I dial him on Skype, and his face appears on my screen.
“Hey!” he says, beaming. “You look great. Have you been enjoying the Aussie sun?”
I instantly feel a little better. “Sort of. I’ve actually been working on a tropical island.”
“What? That is so cool. Well done, Em.”
“Except I think I’m about to be fired thanks to a certain douchey ex-boss. Somehow, the news of my termination is now online.”
He frowns sadly at me. “Oh, no. I’m so sorry. Jeez, I want to punch that guy. And he seemed so decent when I met him.”
“I know. I wish I knew what really happened. He was pretty good to me up until those last few weeks.”
“Is there anything I can do? I could see if there are any hitmen on Craigslist?”
I laugh. “No, no. Just talking now is enough. How’s your lady friend?”
“Naomi’s good. She’s teaching me to be patient.”
“Is that code for you’ve already tried to propose, and she turned you down?” I tease.
“No. But I may have talked about how I would ask her to marry me. She doesn’t seem put off by the idea, but she does want to wait.”
“Well, you have only been together for a couple of months. I think that’s wise.”
He mock sighs. “I know. But I’m the kind of guy who likes to do what feels right regardless of society’s perception of acceptable timeframes.”
I want to point out that he was willing to marry me, and if he had, he wouldn’t have met her, but I don’t want to spoil his enthusiasm. “If she’s the one for you, you’ll get your wedding eventually.”
“Yeah. And I guess I should be glad she’s making me wait because I want you to be at the reception, and it seems as though our country is still causing you distress.”
“I don’t hate Canada. I’m just sad I had to leave the way I did. Anyway, I suppose I should go and figure out what I’m going to do about my immediate situation. Thanks for the chat. Say hi to Naomi for me.”
“I will.” He waves at the screen, and I end the call. While our conversation didn’t actually achieve anything, it does make me realise how quickly this island has come to feel like home. I don’t want to leave.
Sasha appears in the doorway. “Are you okay, babe?”
“How long were you listening at the door?” I ask, smiling.
“Only the bit where you said you didn’t hate Canada but didn’t like the way you left.”
“I suppose I should explain what happened. Bloody Lani…”
“Damn it. What did that bitch do now?”
“It’s not technically her fault. But because she has this misguided idea that I’m sleeping with Noah…”
“Wait, wait. Why does she think that?”
“I have no idea. I mean, we did kiss, but…”
Sasha squeals. “Oh my God. I love you two together. Are you secretly a thing now? I promise not to tell anyone.”
“No, we are not a thing. I was his boss, but now I’m going to have to leave, so either way, it was never going to happen.”
“Hang on. Why are you leaving?”
I explain the full story of what happened in Vancouver and how Lani saw the news article.
Sasha frowns. “There must be a way we can prove your innocence.”
“How? Last time I tried to contact Aurora, they ignored me.”
Noah gently taps on my open door. “Is everything okay in here? I heard a lot of stomping before.”
Sasha looks at me. I wearily wave a hand to invite him in. “Lani found out about what happened with my job in Canada.”
His eyes widen. “What? How?”
Sasha pouts. “How come you already knew? I thought I was special. But then I guess, if I was as attractive as Noah…”
I give her a look. “Sasha.”
“Sorry. Of course this isn’t about me. We need to figure out how to get you to stay. I say we dig up some dirt on Lani and blackmail her. I’m sure Noah would know a few things…”
“No one is blackmailing anyone. I should have told Cal upfront and let him decide whether he was going to trust me. Now he’s going to think I’m only admitting it because someone else said something. Which is kind of true, but not because I’m guilty.”
“I could try talking to Lani,” Noah offers.
“No, please. I don’t want to get you involved. And I think it would be worse coming from you. For all we know, she’s already talked to Calvin.”
“But we can’t have you leave!” Sasha protests. “We already went through this! We need good, normal people working at the resort.”
“I’m not sure what to do, though,” I say, sighing. “I guess I’ll go talk to Cal and see if Lani’s spoken to him, and if she hasn’t, I’m going to tell him my side. I know he’s a little wacky, but he forgave me for throwing up in front of Bruce. Maybe he’ll be similarly understanding with this.”
“I don’t like your fate being in Cal’s hands. He’s such a loose cannon. Let us go with you.”
“Thank you, but I’ll be fine on my own.”
I check my reflection in the mirror, comb my fingers through my hair, and head for the door.
“Wish me luck.”
“Come see us right after,” Sasha says.
“I will.”
Noah gently brushes my arm as I pass. “Good luck.”
I really hope Cal is in a good mood.
***
“What do you want? I’m in a shit mood today.”
I blink. That’s not a good start. Cal wasn’t in his office, so I had to trek halfway around the island, only to find him in the fitness centre doing a workout.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” I ask tentatively.
He switches from doing bicep curls to swinging a kettlebell. It’s a little off-putting seeing him thrust his hips in my direction as he lifts the weight in the air before letting it drop forward between his legs.
“Nothing you need to worry your pretty little head about,” he says.
I have no idea why Calvin talks and acts like he’s in his sixties.
“Uh, I just wanted to ask if you’ve spoken to Lani in the past hour or so?”
“Nope. I try not to talk to anyone before lunchtime.”
I check my watch. It’s just past 9am. This feels like working with Ryan all over again. He never liked being approached in the mornings either.
“Uh, sorry for bothering you before then, but I just wanted to let you know there’s an article online that doesn’t paint me in the most favourable light, and I’d like to have the opportunity to defend myself…”
He puts the kettlebell down and looks at me. “You mean the one about you selling trade secrets?”
My mouth falls open. “You knew about that?”
“Of course. But why are you coming to me now?”
“Uh, because I just learned of its existence through a staff member.”
“Oh, and you were worried about being outed…”
“Well, yes, but not for the reason you might think…”
“I know you didn’t do what the article said.”
“Wait, what? How?”
“Because I talked to your old employer. I’m not stupid. I do my homework. When Birdie approved you for the night manager role, and it was obvious she hadn’t done any background checks, I did them myself.”
“You talked to Ryan?”
“Who? No. I talked to HR. They told me about how they hired a PI to investigate your department and how they made a mistake accusing you of wrongdoing.”
My eyes widen. “When did you have this conversation?”
“Last week. Why?”
“They haven’t even told me they made a mistake! I mean, I knew they had, but they kicked me out of the country before they had a chance to finish their investigation.”
“Oh, right. Yeah, they said something about not being able to reach you because they didn’t have a contact number for you in Australia, but I didn’t re
alise it was because they wanted to talk to you about the case. I just assumed it was a formality.”
“Did they say who did sell trade secrets?”
“Nope. I didn’t ask. All I wanted to know was whether I was hiring someone with a criminal record.”
My head is spinning. My name has been cleared, but they didn’t even tell me? Sure, I had to get a new phone once I moved back here, but someone at the office must have been able to reach me through social media or my personal email.
Except…Ryan was probably the only one who had all that info, and if it turned out they realised it was him, they probably would have fired him. And even if he managed to cover his tracks, he probably wouldn’t have been willing to put people in touch with someone who could implicate him.
Jeez. Does that mean I could technically go back to my job over there? Would I even want to? They were so quick to judge me…and I’m just getting settled here…
Cal looks at me. “Are we done? I need to finish my workout.”
I half curtsy. “Yes. Thank you. Sorry to bother you.”
I hurry off, a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.
I’m legitimately allowed to be here!
The fact that I might be able to go back to Canada and slip back into my old life is something I’m not sure my brain can handle right now.
TWENTY-THREE
Noah
Sasha and I are just making our way down the path to reception when Emily appears. She looks way happier than I would have assumed after a chat with Cal.
“You seem surprisingly upbeat,” Sasha observes.
“It turns out Cal did a background check on me, and my employer in Canada figured out I wasn’t guilty!”
“That’s a relief. But how come Cal knew and you didn’t?”
“I got a new phone, and last time I tried to contact them, they ignored me.”
“This is great! Maybe you should request a retraction from the publication that printed the article about you.”
“I’ll think about it, but for now, I’m not worried. Lani can’t use it against me.”
I shake my head. “I can’t believe she was trying to get you fired. You’ve done nothing to her, and she’s been a complete bitch.”
“You should get her demoted or something,” Sasha says to Emily. “What good is being a manager if you can’t use your power?”
“I’m not going to get her demoted. I really appreciate you guys being on my side, but I just want to move on.”
“Just say the word anytime, and we will crush her,” Sasha says. “Hey, do you want to go over to the poolside bar? It only needs a little tidying up, and then we can have a lunchtime mimosa to celebrate.”
“Don’t touch any of the wine in the fridge on the left,” I warn. “That’s my personal stash.”
“Ah, so you’ve been hiding stuff from us, have you?” Sasha teases.
“Just the expensive wine I don’t want you guys gulping down like beer. But if you’re nice to me, I might consider sharing some of it with you later.”
The bottle I’d been saving for the night I was supposed to propose to Lani is now just sitting there doing nothing. I’d happily share it with Sasha and Emily.
“I think we’ll be able to work something out.” Sasha loops her arm around Emily’s. “We’ll see you later.”
I wave and watch as they head off. I’m so glad Emily can stay. When I think about the havoc Lani was trying to cause…
I know Emily didn’t want me to get involved, but Lani should not avoid consequences for her actions. I start walking over to the day spa, thinking about what I’m going to say to her when I see her.
But when I open the door and see the interior, all rational thought goes out the window.
The whole place is covered in blood.
At least, that’s what it looks like. It glistens as it drips down the walls, and I have to stop myself from stepping in a puddle of the stuff in front of me.
This is like a scene out of a horror movie. My brain freezes up. What the hell happened? There’s no one around, so I’m not even sure where the blood came from.
I back away, wondering if I’m in danger. I’m just about to call Cal when I hear something. A noise coming from the hydrotherapy pool room.
What do you do in a situation like this? Run and get help? Or check if someone is hurt first?
In the end, I figure I need to check to see if anyone is hurt, so I creep over to the pool room and quietly ease open the door.
And freeze. That can’t be right. What is she doing?
I kick the door so it opens with a bang. It has the exact effect I intended, and Lani screams. She’s holding a bucket and pouring something thick and red into the water.
“Lani! What the fuck?”
She slowly puts the bucket down, guilt written all over her face.
“Noah, baby, this isn’t what it looks like.”
“I’m not sure what it’s supposed to look like or what it really is. All I know is that you have some explaining to do.”
“I…I…shit.” She tries to make a run for it, but I block her exit.
“What were you doing?” I demand.
She bursts into tears. “You wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me.”
She shakes her head. “I’m not saying anything until I talk to a lawyer.”
“Why would you need a lawyer, Lani? I’m not a freakin’ cop.”
She tries to get by me again, but I grab her arm. She shrieks, but I don’t let go.
“What the hell is going on?” I use my other hand to dial Cal. His phone goes to voicemail, so I try Emily instead.
“Hey. What’s up?” she asks.
“Please find Cal and send him to the day spa. Also, you might want to tell a few of the guys to get over here too.”
“Is everything all right?”
“I’ll explain later.”
“Do you want me to do anything?”
“Uh, probably just stay put for the moment.”
“Okay.”
Lani spits at me. “Loser.”
“Why were you trying to ruin the day spa you renovated?”
She refuses to answer.
“What would that achieve?” I continue. “Were you trying to delay the reopening? That doesn’t make any sense.”
She still doesn’t take the bait.
“Were you going to try and frame someone?” I stare at her. “Not Emily.”
She smiles devilishly. “Your precious Emily.”
“You were seriously going to try and get her in trouble? What? Just in case the revelation about her job in Canada wasn’t enough?”
She frowns. I’ve obviously hit on the truth.
“What have you got against her? You’re the one who cheated on me, remember? You’re the one who has obviously been unhappy with me for a long time. Why would you want to ruin Emily’s life?”
“Because you like her. And it’s obvious you care for her more than you’ve cared for me in quite a while.”
“That’s not true! I was going to propose to you!”
“Liar.”
“I was! And you know we talked about it. You can even ask Mum and Dinah. Lani! This is crazy. Emily could have gone to jail if you had somehow convinced everyone she did all this.”
“So? At least she would have been out of our lives. And I could have made a claim from the victims of crime fund and finally quit this shitty job and this shitty island.”
Holy crap. That was her plan?
I shove her away and let myself out, pulling the door closed behind me and locking it. I stand guard in front while I wait for the others to show up. Lani is mentally unwell, and I blame myself for not noticing earlier. Surely you don’t go from completely normal to whatever this is in a matter of days. And where did she get the blood? I pray that it isn’t of human origin.
Cal finally arrives, looking annoyed at being summoned.
“This better be good,” he says.
Lani starts banging on the door. “Let me the fuck out!”
“Look inside the day spa,” I tell him.
He raises an eyebrow but does what I say, standing in the doorway for a moment.
“What the fuck is this?” he demands.
“Lani was trying to sabotage the resort and make it look like Emily did it,” I say flatly.
“Are you kidding me? Have you called the cops?”
“I was waiting for you.”
“Call them now.”
“On it.” I dial the emergency number. The problem with living on an island is that cops either have to fly over in a helicopter, or they take up to an hour to arrive by boat.
After speaking with someone, the officer agrees to send a couple of people over on one of their boats. We just have to keep Lani secure until then.
Reid and Monty arrive. I give them the abridged version of events and leave them to stand guard.
I need to get away from here.
TWENTY-FOUR
Emily
Noah shows up just as Sasha and I are pouring our drinks. We’d both been speculating on the reasoning behind his call, and when I see his face now, I know something bad has happened.
I point to the bar. “You look like you could use something a little stronger than a mimosa.”
He nods. “Scotch on the rocks.”
I pour him a glass while Sasha and I exchange looks. “You want to talk about it?”
He takes the drink and gulps it down. “Lani was trying to frame you.”
I blink. “How?”
“Uh, you probably don’t want to know.”
“Noah! You can’t leave us hanging like that!”
“She covered the day spa and hydrotherapy pool in blood. At least, that’s what it looked like.”
My body goes cold. That’s not just a silly prank. That’s serious illegal behaviour. The kind that can get you a criminal conviction.
Noah hurries over and wraps his arms around me. “I am so sorry about this. It’s all my fault for telling her we kissed…”
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