mental aberration and truly stolen the straighteners – coming at the very time she was trying to hold on by her fingernails, for the sake of her grandson, as well as her sanity, had to have been prompted by Josh’s death. The woman was clearly after recompense, money she should have had had Cassie been in a position to pay what she’d promised. What she would have paid had the local tabloid she’d had several articles lined up with not folded.
She hadn’t answered the last text, but she couldn’t hide away from the fact that her past, no matter how hard she had tried to erase it, might catch up with her. The only way to make it go away was to face it full on. But how could she do that when she couldn’t be sure who was texting? She had to talk to her, but first she had to establish where she was, and whether she was still clean. If she wasn’t, she might need money fast, in which case Cassie might not have much time before the woman made good on her obvious threat to sell her story.
Taking a calming breath, she debated, and then rang an old colleague, who now wrote a regular financial advice column and who wouldn’t mind doing her a favour, especially knowing her circumstances. She hated asking her on that basis, but she had to do something – prepare herself at least for whatever this woman might want.
‘Michelle Rearden.’ Her colleague answered her phone straight away, sounding as sharp and efficient as ever. Cassie, by contrast, felt dulled, her mind careering from frantic suspicion of Adam, searching for signs he might leave her, to stultified fear and confusion. She had to pull herself together if she wanted to stop her marriage from crumbling. Move on, impossible though it felt, from the tragedy that had caused it to fracture. She couldn’t do that with this cloud hanging over her.
‘Hi, Shell, it’s Cassie,’ she said, trying to inject some brightness into her voice.
‘Cas!’ Shell exclaimed delightedly. Then, ‘Oh God, Cas, I’m so sorry about Josh. You must be absolutely devastated.’
‘Thanks, Shell. I am,’ Cassie admitted, tears welling.
Michelle’s voice was full of sympathy. ‘Do you want to meet up, lovely? Have a good chat over a bottle of wine?’
‘I’d love to,’ Cassie said, thinking it might be therapeutic to catch up. ‘I confess I called for a small favour, though. I hope you don’t think I’m taking liberties. I’m trying to get back to work and… well, I hoped you wouldn’t mind.’
‘Of course I don’t,’ Michelle assured her. ‘You dug me out of enough holes in the past. Shoot.’
Cassie braced herself. ‘There’s this woman I’m trying to get background on. I wondered if you could run a financial check on her. I’m not sure whether it’s going anywhere yet, but it would be useful information.’
‘Consider it done,’ Michelle said confidently. ‘Give me twenty minutes and I’ll call you back.’
After relaying details from the woman’s online profile, Cassie waited, her heart thrumming in her chest. Fifteen minutes later, Michelle called. ‘She scores badly,’ she said. ‘Several debts and two county court judgements.’
‘Thought as much. That’s really useful. Thanks, Shell. I owe you,’ Cassie replied calmly, though with her fears confirmed, her heart was now banging. Whether or not the woman was using drugs, she was evidently in desperate need of money. It had to be her who’d been texting. Cassie couldn’t imagine it being anyone else.
‘You can get the first round in,’ Michelle said. ‘It all sounds very intriguing. You’ll have to fill me in when we meet.’
‘Will do,’ Cassie promised. ‘I’ll give you a call and we’ll arrange something. I’m just off to meet Adam.’
‘Bless him. Give him my love and a huge hug for me.’
‘He could probably use one,’ Cassie said, feeling very much in need of one herself.
Signing off, she sat frozen in her car, trying to work out her next move. She had to talk to the woman. Undoubtedly she would have to pay her off. Was she likely to just go away, though, even if Cassie did give her what she wanted? If she was still dependent on drugs, wasn’t she more likely to come back for more, until Cassie had nothing left to give?
Her home might end up being at risk, hers and Adam’s, as well as her job. Her marriage was already at risk. If this all came out, it would be over. Why had she done it? She’d