Chapter 64 Getting Away with It
My phone suddenly vibrated. I glanced over—Melissa was video calling.
I picked up casually. "Lisa, perfect timing! I was just about to reach out!"
"Cate, I've got news!"
We spoke in unison. Neither of us caught what the other said, so we had to repeat ourselves.
Melissa sounded puzzled. "Cate, you wanna go first?"
I shook my head. "You're probably gonna tell me what went down after Sabrina and Michael got home today, right?"
"How'd you know?"
I smiled without answering. "Tell me yours first, then I'll explain."
Melissa had to shelve her curiosity. "Alright, fine. Let's watch our future Oscar-winning actress's performance first."
Hearing her mock Sabrina, I raised an eyebrow. She fiddled with her computer, then surveillance footage popped up on screen.
The Rosewood living room. Sabrina and Michael walked in together.
The second she stepped inside, Sabrina froze in the entryway. "Why are you all home?"
She looked completely shocked. The three guys facing her seemed equally confused.
Andrew glanced between her and Michael. "Didn't Mike say Catherine stole antiques and you were bringing her back for a confrontation?"
Sabrina frowned, shooting Michael an accusatory look.
Michael squirmed under her stare, looking annoyed. "Sabby, why are you looking at me like that? When I got your message, I figured we'd record the video first—tank Catherine's reputation, get her fired from DI. Plus, I thought we could use this to bring her back to the Rosewood family. Once she's back, I'm sure we could convince her to stay. Then you'd have someone to test drugs for you. I was doing this for you! What did I do wrong?"
He sounded so self-righteous about it.
Watching this, everything clicked. No wonder Michael had volunteered to drag me back. This was his master plan all along?
Too bad for him—I wasn't actually a thief.
Melissa giggled. "Look at Sabrina's face. Like someone knocked over a paint palette."
I kept watching. The camera zoomed in on Sabrina's face. First it went white, then green, then she looked completely fried. Finally, it seemed to crack apart piece by piece.
"Definitely entertaining," I said, stifling a laugh.
I tried guessing Sabrina's thought process. Probably panicked when Michael went rogue, then exasperated by his explanation, then pissed he'd meddled. And finally—the dawning realization that she was totally screwed.
Sabrina's expression kept shifting before landing on an awkward smile. She stamped her foot playfully. "Michael, of course you're not wrong! But why didn't you tell me the plan? I couldn't play along properly just now, and Catherine got away!"
Michael's face softened considerably.
Andrew asked what exactly happened.
Sabrina jumped in before Michael could speak, giving a quick rundown while conveniently skipping key details. Every time Michael tried adding something, she deflected with jokes and distractions.
Jason sensed something was off. "Sabby, where are the Rosewood antiques now?"
Sabrina went rigid.
James chimed in. "While waiting for you guys, Jason and I checked the collection. Pieces are definitely missing."
The room fell silent.
Melissa paused dramatically, eyeing me with mystery. "No prize for guessing—how's Sabrina gonna weasel out of this?"
I laughed and shook my head. "Do you even need to ask?"
Nobody knew this playbook better than me.
My expression stayed neutral. "Sabrina pins everything on me. Everyone else blindly believes her."
Melissa shot me a sympathetic look and silently resumed the video.
Right on cue, Sabrina's face crumpled into grieved distress. "I'm sorry. This is my fault. I couldn't talk Catherine out of it."
The guys looked totally lost.
"I actually saw Catherine before the auction. She told me smugly there'd be a surprise. I never thought I'd see our family pieces on the auction block. When I questioned her, Catherine refused to admit anything. When Michael showed up, she blamed everything on me. She even got Nicholas to help fabricate evidence—brought in some fake employee to identify me as the consigner. But it really wasn't me!"
Tears streamed down her face on cth cue.
The four men looked heartbroken.
Michael backed her up. "Sabby's telling the truth. Catherine really did hire someone to frame her."
James frowned. "Andrew, Sabby's lived with us since childhood. You know what kind of person she is. Catherine, though? Stubborn as hell."
Andrew nodded thoughtfully. "Exactly. Sabby's family. Why would she steal from her own home?"
They talked over each other. Amid Sabrina's tearful performance, they decided I was definitely the thief.
The video ended.
Melissa watched my face carefully. "Cate, you okay?"
I shrugged. "I'm fine. Used to it by now. What were you gonna tell me earlier?"
Melissa quickly pivoted.
I didn't overthink it and dove into everything—Samuel coming back, Nicholas taking me to the amusement park, returning my mother's phone. Every detail, including my suspicions about Uncle Herman.
Melissa's expression turned serious. "Cate, your analysis totally makes sense. If Herman had survived, Sabrina wouldn't have been adopted, and you wouldn't have..."
She cut herself off.
I smiled with acceptance. "Lisa, I've made peace with it. Don't worry."
Even saying it, bitterness churned inside me.
Melissa stopped holding back, analyzing freely. Her thoughts matched mine almost exactly.
"Cate, what's your next move?"
I propped my chin on one hand. "Lisa, I need to uncover what really happened in that accident. Problem is, it's been over a decade. Won't be easy to investigate."
Both Melissa and I suspected Herman had orchestrated the whole thing. Otherwise, how could the timing be so perfect?
Melissa validated my thinking. Something seemed to click for her. "Cate, don't ask Nicholas to investigate this."
"Then who?"
I was confused. Besides Nicholas, who could I trust? Who else had the resources?
"You forgetting something? Your old classmate who just got back—Samuel!"