The Carter Legacy: 3 Book Box Set, page 16
‘What was his name?’
‘Bryce,’ Cooper flicked open his briefcase and removed a picture. ‘Bryce Williams.’
Cassandra took the picture offered to her and as she turned it over her breath caught in her throat.
‘What is it?’ he asked in concern.
‘That’s him,’ she whispered, ‘that’s the man who was there the night Chloe disappeared.’
‘Are you absolutely sure?’ he replied carefully. ‘It was twenty years ago, and you were just a kid.’
‘I’ll never forget that man’s face for as long as I live,’ her clear hard gaze met his. ‘He was the man responsible for taking my sister away from me.’
‘Makes sense as to how he was able to get your mother to sign over the shares for less than their worth.’
‘Blackmail?’
‘If he was at the house that night he obviously knew something…something that would give him some leverage.’
‘Jesus,’ she rubbed her forehead tiredly, wincing when she accidentally caught the bruising at her temple.
‘Are you sure you don’t remember anything else that happened that night?’ Coop asked. ‘I can assure you it won’t go any further than the two of us. As far as I’m concerned Philip Carter was a son of a bitch who got what he deserved.’
‘I’m sorry Coop,’ she sighed, ‘I just don’t remember.’
‘Have you considered seeing someone? Someone who could help you access those memories?’
‘You mean like a shrink?’ she frowned.
‘Something like that, I’ve heard that regression therapy has worked quite well with victims with repressed memories.’
‘I’m not a victim,’ she snapped.
‘Sorry,’ he held his hands up, ‘I didn’t mean to imply, I just thought it might help. Not only the investigation, but help you to get some closure. Cass, it seems to me you’ve been running from that night for most of your life. Maybe it’s time to stop.’
‘I don’t know,’ she replied quietly. ‘I don’t know if I want to remember.’
‘Just think about it, okay?’ he slid the photo of Bryce Williams back into his briefcase and stood.
‘I’m going to take a more in-depth look at Bryce. I’ll also ask around some of the local florists, see if I can dig up any information as to who might have sent the flowers. Do you still have the packaging?’
She shook her head.
‘Sorry, I wasn’t thinking,’ she breathed slowly, ‘it was such a shock. I just wanted to get rid of it as quickly as possible. I threw it down the garbage chute in my building.’
‘When is the garbage usually collected?’
‘Not for another two days I think.’
‘Okay,’ he nodded, ‘I’ll see what I can dig up and I’ll call you in a couple of days.’
‘Thanks Coop,’ she replied sincerely.
‘No problem,’ he answered as she rounded her desk and reached for the door handle to show him out.
She swung the door open and stopped abruptly, her gaze falling on the young dark haired woman standing on the other side. She looked up at Cassandra, her gray eyes wide with surprise.
‘Miss Grant?’ Cassandra frowned as she looked down at her watch. ‘You’re not supposed to start for another hour yet.’
‘Alice,’ she corrected with a wide enthusiastic smile. ‘I know I’m early, I guess I’m just eager.’
‘But what are you doing back here?’ she asked.
‘There was no one at the desk and I wasn’t sure where to go. As this is where I had my interview I figured I’d find someone back here.’
‘Oh well,’ Cassandra replied, ‘why don’t you head back to the front desk and wait for Iris. She’ll find something for you to do until Maddie gets back from her lunch break. She’s the one who’ll be training you.’
‘Sure,’ she beamed, ‘and I’d just like to say again Miss Grayson, thank you for the job. I really appreciate the opportunity.’
Cassandra nodded and watched as the girl disappeared.
‘She seems young,’ Coop commented from behind her.
‘Yes, she does,’ Cass sighed. She wasn’t much older than her newest employee in years but today especially, she felt the weight of those years pressing down on her, making her feel so much older than she was.
‘Well,’ he squeezed past her, ‘I’ll let you get back to work. I’ll be in touch.’
Nodding, she waited for him to head down the corridor before shutting the door and heading back to her desk. Taking a deep breath she picked up the phone and dialed.
‘Grace?’
‘Cass,’ she replied, ‘how are you feeling today?’
‘Sore,’ she admitted, ‘but okay.’
‘Good, I was worried about you.’
‘Don’t be,’ she shook her head even though Grace couldn’t see her. ‘How’s mother?’ she finally asked.
‘Resting, Dr Parkman has her on intravenous meds and something to keep her calm while she evens out. Hopefully she’ll be out of it for a while.’
‘Okay,’ Cassandra blew out a breath. ‘Listen, I need your help with something.’
‘What is it?’
‘Do you know who’s been taking care of mother’s financial matters?’
There was silence and for a moment she wondered if she’d lost the connection.
‘I can’t say for sure,’ she replied finally. ‘Your mother used to deal with most of it herself, but over the last couple of years she has left it up to her lawyer and her CPA.’
‘Does mother have copies of all the accounts?’
Another moment of silence.
‘Grace?’ Cassandra frowned in concern, ‘is there a problem?’
She heard a resigned sigh and then Grace’s voice once again.
‘They’re not in very good order, but I’ll dig them out for you.’
‘Grace, what’s going on?’
‘I’m sorry I can hear your mother, I’m going to have to go,’ she replied. ‘Why don’t you come by after work tomorrow and collect the accounts and we’ll talk.’
‘Alright,’ she replied as Grace hung up abruptly.
Dropping the phone on the desk she frowned. Why hadn’t she thought to look into her mother’s finances before? Deep down she’d known her mother was incapable of caring for herself. The truth was, she hadn’t wanted anything to do with the woman. Even her own mother, Cassandra’s grandmother, had washed her hands of her, after she’d dumped Cass in her lap. She wished she could have done the same but she couldn’t. Like it or not, she was the only family Elizabeth Carter had left. She was her responsibility.
Nothing about the situation sat well with her. Every time she tried to uncover the truth all she seemed to do was find more questions, more lies, more secrets and now Grace…good solid, dependable Grace was keeping secrets from her too.
9.
Cass reached out, fumbling for her phone on the nightstand.
‘Lo,’ she mumbled as her bleary eyes tried to focus on the clock, which enthusiastically blinked back 2:00 AM.
‘Cass? I’m sorry to disturb you so late.’
‘Grace?’ she sat up in bed, ‘what’s wrong?’
‘It’s your mother,’ she replied tightly.
‘What did she do this time?’ she sighed, rubbing her eyes.
‘I think you should come over,’ Grace answered evasively. ‘I’ve had to call out Dr Parkman.’
‘I’m on my way,’ Cass hung up the phone and climbed reluctantly out of bed.
‘What’s going on?’ Jackson’s face appeared from beneath the covers, as he blinked sleepily.
‘Nothing, go back to sleep,’ she murmured, grabbing her jeans and pulling them on.
He sat up more fully, watching as she dressed quickly.
‘Cass?’ he leaned over and flicked the light on.
‘It’s my mother,’ she explained.
He climbed out of bed yawning and reached for his own jeans.
‘What are you doing?’ she frowned.
‘I’m going with you.’
‘That’s not necessary,’ she replied as she sat down to pull her socks and boots on.
‘The hell it isn’t,’ he muttered his voice gravelly and filled with sleep as he picked up his tee shirt and pulled it over his head.
‘Jackson,’ her voice softened as she watched him looking for a pair of socks. ‘I appreciate the offer but you’ve had a long day, you’re tired. You should stay here and get some sleep.’
‘Is that your way of telling me I’m too soft to handle a manual labor job?’ he grinned up at her as he perched on the edge of the bed to put his socks on.
‘Jackson, you could barely get off the couch earlier because your muscles were so stiff,’ she smiled in amusement.
‘I’m pretty tough,’ he laughed as he pulled his sneakers on and stood up. ‘I’m sure I’ll be fine.’
‘I don’t need you to come with me,’ she replied obstinately. ‘I’ve been dealing with my mother since I was a child, I don’t need back up.’
‘You may not need it Cass,’ he replied just as stubbornly, ‘but you’ve got it anyway.’
‘I don’t want…’
‘What is this really about Cass?’ his eyes narrowed as he studied her carefully, noticing the tension in her frame and the tight set of her mouth. ‘You’re embarrassed aren’t you?’ he murmured, suddenly understanding. ‘You don’t want me to see her.’
She stared at him silently.
‘I’m right, aren’t I?’
‘She’s not a pleasant woman,’ Cass replied. ‘Trust me; she makes Carson look like a fluffy kitten in comparison.’
‘I doubt it,’ he snorted.
‘Jackson,’ she sighed.
‘You’re not going alone Cass,’ he stepped up to her and wrapped her in his arms. ‘I know that you’ve had to deal with her on your own for all these years and I know you are more than capable, but you’re not alone anymore. I’m here and trust me I’m not going to give her the opportunity to harm you again, I don’t care how damn unpleasant she is.’
‘You’re a sweetheart Jackson,’ she murmured, ‘do you know that?’
‘No,’ he grinned as he rubbed his lips gently against hers, ‘I’m rugged and manly.’
She laughed as he kissed her thoroughly.
‘Fine,’ she pulled away breathlessly, ‘let’s go before I change my mind and drag you back into that bed with me.’
‘Okay…okay,’ he chuckled. ‘I’m just going to use the bathroom before we go; you want me to call for an Uber?’
‘No, I’ll do it,’ she wandered out into the apartment, grabbing her coat as she scrolled through her phone.
When Jackson reappeared she was waiting by the door with his jacket.
‘They’ll be here in a minute.’
It wasn’t long before they were in the car and moving through the city that never sleeps. The further they got from Cassandra’s apartment the quieter she became. Sensing she needed the emotional space before dealing with her mother he sat just as quietly, lost in his own thoughts, his fingers tangled with hers while she stared out of the window watching the world pass by. After about twenty minutes he realized they were heading toward the Brooklyn Bridge.
‘Manhattan?’ he asked in surprise, ‘your mother lives in Manhattan?’
‘Yeah,’ she muttered unenthusiastically as she watched the East River pass under them.
Knowing he wasn’t going to get any more information from her for the moment he sat watching her patiently. She’d retreated into her own personal shell and nothing he could say seemed to make a difference. He wondered about her mother; he’d simply assumed that she also lived in Queens. It didn’t occur to him that Cass might have come from money.
They finally pulled up outside a tall elegant building and as he climbed out he stopped and looked up at the seventeen storey Art Deco edifice.
‘Park Avenue?’
‘Yeah,’ she replied miserably as she glanced at the building, before heading toward the door, nodding to the night doorman.
He followed her in and into the elevator, watching her in silence.
‘What?’ she asked, leaning up against the wall of the elevator car.
‘I just thought…’ he shrugged, looking for the right words. ‘I didn’t realize you came from money.’
‘It’s complicated,’ she frowned.
‘Never had you pegged as a rich girl.’
‘I’m not rich,’ she replied, ‘my mother is.’
He watched her quietly; she’d retreated into some kind of shell, a kind of mental armor that he guessed she needed when dealing with her mother. Hell, he’d done exactly the same with his father…Carson he mentally corrected himself. He wished he could stop thinking of him as his father but he guessed some habits were hard to break, even unhealthy ones.
His gaze was once again drawn back to Cass. Usually she had a kind of aura about her, an infectious energy but now, looking at her, she was listless and troubled, and he knew it wasn’t the late hour.
‘Cass?’ although his voice was low, it seemed too loud within the tight confines of the elevator. He shook his head, not quite sure what he wanted to say. Not knowing what to say, period…
‘I’m tired,’ she replied quietly. ‘I’m tired of this building, tired of being dragged across the city, tired of her drama, tired of her hating me…I’m just tired of her.’
She didn’t know why she’d said that to him. Despite the outrageous chemistry they shared or the deep intimacies they’d exchanged with their bodies, or the strange connection neither of them could explain, she still didn’t know him very well. She had friends she’d known for years that she’d never opened up to, never told about her mother. The only other person that knew about her past and her relationship with her mother was Iris.
But there was something about Jackson, something that drew her to him like a moth to a flame. She knew she should be cautious, she knew there was a good chance she’d get her wings singed if she got too close, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. He was so solid and steady and real, something she’d never had in her life before. It made her want to hold on to him and let the storm rage around her and yet push him away at the same time.
‘You don’t have to deal with her alone anymore Cass,’ he told her gently.
‘I don’t want you here,’ she admitted slowly. ‘I don’t want you to see her; I don’t want you to know what I come from.’
‘I know you don’t,’ he nodded, ‘but what you want and what you need are two very different things.’
The car halted abruptly and with a small ding the doors opened.
Stepping out slowly she headed toward the door of an apartment. Reaching for the handle she stopped and looked up at Jackson standing next to her, watching her with such quiet strength and intensity. Something deep inside her uncoiled, relaxing under his calm gaze.
‘I may not want you here, but weirdly enough I’m glad you’re here,’ she whispered, ‘and sorry…’ she apologized, ‘for what you’re probably about to witness.’
He reached for her hand and squeezed it reassuringly.
‘Trust me,’ he smiled slowly, ‘I grew up with Carson Evans. It takes quite a lot to shock me.’
A sudden shriek, the sound of smashing glass and a string of high pitched, hysterical profanities echoed from behind the door. Cass sucked in a resigned breath and opened the door.
‘WHORE!’ her mother shrieked as soon as she saw Cassandra.
‘Hello Mother,’ she replied flatly, her eyes locking on Dr Parkman.
‘WHORE! DEVIL’S WHORE!’
Cassandra sighed in resignation.
Jackson’s eyes widened slightly. Towering over Cassandra’s petite frame protectively he studied her mother carefully. The woman was painfully thin beneath the pale rose of her silk pajamas. Her dyed black hair looked wild and brittle and her skin, devoid of any make up, bore a sickly yellow cast.
His golden eyes narrowed as they landed on the slashes of blood staining one of her sleeves. The other was pushed up to her scrawny elbow revealing jagged slash marks across her skin, which oozed fresh blood. He could only assume the other arm held similar marks.
Cassandra looked down at her mother who was being restrained by two male nurses as she writhed and shrieked like a harpy.
‘What happened?’ she asked Dr Parkman, ‘I thought she was responding to the new meds?’
He shook his head frowning.
‘She’d folded the plastic tubing over and squeezed it in her hand. She wasn’t actually getting the correct dosage,’ he replied. ‘Cassandra,’ he told her gently, ‘it’s time.’
Cass watched silently, stepping back out of the way with Jackson as a third man entered the apartment pushing a gurney.
‘Cassandra,’ Dr Parkman told her gently, ‘Grace woke up and Elizabeth was standing over her holding a kitchen knife covered in blood.’
‘What?’ she gasped, her eyes widening in shock as she turned to Grace who was sitting quietly in one of the chairs. ‘Did she hurt you Grace?’
‘No,’ she shook her head slowly. She folded her hands neatly into her lap but not before Cass saw the slight tremor.
She walked over to the older woman who’d come to mean so much to her over the years. She crouched down in front of her taking her cold hands in her own.
‘Grace?’
‘I’m alright,’ she managed a weak smile, ‘shook me up some is all. I don’t know that she intended me any harm, it was herself she’d hurt with the knife.’
‘She cut up her arms?’
Grace nodded. ‘She didn’t hurt me.’
‘No but she could have,’ Cass breathed heavily.
‘Don’t,’ Grace murmured.
Cass looked up at Grace who reached out and stroked her face.
‘Don’t take that on yourself,’ she continued, ‘it’s not your fault.’
‘I shouldn’t have left you alone with her,’ Cass swallowed painfully, her chest heavy with guilt. ‘I was so desperate to get away from her that I dumped her on you.’
‘It wasn’t like that and you know it,’ she soothed her gently. ‘You did what was right for you. Now you have to do what is right for her. You know what you need to do.’
