Total pages in book: 147
Estimated words: 137176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
“Let’s start from the beginning,” I said, touching Cass’s knee in the process so he’d focus on me. Cass looked at me and then around the room. He closed his eyes and pulled in several deep breaths. I couldn’t help but wonder how many times he’d had to do the same move in order to remain calm in his prison cell.
After his break from reality on the houseboat, we’d spent the remainder of the day getting cleaned up and then going to sleep. I hadn’t gotten much sleep but thankfully, Cass had been out all night. As soon as he’d woken up, his brain had gone back into overdrive. He’d been so inside his head that he’d allowed me to drive his car to the office.
When he opened his eyes and looked at me, I began with, “The first time you went to see your grandmother, did it take as long to get past the guard at the gate as it did when you and I went?”
Cass was quiet for a moment before he nodded. “The guard working that day was the same one as today. Owen. He’s been working for the family for around twenty years, I think. That first time, he did recognize me before he asked to see my ID. I guess he would’ve had to have been living under a rock to not know who I was.” He’d relaxed his hands, but only so he could pick at the small cuts on his knuckles. Since he hadn’t punched me during his attack, I had to assume he’d taken his rage out on something on the boat before he’d sought out the corner of the bedroom.
“But he still made you show him your ID that day.”
“Yes,” Cass said. “It was always standard procedure for visitors.”
“Family too?”
“No,” he responded. “Family members either had an opener for the gate or were waved through.”
“What about when you’d visit your grandmother while you were still in the military?” I asked.
Cass shook his hand. “I don’t understand.” I had his complete attention now.
“When you’d come home when you were on leave, did it take as long to get through the gate as it did today and last week?”
“No. I had an opener back then but if there was any reason I didn’t have it on me, I would get waved through like the rest of the family. I guess it took so long today and the last time because maybe…” Cass’s words dropped off.
“… maybe they didn’t trust you? Renly and other family members were concerned you’d hurt your grandmother?”
“Maybe. Yeah, I guess so. But I haven’t seen any family besides my grandmother since I was released. As far as I know, my father still lives in his penthouse in the city, and all my cousins, uncles, aunts… they either live in one of the other houses on my grandmother’s estate or they’ve taken up residence at the houses and apartments that the Ashby companies own all over the world.”
“What about me?” I asked. “Owen must have recognized me, but he didn’t ask for my ID like he did yours. He spent a lot of time on the phone before he opened the gate. Did that happen the first time too? The time you were alone?”
Cass was silent for several beats. He’d stopped picking at his skin, but he was still tapping his foot. “Yes,” he finally responded. “I guess I didn’t think much of it. I was nervous about seeing my grandmother. I didn’t think…”
“You didn’t think she’d want to see you?”
“Yeah, I figured she’d be afraid of me. Ashamed,” Cass said, his voice cracking. The reminder of how much he loved his grandmother made me want to stop asking the questions I needed to ask because I didn’t want to inflict any more pain on him. I wasn’t sure if his mind had started putting together the pieces of what had happened the previous day but by the time we were done talking, he’d be facing some hard truths.
“Was Renly the one to greet you both times?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Was he alone or was there any kind of other staff with him or nearby? Security guards or maybe guys that looked like they did other things around the house? Landscaping guys, those valets—”
“No,” Cass interrupted. “He wasn’t nervous around me at all. He even left me alone with my grandmother. At one point, I went to find him so he could tell me more about her condition. He was waiting by the front door like he usually did when guests were being expected or they were already in the house. That first visit, I had full access to the house. I thought I could use that time to snoop around and maybe even find a relative and get myself invited to the family’s next social event. But no one was there.” He paused briefly. “In the past, it always seemed like the house was full of people who were there just to kiss my grandmother’s ass to get some money out of her.”