Fate’s Unseen Shadow (Cager #1)

Chapter 19

19

“ C ome in. Come in. I’m so glad you could meet with me.” Julia Cassin, Ella’s stepmother, fidgeted with the diamond tennis bracelet on her thin wrist as she stepped back, letting the guys inside. Her fingers and hands gave away her age, something that couldn’t be hidden by the injections and procedures she’d had done to her face.

Although, right then, her face showed a woman who’d been brought down by grief. Through the makeup, Damon spotted the red, raw nose and puffy eyes, both signs of crying. Probably for her son Teddy instead of Ella.

She sniffed, dabbing at her nose with a tissue as she led them to the dining room beside the modern kitchen. Damon hadn’t mentioned it to Ella because she’d never asked, but Julia had requested the meeting at Ella’s penthouse apartment. Top floor of the most exclusive place in Atlanta. The guys had agreed to pretend as if they didn’t know it belonged to Ella, but they were all curious about it. Why would she meet here?

Julia sat down at the dining room table. “I’ve been beside myself for the past month. I think you boys may be my only hope of uncovering what happened to Teddy and Elizabeth.” She shook her head, fiddling with her bracelet. “We know what happened to Teddy. Murdered savagely in his own home. But Elizabeth simply disappeared. I know you boys find people. I’m hoping you can find her. Maybe then we can figure out why Teddy was murdered.”

As agreed, Slater took the lead. Damon’s relationship with Ella had become too close for him to remain objective, and he refused to be the reason the meeting would possibly be spoiled. They needed information. Getting it from Julia without raising suspicion would be tricky.

Slater, a professional expression on his face, shook Julia’s hand. “I’m not sure we can provide the why you’re looking for, but I do hope that we can find her for you. However, we need some additional information before we officially take on the case. Let’s have a seat.” Slater sat down in the chair across from her.

Damon remained standing, giving him the full view of Elizabeth Cassin’s apartment. Why would Julia want them to meet here? It seemed odd that she had access to the place. They weren’t close. Had Ella given her a key? Damon shifted, crossing his arms and feeling antsy. He wanted to snoop. He wanted to find out everything there was to know about the old Elizabeth because they weren’t the same woman. Not anymore. Ella had experienced too much in a short amount of time to remain unchanged. Even she’d admitted to it. He caught himself before he smiled, thinking of her bartending and claiming Lacy as her new best friend. She’d never be the same again.

And neither would he.

Ryker took the seat beside Slater, opening his laptop. “If you give me a moment, I’ll log into our system. I’m Ryker. I’ll be taking notes for us today. That’s Xavier and Damon.”

Julia coughed discreetly and then nodded. “Nice to meet you all.” She coughed a few more times. “Excuse me. Summertime in the south. The pollen gets me every year.”

Xavier walked to the kitchen, opened a few cabinets until he found cups, and poured a glass of water from the sink.

Julia dipped her head, accepting it. “Thank you. As you can imagine, this entire thing feels like a nightmare. First, my husband is taken away too soon. And then my gorgeous baby boy is gone. And now, Elizabeth is missing. Just vanished.” She drank a sip, her eyes darting between Slater and Ryker. “They haven’t caught the killer.”

Slater folded his hands on the table. “We read the news articles about her after you contacted us. We know she’s listed as a suspicious person, but do you have any reason to think Elizabeth could’ve been hurt or kidnapped?”

“Well, I know she accused a man of stalking her. She spoke with Teddy about it several times. Even thought someone broke into her apartment a couple of months ago.”

Damon pushed off the wall. “Did you not believe her?”

Xavier shook his head, warning him to stay back.

Julia laid her hands flat on the table, her massive diamond ring too big for her thin finger. “The police found no evidence of whatever man she thought she saw.” She slumped, as though already exhausted with discussing Ella. “You must understand my stepdaughter. She’s overly dramatic. Privileged. There isn’t an ounce of concern in her body for anyone else but herself. Selfish to the core. Teddy was getting all the attention at Cassin Systems for being such an excellent leader. He was so much smarter than Elizabeth. I believe she made up the stalker to bring the focus back to her. She’s been a handful since her father died.”

Xavier wandered over toward Damon, blocking his view of Julia. “Chill. Your left eye is twitching, and I heard your teeth grind from across the room.”

“I’m starting to agree with the term Ella used to describe her,” he whispered.

Xavier grinned and popped him on the shoulder. “Me too, brother.”

Slater looked briefly at Ryker’s computer screen and then back to Julia. “I’m trying to put a few things together about the timeline.” He paused again to look at the computer screen as if he didn’t know every detail by heart. “The last time she reported the stalker to the police was on Tuesday, and?—”

“Honestly, I can’t imagine anyone wanting to stalk her. She was very plain. Sexless, really. Men weren’t interested. Or if they were, it was for her money.”

Slater gave Julia a bland look. “I see. She called out of work Wednesday because she’s scared to leave her condo. It says she worked from home that day.”

“Back in my day, you went to work. Sick or otherwise.” Julia looked down her nose at Ryker. “Young people don’t have any work ethic these days.”

Ryker dipped his head further behind his computer screen, hiding his smile. Neither Ella nor Ryker needed work ethic advice from Julia.

Slater breezed right past it. “On Thursday, she goes to work and reports to her secretary that she saw the man three times that day before she discovers Teddy. That’s according to the police report.

“And then she left. Just left my baby boy, lying there, his body cold, and she walks away like it means nothing.” Julia started to cry.

Giving Julia a moment, Slater looked at the computer once again, stalling.

Damon laid his head back on the wall behind him, not nearly as patient. Those tears were for Teddy, and not even he would begrudge a grieving mother her tears, but his focus was solely on Ella. Her safety. Her innocence. And they needed more information.

“Is it possible,” Slater began as Julia pulled herself under control, “that the person who stalked her also attacked your son?

“No.”

Silence settled after her one, absolute word. Xavier lifted his eyebrows. The oddly confident answer gave them all the wrong feeling.

Slater cleared his throat. “Alright. And the condo she lived in. The police report shows it’s at this address.” He glanced around him, as if putting it together for the first time. “Is this Elizabeth’s?”

“Yes.”

“Do you mind if I look around?” Damon asked Julia, unable to stay still and taking the opening. “I’m interested in getting to see where she lived. Maybe something can help with the case,” he added at her vacant expression.

She lifted her shoulder, seeming indifferent. “I don’t see how. It’s an underwhelming apartment.”

Damon pushed off the wall, striding to the living room first and looking at the pictures on the bookshelf. That was Elizabeth. Alone in what might be Hawaii. Long brown hair pulled back into a low ponytail. Another picture of her skiing somewhere, again, alone. Then there was one with her father. She was younger and appeared to be standing outside of a sorority house. Damon smiled. It’s where she learned all her pool skills.

With a glimpse at Julia, engaged in conversation with Slater, Damon headed down the hallway. He passed a half bathroom and then an office. The office was empty, though. A desk and nothing else. As he continued down the hall, there was one guest bedroom on the left. A few steps farther, he reached the main bedroom at the end of the hall. It was large, with a sitting area near a wall of windows overlooking downtown Atlanta. But similar to the office, it was empty, like she hadn’t added any personal touches to the room. The most personality it held was a yellow bedspread coordinating with tiny yellow accents around the room. Regular beige carpet. Tan walls. No pictures. The room smelled freshly painted. With a quick glance behind him, he stepped over the threshold. He went to her nightstand and slid open the top drawer. Empty. It was the same as the other side of the bed. He pulled out his phone and sent a text message to Ella.

Damon: Did you ever keep anything inside the top drawer of your nightstand?

Ella: Why are you in my condo?

The reply was nearly instant.

Damon: This is where Julia met us.

Ella: Don’t know how the hell she had a key, but yes. I had a novel in there I was reading. And my vitamins I took before I go to sleep.

Damon: There’s nothing here.

Ella: They should be. Go to the small dresser between the two chairs near the window.

He did. Opening the lid confirmed it was empty as well.

Damon: Nothing.

His phone rang. “I’m gonna hang up if Julia walks back here.”

“That’s fine. They should not be empty. That second dresser should have a memory box. It holds all the small awards my father made up and gave to me since I started working for the company. Who in the hell would take that?” Ella seemed frantic. “Check my closet.”

He crossed the room and pulled back the doors. God, he hated to be the one relaying this information to her. “Baby, I’m sorry, but there’s nothing here.”

“Shit. I have no idea what’s going on.”

“The only thing I’ve seen that even said you lived here were a few pictures in the livingroom.”

“Why would someone clean out my entire condo?”

“I don’t know, but I’ll ask Julia once Slater finishes his questioning. By the way, she is every bit of the word you called her.”

Ella laughed, although she did not sound happy about it. “Glad to know nothing has changed.”

“Julia seems pretty certain that the stalker you reported was made up and isn’t Teddy’s killer.” And what made it worse was that Ella had no alibi. Sure, she went Pilates and then to work, but there was still time to have killed Teddy.

He heard Ella sniff. “Ella…” he whispered, wishing he could be there. “We know you’re innocent. We’ll clear this up. I promise.”

“I hate being reminded how I have no one left.”

“You have me.”

Xavier poked his head into the room and motioned for him to come back.

“I’ve got to go. I’ll call you later.”

“Bye,” she murmured, sounding a little pitiful.

He returned to the dining room. It looked as though the interview was nearly over based on their preplanned questions. He stopped by Xavier in the living room, mumbling, “Things just got interesting.”

“They always do. Who were you on the phone with?”

Damon motioned to the apartment.

“Ah,” Xavier said. “Got it.”

Slater pushed back from the table. “That’s all the questions for now, Mrs. Cassin.”

“My turn,” he whispered to Xavier before raising his voice. “I have a question, Mrs. Cassin.” Damon moved into the dining room.

Slater sent him a warning scowl that he ignored.

“When I looked around now, I noticed most of Elizabeth’s belongings were gone.”

Ryker picked his head up from where he typed, and Slater stopped scowling. Everyone watched Julia for her response.

She fiddled again with her bracelet. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Clothes. Makeup. Jewelry. Personal affects are something someone normally has in their bedroom. The initial report said she left without packing. Just walked away from Teddy’s apartment and never returned. I wouldn’t think she’d have time to clean her apartment first. And she certainly didn’t have time or the capacity to pack up every personal item.”

“Oh, that stuff.” Julia chuckled, waving away his concern. “Yes. I did that.” Her eyes welled up as they’d done before. “I moved here after the murder. When Elizabeth disappeared, her bank account was locked. Well, she has authority over the account that pays my rent. I had nowhere else to go. But Elizabeth was messy and unorganized. In my loneliness, I packed up her things and sent them to storage. I’m currently in the guest room. That bedroom was a garish shade of yellow that hurt my eyes. I had it repainted. And I know you’ll agree with me that the carpet needs replacing. I have a delivery set for tomorrow for new mattresses. My back aches every morning. But she’s not here, so there’s no need for this condo to go to waste.”

“And when she returns?” Damon gripped the back of the dining room chair hard enough to nearly snap the wood in half. “I suspect she’ll want her home back.”

“If she returns, I’ll move into my place once I settle Teddy’s estate.” She waved her hand at the window. “I don’t want to stay here. The sun rises in the windows in her bedroom, making it impossible to sleep in the morning. She picked a horrible place to live.”

“I’m so sorry it’s difficult for you to sleep,” he said, grinding out each word.

Xavier patted Damon on the back. “Hey, buddy,” he said, his voice fake and placating. “Come look at this view from the balcony.”

Damon went since he didn’t trust his reaction at this point. The moment the balcony door closed, Xavier held up his hand. “You don’t even have to say it. It pissed off every one of us. I’ll be surprised if Slater can keep cool until we head out of here. Ella has been shit on by that woman and she’s paying us to find her. Really? Why? That’s what I want to know. Would it not be easier to let her leave and take over her sweet condo?” He faced downtown Atlanta. “This is a premium spot. That building over there, that’s Cassin Systems. Elizabeth could wake up every morning, with the sunrise, and have a prime view of what she helped build.”

“I wonder if Julia preyed on Ella’s dad this way. Taking whatever opportunity she could to gain wealth.” Damon leaned on the railing beside Xavier. One day, Ella would be back in that building. But for tonight and until she left, she was his.

“What are you thinking?” Xavier asked.

“Do we know anything about Julia’s settlement when her husband died? Who got what?”

“No. Never thought to ask. She didn’t get a lot if Ella is required to pay her rent.” He faced the glass doors. “But now I’m curious.”

“Me, too.” Damon turned as Julia sweetly accepted a tissue from Slater. Good thing one of them could keep up with the bullshit. Ryker had packed his laptop and stood near the exit.

“I want to know what happens with Teddy’s estate as well. Does she get it all?” Damon asked.

Xavier nodded. “Probably would be good to know that, too. Julia assumes she’s the beneficiary. What if she’s not?”

“There are too many questions. If I’m going to keep Ella safe, I think our focus needs to be on who killed Teddy. Ella needs to come out of hiding and deal with her stepmother before she takes over her life.” Although he already resented the day it would happen. Even if she didn’t want to admit it right now, there would be a moment she would say goodbye.

Xavier crossed his arms and leaned a hip on the railing. “Best place to start with those questions is your girlfriend.”

Damon snorted. “Girlfriend?”

“That’s what they’re called. And I don’t mean a girl who is a friend.”

“I’m not going to call her a girlfriend.”

“A friend with benefits?”

“No,” he snapped.

Xavier held his hands up. “Whoa. Sorry. What is she? I realize you never do the girlfriend-thing, but the two of you seem close, so I assumed?—”

“Ella is mine.”

“Ella is yours,” he repeated. “So yesterday in Savannah, when you said Ella was it?—”

“I meant Ella is it.” He looked back over his shoulder at the Cassin Systems building. “No matter how short a time I have with her, I want her. All to myself. And if she stays, well, then you better get ready to wear a suit.”

Xavier’s eyebrows pulled down tight. “You realize that you bypassed the dating stop on this relationship train?”

“Dates? Like eating and stuff? We’ve done that.”

“Oh, okay. Then you’re set. Go ahead and jump into the biggest commitment of your life because you ate a turkey sandwich with her.” Xavier rubbed a hand over his cheek. “You make no damn sense sometimes. I’m not saying that I don’t like her. I do. And it’s cool that you’re really into her after a week, but you’d be jerking my reins back, too.”

“Probably.”

With a hard laugh, he patted Damon on the shoulder. “You don’t give a shit what I have to say, do you?”

“When it comes to this? No. I don’t.” When Xavier found the right woman, he’d be exactly the same way.

“Let’s get inside and wrap this shit up so you can get back to your woman. I figured me or Slater would be the first to settle down. Not you.”

“Me, too. But I never imagined having a woman as perfect for me as Ella fall into my lap.”

Just when Damon thought he could get home to Ella, the door to her condo opened.

“Knock knock.” A man entered as if he’d been there a hundred times, nearly running into Ryker. “Sorry I’m late.” He extended his hand to Ryker first. “Hi, there.”

“Hi?” Ryker said, looking to Slater, who stood behind him.

Slater stepped forward next. “Not sure we were expecting anyone else to join the meeting.”

“I’m Matteo Warner.”

“Matteo!” Julia pushed past Damon and Xavier, who stood in the entryway, ready to leave.

This was Matteo? Golden pretty boy. Blond hair. Tan skin that looked fake. Perfectly white straight teeth that reminded him of a toothpaste commercial. They also looked perfect for knocking out with a quick punch.

Xavier once again moved beside him. “Are you okay?”

“Would you be?” he said low, under his breath.

“No, I wouldn’t. But you’d tell me to chill the hell out,” he muttered before stepping forward. “Nice to meet you. I’m Xavier. This is Damon.”

Damon shook Matteo’s hand, unable to say anything pleasant so opting to remain quiet.

They all walked back to the dining room, Damon taking up his position near the wall. Matteo fit Ella. No. That was wrong. Matteo and Elizabeth would be a good match. Not his Ella. She had more edge and attitude than this high society man could handle. Matteo wouldn’t have lasted a week outside of this world, let alone a month living in a car, eating at gas stations, and surviving like she had.

Matteo slid his hands into his pockets, a smile on his face despite the grave situation with his former “friend.”

“So,” he began, “have you guys come up with any ideas on where she’s hiding out and avoiding her responsibilities? What spa did she find to keep her identity a secret?”

Slater gave him a hard glare. “Hiding out? What makes you think she wasn’t hurt as well? Abducted? Lying dead in a ditch somewhere?”

“If anyone kidnapped her, it would be for a ransom.” He touched Julia’s hand. “No one has contacted you, have they, Julia?”

“No, no one.”

Ryker moved back into the dining room and sat down, his laptop still open in his hands. “I haven’t seen anything reported about a ransom when I’ve researched this case. Ransom cases are not common.”

“Not many people are as rich as Elizabeth,” Matteo countered.

“True. But still, we have some sources within our job and nothing like that has come to our attention,” Ryker countered.

“What were you to Elizabeth?” Damon interjected.

He clasped his hands together on the table. “Easiest way to put it is that we mutually used each other, you could say. We’re both very busy people. Or were. She’s obviously enjoying a long vacation right now. But we went to events together. Met for lunch when she was lonely. That sort of thing.”

Slater looked at Ryker’s screen, pointing to something. “Did she tell you about the man who stalked her?”

“Yes.”

Julia touched Matteo’s arm, leaning a little his direction. “But it sounded preposterous, right, Matteo? Like why would anyone follow her? We had a good laugh about that one.”

“I think she snapped.” Matteo patted Julia’s hand before leaving it there. “She and Teddy had a few disagreements when it came to the company’s future. And when she saw that Teddy was gone and everyone would realize she was a fraud and couldn’t run Cassin Systems alone, she ran.”

Julia sniffed. “She never appreciated Teddy, the spoiled brat.”

Slater shifted to the right, blocking Damon as Xavier moved in closer. Smart move before he launched himself over the table.

“Your description of her doesn’t fit what others have said,” Slater said before Damon could speak. “You spent time with Elizabeth, both of you, and you think a woman like her would plot to kill her stepbrother?” Slater leaned his hands on the table. “Because it takes a lot more than simple annoyance for an otherwise stable person to commit murder.”

“I’m not a psychologist,” announced Matteo, as though that eliminated the need to make sense of his thought of her being the murderer.

Slater shook his head. “When was the last time you saw her, Matteo?”

“Three weeks before Teddy’s death. We had lunch together to discuss the upcoming charity benefit.” He grinned and winked, looking even more like a scumbag. “Went back to my place afterward.”

Julia tsked under her breath and looked away. “Never did understand how you could fake it through sleeping with her for the last five years.”

Damon fisted his hands by his side. “Did Elizabeth have any friends? Anyone that actually cared for her since you two never did?”

Missing the insult, Matteo laughed and said, “Friends?” Julia joined in with a small chuckle. “No. She didn’t have time for friends. Just her family and me and work. Mostly work. She didn’t believe in making friends with colleagues. It blurred the line.” He leaned forward and folded his hands. “Let me tell you about Elizabeth.”

“Please, do,” Damon said.

“Elizabeth is all business all the time. She hates to relax. Never slows down. Getting her to sit through an entire lunch without working is impossible. She scheduled everything . I wasn’t surprised when they said she snapped and killed Teddy. My guess is he finally had enough of her micromanaging bullshit.”

“Who said that?” Slater asked. “Did you hear someone in law enforcement say they know she killed him? That they had evidence?” He laughed, which sounded strange given the circumstances. “Because I’m not sure we’re the right people to find her if the police already have her pinned as the murderer. We typically find runaways.”

Matteo spread his fingers on the table. “Well, she did run away. And no, they didn’t say that exactly. But there’s a huge manhunt for her. I don’t know how she’s lasted this long in hiding. She cannot stand to sit by and let anyone else run Cassin Systems. It’s her baby.”

It was the first right thing he’d said about Ella.

“Do you think whoever killed Teddy might have gotten to Elizabeth, too?” Xavier asked. “I don’t understand why you’d assume she might be the killer or passing the time at some spa instead of being hurt or killed by the same individual. Or maybe she found Mr. Right and is holed up in some tiny apartment, living her best life. How do you jump to her being the murderer or lazy?”

“A man? You think…no. Oh.” He laughed and shook his head. “No. Not Elizabeth. I can guarantee you that she would not seek out a man. The woman is a step above frigid in the bedroom.”

“Ever think it was the wrong man in the bedroom?” Damon unfolded his arms and took a step, having reached his limit.

“What the hell?” Matteo stood as well. “Do you have a problem with me?”

“I have a problem with anyone that uses women.”

Xavier shoved Damon hard on the shoulder. “Alright, brother. You’re cut off for the day. Move it.”

With his hard stare locked on Matteo, Damon left the condo. It was either that or smash his fucking face in for using Ella that way.

“What the fuck?” Xavier gave Damon another push in his back toward the elevator. “We all know that was hard to hear, but since when can’t you keep it together?”

“Since it involves Ella.” He walked into the elevator and ran his hand over his head, pacing like a caged animal in the tiny space.

“We deal with dickheads all the time and manage to control our reactions.” Xavier leaned against the mirrored wall. “But this is different for you. Me and the guys have never been in your shoes.”

Listening to Matteo describe her brought back all of the worries from yesterday. “I have a hard time figuring out who she is. The cold, workaholic, friendless woman they described?—”

“Or the sweet, sassy blonde waiting up for you to come home to her?” Xavier looked at the elevator numbers as they counted down to the first floor. “Maybe she’s a mix. Maybe she’ll evolve into something completely different when this is all over. But don’t project what those two people said about her onto the woman that, for some damn reason, likes you a whole hell of a lot. We all have parts that we don’t like because of the circumstances we’re in. You and I know that best.”

Because their deployments with the Marines, being in the field, had turned them into men who would stop at nothing to complete their missions. Maybe Xavier was right.

The elevator dinged. “Fill me in tomorrow afternoon.” Damon stepped off the elevator but turned around, poking Xavier in the chest. “Do not come to mine or her apartment tomorrow morning.”

“C’mon.” Xavier held his arms out wide. “Admit it. The Danish was incredible.”

“It was great, but if you show up tomorrow, I will kick your ass. Give me your truck keys. You three can ride home together.”

“Enjoy your evening, brother,” Xavier said, dropping the truck keys into his hand. “Don’t worry about this or Matteo. Slater will finish up, and we’ll probably swing by and look at Teddy’s place before coming home. The only thing for you to worry about tonight is Ella.”

“I always worry about her,” he muttered, turning and walking out of the luxury condominiums. Today had been a waste of time aside from reaffirming that Ella was better off with him than those people. He’d figure out how to clear her name and then figure out how to make her his.

Damon paused at the crosswalk, surveying the large intersection and people moving back and forth. It was in the heart of downtown Atlanta, not heavy with pedestrian traffic, but the intersection was busy.

But out of the ten people who stood across the street, one guy didn’t move when the crosswalk light changed.

Wearing blue jeans and a white dress shirt, he lit a cigarette. The man was a medium height, bald, and pale, like he’d never seen the sunlight before. Near fifty. He leaned against the light post, watching the building while taking a long drag before scanning the people walking. His focus skipped right over Damon like he didn’t matter.

Damon took his phone out to see if he could zoom in closer, but the picture wasn’t clear.

Before he could snap a picture, the man rolled off the light pole and walked away, flicking his barely touched cigarette into the street, hitting a car. Damon switched to his text messages.

Damon: Did you ever find cameras outside Ella’s condo?

Ryker: I’m working on it. I got into one camera fairly easily, but the other is tricky. Why?

Damon: Because I’m standing here, waiting to cross, and I could swear that I just saw the guy in that picture by the sketch artist. Bald head and everything. Check the camera for this time today when you can.

Ryker: Surprised you didn’t chase him down after your reaction to Matteo.

Damon: Calling out a piece of shit is different from piledriving an innocent man into the concrete.

Damon moved with the crowd as the light changed, giving up on finding the guy now. He wasn’t certain it was him. Had he stood out here for the last month, waiting for Ella to return? Not likely. But if that was him…what had brought him here today of all days?