Shortcake*

***Chapter 22: Albany***

*Copyright: Stephanie Myrick, 2023. Posted to Wattpad ONLY*

Cleo and Link were in the boat before sunrise the following day. They spent the rest of the evening cleaning the cabin and making sure nothing was left behind. Will had asked what Sandy the flight attendant looked like, but besides telling him she was tall, blonde, and angry, neither of them had paid enough attention to her to give any more than a vague description.

After they got off the call, they had supper. Cleo, being unable to sleep, used up the groceries in the fridge and pantry, making snacks and meals for them both while they traveled and made their plans. His Dad finally got back to him and let him know that Jerrica had moved to Clarksville. Cleo made a face when he told her. "That's not too far from South Bethlehem, but it's easily avoidable."

"Do you know how far?" Link frowned. "I just find it too much of a coincidence that she moved near your hometown so soon after we made our relationship public."

"Um... twenty minutes, maybe?" Cleo scrunched up her nose as she thought about it. "They're in the same county."

"Right. So we'll avoid Clarksville and get a hotel in Albany. You can call the police in South Bethlehem when we get to Buffalo and set up a meeting with the officer who looked into your parent's deaths for Wednesday."

Cleo nodded, her stomach sinking slightly. She had hoped never to lay eyes on Richie Dexhart ever again. Their parents had been very close growing up, and they had been forced to be "friends" until she married Anthony. He had been a bully as a child and never grew out of it as he aged. When he came to inform her of her parent's death, he had barely given her a chance to breathe before he started questioning her about the last time she had been to visit them. In a very rare display of protectiveness, Anthony had come to her defence and provided proof that not only was Cleo in New York City with him but that she hadn't had any contact with her parents in four years.

They were a couple of hours into their drive to Buffalo when Cleo, who had been dwelling on the whole situation while lying awake in her bed, spoke quietly. "I was with Anthony in New York when my parents died."

Link nodded. "I know."

"Just Anthony. Nico didn't go with us; we were looking at houses. Anthony accepted a position with an attorney's office there, so we were planning to move. Nico stayed in Albany that weekend." She elaborated, trying to get her point across without actually saying it.

"Oh." Link said softly. "So he had the opportunity and means but no motive. You had them cut off, and there was no financial gain for you."

"I didn't know that until after though. I didn't expect anything, and my parents weren't well-off anyway, so at most, it would have been their life insurance, which covered the funeral costs and debts without much left over. But he did know what my life was like growing up and that they basically sold me to Anthony so my Dad wouldn't go to prison." Cleo fidgeted with the hem of her oversized cream-coloured sweater as she remembered the look on Nico's face when she shared why she had married Anthony with him.

Link reached across the console and held her hand. "Don't jump to conclusions. The police determined it was an accident. The lead officer just had suspicions, that's all. It was a new water tank; it could have been installed wrong, the fittings may not have been tightened, and the part could have been faulty. Lots of things could have gone wrong. Trust me, as a former carpenter/handyman, I can assure you that many things can go wrong if you're distracted from your job."

They made it through border checks without any issues, just a few requests for autographs; then Cleo called the police station in Bethlehem and requested a meeting with Officer Dexhart. To her surprise, he agreed to meet with her and Link the next morning at ten. After a quick lunch at a rest stop outside of Buffalo, they drove to Albany and their hotel, where they ate again and went to their room to relax. Link had insisted on driving their rented SUV the whole way, and while he had clearly enjoyed the road trip with her, singing along to their favourite songs and talking about the various movies they had acted in, she could tell he was tired and a little stiff from driving eight hours. He collapsed on the king-sized bed with a low groan, and Cleo dropped down beside him.