Shadow of Suspicion (Haunted by the Past)

by Danielle Rose-West

Jason leaned back and placed one foot over the other, stretching his long legs in front of him. He regarded Callie intently. He could still see guilt reflected in her features. He sighed. He may as well tell her the truth. It wasn’t like it was some kind of closely guarded secret.

  “Lucinda and I hadn’t been getting along for a while. It was about time we broke up and stopped making each other unhappy.” Callie glanced up at him in surprise. “You did us a favour, Callie. Okay, finding out she’d cheated hurt. It will take a little time to get over that, but I do think it’s all for the best.”

  “She didn’t see it that way.” Callie didn’t look convinced. She blew on her tea and sipped it daintily.

  “I know she issued threats, but I don’t think she’d ever carry them out. Lucinda is many things, but she’d not intentionally hurt someone.” He sipped at his own hot brew. It scolded his mouth and he winced.

  “Are you sure about that? She wouldn’t take her revenge if she thought someone had wronged her? What about the lengths she’d go to in order to secure a job? Would she harm someone then?” Callie’s voice rose slightly as she fired question after question at him.

  Jason stared at her, shocked. Her face had lost the little colour she’d gained since they’d left the street outside. Small lines appeared between her brows and at the corners of her mouth. Her hands tightened visibly around her mug.

  “Why would you ask that? What has it to do with this morning?” He couldn’t understand her sudden Spanish Inquisition routine. He half expected her to pull out the thumb screws. Something about her expression unnerved him. Was that fear he could see in her eyes?

  She dropped her gaze to the table and swallowed hard. “Please, just answer me. Can you honestly say that Lucinda wouldn’t harm me if she wanted something badly enough or to gain revenge?”

  Jason considered her question. He would never have believed it of the Lucinda he’d first met and loved. Now, he wasn’t so sure. She’d changed so much since Sue had arrived on the scene, he hardly recognised her anymore.

  “I honestly don’t know. Why are you asking me this? Is there more to this than the car incident this morning? I couldn’t help but notice you handed something to the police after the near hit and run. Is that something to do with this?”

  Callie rolled her eyes. “You don’t miss much do you? Actually there is more to all this, but I’m not sure I’m ready to talk about it with someone else just yet.” She fiddled with her mug. “As a matter of fact, I was on my way to see you this morning, before the incident outside.”

  “Oh?” He frowned, unsure where this conversation was heading.

  “I wanted to ask you how soon you can fix my car and get it back on the road. I want to be able to leave for home as soon as possible.”

  The words rushed out of her so fast he had to strain to understand her. She wanted to leave? His heart sank in his chest and he felt instantly depressed. Why he should feel that way, he couldn’t understand. Callie Price meant nothing to him.

  “I’m surprised. You seemed so intent on sorting things out with Sandra. What’s changed?” He cleared his throat in an attempt to remove the husky quality that had gripped his voice. He twisted his mug in his hand and slung a healthy swig of tea down his throat.

  “As I said, I’m not ready to talk about it. Let’s just say I’m convinced someone means me real harm. I want to go home and hopefully leave this all behind me.” Callie regarded him with a serious face. “Please, how quickly can you finish my car?”

  Jason shrugged and kept his eyes on his mug. “End of the week? Would that suit you?”

  “The sooner, the better.” Relief coloured her voice.

  Jason swallowed hard and rubbed at his chest. A hollow ache rippled through him. It was strange, but somehow he would miss this annoying city woman more than he’d thought possible. Their bantering had been a source of real enjoyment for him. It was rare that he could trade quick witted barbs with someone. He’d miss it.

  “I’ll make sure it’s ready for you then.” He hoped she didn’t pick up on the empty note in his voice. He didn’t want to give her the wrong impression. He would have enjoyed having Callie Price as a friend. That was it.

  “Thanks.” She smiled and glanced at her watch. “I’ve kept you long enough. I have to head back to work. I’ve left my team working on the Lazy Boy. I should check on things or my foreman might skin me alive.”

  “Won’t that be a problem, if you leave? I thought you wanted to see this project through to the end.”

  Callie slipped her arms into the sleeves of her coat and flipped her long hair out from underneath the fabric. “I have plenty of pictures of the place. I will work on it remotely and consult with Mr Cunningham in London. There is no need for me to base myself here. I’m sure I’ll manage.”

  “It must be serious, this stuff you won’t talk about.” Jason frowned.

  Callie stared at him and this time he could clearly see the fear deep in her eyes. “It is. I truly feel that if I don’t leave here now, I may not get the chance.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  “The engine will be with you day after tomorrow. Can’t do it faster than that, Hawkes,” the familiar gravelly voice announced.

  Jason sighed. He knew it would do no good to push the issue. The old man was as stubborn as a mule. “That’s fine. It’ll do. Thanks, Marty.”

  “Sure thing.”

  The phone went dead. Jason slapped it back on its cradle and fingered the order form in front of him. He rubbed his hand over his face, feeling the stubble under his fingertips. He really needed to shave.

  Jason closed his eyes and rubbed them hard with the heel of his hands. He drew in a long, deep breath and slowly let it out. He wondered why Callie suddenly felt that she needed to leave town. Jason thought over their conversation from the previous day, running the words slowly through his mind. She was obviously afraid for her safety and it was more than just the car incident.

  His mind drifted over the accident she’d had on the stairs at the B&B. Was it possible that there was more to that story than she’d let on? His stomach lurched. Hadn’t Lucinda been given the job as Callie’s assistant after the fall? Callie had asked him if Lucinda would do anything to obtain a job.

  He felt oddly disturbed by the notion. Surely Lucinda wasn’t capable of such deviousness, but then again he’d never thought of her as a cheater before either. Perhaps he didn’t know her at all.

  “You gave my name to the police?” Lucinda burst through his office door as if he’s thoughts had summoned her into his presence. “How could you do that? Do you hate me that much that you want to land me in trouble?”

  Jason sat back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest. This really wasn’t what he needed right now. “What was I supposed to do? Keep quiet about your threats. Callie told the police anyway. They merely asked me to confirm it.”

  “You didn’t have to do that! They hauled me in for questioning. I’m still under suspicion.” She slapped her hand against his desk and leaned over. “You know I was only blowing off steam. I didn’t really mean it.”

  “Didn’t you? I wish I could be sure of that, Luce. Lately, I don’t feel like I know you at all.” Jason climbed to his feet. He didn’t like the way she towered over him when he was seated. “Can you honestly look me in the eye and tell me you had nothing to do with yesterday’s near miss?”

  Lucinda propped her hand on one hip and glared at him. “Can you honestly tell me that you didn’t enjoy playing knight in shining armour to her damsel in distress?”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Jason snarled.

  “Come on, Jason. Didn’t you get a little thrill with the way she stared up at you all doe eyed when you’d saved her?” Lucinda stuck her face into his. “It hasn’t taken you long to move on from me, has it!”

  “How would you know what way Callie was looking at me? I didn’t see you in the crowd.” Jason stared at her. Was that guilt he could see in her furious
face? He couldn’t be sure.

  “Sue was in the vicinity. She told me everything.” Lucinda shrugged. “I wish the car had hit that bitch, but that doesn’t mean it was me driving it.”

  “It doesn’t mean it wasn’t you either. You haven’t answered my question. Did you do it?” He cocked an eyebrow at her.

  “Of course not!” she hissed at him. “I can’t believe you’d even have to ask.” Her eyes filled with tears and her lower lip trembled. “What has happened to us, Jason? We were happy once. You used to trust me. Can’t we put this all behind us and try again? We were so good together.”

  She looped her arms around his neck and lifted her lips to his. Jason stared down at her. He’d once found her so beautiful and tempting. Now, he couldn’t see past the fact that she’d given herself to Cunningham. The image of her screaming out her passion under Cunningham’s rutting body wasn’t something he could ever forget or forgive.

  He grabbed her arms and removed them from around his neck. “I’m sorry, Luce. There is no going back. It’s over. I already told you that.”

  Her fingers curled into talons. “Is it her? Is she the reason you won’t take me back? She’s making a play for you, isn’t she? Sue told me you invited that bitch to your flat. What were you doing there all that time? As if I couldn’t guess!”

  “What I do is no longer any of your business.” Jason grabbed her arm. He hauled her towards his office door and shoved her into the garage forecourt. He stuck his face into her outraged one. “Just leave Callie alone. She isn’t responsible for us splitting up…………you are. You cheated and blew it for us. Live with it.”

  He turned back into his office and prayed she’d simply leave. “This isn’t over! If you think I’m going to roll over and let that redheaded witch win, you are very much mistaken!” Lucinda’s voice boomed around the whole garage, drawing every eye in the place.

  “Let it go, Luce. Nothing you do will change anything, so just let it go.” He shut the door on her furious face.

  Jason stared into the forecourt through the glass windows in the office partition. Lucinda glared around her for several moments, making him nervous that she was intent on damaging stuff. She stood ramrod stiff where he’d left her, the colour in her cheeks denoting her fury. Her eyes skimmed over every car in the place. Was it his imagination or was she searching for something? She glanced back at Jason. They glared at each other for several moments before she stalked off.

  Jason rubbed a hand over his face. His heart sank into the pit of his stomach. He didn’t like the way Lucinda was acting. He’d never known her to be so unreasonable. She appeared to be on a rampage of revenge against Callie. His gut kept telling him that Lucinda had been in that car yesterday. He couldn’t prove anything, but he resolved to keep a close eye on things. He couldn’t live with himself if something happened to Callie and he’d done nothing to prevent it.

  Jason sat back down at his desk and stared at the order form for the engine he’d secured for Callie’s car. It wouldn’t take long for him to fix the damn thing once the engine arrived. It could be only a matter of days before she drove out of town and his life forever. His insides twisted at the thought. It shouldn’t matter, but somehow it did. He just couldn’t figure out why.

  *****

  “Absolutely not!” Mr Cunningham’s face turned an alarming shade of purple. He glared at Callie. “I kept you on after that dreadful debacle you instigated, and this is the gratitude you show me? There is no way I am letting you out of your contract, so forget it.”

  He stomped ahead of her into the breakfast room. Callie stumbled after him. Mr Cunningham swept his arm over the area, taking in the walls that had been stripped and the bare floors. Every bit of furniture had been cleared from the space, along with the bits and pieces that had littered the area. Nothing was left but a blank canvas.

  “You expect to walk away when work has barely started? What kind of business are you running, Miss Price. I can’t be expected to find a new designer at this late stage.” His voice rose with every word he uttered. “Nobody would want to take it over!”

  “But I’m not asking you to find someone else. I simply want to work from London,” Callie protested, holding down her anger. Honestly, didn’t the man ever listen to a word she actually said!

  Mr Cunningham held up a hand to silence her. “How can you possibly oversee my project from London? According to your contract, you will be onsite through every stage of development. All the way to the finished product. Is that not correct?”

  Callie opened her mouth, but she didn’t really know what to say. He’d quoted her contract perfectly. “Circumstances have arisen that I didn’t foresee.”

  “What circumstances?” Mr Cunningham loomed over her like a cloud of doom. Callie stepped back. She hated the way he crowded her personal space every time he wanted to intimidate her.

  “It’s personal.” She didn’t want to have to explain to her client about the attempts on her life. He wasn’t exactly the most understanding human being. He’d probably think she was deluded.

  “Personal equals your problem.” He stabbed a finger at her chest. “Got it! I won’t have your issues holding up my business plans.”

  Callie ground her teeth together. “It wouldn’t be delayed. Mike can sort out any problems that arise on site. I trust him completely. He can stay in contact with me through video chat. I will see everything that’s going on.”

  “I don’t think you’re listening, Miss Price. I said no!” Mr Cunningham glared at her. “You seem to be under the impression that because I am not your boss, as you pointed out when you first arrived here, that I have no say in what you do. In this instance, you are wrong.”

  Callie’s heart dropped. She could feel the enjoyment rolling off him as he uttered every word. She should have known better than to throw her weight around with a man like him. She’d bruised his ego and he’d obviously held a grudge. Could he be behind her problems? It seemed ridiculous and yet she couldn’t afford to dismiss anyone.

  He grinned, the expression almost evil. “You were right that I couldn’t force you to take an assistant, but this is entirely different. If you insist on going back to London, I will sue you for breach of contract and loss of potential earnings due to delays. I will take you to the cleaners, and I doubt your reputation will come out of it untarnished. It could take your business years, if ever, to recover. It’s your choice.”

  Callie felt completely cornered. She clamped her knees together in an attempt to still their trembling. He meant every word he said. She could tell by the determined gleam in his eyes. He would ruin her if she didn’t follow his orders.

  “Well, Miss Price. I haven’t got the entire day to waste on your little theatrics.” His lips thinned and he crossed his arms over his chest.

  Callie really didn’t have a choice. She couldn’t afford to be dragged through the courts. Mr Cunningham had a very solid case, thanks to her own water tight contract. If she left, he would be well within his rights to sue her and no doubt would win. She hadn’t worked all these years to simply throw her reputation and business down the drain.

  “Fine, I’ll stay. You have left me with no choice.”

  Mr Cunningham straightened up and patted her arm patronisingly. “I knew you’d see things my way.” He grinned at her. His sickening arrogance made her feel ill.

  Callie’s cheeks heated as she watched him saunter away. The jaunty tune he whistled, floated over his shoulder to her ears. Her hands curled into fists. How she wished she could give him a bruise to match the one Jason had landed on him the other day! The man was insufferable.

  She gazed around the breakfast room. So much progress had already been achieved in such a short space of time. Really, Mr Cunningham had nothing to complain about. She was ahead of schedule if anything. The bastard just wanted to deny her request because he could. Tension sat heavy on her chest. She felt like she was in a vice and someone kept turning the handle. Any minute, she would go po
p!

  Callie glanced at her watch. The new flooring she’d ordered should arrive at any minute. There was no point standing around feeling sorry for herself. She was stuck here, until the end of the B&B project. Callie prayed that her little guardian angel could keep her safe. So far, the warnings had always been too late.

  The child flittered through Callie’s mind; yet another unsolved puzzle. Who was her mysterious visitor? She was no longer afraid of the strange appearances. She’d come to view the child as a familiar friend. It was hard to be afraid of someone that seemed so concerned with her safety. It was about time Callie put in as much effort to keep herself safe as her little friend did.

  Since she was stuck in this town, Callie decided it was high time she paid a visit to her mother. Maybe Sandra held some clue or answer to the problems surrounding Callie. Although it was entirely possible that the culprit was Lucinda, Callie didn’t want to jump to conclusions. If she couldn’t remove herself from the situation, then she was going to do everything in her power to uncover the perpetrator. She refused to sit in a corner and allow herself to be victimised.

  Callie called the local taxi company and ordered a taxi for late that afternoon. A surprise visit was probably the best. Before Sandra could think of any excuses or lies.

  Callie slid her phone into her pocket. The throbbing sound of an engine floated in through the open breakfast room windows. Callie glanced outside. A large lorry drew to a halt in the driveway. The flooring had arrived.

  She sighed. Her problems would have to wait. Mr Cunningham had already made it very clear that he would not. She swept out of the room.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Callie paid the taxi driver and turned to face the modest cottage where her mother called home. It wasn’t a large dwelling. She would guess it had two, maybe three bedrooms at most. A warm glow emitted from the downstairs window, shining out in the gathering darkness. At least she knew someone was home. Her stomach lurched and for a moment she thought she might vomit. She clasped a hand to her midriff in an attempt to calm her nerves.