Shadow of Suspicion (Haunted by the Past) (12 page)

“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.

“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.

“You 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.

“I’m sorry, Callie. Please don’t ask
that of me. I can’t betray my sister by revealing something that should only
come from her.” His eyes held a silent apology.

Callie nodded and grimaced. “I’m the
one who should apologise. I shouldn’t have asked.”

“It’s only natural that you would.”
Max sighed. “I wish I could give you the information that you seek. However, I can’t
betray my sister that way. She’ll be mad enough that I’ve visited with you.”

“It’s fine. I understand.” Callie
shoved down the desperate need to shake him until the answers spilled from his
lips. She didn’t want to lose the only member of her family that was willing to
speak to her by being rash.

Max glanced at his watch. “Unfortunately,
I can’t stay longer today, even though I would love to. Maybe we could meet up
again soon?” He rose to his feet and Callie followed suit.

“I would really love that, Mr
Fuller.”

“Uh-uh, it’s Uncle Max to you.” He
wagged a finger at her, a huge smile plastered to his face. He reminded her of
a large teddy bear.

Callie held the warm feelings his
words evoked close to her heart. “Uncle Max,” she murmured.

It sounded so foreign and yet so
right as it tumbled from her trembling lips. Her uncle’s eyes filled with tears
and he tentatively drew her into his embrace. Callie held herself slightly
stiff. The smell of soap and sunshine mixed together with a hint of cigarette
smoke as she breathed him in. Max awkwardly patted her back before he stepped
back.

“I’m sorry. I probably shouldn’t have
done that. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I do understand that
you don’t know me as yet.” Sorrow crossed his features. “It’s just that I feel
I know you already.” He stared into her eyes. “I saw you when you were born,
you know. Before Sandra gave you up for adoption. I’ve carried that image of
your tiny form for many years and wondered every day what had become of you.”

Tears fell from Callie’s eyes at his
words. “It means so much to me that you’ve said that. At least someone has
thought of me. It’s more than my own mother has done.”

Max gripped her arms gently. “She
has, Callie. Trust me, I’ve seen it held inside her every day since she let you
go. She would have wanted to keep you, had things been different.” He swallowed
hard. “Believe me when I say that she gave you up for your own good. Not by her
own choice.”

“What do you mean?” Callie
scrutinised him closely. A strange expression crossed his face that she
couldn’t quite interpret. A slight flicker in the depths of his eyes made her
feel that he was hiding something from her.

“It’s nothing. I’ve said too much.”
He stepped away from her. “Forget what I said, please.” He waved his hand as if
he would wipe away his words as if they had never existed. Callie couldn’t
forget what he’d said that easily.

“On the contrary, I really don’t
think you’ve said enough. What do you mean?” Callie stepped closer, closing the
gap he’d created. “Is there something I should know?”

“Only that your mother really did and
does love you very much.” He moved rapidly to the doorway and turned at the
last moment. His fingers closed around the door frame and his knuckles turned
white. “I just want you to know that she sacrificed a lot when she gave you
away. It wasn’t done lightly or selfishly. I think you should know that.”

Callie opened her mouth to question
him further, but he raised his hand. “We’ll see each other again soon. I
promise.”

She raced forwards, clutching her
ribs. “Uncle Max, please wait.”

He was already half way down the
corridor and didn’t turn around. Callie contemplated chasing after him, but she
didn’t want to ruin the first positive connection she’d had with her real
family. She sighed and headed back to her chair.

What was Max hiding from her? He’d
said her mother hadn’t given her up by choice. That love had been her
motivation. Callie shivered. Had something happened all those years ago? Was it
to do with her father? Was there more to her family’s hostility towards her
than met the eye?

Callie clutched her head with her
uninjured hand. So many questions rolled around with no answers. Her wandering
thoughts made it feel like her head would explode. No matter what, she had to
find a way to see her mother as soon as possible. Sandra had the answers she
needed and Callie was determined to ferret them out of her. Come what may!

*****

“
Now I lay me down to sleep, I
pray the Lord my soul to keep
.” The childish voice penetrated through
Callie’s restless sleep and pulled her towards wakefulness.

“
His Love to guard me through the
night, and wake me in the morning's light
.” Callie’s eyes popped open.

A giggle drew her eyes to the corner
of her room. Her heart skipped in her chest and her breath caught. The little
girl sat on her dressing table’s chair. Her small hands played in her curls and
she smiled shyly at Callie. There was a soft glow around her small form, as if
she was lit from within.