Chapter 19
CAMERON
‘I’m going to be late,’ Izzi said as she jumped out of Cameron’s truck.
It had taken longer to collect the pumpkins and drop them at the school than they’d been expecting and he’d noticed Izzi checking her watch multiple times on the drive back, tapping her fingertips impatiently on her knees.
Knew she was probably worried about making her ‘appointment’ on time.
Cameron watched as she raced to the house and he hung back, letting Cupcake out of the car as his mobile went off. He pulled it from his pocket expecting to see his mom’s name on the screen and was relieved when he realised it was Scott.
‘Everything okay?’ he asked pacing the driveway, keeping his eye on the gate that led to the garden as he waited for Izzi to return because he wanted to see her off.
‘Aye, we got a booking for the hotel today which is a relief because it’s been very quiet – and zero mystery women turned up expecting to interview for a job, so I’ll call that a win,’ Scott said.
‘I’m just calling because I had a customer come in just now – no one we know – but we were talking about you.
’ He paused. ‘By the way, don’t let that go to your head, they’re just looking for a reliable builder.
I told them you were ugly but did passable work,’ he joked.
‘Thanks a lot,’ Cameron said sarcastically.
‘Anyway, turns out they’re friends with someone who knew Sophie and when I say knew, she gave them a sob story about her grandmother’s care home and borrowed money, promising to pay it back. Then she disappeared,’ Scott filled in. ‘Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?’
‘Yep,’ Cameron said, wondering how many people his ex-partner had conned over the years. He drew some comfort from it not just being him. ‘And?’
‘You’re right, there is an “and”,’ Scott said. ‘The details were scant, but what’s important is they told me Sophie was spotted earlier this week.’
‘Where?’ Cameron asked, gripping his mobile tighter. It was the first sighting he’d heard of – the first chance to track her down.
He had no idea what he’d do when he found Sophie, but hopefully he could at least get his grandma’s money back.
He knew Maud would accept it from his ex-partner, just not from him, and he wanted to do what he could to put things right.
The Halloween festival was one thing, but replacing his grandma’s life savings was quite another.
He was worried about her – worried it wasn’t just their time away in New Orleans that had been affected by Sophie’s lies.
That it might be the café too. That somehow he might be responsible for his grandma’s business struggling. Not that she’d tell him even if it was.
‘Apparently, someone saw her in a library in Lockton,’ Scott explained. ‘It’s not much of a lead, but I thought I’d let you know in case you wanted to drive up there. I can’t join you tonight, but I’m free tomorrow.’
Cameron pulled a face. He had a date with Izzi tomorrow and didn’t want to break it.
‘I might head over later,’ he said.
‘The library will be shut,’ Scott told him.
Cameron grunted. ‘I can still take a walk around the village. It’s the best chance I have of finding her and I can always go back.
’ It would be a good hour and a half round trip, but it was worth a shot.
He was responsible for his grandma’s troubles and he had to do what he could to put things right.
‘Thanks for the heads up, I’ll keep you posted,’ he said, hanging up before Scott could try to talk him out of it.
A couple of minutes later, Izzi emerged from the side gate. She’d put her hair into a ponytail and had changed into her tawny coat again – although Cameron was relieved to see she hadn’t gone all out with her make-up. Whoever she was meeting didn’t warrant that at least.
‘You didn’t need to wait,’ she said, grinning, walking closer so she could give him a long kiss on the mouth as Cupcake skidded to a stop beside them.
‘I thought I’d see you off,’ he said, nodding at her car. ‘Make sure everything’s okay.’
‘That’s…’ Her eyes filled and he held up a palm.
‘This is a tear-free zone,’ he said firmly as his stomach clutched. ‘If I see a single one, I’m going to tell you that I’ll never see you off again.’ He kept his tone light so she knew he was teasing.
It worked because she gave him a crooked smile. ‘I’m not crying about that. The tears are because I went to say goodbye to your oven and got emotional.’ She glanced at her car. ‘I shouldn’t be long. I can cook for us when I get back.’
He shook his head. ‘I’ll sort something. I might be going out too.’ He’d probably make a sandwich before he left for Lockton. ‘I can make you something if you like?’ he offered, giving her a wry smile.
‘No thanks.’ Her eyes widened. ‘I’d like you to survive beyond this evening. I think the La Cornue would too.’ He laughed, enjoying their back and forth, the odd intimacy of their conversation and how easy he found being around her now. ‘I’d better go.’ She reluctantly glanced at the car.
Cameron jerked his chin, forcing himself not to ask Izzi where she was going. Instead, he followed and watched as she got in the driver’s seat and made herself comfortable. But when she twisted the key in the ignition, there was no rumble of an engine; he just heard a clicking sound.
Izzi tried again before opening the car door. ‘It won’t start. Maybe the battery’s dead,’ she stammered, jumping out and racing to the front. ‘I should have checked it this morning.’ She sounded annoyed.
Cameron watched her fiddle with the lock on the bonnet. ‘I’ve not driven for a while and it’s been raining. My car hates the rain,’ she said, her voice thready. ‘I knew that. I’m an idiot.’ She jerked the bonnet open and let out a sharp exhale. ‘I don’t believe it!’
‘What?’ Cameron went to join her and his jaw dropped.
Because sitting on top of the car’s engine bay were two tiny, coal-black kittens…
‘Where did they come from?’ Izzi asked in a hushed tone, looking around. Cupcake bounded up to take a look and immediately started barking.
‘Stop!’ Cameron commanded and the dog settled, but he still looked unhappy.
He stroked Cupcake’s head. ‘There must have been a pregnant cat around here. I’ve heard of this happening before, the cat somehow manages to climb into the engine from under the wheel arch.
I suppose it’s warmish, dry and they’re protected from any predators.
Thank goodness your battery was flat or you wouldn’t have known. ’
‘Not until it was too late.’ Izzi shuddered.
‘I wonder…’ She glanced towards the garden, before her attention shot to her watch.
‘Dammit, I’m going to be really late,’ she said, sounding upset.
‘I’ve got no way of getting to my appointment and no way of getting in touch with the person I’m meeting with either. ’
‘Why?’ Cameron asked.
She pulled a face. ‘They didn’t give me a phone number. Maybe I can call an Uber?’ She ripped her mobile from her pocket and frantically began to search for the right app.
Cameron almost laughed – would have if Izzi didn’t look so anxious. ‘You’re not going to get an Uber out here,’ he said gently. ‘You’re not in London. We’ve got a taxi service, but you have to book that in advance.’
She gulped and her eyes filled again – only now the tears looked real and dangerously close to falling. ‘What am I going to do?’ she asked as dismay coloured every word.
‘I’ll drive you,’ he offered.
Izzi chewed her bottom lip as she considered. ‘The thing is—’ She sighed. ‘I know this sounds bad, but I wasn’t supposed to tell anybody about this meeting and I definitely wasn’t supposed to take anyone with me.’
‘Right,’ Cameron said slowly, fighting the urge to ask what the hell was going on.
He was supposed to be trusting Izzi, not interrogating her, but suddenly he was very grateful her car wouldn’t start.
Because he wasn’t about to let her go alone to an appointment with someone who wanted to meet in secret.
It sounded like something out of a nightmare.
‘Where are you supposed to be going?’ he asked. If he drove Izzi, he wouldn’t make it to Lockton tonight, but that was okay. There was always the day after tomorrow – and maybe Scott would be free to go along. Another pair of eyes would be useful.
Izzi mulled the question before her shoulders sagged. ‘The Cosy Badger pub in Carnferry,’ she admitted with a sigh. ‘But if you drive me, you’re not going to be able to come in. I’m really sorry. I should be able to explain everything after I’ve met them. I just need to—’
‘It’s fine,’ he said. It wasn’t, but it was going to have to be.
Izzi looked upset and he didn’t want to make things worse.
She clearly had her reasons, and he was going to have to try to accept them.
‘How about I wait outside the pub in the truck? he said. ‘They won’t even know I’m there and I promise I won’t come in.
’ It would cost him, but Cameron kept his promises.
Izzi’s smile was grateful. ‘Thank you. I know this is above and beyond and you deserve an explanation. I just—’ She heaved in a breath.
‘Need to meet them before I can give you one.’ Her attention suddenly shot to the kittens and she frowned.
‘What are we going to do with them, we can’t leave them here? ’ She sounded panicked.
‘I’ll call my grandma on the way,’ Cameron soothed as he carefully closed the bonnet, making sure the lock didn’t engage so it would be easier to open again.
‘We’ll leave the car unlocked and I’ll ask if she can come and pick them up.
Maybe she’ll be able to find the mom and if she doesn’t, we’ll check tomorrow.
’ He glanced around, but it was too dark now to see much.
If a cat was crouching somewhere waiting for them to leave, he couldn’t see it.
‘We’ll take Cupcake with us – the kittens will be safe here for a while. I’ll see if my grandma can take them home with her to make sure. She used to have cats, she’s probably got all the stuff.’ He frowned at Cupcake. ‘I don’t think it’s a good idea for them to stay here.’
‘Thank you.’ Izzi reached out and grasped his arm. ‘For everything. I promise I’ll tell you what’s been going on. I just need…’
‘I hear you. You need to speak to whoever you’re meeting first,’ Cameron finished, hoping Izzi meant what she’d said and that whatever she was about to do wasn’t going to backfire on both of them.