Shadow of Suspicion (Haunted by the Past)

by Danielle Rose-West

  “I really think I should go now.”

  Jason ignored Callie as he grasped the handle and swung the door open on silent hinges. Not even a creak spilled out to alert the couple panting away on the sofa. Cunningham pounded hard into Lucinda. She’d flung her head so far back that it nearly banged against the wall with the force of every thrust of Cunningham’s hips. She groaned and panted, calling out Cunningham’s name with small whimpers of delight as her nails raked down his back.

  Jason’s stomach contracted and threatened to heave up what little sat in his belly. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. How could she do this to him? Lucinda’s eyes flew open and she screamed out her release. Her gaze clamped onto Jason. Her face twisted into an almost comical combination of pleasure and dawning horror.

  “Oh! Jason, no!”

  She tried to push at Cunningham’s shoulders, but he held her hips firmly in place as he reached his own satisfaction. A roar burst out of him. He glanced back towards Jason with a satisfied smirk. He slipped out of Lucinda and pulled up his clothing as if nothing untoward had occurred.

  “Sorry you witnessed that. It was never my intention for you to find out.” Jason couldn’t believe how calm and unaffected Cunningham sounded. “It’s not like I have designs on stealing her away from you, so don’t worry. It’s just a bit of fun.”

  He winked at Jason as though they were co-conspirators in some escapade. Jason’s jaw clenched so tight, he was surprised his face didn’t split in two. His brain screamed at him to say something or to take action, but he couldn’t seem to move.

  “Jason, I’m sorry.” Lucinda struggled to cover herself with one of the small cushions that had fallen to the floor. “It’s not what you think. Please!”

  Jason couldn’t believe his ears. Her ridiculous words released a torrent of anger coursing through him. It opened the floodgates that had somehow been held frozen up until that point.

  “It’s not what I think? That’s original.” Jason prised his fingers from the door handle. He’d been holding it so tightly that he’d lost all feeling in his fingers.

  “It really isn’t what it looks like.” Lucinda wept piteously. She tugged on her underwear with shaking hands. “It didn’t mean anything. It was nothing! Just meaningless sex.”

  Jason stalked forward and stood several inches from her trembling form. “It may have meant nothing to you,” he stabbed a finger at her chest, “and it sure as hell seems to have meant nothing to him. But what you’ve done means a lot to me.” He gritted his teeth so hard, he was sure his jaw would break. “Was this the first time or have you done this before? How long have you been cheating on me, Lucinda?” he snarled at her.

  “What does it matter?” Lucinda slipped her arms through her blouse and clamped it shut with one hand.

  “It matters to me. How long?” he shouted.

  “About three weeks.” He could barely hear the whisper. He flicked his gaze to Cunningham. The man didn’t seem at all phased by the situation.

  “Come now. We are all adults. Surely you can see that Lucinda and I just wanted a fun time. It was nothing more than that. It doesn’t have to be a big deal.” Cunningham adjusted the sleeves of his jacket.

  Jason drew back his fist and punched the smug bastard right in his arrogant face. Cunningham flew backwards. He landed on the sofa with a grunt. Jason grinned in dark satisfaction and rubbed his knuckles. Cunningham regarded him with a deadly stare.

  “I’ll let you have that one, considering. But don’t push me. Another punch like that and I’ll have the police on you.” Cunningham tested his jaw with one hand. “You’re taking this far too seriously, you know. There is a considered opinion among experts that extra sexual relations keeps relationships alive and fresh.” He picked up a brief case that sat propped up against the end of the sofa. “You should try it some time. Maybe you’d be less uptight.”

  “Get out before I wipe the floor with you!” Jason snarled.

  Cunningham simply nodded his head. “As you wish.” He swept out without glancing even once in Lucinda’s direction.

  Jason turned to Lucinda. Disgust rolled through him at the sight of her half-dressed form. “I hope it was worth it, Luce, because we’re done. I never want to see you ever again. Is that clear? I’ll pack up the things you left at my place and give them to your parents.”

  “Oh, no. Please, Jason. Don’t do this.” He turned to leave and she grabbed hold of his arm. “You have to understand that some of this was your fault!” Her shriek echoed around the room.

  Jason whirled back to face her. “How the hell do you work that one out?”

  “You ignored me one too many times. You wouldn’t commit the way I wanted you to. If you had made me more important than your stupid family, this would never have happened!” Lucinda snarled at him.

  “This started up three weeks ago.” Jason yanked his arm from her grip. “When you asked me to make a stronger commitment, you’d already cheated on me!” He grabbed her arms and shook her. “It’s obvious to me that I made the right call. How can you manage a commitment to someone, when you can’t even stay faithful? Well, you’ve made your bed……….now lie in it.”

  He shoved her against the sofa. She landed with an ear splitting shriek. “You can’t just walk away from me, Jason!”

  He sneered down at her. “Watch me.” He shook his head. “All this time my family told me that you were no good. I wish I’d listened instead of wasting my time on you.”

  He stomped from the room. He jerked to a halt in surprise when he spied a white faced Callie several feet from the door.

  “I thought you would have left by now.”

  “I almost did, but then I worried that you’d be okay.” Her voice was soft as she ran her sympathetic gaze over him. “I didn’t want you to do something foolish.” She drew in a shuddering breath. “I wanted to be sure you’d be safe. I know what a shock this kind of thing can be. It doesn’t always lead to smart choices.”

  “I’m fine.” He didn’t need her pity. He didn’t need anyone!

  “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in the hospital.” Jason turned to see Lucinda standing in the doorway with her blouse finally buttoned up. Her hard, suspicious eyes pinned Callie to the wall.

  “I was released early,” Callie said quietly, her gaze on the floor.

  “That doesn’t explain what you’re doing outside this room.” Lucinda stepped forward, anger and suspicion dripped from her words.

  “She has nothing to do with this.” Jason moved towards Callie and gripped her arm.

  He knew better than anyone what Lucinda was like when someone crossed her. Heaven help Callie if Lucinda ever found out she’d been the one who’d told him what was going on. He drew Callie down the corridor with him as fast as he could, but Lucinda followed them.

  “Now that I think of it, how did you know where I was? I hadn’t told you that I was working for Andy yet. What were you even doing here in the middle of the day?” Jason glanced behind him. Lucinda’s eyes narrowed. He could see the cogs whirling around in her head. Unfortunately, she had many faults, but being stupid wasn’t one of them.

  “It was her, wasn’t it?” Lucinda’s fingers curled into fists. “You came to see her.” Jealously dripped from her heated tone.

  “So what? I don’t need to explain myself to you……..not anymore.” They reached the reception desk.

  Kathy sauntered out of a side room and eyed them all. She addressed Callie. “There are a group of guests that would like to use the small living room. I take it your meeting is finished?”

  “Why are you asking her? She didn’t even attend the meeting.” Lucinda snarled.

  “She must have. She asked me where you were holding it about half hour ago.” Kathy stared back at Lucinda with a bored expression.

  Lucinda’s head snapped round to Callie. “You saw us? You must have!” Her lips thinned and she glared murderously at Callie. “You bitch! You told Jason didn’t you. He
came to see you and you couldn’t wait to fill him in on your little scoop!”

  Callie backed up and held her hands out. “He had the right to know.”

  “Don’t blame her.” Jason positioned himself between the two women. “You did this, Luce, nobody else. We’re finished because of what you did.”

  A bitter laugh burst out of Lucinda’s lips. “You go ahead and hide, sweetheart!” She planted her hands on her hips. “You won’t be able to elude me forever. I’ll never forgive you for this. If you think falling down the stairs was bad, it’s nothing to what I’ll do to you for this!”

  Jason stalked forward and grabbed Lucinda’s arms. “You leave her out of this.” He shoved his face into Lucinda’s furious one. “If you try and take revenge on Callie for what you’ve done, just see what I’ll bring to your door. Do you understand?”

  “No way! You are so blind, Jason. I know why she’s really done this. It isn’t because she is a goody two shoes that couldn’t keep her sticky beak to herself. It’s because she’s interested in you herself. I’ve seen it written all over her face. She wanted to break us up.” Lucinda grabbed his arms, her expression desperate. “Can’t you see that?”

  “You’re deluded.” Jason shoved her away from him. “Even if you were right, it wouldn’t make any difference. You slept with someone else, Luce. I can never forgive you for that. We’re over and if you’re looking for someone to blame, I suggest you use a mirror.”

  Jason stalked away from her. He had to get out of there before he suffocated. He flicked a last glance in Callie’s direction. She gazed back at him with wide golden eyes. Jason flung open the door to the car-park and charged into the cold, damp air. He moved swiftly towards his van. He’d clear all traces of Lucinda from his flat and then………….what? What was he supposed to do now?

  He gripped the keys to the van in his hand and ignored the twists in his guts. He would never have thought this was how his day was going to end. Jason could almost see the happy dance Fay would do when she heard about this. At least one person would have reason to celebrate.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “You are lucky that your designs are so good.” Mr Cunningham rubbed at his bruised jaw. The purple and blue colouring stood out like a neon sign in the sunlight streaming in through the large windows in the breakfast room. Callie squirmed in her seat. She hadn’t been sure that he’d seen her when he’d exited the small living room after the incident, but apparently he had.

  “So, I still have a job?” Callie laced her fingers together in her lap and squeezed tight. She held her breath. She wasn’t sure if she preferred for him to say yes or no. Part of her wanted to realise her designs and the other part wanted to drive the hell away from this crazy place and never look back.

  “As I said, you are lucky that your designs are so good.” He lazily flipped through her sketches once more. “I can see the potential in what you’ve outlined here. It captures what I had in mind for the place, even better than I had previously imagined.”

  He peered at her, his mouth thinning out. “I would still like you to work on this project, but I won’t put up with any further ructions. I need people I can count on. Not individuals bent on causing me problems. Is that clear?”

  “It is.” Callie swallowed hard. She’d dearly love to point out that he was the one that had caused the problems, not her. Since he was still paying her fees and keeping her on the project, she decided to drop the matter.

  She wished she didn’t have to mention a certain woman, but she could see no way out of it. As things stood, she had no idea if Mr Cunningham still expected her to work with Lucinda or not. She gathered her courage and decided she had to bite the bullet.

  “What about Lucinda? Will she still be working as my assistant?” Callie somehow managed to keep her nerves out of her voice. She was amazed at how calm she sounded, even to her own ears.

  Mr Cunningham’s mouth tightened. “She will not. Under the circumstances, I think it’s best that she stays away.” He scrapped his chair back from the table. “Now, I have other things to attend to. I would like you to start the ball rolling in here and the bedrooms on the first floor. I want to see some progress with this place. Every day that we waste time is money down the drain.”

  “I will see to it immediately.”

  Callie grabbed her bag and gathered her designs together. She balanced them on her sprained arm as she exited the room. Her ribs ached like crazy, but she couldn’t afford to slow down. The project was already behind. She was extremely relieved not to have to deal with Lucinda after their confrontation the previous day. It would have just made matters worse.

  She hadn’t seen Jason since he’d walked out of the B&B. She’d tried to call the garage, but he hadn’t returned there. Callie hated to admit it to herself, but she was worried about him. He’d been so pale after finding out about Lucinda’s cruel betrayal.

  Callie’s heart had bled for the pain she’d seen behind his eyes. She’d been struck with the absurd desire to hold him in her arms and comfort him. She knew he wouldn’t welcome it, but it hadn’t stopped her from aching to do so. Those feelings worried her. She couldn’t afford to allow herself such emotions for a man she barely knew. It was madness.

  Callie firmly pushed her thoughts away as she wandered through the B&B until she reached the second sitting room the place boasted. She simply couldn’t bring herself to work in the room where Lucinda and Mr Cunningham had been entertaining each other. Her face heated every time she passed the door, let alone actually working in there. Sitting on that sofa was not an option!

  She spread her things out on a small table by the window and sank down gratefully into the soft easy chair that sat in front of it. Callie pulled her laptop from her bag and set it up. Before long, she was lost in a world of phone calls and preparations for work to begin at the B&B.

  Callie always liked to call upon a team of workmen that she’d used many times before. The foreman knew her well enough to deliver on her designs the way she wanted them, without too much compromise. Even though they butted heads quite often, their differences of opinion usually ended up with a better overall finish on the project.

  “So, I’ll see you here tomorrow then?” Callie tapped her pen on the pad she’d been attempting to scribble notes on. She found it a struggle to write with the wrong hand. She only hoped she could read what she’d written!

  “Sure. The boys and I will be there bright and early.”

  “Thanks, Mike. I knew I could rely on you. You’re a treasure.” Callie hung up.

  “You seem very good at what you do.”

  Callie squealed at the unexpected voice from behind her. She whirled around in her seat and gasped when her ribs twinged. A middle aged man leaned against the wall, watching her. The wrinkles that framed the corners of his eyes spoke of a man that liked to smile a lot. Callie stared into those warm golden orbs that regarded her so closely. This had to be another relative, judging by his appearance. She swallowed nervously.

  “I love my work. I guess it’s easy to be good at what you love doing.” She gripped the back of her chair. Who was this man to her? He seemed a lot less hostile than any other member of her blood relations, but she was scared to hope.

  “Indeed.” He moved towards her. “May I sit down?” He pointed to the chair beside her own.

  “I guess.” Callie settled herself back against the cushions behind her.

  He smiled and seated himself. “I am very glad to see that you are not as badly injured after your fall as I feared.”

  “No, I was very fortunate. It could have been so much worse.” Callie licked her lips. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I would like to know to whom I am addressing?”

  “I’m sorry, my dear. Of course you do.” He pointed to his balding red hair. “Although you probably already guessed that we’re family. I am Sandra’s older brother, Max. Which makes me your Uncle.” He held out his hand. Callie smiled tentatively and shook it.

  “Y
ou are the first person that has actually addressed me as family.” Her throat tightened, making her voice sound strained.

  Max’s face crumpled slightly. “I am sorry about that. My mother isn’t exactly the easiest person. She has very fixed ideas on things and nothing can sway her when she’s set her mind. She holds a great deal of clout with my sister. Sandra never has been able to stand up to Mama.”

  “And you? Aren’t you worried what the rest of your family will say, when they find out you came to see me?”

  Max patted her hand gently. “I couldn’t stay away. You are my niece, whatever the rest of them say. I wanted the chance to meet you and get to know you, if you would like that too.”

  Callie’s eyes blurred and she blinked rapidly to clear her vision. “You have no idea how much that would mean to me.”

  Max smiled warmly. “You know, you are so much like your grandmother when she was a young woman.”

  “I’m not sure she’d be pleased to hear you say that,” Callie laughed.

  “Are you kidding? She’d hate it.” Max threw his head back, and his laughter bounced off the walls.

  Callie chewed on her lip. She contemplated pumping Max for information. Would he be mad at her for prying? She had to risk it. It was possible she would never find out if she didn’t.

  “I know we’ve only just met, but I have to ask. Did you know my father?” Anxiety gripped her stomach and she held her breath.

  Max stared at his hands. He twisted his wedding ring in continuous slow circles. He was so quiet, Callie wasn’t sure he would answer her question. She was just about to apologise when he spoke.

  “I did know him.” He flicked his gaze to hers. “He broke your mother’s heart, you know. She never has got over him.”

  “Can you tell me his name?” Callie whispered. Her heart nearly beat out of her chest and her mouth went dry. A slight tremor raced through her body as she awaited his reply.