Chapter 25
Link
I'm carrying out the last tray of snacks right behind Cassie when my phone rings. I check the caller ID. Great, he’s calling me. That can’t mean anything good.
"Phineas, where are you?" I hiss into the phone. "You're making me look bad here." What did I expect?
Phineas chuckles on the other side of the line. "Patience, Lincoln, I know it's never been your strong suit, but I’m sure you could muster up a little just this once."
I missed my chance. I should have called in backup and the police when I had him at his apartment the night before. Then again, it wouldn’t have done any good. Phineas is crazy good at avoiding having any evidence tied to him.
"Come on, Phineas. Where are you?" I prompt, a bad feeling settling in my gut.
"Here and there, everywhere," Phineas taunts. "Did Agent Sutton show up? He's a very punctual guy, you know, sometimes even a bit early, if you know what I mean. He keeps me on my toes. I have to say, we had a very nice working relationship."
More like a cat-and-mouse relationship, with a very clever mouse who knew how to play the game. I feel like I’ve been around the same rodeo. I can see Alex setting up meetings and waiting in the shadows with hundreds of agents ready to catch Phineas only for him not to show up.
"Come on, Phineas, level with me. Where are you?" I'm starting to realize what he’s up to. He's not going to show up. I don’t blame him. Showing up was probably the worst thing he could do for himself, and it’s pretty clear that Lorraine is his priority now.
"Where am I?" Phineas asks. "That is such a good question. You know, if there was anyone I would tell, it would be you, Lincoln, but I'm afraid I can't do that. I've invested too much for the venue, and Lorraine is in love with it."
"You left the country, didn't you?" My chest tightens, and for a half second, it almost feels like relief. What is wrong with me?
"You said you would meet with us, with Alex, to discuss the Thornton family. You lied to me." It is a weak argument, and we both know it.
" Did I lie to you? I said I would discuss the Thornton situation. If you'd put me on the phone with Alex, I would be happy to answer his questions. Of course, I think you and your team can answer what he needs to know." I can picture his smug smile. “You’re in great hands. Alex will fix you right up with everything you need.”
"That's not the point." Letting me capture him and put him behind bars so I could justify working by his side for the past couple of weeks would have been pretty nice.
"Lincoln, don't you think I suspected you would try to trap me? When I said you're very similar to Alex, I meant it in every way. There was no way I would show up to that meeting and walk out, and I couldn't do that to Lorraine. I don't think you really wanted me to do that to Lorraine, did you?"
How sweet of him. Thinking of his fiancé. But where does that put me?
"I suppose not." That part is true. Lorraine is happy with Phineas, and as far as I can tell, she’s a normal woman, someone who deserves happiness. But why did she have to pick Phineas, of all people?
"Well then, there you have it. I'm glad we understand each other. I have to get going because the wedding is about to start, but I have to say, it would have been nicer if you could have been here as my best man. It would have been a blast."
I laugh, imagining the idea of me standing beside Phineas as he marries Lorraine. In an idyllic world, perhaps it could have been possible, but not for us, not with our relationship.
"I'll see you next time you're in town, Phineas," I say, "and thank you for the help with Alex. It looks like he may come through, after all."
"I knew he would. He's a solid chap, besides being with the FBI and all."
"I never did ask—what did you do to get involved with the FBI?" It looks like there's more to Phineas’s past that I have no idea about.
"That's a story for another day," Phineas sighs. "It may be a while till we talk again, so be safe, Lincoln." Does he actually mean that? Strangely, it sounds like he does.
He ends the call before I can say anything else. He's out of my life, at least for the moment and maybe for good, and I have no idea why I'm feeling a little bit nostalgic and just a little sad. I never expected to work well with Phineas, but we found our rhythm. Maybe, in another universe, he would have been right about us being able to be friends.
I gather up the drinks and step into the living room. It’s time to focus on the present and what we can get done without worrying about Phineas. That ship has sailed, quite literally. Everybody looks up from what they're doing.
"Who called?" Cassie asks me, a knowing look in her eye. She’s already figured it out. That's how smart she is. I should save my admiration for later and keep my staring to myself, especially when we have company. I drag my eyes away and address the group.
"It was Phineas. He's not going to show."
"Surprise, surprise," Alex says with a sigh, "but lucky for all of you, you actually have a case that makes sense."
"We can't just bring this down on the town," Cassie says. "We have to come up with something better.”
“Do you have any suggestions?" Alex tilts his head and looks around at the group. He might have wanted Phineas, but it seems like he’s willing to settle for what we have to offer. I set the drinks down in the middle of the table and pull up a chair, scooting myself as close to Cassie as I can get, invading her personal space. I think she’s about to protest, but her attention shifts to Alex instead.
"I have a couple of ideas," Cassie says, "if you're interested."
Alex arches an eyebrow.“I’d love to hear them.”
Cassie gives an uncertain smile, leaning in a bit. "What if we approach the Thornton family and get them to give the ownership of their businesses over to other people at a minimal price so the job market in town won't be affected? The people who have invested in the scheme will still lose everything, but at least it won't hurt the everyday families."
Alex nods silently for a few long seconds.
"My team will have to review all of the evidence you've gathered, but it looks promising. Once we establish it's what we're looking for, we can work with you to transfer the businesses. Of course, it will take some negotiating with the Thornton family. But I think it's a good idea."
"What if they refuse to do it?" Cassie asks, her big green eyes wide with worry. She's taking this case much too personally. It strikes close to home because of all the people we know in town and how much they will suffer when they lose everything, including their jobs, their savings, and their future.
"If they refuse, I'm sure we can offer them a couple of things. But of course, they may decide not to take our offer. In that case, we'll have to prosecute them regardless of the consequences. But from my experience with cases like these, they'll negotiate, and we'll win and lose a couple of battles."
"What about me?" Nathan pipes up.
Alex turns his gaze to Nathan with a bored expression.
"What about you?" he deadpans .
Alex is well aware that Nathan has already given us most of his leverage and probably doesn’t have much more to offer. He sure didn’t consider the potential of negotiating as much as he should have, or at least, that’s the image he gave off. I guess none of us really know what he’s up to.
"Yeah, like… I'm not going to jail with the rest of my family or anything, right?" Nathan looks around the room, a sudden frantic look on his face. Does he expect us to include his freedom in negotiations?
"You're going to jail. How long you stay is up to you. I'm sure there'll be a deal for you since you're the first one to come forward. But don't think it'll get you out of everything." Alex shrugs as if it’s just another part of the case, no big deal.
I think I almost hear sympathy in Alex’s voice. In all honesty, Nathan has helped us out, and without him, I don’t think we’d have a case. It’s a shame he couldn’t be spared jail. I’d hate to be him, potentially running into family he betrayed on the inside.
Nathan's expression falls, but not for long. A smug expression takes over his face as he smiles pacifically at Alex. There’s the Nathan we’ve come to know. Always with a card up his sleeve and never as helpless as he seems.
“Of course, I expected as much, which is why I kept a couple of secrets close to my chest. Working with a family like the Thorntons, you discover things, you know? But if I’m going to be behind bars, there’s no use in making any more enemies than I already have.”
Alex’s gaze narrows. Nathan’s reeling him in. He knows it, but he also knows that there could be something there he can’t ignore .
“What do you mean?”
“I’m just saying I don’t want to end up in jail, and I’m willing to make it worth your while. This is only the tip of the iceberg, but if you want to take that risk and lock me up, it’s up to you.”
Alex’s face turns red, and I have a feeling Nathan is close to rivaling the frustrations he experiences with Phineas. I expected him to negotiate until the very last minute and get everything he possibly can. That’s Alex’s problem, though. They’ll have to figure it out between the two of them.
“We’ll speak later,” Alex promises.
“I’m sure we will.” Nathan folds his arms over his chest and leans back in his chair as if his work is done for the moment.
Cassie speaks up, breaking the awkward silence and pulling us all back to the case at hand.
“I can use some of my old connections from Hollywood, and once all this comes out, we could do some sort of event to bring awareness to everything good about the town. Maybe we could drive up commerce and tourism right after it all happens to help balance some of the damage when they are exposed.”
Alex nods as if he’s as invested as the rest of us. Even so, he still casts the occasional glance in Nathan’s direction. His wheels are turning.
When Cassie finishes speaking, Alex sits up straighter and types a couple of things into his phone.
“It’s going to be a long road, and I want everyone to be aware of the fact that it’s going to take a lot of work. For now, I will take custody of Nathan and the evidence. Tomorrow, we can meet at your office and discuss this more.” Alex stands, and I notice relieved looks on Cassie and Quinn’s faces. They want to be out of this meeting as much as I do. I think we’ve all had a pretty long night.
Thankfully, Alex is taking Nathan. Another night with him sleeping on the floor sounds miserable. I want him off my hands, considering Preston is most likely still searching for him. Phineas never did say how he got Preston off his back. Chances are, Preston is trying to get as far away from his family’s dealings as possible if he has any inkling that Nathan has turned on the family, which wouldn’t be hard to find out at this point.
My attention settles on Cassie especially. I want to talk to her. I want things to change between us, to…move forward. How can I even think about that after everything I’ve put her through? The chances of her having even an inkling of feeling left for me after this is close to zero.
Cassie
I rub sleep from my eyes as I pad into the kitchen, pulling my robe tighter around me.
After the meeting with Alex yesterday, we hung around the house all day, brainstorming different ideas. By the time evening came about, I invited Quinn to spend the night. I figured having her around would be fun while we wait for a verdict. We didn’t braid each other’s hair or share scary stories, but knowing I had a friend over was somehow comforting.
I always thought having friends over for a sleepover would be a lot of fun. As a kid, I wasn’t popular enough to have many friends wanting to sleep over. I’m not about to admit to Quinn that this is the first time I’ve had someone stay over. Once I became famous because of my TV show, plenty of people would have happily stayed over, but I was always too afraid of it being for the wrong reasons. I was popular then but, ironically, still isolated, if not more so than ever.
Alex said he was discussing things with his superiors and would have an answer for us today about how much he can offer the Thorntons and what the action plan will be moving forward. I’d be lying if I said I’m not completely frazzled and my nerves are a mess.
What if his superiors don’t think it’s worth the extra resources to draw the whole thing out? We’re taking a risk, trusting the government and these agencies to make the decision, especially since it probably wouldn’t make a lot of difference to them if this town still loses all of its financial structure.
Quinn is already in the kitchen, moving pots and pans around and flipping pancakes. Mixing bowls are scattered over the counter, some with pancake batter and some with eggs dribbling down the side.
It’s a sight I haven’t seen in our kitchen for a long time.
“The trick to a clean kitchen is tidying as you go,” Dad used to say.
"Good morning, Quinn," I say, resting my elbows on the counter.
"Morning." She smiles brightly, her curly hair poking about every which way as if it hasn't been styled in weeks. I suppose I should be grateful I don't have curly hair. I've heard it's a mess to take care of, though mine is a bit wavy, and I like not having to run a curling iron through it just to style it .
"Are you cooking for an army?" I ask.
"No." She looks at me sheepishly. "I might have invited Tommy over for breakfast... and Lincoln too."
"You didn't." I almost groan out loud.
I haven’t had a solid moment alone with Lincoln since I found out he was working with Phineas, not the amount of time we’d need to have the uncomfortable conversation that is for sure coming. There’s been so much happening. At some point, all of our feelings will explode and force us to have the conversation we've been avoiding like the plague.
"Yes, I mean, Lincoln's part of the team, and he's probably going to need a big breakfast to hold him through waiting for news, just like both of us."
"And what about Tommy?" I raise my eyebrows, being just a bit petty.
She pushes her glasses up on her nose sheepishly."Well, I hope he can be part of the team at some point."
"What would he do for the team?" I ask, a bit incredulously.
It's strange how we've come from being individual people to a team in the last few months. But it's true. It feels like Quinn, Lincoln, and I are this little bubble of crime fighters and investigators; bringing someone new in feels strange. Maybe it’s just because I don’t know Tommy all that well.
"He could help us with our finances and marketing. I could use help managing our finances, and we could take on more clients if we had someone familiar with accounting. He also has some great ideas for marketing. Try to keep an open mind. It's not like any of us were particularly trained for this job. "
If I didn’t know better, I’d think Quinn’s been rehearsing her argument for a while.
Quinn takes off another six pancakes from all the skillets she has spread across my stovetop. "What about you, you know? Now that the Thornton family will be removed from Hollywood and most likely spend the rest of their lives in jail, couldn't you technically go back to acting?"
Clever. She’s changing the subject to avoid us disagreeing about Tommy. I’ll oblige because I’m not sure I have a lot of strong points to oppose Tommy’s involvement anyway.
"I suppose I could go back to acting." I sigh and sit down at the island on one of the high stools my dad used to love.
"Do you want to?" Quinn urges in a kind voice.
"I really don't know. I put so much work into building up my acting career and making a name for myself that walking away from it forever seems too final. But at the same time, there's the PI office and... Lincoln."
"Ah, Lincoln." Quinn's face fills with mischief. "What are you going to do about him, by the way? He's been looking at you like a lost puppy for the past couple of days."
"He has not," I protest, grabbing one of the pancakes and stuffing it in my mouth. Mmm, she even added blueberries.
"He has too! Everyone can see how the two of you look at each other, and you can barely keep your claws to yourself when you disagree on anything. I think the two of you should call it a day and just date already. I'm pretty sure it's obvious both of you want it. "
"Even if I did want it," I hold up my hand, "and I'm not saying I do; how would that even work? How could I trust him? Isn't the basis of a relationship trust?"
"That's true," Quinn heaves a big sigh. "But it's a shame. The two of you would be great together.” She pauses. “Unless, of course, you’re not, and it would be a disaster.”
“See? That’s a good reason not to give it a chance right there.” I smack my forehead with my hand.
She giggles.
“Haven’t you heard that there’s no reward without a risk? I believe in true love, even if it is with your partner. I think it’s ok to be a bit messy, even if it doesn’t work out.” She stares off dreamily for a moment.
"I'm not saying it could never happen, but I just... I don't know. I like him, I really do. Maybe I even like him a little more than just liking, if you know what I mean."
"I know what you mean." Quinn winks and flips a pancake so high I think it might hit the top of the stove fan. It misses by half an inch.
"I just don't know how to trust him again," I say softly. I've been turning the idea over in my head all night. "He lied and went behind our backs working with Phineas. In the end, he didn't even get what he intended to get from it. Not really. Phineas is in the wind."
"You know those things can be talked about, and you can come back from them," Quinn says hopefully. "Don't write him off just because he made a few mistakes."
"I'm not writing him off," I say sadly. "I'm just not sure where I stand right now, on my career or Lincoln."
"Understandable." She grabs a plate and some syrup and slides them over to me. "Why don't you help yourself before the guys arrive? After all, once they do get here, all bets are off on how much will be left."
"Thanks." I pile on three pancakes and slather them in maple syrup. "I should invite you to stay over more often." I gulp down a couple of bites. My dad used to make pancakes. It was his special dish.
"This is delicious,” I manage to say around my mouth full of pancakes.
“You have an amazing kitchen. It's a cook's dream." She giggles. “This was no work at all.”
“You can count on me for the dishes," I say. "The cook shouldn't have to clean up. That was my dad's rule."
"That is a pretty good rule." Quinn grabs a stool and scoots up on the opposite side of me with her plate of pancakes, and our conversation shifts over to our favorite foods, TV shows, and other silly silence fillers. It’s perfect, and I wish Quinn could know how much it means to me.
Quinn is like the sister I never had, and it still surprises me how well we get along for barely having known each other that long.
I hope that doesn’t change with her and Tommy being an item now. What if she gets so busy with him that she doesn’t have time for me or Lincoln anymore? I’m being selfish but can’t help my pesky thoughts.
She’s right about me being able to go back to acting, but I’m surprised at how little I’m even considering the option. This is my home; I’ve realized that more than ever lately. Soon, I’ll have to talk things out with Lincoln, which might change things.
The result of that conversation terrifies me, and I’m still not quite sure how I want that to turn out.