Chapter 18
Cassie
Quinn pushes her glasses further up on her nose. She is so concentrated, it’s cute.
“All right, these are all the financials.” Quinn’s tone is triumphant. “I can’t get all of them, but at least these make it look like Anita was onto something. It looks like there might have been a reason for the Thorntons to be worried about what she could expose.”
I take a look at the documents she’s printed. Several investors are linked to the Thorntons, and especially Corey Thornton. There’s an old news article about him opening his own tech company, selling shares, and getting investors. The strange thing is, no one knows what this company is. Quinn hasn’t been able to pull anything up about their services or verify that they offer anything real.
It’s all a very good front, but there are so many avenues, so many ways for them to hide the real intention of the business.
“We need to find Nathan Thornton,” Lincoln says. “ I bet there is a reason he’s missing. If we find him, we can try and scare him into telling us the truth about the Thornton family. If he thinks we already know what they are up to, he might accidentally give us a clue.”
I nod. For once, I agree with Lincoln about the course of action. I do agree that we need to find Nathan. Though for completely different reasons, I am sure. Lincoln has his own double agenda, but mine is exactly what he said. If I can talk with Nathan, then maybe I'll learn something about Phineas and, by extension, why Lincoln is working with him.
A sharp knock on the door sounds, and we all turn. It’s Tommy. My face lights up with a smile. I might have tried to be intimidating at first, but I actually like him. He is sweet, and I think he's pretty good for Quinn.
He knows how to make her laugh; whenever they are together, they look as if they're twitterpated.
“Am I interrupting anything? I brought food.” Tommy holds up enough Chinese food to feed at least fifteen people.
Lincoln chuckles. “I like him better already.”
Quinn stands up, her cheeks blushing as she crosses the room to take the food.
“Thanks, sweetheart. I appreciate it.” She kisses him on the cheek and leans in for a little hug.
Lincoln and I exchange glances.
“Sweetheart?” he asks with a smirk.
“Leave them alone. They're in love.” I giggle. I've seen enough people in love to know they change their behavior for a while. It's a sign of a healthy start to a relationship.
If two people don’t get along in the beginning, there's no way they'll make it in the long run. The question is, can they make it through the rough patches?
“So, hypothetically, if you got a long-term boyfriend, would you want him to call you sweetheart ?” There's mischief in Lincoln’s voice, and I'm not sure I want to answer.
“No, I would hope whoever is my long-term boyfriend would know me well enough to pick creative names that fit me a little bit better.”
He chuckles, a low, soothing sound.
“Well, not that I'm volunteering for the position, but I am sure I could come up with a few—like hot-headed, determined, and smarter than she looks.” I smack him with the folder in my hand, and he falls into a fit of laughter. Then his expression turns serious.
“Although, if given time to think, I might come up with a couple like beautiful, mesmerizing, or one of the smartest people I've ever known.”
“That's not a nickname! That’s a description.” I try to dampen the reaction in my cheeks, but I'm aware they are most likely on fire.
“Hey, so are we going to eat any of this food or what?” Quinn asks, breaking up our private little conversation. We'd all but forgotten she and Tommy were just a few feet away, engrossed in their own interaction.
“You couldn't stop me if you wanted to, and right after this, Cassie and I are going to take a trip downtown. That address listed as one of the assets on that sheet you printed, Quinn? It’s on my list of potential addresses.”
My stomach rumbles. I’m starved, and finding Nathan, along with some answers, sounds like a perfect way to end our afternoon.
Link
I glance over at Cassie. Her head lolls against the window, and she has a faraway look in her eyes, staring off into the distance.
“Penny for your thoughts?” I tease, hoping that it will get her to share.
“I was just thinking back on everything Anita said. It is looking like she was right. I mean, I was so quick to shoot it all down, but…” Cassie shakes her head. “Of course, she thought that I was involved. After all, Corey Thornton had a part in getting me hired for my first big TV role. That’s why she was coming for me,” she huffs.
“Why do you look so bothered?” I ask, feeling like there’s more to her mood.
“Because there’s something that doesn't make sense. I don’t know what it is. It’s like when you’re putting together a puzzle, and you have the last five pieces, but they feel like the hardest ones of all.”
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out. You always do.”
I turn down another street.
“Where are you going? This isn't the way.” Cassie frowns, catching on for the first time that we aren’t going straight to the place.
“I’m making sure we aren’t getting followed.” I leave it at that, as I keep taking random turns and going in circles. When I finally pull up to the outskirts of the parking lot of a large warehouse, I sit with the engine running and look all around .
“Okay. Let’s see if he’s actually here.” I get out of the car, moving quickly. I have to call Phineas. I know that his men, who were probably following us, will catch up to us at any moment. I need to be the one to find Nathan for him, to put things to rest once and for all.
We practically run across the parking lot and creep around the back of the building until we can look through the window. It’s a smaller warehouse, and it looks like it’s been abandoned for quite some time. We can see what looks like a living room through the crack in the door. Half of the warehouse has been turned into an apartment. There is a bed, a table, a rustic kitchen, and a couple of scattered boxes of documents.
A young guy about my age is sitting on an old couch, eating a bowl of cereal and watching a TV propped up on a plastic bucket. It’s Nathan Thornton. I know from the pictures I’ve studied since Phineas asked me to find him.
I pull out my phone and snap a picture. I send it to Phineas, along with the address. Then, I shoot off one more text.
He’s here, waiting. I’ve done my part.
A few seconds later, little dots appear on the screen.
Stay put. I’m close by.
My entire body is tingling with anticipation. Part of it is anxiety about what Phineas is going to do to Nathan to get what he wants, but another part of me is full of relief. Relief that I’ve fulfilled my side of the bargain and I’ll soon be putting Phineas in my rearview mirror once and for all.
Cassie’s hand tugs on my arm. “So, did you call the police? Or are we going to question him first?”
“Neither. ”
Confusion, which I very much expected, morphs over her features.
“What do you mean we aren’t going to call them?”
“It doesn't matter. The important part is we found him.” I’d fantasized about questioning Nathan, about asking him the questions I need the answers to, but I stopped myself. If he got away and managed to slip through my fingers, there would be a price to pay with Phineas. It isn't worth it.
It’s selfish and wrong of me, but I care about getting my freedom back—the ability to do what I need to do when I need to—more than figuring out the whole deal with Nathan. Maybe after Phineas has had his crack at him, he’ll allow me to ask my questions. During the last few weeks, I’ve seen a side of Phineas I never expected. There were moments when I thought he was rational. I’m counting on that to possibly help me with what I need.
“We haven’t exactly caught him. He could walk out of that warehouse at any moment and be in the wind again. Are you carrying your gun? We should get in there and ask him some questions.”
I shouldn’t. Phineas would never forgive me for interfering, and we don’t have enough time to get in and out, but Cassie’s giving me that look. She wants this, and I’ve let her down so much lately. A sigh escapes me.
“All right, fine. You go around the back and knock on that back door you see over there. I’ll slip in the front, and we’ll catch him off guard.”
This is a terrible idea, but who knows? Nathan may give us some leverage we can use before Phineas turns up. I suppose we could get lucky .
Cassie
Lincoln is being weird, not that it’s surprising. He’s been weird for a while when it comes to Nathan. At first, he was all about questioning him, and now, not only has he not called the police or anyone else I know of, but he’s not wanting to question Nathan at all.
When he agrees to follow through with trying to force Nathan to answer a question or two, I feel like I’ve won a small victory, but it’s not enough. There’s still so much that I’m unsure about.
I inch forward until I’m at the back door. I draw in a deep breath. Maybe Lincoln just didn't want to risk either of us getting hurt by confronting Nathan on our own.
We’re doing this now. I need to know what I’m missing. Ever since I saw the evidence Quinn was putting together, I had a feeling that the whole angle about the Thorntons being some sort of criminals risking the whole town might actually be true.
If it is, I need an inside look at one of them, and I doubt Meredith would be very helpful. Nathan seems like the person to talk to. After all, he’s clearly on the run, living in this run-down warehouse.
Lifting my hand, I knock as loud as I dare. Someone scuffles inside. I can see Nathan drawing a gun through a tiny hole in the metal. He’s creeping toward me, a look of anger on his face.
Great. This was a terrible idea. He might actually shoot me.
He comes closer and then holds the pistol up.
“Who’s there?” he demands.
“Hi… um, I was told to come to this address with a delivery?” I try to sound uncertain instead of terrified. My heart is thundering in my chest, and I wonder if he can hear it.
His expression falters. I can still see him since there’s still a good three to five feet between us, and the door separates us.
“What sort of delivery?” he asks, his tone suspicious.
“A box? I don’t know what’s inside it. A guy just said to bring it here for a Nate. Are you Nate?” I’m making things up as I go. I think my entire body is shaking. My hand falters as I take a step back. If he shoots through the door, will the metal stop it ?
I see Lincoln letting himself in on the other side of the warehouse. He comes closer and closer. My heart is in my throat now, pulsing with every second. Is he going to get the jump on Nathan?
This is my fault. I suggested confronting him on our own.
“Um, do you want me to leave the box out here or what?” I say, trying to sound annoyed. I want Nathan’s ears on me, his attention on me, as far from Lincoln as it can get.
“I… yeah. Leave it out there in front of the door. Then leave. Don’t ever come back here. Do you understand me?”
“Sure. You know, I don't get paid enough for this.” I take a couple of steps back, trying to make it sound exaggerated without tipping him off that I’m trying to make it obvious I’m leaving.
Lincoln reaches him and presses his own gun to his back.
“I’d put that down if I were you,” he demands. His voice, determined and sure of himself, sends a wave of relief through me so intense I almost collapse from it .
I pull open the back door and let myself in as Lincoln sits Nathan on a nearby chair. He grabs odds and ends from around the place to tie him up. A tie holds his hands behind his back, and some kitchen towels tied together make a decent restraint for the rest of his body.
“Who are you guys? Who do you work with?” Nathan’s voice raises in pitch. “Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you.”
Lincoln looks over at me, a look of something I can’t quite decipher on his face, before he opens his mouth and sends a knife through my chest.
“I work for Phineas and he’s going to be here any minute, so unless you can give me a good reason why not to leave you at his mercy, I’m going to leave you here for him like a present.”
Nathan’s face pales.
“No! You can’t leave me here for him. Do you know what he’ll do to me? He’ll kill me when he gets what he wants. I have evidence against him, against my family, against the whole group. I can give you secrets far more valuable than whatever Phineas is offering you.”
“What did you just say?” I demand, feeling the blood drain from my face. There's no way he’s working for Phineas, not really. It has to be some sort of a joke.
Lincoln’s expression is dead serious. He flashes me a look, and it’s full of remorse. I can’t tell if it’s remorse at being caught or at what he did.
“I’m sorry, Cassie.”
“Let’s leave before he gets here. I promise I’ll cooperate.” Nathan is continuing to plead with us.
Lincoln runs a hand over his face, uncertainty all over his features .
“What are you waiting for? We should help him. You know Phineas and his reputation.” Why isn’t he doing anything or even negotiating with Nathan? He’s offering cooperation.
Lincoln shakes his head. “It’s complicated, Cassie, we can’t?—”
“Can’t or won’t? What happened to doing the right thing? My dad taught us both that. Come on, Lincoln. Let’s go.”
Lincoln’s shoulders fall with a slight nod, and he steps closer to Nathan, reaching for his restraints just as the sound of a car pulling up outside makes us all freeze.
“We’re too late.” Lincoln straightens and his jaw ticks just as Phineas steps into the warehouse.
I must be dreaming. He really did call someone. It wasn't the police, or Quinn, or anyone to help us. It was Phineas. He wears a white suit, complete with a pink handkerchief poking out of his pocket, and white boots with zebra stripes. His grin is wide and full of glee, like a child getting the Christmas present they requested.
“Lincoln, you did good, just as promised.” He chuckles. “And Nathan, weren’t you a tricky fellow to find? Now, let’s get down to business.”
My heart squeezes, and I fight the tears pressing against the backs of my eyes. Lincoln is working for Phineas. He’s not scouting him out or whatever nonsense I made myself believe. He’s working under him, doing a job for him, and he roped me and Quinn into doing it with him.
I think I’m going to be sick.