Page 117 of Is Anyone Listening?
My nerves tingled at the look in his eyes. Was there something between us? I didn't want to mistake the high emotion of the last few days for something more. But that cautious thought reminded me of how often I had chosen the safe path in the past. I couldn't keep doing that, and I didn't want to keep doing that. But so much had happened today, I couldn't deal with anything else at the moment.
"What are your plans in terms of leaving town?" Finn asked.
"Tessa gets released from the hospital tomorrow. I know she'll want to get back to New York. And I need to go with her. She can't travel alone."
"Well, I'm sure you're ready to get out of Stonecross. Unless you want to spend more time getting to know your grandmother."
"I think I need a little distance and perspective before I come back to talk to Ellen, and I do want to come back and sit down and discuss everything under the sun. But I also need to speak to my father, too. I'm hoping I can get him to come back with me."
"I'm not certain you'll get a happy family reunion. Your grandmother kept his daughter from him, kept his first love from him. How does he forgive that?"
Finn made a good point. "Maybe he can't. And maybe I can't blame him for that. My grandmother played God, and that wasn't up to her. She should have given Lily and my father a chance to figure things out. That was wrong."
"Even if he can't forgive his mother, that doesn't mean you can't have a relationship with Ellen, if you want one."
"I'm still deciding on that. But I do want to have a relationship with Jessica, and I hope my father will, too."
"I can't imagine he wouldn't want to know his daughter."
"He's a complex person and often unpredictable. But whatever he decides won't affect me. I finally have a sister. I'm excited about that, and I'm looking forward to a time when she is safe enough to live her life."
"Hopefully, that will be soon." He stood up. "But just so you know, sometimes sisters can be a pain in the ass."
I laughed. "You love Sophie."
"I do, but sometimes she can be a pain in the ass."
I got to my feet. "You have a great family, Finn. You're lucky."
"I don't think I realized how lucky I was until I got to know yours."
"Just don't hold them against me."
"I won't. I like you, Cassidy. You're an amazing woman. Unlike anyone I've met before."
Our gazes clung for a long minute, and I knew I had to speak what was in my heart. "I like you, too, Finn. I don’t really want to say goodbye tomorrow."
"Then maybe we'll just say, ‘See you later'".
"That sounds perfect."
Finn dropped Ellen, Jessica and me off at the inn just before eleven p.m. on Thursday night. Tom had stayed in Pinehaven to assist in the investigation.
While Jessica wasn't sure returning to Stonecross was the best idea, neither Ellen nor I wanted to let her out of our sight until we knew she would be in safer hands than ours. On that one point, we were definitely in agreement.
Ray was waiting for us when we got back. He was going to sit in the hallway outside Ellen's apartment to keep watch over Ellen and Jessica. Tom had also assigned a deputy who would sit in front of the inn until morning.
Ellen invited me to stay in her apartment as well, saying she could make up the couch, but I decided to head upstairs. I was exhausted and I knew I would sleep better in a bed. But as I entered my room, I had to admit I still felt a little trepidation, and I didn't know why. So, I locked the door and pushed the dresser in front of it. Some habits were hard to break.
Then I went into the bathroom and winced at my reflection. I looked absolutely horrible. My left eye was swollen with a blue-black bruise that spread across my cheek to my nose. I had more bruises on my neck and other cuts that were raised and red, bright against my pale skin. My hair was tangled and there was even a small leaf stuck in the strands that apparently no one had noticed. I took it out and thought about brushing my hair but decided against it.
Returning to my room, I set up my computer, light, and camera and then sat down at the desk and hit record. It was a little late to go live, but it didn't matter. The audience would catch up with me the next time they got on.
"Hello," I said. "Welcome to Mysteries Uncorked. I'm Cassidy Clarke, and for those of you who have been following my investigation into the disappearance of Natalie Warren, I have a lot to report."
I almost added Jessica's name, but until I knew she was safe, I would leave her story for another day. In fact, I might just see if she wanted to film with me when everything was truly over for her. Our listeners would probably go nuts if they could hear her story firsthand. But that was for another day.
Clearing my throat, I realized I'd just created an inadvertently long dramatic pause. "Today I discovered that Natalie Warren is dead. I wish I had a better, happier ending to her story, but I don't. I'm sure the news will be hitting the papers tomorrow, but I wanted to share my version. Today, I came face-to-face with Natalie's killer, and after a terrifying battle, which you can tell by my face was not without injury, I managed to knock out her murderer with a couple of strikes from a heavy wrench. I know you're waiting for a name, and I'm going to give you one. Some might say that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, but this isn't a court of law, and I'm not a lawyer or a cop. I'm just the person who heard his confession."
