CHAPTER FORTY THREE
The piercing ring of Cassie’s phone dragged her out of an exhausted slumber, and she fumbled to answer it.
“Hello?” She sat up, turning on the light and blinking bleary-eyed at the white curtains of the luxury room she’d been allocated.
The man on the other end of the line was a stranger.
“Good morning. Am I speaking to Cassie Vale?”
“Yes, you are,” Cassie said warily.
“I’m Dave Sidley from Dave’s Auto Repairs. We have your car.”
“My car?” Cassie’s voice was high with surprise.
“Yes. Sorry for the delay fixing it. Replacing all the wires was a time-consuming job, but it’s done now. I’m coming to town with my mechanic, so I can drop it off for you in an hour if you like.”
“Of course. Thank you so much.”
Cassie felt on top of the world—but how much would this cost?
“What do I owe you?” she asked, wondering if there would be time to head down to the bank.
“We’ve heard about the family tragedy. In the light of that, I can’t charge you. The job’s on us. Please accept our condolences and pass our good wishes on to the children.”
“I will do,” Cassie promised. “Thank you so much. That’s incredibly kind.”
The guesthouse proprietor had prepared her a lavish breakfast. Realizing how hungry she was, with her appetite flooding back, Cassie ate every bite. Then she headed across the road, where, a minute later, she was rewarded by the sight of her car arriving.
Gratefully, she accepted the keys from the mechanic, feeling elated to have her wheels in working order. With her car and her passport, the world felt hers again. Freedom flooded her, the rush as intense as wine.
Inside the house, the police had tidied the kitchen and swept up every fragment of glass. It looked ordered and homely and Cassie found it difficult to believe that such a nightmare had happened there, that she’d fought for her life, that she’d managed to trick a murderer into a confession.
Now it was time to leave.
She packed her bags into her car and waited for the children to arrive. She’d received a text from the aunt the previous night saying they were safe, and that they’d be home to pack up their belongings, by nine a.m. at the latest.
At five to nine, the aunt’s car pulled up.
This time, Nadine was first out of the car to greet Cassie.
“What a nightmare,” she kept repeating. “You were so brave. Thank you for what you did.”
Then Dylan and Madison were hugging her.
“We’re going to stay with our aunt,” Madison whispered, her eyes shining. “I’m allowed to join the drama club and I can go to boarding school next year if I still want to.”
Cassie felt her heart melt with happiness.
“Can you take fish tanks in your car?” Dylan asked Nadine in concern. “Because Orange and Lemon have to come with me. I’ve researched how to transport them.”
He shook Cassie’s hand.
“You were a trouper,” he said. “My aunt says I can adopt another rabbit. I’m thinking about it.”
Cassie smiled at him. Although she would never know who Dylan really was, she felt that she understood him better now.
“I know you’ll do your best for the little guy.”
Cassie waved at the children as they went into the house to pack their belongings. She planned to head into the village, draw enough cash to keep her solvent for a while, and then go past Harriet’s house with a thank-you gift. There was a diamante bomber jacket she’d seen in a shop window that she thought the cleaner would love.
And then, who knew where? Cassie resolved it would be somewhere far, far away from this village.
When she got into her car, she saw she had a new message.
Quickly, while she was still within range of the home’s Wi-Fi, she read it.
It was from Renee, her friend in the States.
“Hey, Cassie,” the message read. “Just to let you know, that lady phoned again yesterday. I gave her your number. She sounded stressed, and said she was worried you might be in trouble. She said she’ll contact you soon. Just give her time.”
Cassie read the message again and again, feeling a deep contentment as she took in the words. She felt Jacqui’s presence around her, even though she didn’t understand the strange turn last night’s events had taken.
Perhaps she’d never be able to.
Some bonds worked in inexplicable ways that were far beyond understanding.
One day, she hoped, she would see Jacqui again.
Cassie started the car and drove away, glancing in her rearview mirror so she wouldn’t miss the moment when the Ellises’ house disappeared from sight forever.
NOW AVAILABLE!
ALMOST DEAD
(The Au Pair—Book Three)
“A MASTERPIECE OF THRILLER AND MYSTERY. Blake Pierce did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.”
--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)
ALMOST DEAD is book #3 in a new psychological thriller series by USA Today bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose #1 bestseller Once Gone (Book #1) (a free download) has received over 1,000 five star reviews.
After the disastrous fallout from her last placement in England, all 23-year-old Cassandra Vale wants is a chance to pick up the pieces. A high-society, divorced mother in sunny Italy seems to be the answer. But is she?
With a new family come new children, new rules, and new expectations. Cassandra’s determined to make this one last - until a horrifying discovery pushes her to a breaking point.
And when the unimaginable occurs, will it be too late to pull herself back from the brink? Who, she wonders, is she becoming?
A riveting mystery replete with complex characters, layers of secrets, dramatic twists and turns and heart-pounding suspense, ALMOST DEAD is book #3 in a psychological suspense series that will have you turning pages late into the night.
Book #4 in the series
