Total pages in book: 147
Estimated words: 137176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Cass took another few swallows from the bottle of water. Thankfully, Sully had remained silent.
“I figured maybe they were trying to keep Mother Ashby’s illness a secret from the rest of the family,” Cass added.
“Who do you mean by they?”
“My father and Renly. My father because he would rather see her locked behind closed doors for the rest of her life than tarnish the Ashby name by announcing that one of the country’s most beloved philanthropists was losing her mind. Renly, he would have done it out of loyalty.”
The bitter way Cass talked about his father and the man’s treatment of his own mother told me he was still locked in denial about several important facts.
“There were no security guards today, either,” I pointed out. “The guard at the gate saw you what, a week ago? You said he spent a lot of time on the phone talking to someone before he opened the gate for you last time. He did the same thing this time. Do you know why he was stalling?”
“Stalling?” Cass asked in surprise. It was the first sign of emotion in his voice.
“It made sense for that first call to take so long if Renly or whoever was in charge of security for the estate needed to call your father to determine whether or not to let you through. Maybe they were having trouble finding the right person who was authorized to make those kinds of decisions. But to do the same thing a week later after you had already proven you weren’t a threat to your grandmother? You said Renly left you alone with her on the first visit. If he wasn’t worried about leaving her alone with you, why wouldn’t he have told whoever was in charge that you could just be waved through the gate the next time you visited? Why didn’t he give you an opener for the gate?”
Cass went silent for several minutes. I could see Sully was getting impatient because he just wanted answers, but I knew this was something Cass needed to do. He needed to think. He needed to put aside the event that had triggered his breakdown and focus on one question at a time. It was easier said than done.
I sent Sully a warning look.
“Renly stayed,” Cass said softly. “He stayed this time when I… we were there with her.”
“But he left you alone with your grandmother on the first visit. Do you think he stayed this time because I was with you, and he thought I might be a threat to her?”
He was quiet for several long beats. Instead of answering my question, he said, “Renly never served the tea before. Not once from the time I was a kid. He never brought it, either. A maid usually did all of that. And you… Owen recognized you. I heard him say your name when he was talking on the phone. He should have checked your ID no matter what. And security guards should have been waiting for us at the house to check whether you were carrying any weapons, especially since you used to be a cop. My word wouldn’t have been enough to get you through. At least one security guard should have been with us at all times. That was always the policy when nonfamily members visited. The only person the rule didn’t apply to was my father.”
“Did Renly have the power to tell the security team to stand down?” I asked.
Cass shook his head. “No, not in the past, anyway. I guess maybe things could be different now.”
“Let’s assume that for whatever reason, Renly didn’t tell your father about your first visit with your grandmother, okay? There might not have been any security guards, but there were still a number of people working at the estate when we got there. Most of them probably recognized you. They wouldn’t have cared that you were an Ashby. Several of them probably would have only seen you as a multiple murderer who got off on a technicality. Isn’t it strange that none of them called 911 out of fear for themselves or your grandmother?” I asked. “When we were there yesterday, none of the maids looked at you and me directly, but they also didn’t shy away from you. They seemed tense around Renly, though. Did you notice that?”
Cass didn’t answer me. His agitation began to build. I didn’t try to stop him when he began to pick at his skin again and tapped his foot more quickly. They were the only coping mechanisms that were keeping him as calm as possible, given the circumstances. As much as I hated to do it, I knew I needed to fast-forward things.
“Your grandmother looked and acted the same way today as she did the last time you visited, right?” I asked.