But if he is, I still doubt that has anything to do with his determination to have you here."
"And it couldn't be anything as healthy as simply missing his family." Cass stared down at the desk, her voice neutral. It didn't hurt. She'd stopped letting Sean hurt her years ago.
"I don't think so. If it were, he would have made some effort to get Francesca back here as well. You know he dotes on the child."
"I know," Cass said, stifling her unreasoning sense of jealousy. She adored her baby sister, as did they all. She just wished there'd been a time when Sean had thought she was as bright and quick and wonderful. "And just when did Sean come up with the notion that he needed me here? I don't suppose it happened to coincide with Richard Tiernan's release from jail?"
"What was the reason he gave you for wanting you here?"
"To help him on the Tiernan book. He says he's never done nonfiction before, that it's too detailed for his creative brain, and he needs some editorial help."
"And you believe him?" Mabry asked.
Cassie didn't hesitate. "Not for a moment. Sean isn't the kind of person who asks for help, and I'm the last person he'd come to if he was forced to admit he needs it. As for details and facts, when has Sean ever troubled himself about them?"
"He's got a reason for having you here, Cassie. And I don't like it. I don't trust him, or his infatuation with Tiernan's case."
"What do you mean, infatuation?"
"He's obsessed by it. And by Richard himself. He's got more passion, more interest in his work than he's had in years, and it's all due to a horrifying crime. It's bad enough that Sean is living and breathing murder. I don't want you dragged into it as well."
"You think he did it," Cass said flatly. "You really believe Richard Tiernan slaughtered his family. How in God's name can you bear to have him in the house? To talk to him?"
"I didn't say I thought he did it," Mabry said, tossing her famous head of hair.
"Then if you don't…"
"I didn't say that, either. I don't know what to believe. All you have to do is look into Richard Tiernan's eyes and you see things you wished you never had to. The kind of things that will haunt you."
Cassidy felt an answering chill run down her spine. Mabry was the least fanciful human being Cass knew. It was her serenity, her ability to accept things at face value, that made her so restful, and so important to Sean. If she could see ghosts in Richard Tiernan's dark eyes, then ghosts were most definitely there.
She needed to leave. Turn her back on her father the first time he really seemed to need her, and run for safety.
If only she could.
"You've been married to Sean for almost ten years. Surely you know by now there's no getting him to say anything he doesn't want to. I'm sure he'll reveal his master plan for me in his own good time," Cass said with deceptive ease.
Mabry just looked at her. "You're right, of course. I only hope that he gets around to it before too much time passes. Before it's too late."
Cassidy rose abruptly, needing sunshine, fresh air, smiling faces. She was unlikely to find any of those three commodities in Manhattan. Any more than she was likely to find safety.
"Too late for what, Mabry?"
Mabry shook her head. "I don't know, Cass. I just have a bad feeling about this. And it's only going to get worse."
Richard was lying in the darkened room, stretched once more on the bed that had belonged to one of Sean's children. He never slept much—a few hours here and there, but when the wheels started spinning too quickly, when the lights grew too bright and the pain started, then he had no choice but to shut himself away. He couldn't face anyone right now. Not and be sure he could keep controlling the darkness, the fury that coursed through him.
Sean wasn't the kind of man who paid attention to closed doors. The murky light of the hallway threaded into the room as he stood there, his stocky figure filling the frame. Beyond him the apartment was
"And it couldn't be anything as healthy as simply missing his family." Cass stared down at the desk, her voice neutral. It didn't hurt. She'd stopped letting Sean hurt her years ago.
"I don't think so. If it were, he would have made some effort to get Francesca back here as well. You know he dotes on the child."
"I know," Cass said, stifling her unreasoning sense of jealousy. She adored her baby sister, as did they all. She just wished there'd been a time when Sean had thought she was as bright and quick and wonderful. "And just when did Sean come up with the notion that he needed me here? I don't suppose it happened to coincide with Richard Tiernan's release from jail?"
"What was the reason he gave you for wanting you here?"
"To help him on the Tiernan book. He says he's never done nonfiction before, that it's too detailed for his creative brain, and he needs some editorial help."
"And you believe him?" Mabry asked.
Cassie didn't hesitate. "Not for a moment. Sean isn't the kind of person who asks for help, and I'm the last person he'd come to if he was forced to admit he needs it. As for details and facts, when has Sean ever troubled himself about them?"
"He's got a reason for having you here, Cassie. And I don't like it. I don't trust him, or his infatuation with Tiernan's case."
"What do you mean, infatuation?"
"He's obsessed by it. And by Richard himself. He's got more passion, more interest in his work than he's had in years, and it's all due to a horrifying crime. It's bad enough that Sean is living and breathing murder. I don't want you dragged into it as well."
"You think he did it," Cass said flatly. "You really believe Richard Tiernan slaughtered his family. How in God's name can you bear to have him in the house? To talk to him?"
"I didn't say I thought he did it," Mabry said, tossing her famous head of hair.
"Then if you don't…"
"I didn't say that, either. I don't know what to believe. All you have to do is look into Richard Tiernan's eyes and you see things you wished you never had to. The kind of things that will haunt you."
Cassidy felt an answering chill run down her spine. Mabry was the least fanciful human being Cass knew. It was her serenity, her ability to accept things at face value, that made her so restful, and so important to Sean. If she could see ghosts in Richard Tiernan's dark eyes, then ghosts were most definitely there.
She needed to leave. Turn her back on her father the first time he really seemed to need her, and run for safety.
If only she could.
"You've been married to Sean for almost ten years. Surely you know by now there's no getting him to say anything he doesn't want to. I'm sure he'll reveal his master plan for me in his own good time," Cass said with deceptive ease.
Mabry just looked at her. "You're right, of course. I only hope that he gets around to it before too much time passes. Before it's too late."
Cassidy rose abruptly, needing sunshine, fresh air, smiling faces. She was unlikely to find any of those three commodities in Manhattan. Any more than she was likely to find safety.
"Too late for what, Mabry?"
Mabry shook her head. "I don't know, Cass. I just have a bad feeling about this. And it's only going to get worse."
Richard was lying in the darkened room, stretched once more on the bed that had belonged to one of Sean's children. He never slept much—a few hours here and there, but when the wheels started spinning too quickly, when the lights grew too bright and the pain started, then he had no choice but to shut himself away. He couldn't face anyone right now. Not and be sure he could keep controlling the darkness, the fury that coursed through him.
Sean wasn't the kind of man who paid attention to closed doors. The murky light of the hallway threaded into the room as he stood there, his stocky figure filling the frame. Beyond him the apartment was
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