Another Chance (30 page)

She got her car back on Wednesday with four new tyres and a price tag she grimaced at. At least the car was intact, and Sophie was none the wiser. Cassie told her she had broken down and needed to get some repairs. No need to worry her.

Patrick called that night to check on her, and she told him the day had passed without incident. “Any ideas who could have done it?”

“Not really. Lauren suggested Ian after I’d turned him down, but I don’t think it’s his style, and he came to talk to me about it. I don’t believe it’s him.”

“It’s got me worried, Cass. I know you’re only there a few more days, but I would feel much safer if you were here with me.”

“We’ll get through this, Patrick. We’ve waited all this time, there’s not long to go. I’ve got drinks after work for my final day tomorrow, Lauren is looking after Sophie.”

“So I miss out on taking advantage of drunken Cassie.” He sounded disappointed.

“There will be plenty of time soon to take advantage of sober Cassie,” she said laughing. “You don’t need to get me drunk.”

“I can’t wait for you to get here.”

“I can’t wait to be there. Not long now.”

Cassie didn’t stay late after work, and making her way back to her car she realised it had been tagged. Just one word was spray painted to the side. It said “whore.” She buried her head in her hands. The calls and the tyre slashing wasn’t enough, and it was clear the incidents were related now. Her hands trembling she dialled the police and sat beside the car, waiting for them to arrive and wondered who could hate her that much.

“Why did you taxi home? Was it that good a night?” Lauren asked when she got home.

“I had a few wines, it wasn’t worth the risk. The car has been playing up anyway, so I sent it to be fixed again.”

“I hope it gets us to Auckland, Mum,” Sophie said.

“Well if it doesn’t Patrick will just have to come and collect us when we break down,” Cassie replied. She moved to hug her daughter tight. “I love you, Soph.”

“Love you too, Mum. You must have had too much to drink.” Sophie pulled a face and kissed her mother on the cheek.

“I’m going to bed. Last day of school tomorrow.”

“Good night, Sophie.”

“So what really happened?” asked Lauren when Sophie was gone.

“What do you mean?”

“Come on, Cass, you barely ever drink, and you don’t smell like it now so what gives?”

“My car was vandalised, I wasn’t going to bring it home for Sophie to see.”

“What the hell, Cassie?” Lauren’s face said it all. “Someone really has it in for you.”

“I know, and I have no idea who it could be.”

With Sophie off to school the following morning, Cassie got to packing. The moving truck arrived to collect most of the things already packed and take them to Auckland for storage. Cassie had decided that as Patrick’s house was already furnished once everything was there she could sort through and work out what they wanted at her leisure.

Some of the furniture would stay, Lauren was going to find tenants to occupy the house and keep an eye on things for her. With most of the items in the house packed away, she went out to the back yard to see if anything else needed to go. The plants against the retaining wall had been trampled on, planters wrecked, and all of Mark’s hard work in the garden had been undone.

She felt the tears forming just standing looking, and it was hard to fight them back. “Are you all right, Miss Warren?” asked one of the movers.

“I’m fine. I thought maybe something out here needed to be packed away, but there’s nothing to do.” All enthusiasm for what she had been doing was dead now, and the realisation that someone had been here, in her personal space was making her chest hurt. The movers on their way, she dialled the police again.

“You still have no idea who this person could be?”

Cassie shook her head. “No idea. The car was one thing, this is even more personal.” They promised to keep her updated if they found anything, but she didn’t hold out much hope, there was nothing to go on.

She managed to hold it together when Sophie came home. The last thing she needed was her daughter worrying about what was happening. They sat in the almost empty living room and ate pizza for their last night, looking through a box of photos and mementos that Cassie had accumulated over the years.

There were photos of Cassie as a baby, and they compared them with photos of Sophie who laughed when she saw just how much she had looked like her mother. Buried in the bottom was something that had arrived not long after Cassie had moved in with her grandmother. She looked over her final school yearbook, remembering people in the photos and sharing old stories with Sophie, glossing over the bad times.

Sophie laughed when she spotted a class photo with Cassie and Patrick. “You both look the same,” she said.

“That’s really nice of you to say, Soph, but we’re a lot of years older now. Patrick still looks the same.”

“He was really hot even back then Mum. I can see why you liked him.”

Cassie laughed. “I don’t know if that’s appropriate for you to say, Sophie.”

“My friends who came to my birthday all say he’s hot. I know you love him, Mum.”

“I really do, and I love you. We should get some sleep, Sophie, tomorrow is a big day.”

She spent two hours looking at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to come but nothing happened. There had been too much to deal with the last few days, and while she would miss the place, she couldn’t wait to leave and start a new life. Away from whoever was tormenting her.

The phone rang at 10pm. It was Patrick, and Cassie breathed a sigh of relief when his number appeared on the caller ID. She tried to keep her composure.

“So tomorrow you will be here and in my bed.”

“I will. Once I get through tonight.”

“Are you all right, Cassie? You don’t sound like yourself.”

“It’s been a really long week, and I’m over everything here, and I want to be with you, and I’m scared and…” She burst into tears.

“Cassie? What’s wrong sweetheart?”

“My car was vandalised, someone painted whore on the side of it, and the garden has been trashed. I’m being targeted, Patrick, and I have no idea who is doing it.”

“I’m coming down.”

“Don’t be silly. I’ll be fine. I’ll get the car back in the morning, they’re doing a rush job just to cover it for the moment, and I’ve told Sophie it’s having mechanical problems. We’ll pack up the car with the rest of our things, and we’ll drive up.”

“I can be there in an hour and a half, Cassie, two tops. I’m not leaving you alone.”

“Patrick, I don’t want you to fuss. It’s just a few more hours.”

“What kind of state will you be in by the time you drive up?” He was concerned, she could hear it in his voice, and it only made her love him even more.

“Talk to me until I go to sleep. I’ll sleep better with you talking to me.”

“I want you here in my arms where I know you’ll be safe.”

“I know, and I will be soon. It’s just one more night.”

His presence on the phone eased her mind and Cassie drifted off to sleep with the sound of Patrick’s voice in her ears.

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

The sound of the front door opening and closing woke Cassie with a start. In the dark, she fumbled to find something to defend herself with, only to realise everything was packed away. She swore at herself for not thinking about that before going to bed.

She swallowed hard, getting the courage up to go out to check on Sophie. Nothing else mattered. If someone had broken in, she would protect her little girl, no matter what.

Cassie closed her eyes for just a second before bracing herself to leave room, only to run straight into Patrick coming in the bedroom door.

“Are you all right?” he asked, flicking on the light switch.

“I thought…” she struggled to find the words. “I thought you were a burglar, or worse.”

He put his arms around her, pulling her into a kiss that warmed her from head to toe.

“What are you doing here?” She whispered.

“Did you honestly think I was going to let anything keep me from you?” He asked, his eyes searching hers.

“Patrick, I told you it was just one last night.”

“I know, but I would rather be here with you in case something happens. After what’s been going on, I couldn’t leave you alone.”

He kissed her tenderly. “I’ll just go and check on Sophie and then I’ll be back. You’re not sleeping alone.”

Cassie nodded, going back to bed to wait for him.

Patrick soon returned. Sophie was fast asleep completely oblivious to what had been going on, and Cassie hoped it stayed that way.

“You’re so stubborn woman. I don’t know what I’d do without you and Sophie,” he said as he pulled off his shirt and climbed into bed. He was already in pyjama pants, and Cassie guessed he’d just thrown a shirt on to come to her.

“I just didn’t want to put you out. It’s just a few more hours.”

“It only takes a few minutes for someone to get in here and do something nasty.” He held his arms open for her to move over and held her tight as she rolled over.

“Where’s your car? If something happened to mine…”

“I put it in the garage seeing as your car isn’t here. It’s off the road, and it’s safe. You’re safe. Now sleep.”

“Yes boss,” she said, smiling wanly.

“I want a bigger smile than that, Cassandra. You light up the room when you’re happy, and I want to see that.”

“It’s so hard right now, Patrick. I’m sorry,” the tears were welling up again.

“Don’t cry Cass. I love you so much I can’t imagine my life without you now. You don’t have to apologise for anything, be as miserable as you want I’ll still be here. I just prefer you with a smile on your face, a real smile.”

He kissed her forehead, and stroked her hair until she fell asleep. He drifted off, content with her in his arms.

“Cassie, get up.”

Cassie rubbed her eyes. “Mark, is that you?”

“Yes love, you have to get up.”

She reached out and stroked his cheek. He closed his eyes before grabbing hold of her hand. “We don’t have time for this, Cassie, you have to get up and move.”

“Mark?”

“Move, Cassie, you have to move.”

She could hear something, a noise getting louder. It sounded like an alarm, and it was getting closer.

“I want to stay and talk to you, I’ve missed you.”

“I miss you too, but I need you to get out of bed. Now, Cassie.”

She shuddered as if she was being shaken, and reached out for him again, but he was slowly disappearing.

“Mark,” she screamed.

“Cassie, wake up. We have to get out of the house, it’s on fire.”

Patrick shook her by the shoulders. The acrid smell of smoke filled the room.

“We’re safe for the moment, but we have to get out now.”

“Sophie?” Panic gripped her. “Sophie,” she screamed.

“I’m here, Mum,” said a voice from outside the door. Cassie jumped out of bed, grabbing her bathrobe from the end of the bed. Sophie grinned. “I grabbed this,” she said, holding up Cassie’s big photo box.

“Let’s get out of here.” Patrick was dialling for the fire service as soon as they were out the door.

There was a bang as an aerosol exploded, and the fire flared in the kitchen. Cassie took one last look as they left the house, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Outside, Patrick pulled both Cassie and Sophie into his arms. “Is everyone okay?” Sophie and Cassie were crying, and Patrick held them tight, kissing their heads and pulling them close.

The sounds of sirens grew closer, and Cassie’s neighbour, Mr McIntyre popped his head over the fence. “I called the police and the fire service love, someone was in your back yard before the fire started.”

“What?” Cassie said.

“I wonder if this is related to the plants being destroyed and your car being vandalised,” Patrick said.

“Mum’s car was vandalised? I thought it broke down,” said Sophie.

“That’s what I told you, so you didn’t worry,” said Cassie.

Mrs O’Leary appeared with blankets, wrapping them around Cassie and Sophie while the fire engine arrived, and the firefighters began their work. Cassie looked at Patrick. She’d never seen him so serious, and as the police arrived he stood, clad only in pyjama pants talking to the officer. She shivered wondering how he could stand it, but he was so angry about what had happened it was clear his own comfort was further down his list of priorities.

He moved back to Cassie and Sophie, wrapping his arms around them again. “Given what your neighbour saw and the timing of the fire, the police are very interested in what happened. They’re of the opinion it’s arson.”

“Who would do that?” Cassie gripped Patrick’s shoulder, and he nuzzled her cheek with his nose.

“I don’t know baby, but they’ll get to the bottom of it.”