Cara lashed out in an effort to avoid articulating the horror. ‘It wasn’t so long ago that you were happy to blame me—’
Vicenzo stood, colour surging into his cheeks. ‘Yes, I did. But I was wrong. And I did so because I was grief stricken and because I thought you were just like your brother.’
Cara blanched, all the fight draining out of her.
Vicenzo came and took her hands and led her back to the couch. ‘Cara, if you don’t tell someone what happened that night then you’ll never be free of it.’
‘But don’t you see?’ She could feel a sob rising. ‘I won’t ever be free of it… If I hadn’t been there, if I hadn’t felt like I had to be watching out for your sister and my brother…’
His hands tightened on hers. ‘Tell me, Cara. I deserve to know what happened to my sister.’
How could she deny him this? Cara looked at him through a veil of tears. She began to slowly and haltingly explain how Cormac and Allegra had been in the apartment that night. She had cooked dinner for them, and then heard Cormac on the phone, making arrangements to go into town to the club. It had been Cara’s night off, and for once Cormac wasn’t making her drive them in because he had a new car—a new toy that he wanted to impress Allegra with.
Cara had heard his speech, how slurred he was. She’d known since earlier that day that Cormac was planning on takingAllegra to LasVegas in a few weeks’time, on a supposed surprise trip, where he would propose that they get married on a romantic whim. It was all part of his plan to do it without the interference of her family and any constraints like a prenuptial agreement. Up until that moment Cara had been truly unaware of Cormac’s intentions where Allegra was concerned.
She looked at Vicenzo now. She could see that he’d been drawing into himself more and more as she’d been talking, and she pulled her hands free of his. She couldn’t touch him and talk and stay sane. ‘I liked Allegra. She was sweet to me—which was something that none of Cormac’s other girlfriends really were. She didn’t deserve to meet my brother… Cormac knew that I liked her, and that she liked me, and that was one of the reasons he made sure to not let me see much of her.’ She smiled sadly for a moment. ‘Contrary to what you believe, my brother was far too paranoid to use me like the pawn you thought I was.’
She bit her lip. ‘I wanted to help her. But I didn’t know what to do. Should I try and talk to her? Or should I go to her family…? Allegra had mentioned you once or twice, but I’d only found out about Cormac’s plan that day…I thought there was time.’ She trailed off ineffectually, the weight of hindsight and the way fate had intervened heavy in the room. ‘I couldn’t let Cormac drive her into town when he was so out of it…and she wasn’t much better.’ Cara steeled herself against the bleak look that crossed Vicenzo’s face. ‘I somehow persuaded him to let me drive them in. I thought I’d be doing them a favour. Protecting your sister. I felt so bad about what he was planning to do to her, and I wanted to find a way to stop him…’
He took her hand again. ‘Cara, just tell me what happened.’
‘At the last minute Cormac insisted on driving, saying I wouldn’t be able to handle the car… I got in anyway, thinking I could at least try to make sure he drove safely.’ Cara looked at Vicenzo and felt haunted. ‘They both refused to wear their belts—so stupid. And then…the rain started. One minute it was dry and the next it was a torrential downpour. Suddenly there were lights heading right for us. Cormac had taken a wrong sliproad on the motorway and was driving straight into oncoming traffic… That’s all I remember, until someone was helping me out from the wreckage. I walked away, Vicenzo. I got to the hospital and they let me walk straight out again…’
Vicenzo had to acknowledge now that as Cara hadn’t presented with a head injury or any other apparent injuries why wouldn’t they have let her walk away? Especially as it had been a city hospital, no doubt with emergencies backing up outside the door. But the truth was they should never have let someone in her shocked and distraught state just walk away. And then mere days later he had met her…
To Cara’s surprise Vicenzo stood then, and pulled her up with him. She stumbled slightly, feeling weariness snake through her body. She could read nothing from Vicenzo’s expression about the impact of what she’d just told him.
‘You’re exhausted’ was all he said.
Cara nodded. She didn’t say a word when he took her by the hand and led her to the kitchen. Wordlessly he prepared her a simple omelette and some bread, making her eat it. Then, feeling very bemused, Cara let Vicenzo lead her to her bedroom.
With a chaste kiss on her forehead, he pushed her gently in through the door. ‘Get some rest, Cara. We’ll talk tomorrow.’
The next morning Cara woke feeling disorientated and groggy. She had slept for almost fourteen hours. She scrambled off the bed and took a quick shower, changing into a plain black sundress. As she put it on a part of her revolted at the colour, feeling instinctively that the time had come to move on and let go of her grief. And the fact that it was undoubtedly Vicenzo who had precipitated that change made her feel shaky.
She investigated the dining room but didn’t see Vicenzo or Silvio. She figured Silvio might still be in bed—some mornings he slept in. She came to a halt outside Vicenzo’s study door. Just then the door opened and Cara jumped back guiltily, her cheeks flushing.
‘Morning. I was just looking for everyone.’
Vicenzo looked remotely austere and every inch the successful businessman in a pristine shirt and tie, dark trousers. ‘I was just about to come and find you…we need to talk.’
Foreboding slid down Cara’s spine as she preceded him into the study. He looked so serious that it scared her.
He gestured for her to sit down in the chair opposite his big mahogany desk and took a seat himself. Cara felt absurdly as if she was coming for an interview. She looked around and saw that all of the papers were gone.
‘What have you done with the papers? I would have tidied them away.’
‘They’re shredded.’
Cara gasped. ‘But I hadn’t given you the report yet.’
‘I know what Cormac did, Cara, and as he’s no longer a threat, I didn’t see the harm in shredding the evidence now.’
‘But…’ Cara frowned. ‘You could have done that weeks ago.’ A dart of something struck her, and she saw Vicenzo wince slightly.
‘Yes. But while you were here, and while I still saw you as a threat, I had to make sure I knew what he’d done.’
Something contrary made Cara say, ‘And how do you know I’m not still a threat?’