Page 66 of Is Anyone Listening?
"Well, she didn't make you leave," Dorothy said with a smile. "And she could have. That's a step in the right direction."
"I guess." I paused as Cole and Sophie came over to our table.
"Sorry I outed you," Cole said with a regretful smile. "I didn't mean to. I was telling Sophie, and my dad overheard."
I was glad Cole hadn't deliberately set out to expose the podcast, not that I could really blame him. It was public, and I had always known it would eventually come out. "It's fine. I knew someone would figure it out eventually."
"You look awful, Cassidy," Sophie said. "Do you need anything for your cuts? I can get you some first-aid supplies—antiseptic and bandages."
"I'll be fine. The paramedic cleaned the cuts. They'll heal."
"You must have been terrified," Sophie added. "I hate driving that road, especially at night."
"I was beyond scared. Luckily, your brother saved me."
"Really? I had no idea. Finn was there?" she asked in surprise.
I nodded. "Yes, and he's the reason I'm alive. He can also confirm that I didn't drive myself off the side of that road. He saw another vehicle behind me. I don't know why the sheriff won't acknowledge that."
"Why would someone want to hurt you?" Sophie asked. "It doesn't make sense."
"Sure, it does. She's stirring up trouble," Jeff said. "If someone did hurt those women, then maybe they're worried she's going to figure it out."
"I hate to think anything bad happened to Natalie," Dorothy said. "She was such a sweetheart. I really did think she just left and maybe wanted to start over."
"Tom says there's no evidence to prove she didn't do exactly that," Jeff said, sending a comforting look in Dorothy's direction. Then he pushed back his chair. "I should get going. Let me know if you want a boat ride, Cassidy, or if you want to chat more about your father."
"Thanks. I'll think about it. I need to talk to my grandmother again before I talk to anyone else. I'm going to head upstairs now."
"Take care," Sophie said. "And you have my number, Cassidy. Call me if you need anything."
"Thanks."
I felt a little less lonely as I climbed the stairs. Not everyone in this town hated me. I had some allies, or at least I thought I did. But maybe one of them was just pretending to be concerned. I really had no idea anymore. The only thing I knew for certain was that I wasn't leaving yet. Tomorrow would hopefully bring more answers, but first, I just needed to make it through the night.
Chapter Seventeen
While I was exhausted and looked wrecked, I knew I had one more thing to do before I collapsed on the bed and went to sleep, and that was to film and record the podcast. It would be the first time I'd ever done it on my own. We'd gone from three women having fun, drinking wine and talking about true crime to Morgan being tied up with personal commitments, Tessa in the hospital with a great deal of pain, and me having survived an attack on my life.
Maybe this hadn't been the brilliant idea we'd thought it was.
I opened my laptop and set up the lights and microphone, but I didn't bother to brush my hair, change my clothes, or apply makeup to my somewhat ravaged face. Tessa had said being authentic and real would resonate better with the listeners, and I agreed. Plus, I just didn't have the energy to change.
Clearing my throat, I made a few notes on the pad of paper next to me, checked the audio and the video and then hit record.
"Hello everyone. As most of you know, I'm Cassidy, one-third of the Mysteries Uncorked podcast team. Tessa is in the hospital recovering from the surgery needed to repair her broken leg, which occurred when she fell down the stairs at the Stonecross Inn. At least, we hope it was an accident and not that someone gave her a push. Unfortunately, she doesn't remember much about that."
Pausing, I added, "I hope you saw the short video we posted on our page earlier with greetings from Tessa. She wishes she could be here, but she needs to focus on healing. Morgan is also absent, taking care of her family in New York, but I am proceeding with our investigation into the disappearance of Natalie Warren and several other women who have gone missing while staying at the inn or after their departure."
I took a breath and said, "You might wonder why I look so bad tonight. On my way home from the hospital, I came across a detour on the main highway. I took the road to the coast, the only one available. It was very twisty, with sharp turns, and perilously high drop-offs."
My voice shook as the memories flooded back. "And then I saw lights behind me, blinding lights. There was a car coming up fast, and I had nowhere to turn off. I hit the gas. I drove as fast as I could, but the car kept coming, and then it hit me. I barely maintained control with that first bump. But the second one was harder, and I yanked the wheel to the left to avoid the cliff, but the turn was too sharp. I lost control and went over the side. I can't even describe how it felt to fly through the air and tumble down a steep, rocky hillside. Luckily, my car didn't flip, and the rocks prevented me from crashing into the sea."
I let that sink in, then continued, "It was the most terrifying moment of my life, and I could feel the car precariously clinging to the hillside. Every breath I took, every slight move I made, the car seemed to slide just a little. Fortunately, someone had seen my car go over the side, and they came down the hill to rescue me."
Clearing my throat, I continued, "At first, I was afraid the person approaching my window was the same one who had sent me crashing, but I had to trust that they weren't. Because I didn't have a choice. The car wasn't stable. I had to get out. Fortunately, my rescuer was able to help me out of the car, and we hit the ground seconds before the rocks gave way, and my vehicle tumbled into the sea."
My voice shook as I relived that horrible moment. During my pause, I could see the comments flying in the chat window. I couldn't focus on them now.
