Deep Into The Night (Hartz Island Series) (32 page)

Chapter Fifty-Two

T
he euphoria of sticking it to Sergei had worn off. Cassie pulled the covers up and wondered what to do today. She realized if she didn’t establish some sort of routine, she would go bonkers. Having breakfast at the Ferry Dock had been a treat, but maybe it needed to be a ritual. If it weren’t raining, she’d bike in. If it rained, she’d stay home. It sounded like a good way to start the day.

Looking out the kitchen window, she couldn’t tell if it was raining or misting. Growing up, her mother would point out the difference between rain and mist. To Cassie, they were both the same. Staring out the sliding glass door, Cassie finished her second cup of coffee. The house was chilly, and she needed to make a decision about biking in to town or getting the fire going in the wood burning stove. If she biked in, then she’d want to check her e-mail, and if Jack hadn’t e-mailed her, she’d be disappointed. Cassie didn’t want to be disappointed. Thinking about him all the time was bad enough.

From the looks of the diminished pile of wood, she needed to replenish sooner than later. Armload after armload she kept going. Finally, the wood wall was full, except for kindling to start the fire. She didn’t remember seeing any cut in the shed.

Cassie pushed open the wooden sliding door of the shed and examined everything. It had plenty of wood, but no kindling. For a moment, she wavered. With her new determination, she went looking for the ax. There it was in full view, chopped into the big chopping block, so she braced herself and pulled it off. Next, she found the smallest piece of cut wood and balanced it on the block and stared at it.

“What the hell. Why not? No one else is going to cut it.”

With all her might, she aimed and slammed the ax into the piece of wood. It stuck. Now what? She’d never been in Brownies or Girl Scouts and was clueless. Her dad or brother cut the damn wood.

On the wall by the work bench she found a hammer and decided to hammer away on the top part of the ax. Little by little, it worked its way through the wood, cutting off a small piece.

Four hours later, with blisters on her hand and an aching back, she’d made kindling. With the last load in the house, she collapsed on the sofa. Cassie took the notepad and added gloves to the list of needed purchases.

Since it hadn’t started to rain, she took one of Jack’s beers out of the refrigerator and headed to the beach. A couple of boats putted along with seagulls following. She sat on the driftwood log, sipped her beer, and reflected. Life on her terms. What did that mean exactly? She didn’t know, but she was going to figure it out.

Saturday melted into Sunday, and she tackled each chore on her list. The last item was to sort through boxes from her parent’s Bellevue home that Mike had saved for her. Everything was stored in the upper bedroom.

Very tired from lifting and moving boxes around, Cassie decided to tackle one more box,
Mom’s stuff
. It had a curious sound to it, so she sat on the floor and opened it. Cassie lifted each item out and placed it next to her. The
stuff
was her mother’s mementos, but also her mother’s diary. This was the first she knew about her mother keeping a diary. Very carefully, she opened it, feeling like she was invading her mother’s privacy. The dates were sporadic, starting with her mother’s teen years until Mike was born.

Cassie smiled, reading about her mom meeting her dad and how she fell in love with him. Her eyes welled with tears reading about her mother’s decision to quit college. It had never occurred to her that her mom had wanted to do something else besides be their mom. The final entry was the day after Cassie’s eighteenth birthday.

I want my children to follow their dreams because I never did.

Cassie wiped her cheeks and eyes. “But, Mom, what was your dream?” she cried.

She reread the diary but couldn’t find it.

Cassie calculated what time it was in Japan. At this point, she didn’t care if she used every prepaid dollar on that phone. She was calling Mike at work.

Out on the edge of the property by the driftwood log, Cassie punched in all the numbers and prayed it would connect. He would probably be pissed that she hadn’t called sooner but oh, well. Mike answered.

“Mike, you’ve got to tell me, what was Mom’s dream? I have to know. What was her dream?”

“Nice talking to you, too, Cassie.” He paused. “You didn’t know?”

“No! How would I?”

“She wanted to be a lawyer and hoped you would too.”

“Me?”

“Mom didn’t want to ruin your dream of being an actress.”

Completely choked up, Cassie could barely speak. “Mike, I have to go because this phone doesn’t work well…” Tears flowed down her cheeks. She sat down on the log and sobbed, “Ah, Mom.”

Monday morning, the clouds lifted, and the blue sky shined through. Since the Ferry Dock café was closed on Mondays, Cassie pulled on her boots and headed to the beach. She had no choice about being alone with her thoughts. She picked up rocks and tossed them in the water thinking about life. For her, walking on the beach rejuvenated her mind, bringing clarity to her thoughts.

A loud whistle caught her attention. Ray waved from the rental house. She waved back but didn’t head over to talk to him.

When she reached the end of the beach, she turned around and headed back. She was surprised to see Ray standing at the edge of the rental property, clearly working with his badge in view on his belt.

“Hey, Cassie, how are you?”

She returned his smile. “I’m fine.”

“That’s good. Do you need help with anything?”

“No. But thanks.”

“If you do, give me a holler.”

“I will.”

Ray started back towards the house but turned around. “That’s from a friend, not a cop. And don’t be stubborn.”

She laughed. “Got it.”

Tuesday couldn’t arrive soon enough. Cassie stuffed the note pad and laptop in the knapsack along with her phone and wallet, hopped on the bike, and headed in to town. Like Thursday, she parked the bike in the stall and peered in the windows of the café. A couple of the tables had customers, but no one was at the counter. Still a little nervous, she took a deep breath and headed in. Jeannie was behind the counter with Kip standing next to her.

“Hi,” Cassie called and waved.

Kip smiled subtly where Jeannie’s was wide open. “Grab your cup.”

By the time Cassie reached the counter, Jeannie had the coffee pot in her hand.

“Where have you been since Thursday? We missed you.”

“Busy.” Cassie held open her hands. “I chopped wood for the stove.” She grinned at both their expressions. “And also thinking about life and careers.”

“That can be a challenge, can’t it, Kip?”

“Yes. Yes it can.”

“So, what did you come up with?”

Cassie sighed and shrugged. “I’m not sure. I’m still in the thinking mode.”

“I have an idea,” said Kip.

“Oh.” She knew he was serious by his expression. “What?”

“You’re excellent on the computer, finding information, but something else keeps popping up. Have you thought about law school? With your skills, you’d make a terrific lawyer,” Kip suggested. “You have stage presence and a mind for detail. My guess is you think quickly on your feet.”

Her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped.

“If I had to come against you in a court of law, you’d scare the hell out of me.”

Still not able to say anything, she didn’t.

“Seriously,” he said.

Winnie dinged the bell and pointed to Cassie. Jeannie put Winnie’s breakfast creation in front of her. Very surprised and taken aback by Kip’s suggestion, she ate and thought about it all.

“I’m out of here,” said Kip. “I have a conference call. Cassie, think about it.”

“I will,” she replied thoughtfully.

Very glad to see the old men of Jeannie’s Odd Men’s Club show up, Cassie excused herself to a table.

She opened the laptop and signed in to her e-mail account. Two messages from her friend Alexa and three from Jack. If Jack was axing her out of his life, she might as well know. Taking a deep breath, she read Saturday night’s message, short and to the point, “
Does your phone work anywhere on the island? We need to talk.
” Sunday’s message was similar, but he wondered what she’d been doing. Monday’s message was more concern about why he hadn’t heard from her. Confident he wasn’t dumping her out of his life, she smiled.

Cassie replied to each message with yes, they needed to talk, but he would have to listen. She filled him in on what she had been doing minus her trip to Sidney. After Jack’s e-mails, she pulled up Alexa’s, starting with Sunday. She took a quick sharp breath and gasped, staring at the screen in shock. After rereading Alexa’s message, she downloaded the attachment from the Los Angeles Times reporting known Russian Mobster Sergei Koslov’s apparent mob hit murder. Her e-mail on Monday included another attachment from the Times. Hysteria and relief were replaced with shock and she started laughing, but then tears rolled down her cheeks.

In a quick stride, Jeannie stood next to her. “What’s wrong? Is it Jack?”

All Cassie could do was shake her head in response to Jeanne’s questions.

“Are you all right?”

Taking a deep breath, she calmed down. “I am more than that. I feel like I just got my life back.”

“Well then, that’s a good thing,” Jeannie announced.

The men at the counter agreed with Jeannie, and everyone got back to what they’d been doing.

Cassie forwarded the message on to Jack, though she figured he probably knew by now. She spent the rest of the morning researching law schools and what was required and downloading a ton of information to read later.

The delightful smell of cinnamon filled the café and enticed everyone in it to eat a hot roll. Even though it had been a few hours, her stomach growled, so she took two. Pulling apart the roll and dipping pieces in her coffee, she checked her e-mail one last time before heading out to get supplies from the small grocery store in town. Disappointed there wasn’t a message from Jack, she still felt elated and free.

Returning back to his office from a long morning meeting with the Seattle Police regarding the nightclub Suka Suka, Jack checked his phone. A text had come through from Kip stating Cassie had biked in to the café. By Monday afternoon, he’d been concerned he hadn’t heard back from her, but he also knew she didn’t have computer access. He’d asked Ray to do a look-see for him. Ray texted back he’d seen her walking the beach. More than anything, he was sorry he’d stormed off like a spoiled brat. Not a characteristic he was proud of.

Jack pulled up his e-mail and grinned. Cassie had replied. Her listening comment made him nervous, but if she wanted him to listen, he could listen. He wanted her back in his life, and if it took listening and whatever else, hell, he would do it.

Then he saw the forwards and downloaded the articles. She knew. He sent her an e-mail, thanking her and yes, he’d just heard, finishing up with, “
A ton of stuff going on here. I don’t think I can get up to the island for another week. FYI, there isn’t an issue with your C. account other than you need to pay taxes on it
.”

Before sending it, he reread Cassie’s replies to him. She’d signed it with love, so he did too.

Chapter Fifty-Three

T
he two weeks flew by, and Jack was headed up to the island. Ray had dropped her off at the ferry terminal to meet him. No doubt in her mind, if he walked into the beach house and kissed her, they wouldn’t make it past the mudroom before their clothes were strewn on the floor.

Each day, she’d come to another conclusion how she wanted to live her life and that included her relationship with Jack. With each decision, her excitement grew. Cassie had taken a practice law school entrance exam test on the computer and was shocked at her high score. That had triggered something, and she’d been receiving e-mails from various law schools around the country. More than anything, she wanted Jack to be happy for her, but she also understood he might not be.

During the two weeks, they’d gotten into a routine with e-mail. He would e-mail when he got home, and she would check them in the morning. Only once had they been online at the same time. Little by little, she mentioned the tidbits of change that she desired. Even though he’d signed his e-mails
Love Jack
, he might not be feeling much love after their talk. To keep focused on her new goals, she’d listed them on a note card and carried it with her.

Standing at the terminal rail, she watched for the ferry coming around the corner. A couple of the workers gave her an odd look. Cassie didn’t care; she’d dressed up for Jack wearing her leather coat, jeans and heeled boots. For fun, she wore her leather gloves. The sun shined down on the inlet, and the water was smooth as glass. A perfect autumn day. Her pulse kicked up, and the butterflies in her stomach danced overtime when she caught sight of the big green and white vessel making the bend. Cassie walked up the incline and stood off to the right where she’d told Jack she would be waiting.

After several vehicles came off, she spotted Jack’s Tahoe. She waved wildly with one hand, while the other was jammed in her pocket, hanging on to her note for courage. He flashed his lights to say
I see you, too
. Instead of running towards him like she wanted, Cassie waited. Jack parked the Tahoe and leaped out, picking her up and swinging her around. Laughter squealed out of her, and joy filled her. When he stopped swinging her around, he kissed her with a hunger she felt too. Finally, he pulled his mouth away and studied her face.

“You look terrific.” He kissed her quick. “Let’s go.” Jack opened her door, and she climbed in. “Nice gloves.”

Cassie had a distinct feeling he was thinking of something pretty specific. She reached into her pocket and held on to her note. “So,” she said, “what did you decide about our date?”

He laughed. “I am your date.”

“I know, but what are we going to do?”

“You weren’t serious, were you?”

“Yes, I was. We need to date.” Cassie smiled at him, but held firm.

Jack cleared his throat and chuckled. “I should have known you were serious.” He smiled and squeezed her gloved hand. “I can come up with a date venue…of some sort. It would be a heck of a lot easier if we were in Seattle.” He looked her over seductively. “Any chance that making love to you is part of the date?”

She laughed, and he laughed.

“Please, tell me yes.”

Standing her ground was going to be harder than she thought, especially the way her body reacted being next to him. Cool and collected was how she wanted to be instead of hot and bothered.

“It will be, just not in the first couple of hours.”

“Thank God for that.”

Arriving at the house, Jack backed the Tahoe up to the kitchen door. “The back is filled with supplies. We aren’t having yogurt for dinner.”

He lifted up the tailgate, and Cassie’s eyes widened. Jack had a cooler and several bags of groceries that included bottles of wine.

“So you did think about Date Night.”

“Maybe.”

Together, they carried the groceries in and put them away. Jack glanced down at her boots and coat. “You know I love leather, but I’m thinking you might want to put beach walking stuff on.”

“Is this part of our date?”

“Could be. Meet me out there.”

She removed her gloves, changed into sneakers and a hoodie, fluffed her hair, and checked her makeup. Cassie found Jack building a beach fire using kindling and logs from the house. He had a nice blaze going just far enough from the driftwood log but close enough to keep them warm and cozy.

“Who cut all the kindling?” he asked.

She stood proudly. “I did.”

Surprise registered on his face. She thought he’d comment, but he didn’t. Arranging a log on the kindling, he stood back from the fire and wiped his hands on his jeans. He walked up and grabbed her hand, and they strolled down the beach. The afternoon sun had lowered on the horizon, and the tide was out.

“Tell me everything. I’m listening,” he said.

And she did. Occasionally, Jack stopped and threw rocks in the surf. Not once did he interrupt her.

“But the biggest thing that blew me away was my score when I took the practice law exam. I didn’t even study, and I got a one fifty six. The next thing I know, e-mails are flying in from law schools all around the country wanting me to apply. I want to go to law school. I want to be a lawyer. And I also decided I would donate some of my time to help women like those girls we saw. So what do you think?” Cassie studied his face to gauge his reaction, but he masked it.

“If that’s what you want to do, I think you should do it. You would make a terrific lawyer. Funny thing is, I’m not surprised at your score.” He pointed back at their fire. “The coals are almost perfect. Come on.” Jack started a slow jog around her and then grasped her hand, pulling her along.

Not able to keep up, she let go and waved him on. She knew by his reaction he was upset, but she wasn’t sure why.

Cassie took her time following him. She saw him head back up to the house and for a second, she worried he’d leave, but he returned, coming back with his arms full. He laid a tarp on the sand and then a blanket. After one more trip in and out, she realized he was cooking them dinner on the fire. Jack opened a bottle of cabernet and poured them each a glass. He motioned for her to take a seat next to him by the log. Gathering her into his arms, he held her tightly. Quietly, they watched the fire.

“Now it’s my turn,” he said, “Exactly which law school are we talking about?” He sucked in his breath.

Cassie took a quick glance at his face. It was twisted around, not looking thrilled. She hid her smile. Oh, so that was it.

“The U. I want to be a Husky.”

He let his breath out. “Great, so we can be together.”

“Yes, but for the moment, we’ll be apart.”

“I don’t want to be apart. I want us to be together.” His voice was smooth but insistent. “I thought with Koslov dead, you’d be returning to Seattle with me.”

“Jack, some people are together, but in reality, they’re very far apart. We’ll be apart but together. I’m going to stay up here and study for the entrance exam, and I can take online classes from the U. We can be together on the weekends.”

“Honey, I don’t like the sound of this at all.”

Cassie laughed, and Jack glared. He poured the remaining wine in their glasses.

She took a big breath. “Well, if you don’t like the sound of that, you’re not going to like what I have to tell you next.”

“Oh?” He looked at her. “What?”

She bit her lip and let out a deep breath. “I killed Sergei.”

“Whoa. Where did that come from?” He cocked his head and raised his brows, looking intently at her.

“It’s my fault he’s dead.” Her voice broke.

Jack got up and put the steaks on the fire. With a metal poker, he turned the foil wrapped potatoes that nestled in the coals. “How is it your fault?” He sat back down next to her and wrapped his arm around her.

She explained what she’d done. Twice, Jack started coughing and asked for a clarification. When she finished, Jack rubbed his jaw and shook his head.

“You didn’t kill him,” he said. “The asshole did it to himself by not taking care of business. By not changing passwords, he showed his laziness and arrogance. In structures like the mob or a cartel, it’s a test. He flunked. They didn’t want him anymore, and that’s what happens. They eliminated him.”

“You’re not mad?”

“No.”

“Good. I’ll be right back.”

Cassie headed up to the house and returned with two small collapsible lap tables, decent plastic plates, steak knives, and forks. With the food served up, Jack loaded up the fire with wood, opened another bottle of wine, and joined Cassie up against the log. In the cool night air, under the stars, with the moon rising, they enjoyed their steak dinner and drank their wine. When they finished, Cassie put everything away in the cooler and set it behind them. Jack opened his arms and gathered her up.

“I love our date.” She sighed and rested her head on his chest so she could listen to his heart.

“So tell me,” he said.

She gazed up, her mouth slightly parted. The reflection of the fire highlighted his face.

“When will we be together?”

“That’s easy. You’ll know.” She took her left hand and wiggled her ring finger.

“I was afraid of that.” He kissed her long and slow and then hard, demanding with a hunger that exploded inside of him. Under the moon, he made love to her by loving her.