Chapter 276 Cat and Mouse 32

Chapter 276 Cat and Mouse 32
Cat

Half an hour later we finally left the cramped space I lived in and headed downstairs and for some reason the atmosphere was kind of carefree. Almost like everyone here was looking forward to being completely free from the dark shadow that had been hovering over their heads for the last year.

After living under the cloud of depression for over ten years and having slipped back into it for a few days recently I could understand that.

On the deck, I paused. The restaurant was closed today. I gave the staff the day off and the tables were weirdly empty. It happened so little that I had to take a second to just take in everything I had built. My little seafood place might not be anything grand. But it was mine. My baby.

It was a place for community and love and great food.

“The view from here is amazing isn’t it.” Dana came up to stand by my shoulder. I nodded silently. It was amazing. In fact it was the best thing about this place.

“I remember when Copper brought you here.” I said softly. “His first ever date.” I shook my head with a sigh. “He was so nervous. It took all my willpower not to laugh.”

Next to me Dana chuckled. “It’s crazy to me that he never even had a date before me. A man who looked like him.”

I giggled. “Yeah but I’ve only ever dated two guys as well. If you can call what me and Psych had was dating.” I sighed. “Did you know why I opened this place?”

I didn’t turn but I could sense Dana’s eyes on me.

“When we first came here.” I whispered. “Me and Chase. We stopped here. We had been riding all day and I was starving. It was smaller then, more a hole in the wall place but god the food.” My mouth watered at the memory. “I got a job here, begged them to teach me how to cook like that. This was our favourite place. When he died,” I swallowed hard. “I bought this place with the insurance money. I needed something that used to be ours to hold onto. Now I’m starting to wonder if it was a bad idea. Maybe I should have moved.”

“You did what was right for you at that moment.” Dana’s arms went around my shoulders and for a second I leant against her. “Plus if you had left I wouldn’t have met you and I kind of class you as a friend.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mairi head towards her. Her pretty young face set.

She held out her hand silently. Sighing I dug in my picket for my keys.

She wanted to go and get the shot gun and even though I didn’t know her I was ok with her getting it.

I hated firearms.

I handed it over, nodding my head and pointing to the partying lot that wrapped around the side of the building. Hopefully she understood that she was to grab the gun and meet us out there.

She nodded and scurried to the back doors, disappearing inside.

“I class you as a friend as well.” I said as Dana wandered over to the others. It was here that we would seperate. At least for a little while. People needed to get into place and-

“We have a problem.” Lottie said from next to her car.

I froze. Staring at the weird was she was surveying her car. The others fanned around her.

“What is it?” Dana took a step forward and then her back snapped straight as well. “Shit.”

“What is it?” Rushing forward I was right behind Lottie before I saw it.

Her tyres were slashed. Not just a little bit either. Both of the ones I could see had massive slashes in them.

“Oh.” Unease flickered up my spine. “That’s strange. We don’t usually get a lot of kids up here doing this sort of thing.”

“I don’t think it was vandalism.” Dana said in a quiet voice. She pointed and I turned to the other cars. Every single one of them had been slashed. Including mine.

“It’s all of them.” She said in a flat voice.

“Someone wants us to stay here.” Melody hugged herself and shivered even though the late afternoon sun was beating down on all our heads.

My body had the opposite reaction. Sweat beaded my brow and slipped down my face.

“Do you think somehow she-“ 

“She couldn’t of.” I said quickly. “We were so careful. We only spoke in my place and I’ve not left it for days. She couldn’t have bugged me.”

Laughter bubbled up from the shadows of the building and we all turned in shock.

Stella stepped out. Pushing her wheelchair in front of her. I stared at her in shock.

Since when could she walk?

Or had she always been able to walk?

I had so many questions and no time to ask any of them.

“Everyone is always underestimating me.” She cackled, “that’s where you all go wrong. I am smarter than you. More ruthless.” Reaching into the empty chair she lifted a gun and pointed it at us. “I knew she would try and set me up. “ she pointed to me with the gun and I had to squeeze my legs together to stop a little bit of pee from leaking out. 

“I had to admit I expected an ambush of your big biker men, but this is perfect isn’t it?” Her gun waved in an arc  “after all this is all between us girls right.” A little line appeared between her eyebrows. “His slut of a sister isn’t here though. That’s a shame. But never mind I’ll get to her when I’ve finished here.”

Out of the corner of my eye I saw movement. Mairi had just stepped out of the front door. The gun held down at her side. She snapped her head towards us, her eyes wide and terrified and I couldn’t move. If I moved a muscle I was afraid that Stella would realise someone else was here.

Like she could read my mind Mairi slipped back the way she had come. Good, at least one of us would be-

“Move.” Stella snapped. “Towards the back. Line up against the railing. We are all going to have a little chat and then-“ her eyes darted frantically. “And then you are all going to pay.”