would have called if anything wasn’t one hundred percent. But Grace talked James into keeping him on hand during the formalities. She thought it would be nice for Flynn to see the reactions of those seeing the facilities for the first time, to enjoy some of the glory.

  She had worked hard to get him to come to the cocktail party. Networking wasn’t his bag, but he didn’t mind at all standing next to Avery while she described her painting methods or pointed out quirky little details within her murals that not many people noticed the first time they looked. She had blown him away when he’d first seen her in the red dress and black high heels. She looked the same but different, like a polished version of the woman he saw almost every day. Not any more beautiful, that wasn’t possible, but definitely sexier. He was surprised when she had gripped onto his hand in front of all the guests, like she needed his support. But he wasn’t complaining, nor was he letting go.

  With cocktails in hand, Grace was showing some VIP’s around when she stole a moment with Flynn and Avery. ‘Isn’t everything going wonderfully?’

  ‘I just can’t believe everything has come together so well,’ Avery mused, thinking of the hurdles they had faced along the way.

  ‘And on time and within budget,’ Flynn added with a proud smile.

  Grace noticed the chemistry simmering under the surface between the two then something caught her attention over their shoulders.

  ‘Shit,’ Grace whispered under her breath, the mood changing instantly.

  Avery followed Grace’s gaze. ‘Bella and her husband,’ she groaned. ‘What is she wearing?’

  ‘Not much,’ mumbled Flynn.

  ‘Can you guys keep an eye on them while I find Simon? Otherwise I’ll be likely to slap the dickhead where he stands.’ Grace moved on without making eye contact with Bella and her husband. She glided back to her VIPs and continued the tour.

  ‘The building won’t be properly occupied for another few weeks. Doctors and nurses will set up this space and bring in all of the emergency medical equipment which would be out of sight, but accessible if needed.’ She subtly moved the group around the corner, keeping an eye out for her brother.

  Byron and Meg found Grace first. ‘Bella and her husband have just turned up. We need to find Simon to warn him.’ Grace kept the polite smile plastered on her face as she looked around the room.

  Meg dipped her head closer to Grace. ‘Bella followed me into the bathroom a few minutes ago. Apparently it’s the only place he would let her out of his sight. She said she didn’t know that they’d be attending this evening; otherwise she would have contacted Simon to give us a heads up. He came chargi
ng into the boutique after the lunch, picked out the outfit she was to wear, and dragged her down here to flaunt her in front of Simon. She seemed genuinely upset.’

  ‘I know this sounds harsh, but she made her bed and continues to lie in it. I can’t muster much sympathy for her.’ Grace was assessing their next move when she spotted Simon and James crossing the room. ‘Crap, I’m really not sure how this will go down.’ They followed close behind. Ready to back Simon up.

  James approached Bella and her husband with Simon a step behind him. ‘Mr Williams, sorry for the confusion, this is a private party, the official launch has already concluded. I’m sure you can find a nice restaurant to take your wife for dinner.’ Although his manner and words were polite, the tone accompanying them was not.

  ‘James, thank you for hospitality today.’ He shook James’ hand while glaring over his shoulder at Simon. ‘You’re quite right, my wife and I have reservations for The Point,’ he replied, naming the most expensive restaurant in town. ‘Bella just wanted to pop in on our way and give you her congratulations in person.’

  Bella looked both stunning and startled, glancing from Simon to James. ‘You’ve done a marvellous job here,’ she purred, ‘a truly selfless act.’

  As Bella complimented James, her husband stepped out of her way and whispered to Simon, ‘you fucking bottom feeder. Don’t you see she’s mine,’ he hissed, ‘she’ll always be mine. You are nothing...’

  Simon looked at Bella while her husband finished insulting his intelligence, his family and his business. She was the sole reason why Simon didn’t punch her husband in the face, drop him to the floor and step on his throat. The fact that he was wasting his time and energy not only insulting Simon now, but with the devious actions over the past few months, contradicted his own words. Making him look jealous and foolish.