Bejewelled

CH 3

Cinda slept well for the rest of the night and woke up with a smile, still happy with her antics last night, just knew it would be eating away at him, her behaviour, might even stop him from sleeping today. Chuckled to herself as she rode her bike out to the old Mason house, she wondered if he would wake up every time he heard a bike and be annoyed by it. Hoped so.

Cinda sat on her bike staring up at the old house. It had been vacant a long time, for as long as she had been here anyhow, though she couldn’t for the life of her figure out why. Yes, people had died in there, but it was a grand home. A real beauty.

It was a six-bedroom two-storey mansion compared to every other place in town. She got off her bike and walked through the rusty gate. It squealed terribly, hurting her ears, and she had to really shove it hard to get it open, but the gate did open.

The path that lead up to the home was overgrown with dying grass and the yard was full of dead weeds, no one had tended this yard in years and it showed, but the front yard was large and it would make for a lovely garden, once gutted and redesigned, put in some nice outdoor seating and trees to provide shade. The house itself was in need of some serious repair, but with a lot of money and the same amount of time and effort, it was going to look great and she was the one who was going to get to do all of that with Mr Tyrell’s approval, of course. Though Cinda was already certain he was going to tell her yes, rarely did that man say no to her. Had a soft spot her, he and his wife always did have, right from the day his wife had hired her. Who knew why, but it was nice.

Cinda walked up the cement stairs. They were crumbling around the edges and would have to be ripped out and replaced. She put the key in the lock, it stuck, and she had to jiggle it several times before it would open. The real estate agent had warned her of this.

The place was old and empty, it smelled musty and stale, the dust made her sneeze twice as she entered the house, there was a layer of dust on everything, no footprints in that dust either, no one had been in there for a very long time. Cinda pulled out her camera and started snapping pictures of every room; she wanted pictures of the entire place to send to William Tyrell, her boss. To show him the place's full potential.

Cinda herself found the place quite charming, there was nothing here that gave her the creeps or rose the hair on the back of her neck, it was just an old empty and very dusty house, seemingly unwanted by everyone. Till now that was.

When she had mentioned it to her boss a week ago, he had asked her to come out here and take some pictures. Although he trusted her judgement, he wanted full disclosure about the property and she was nothing if not thorough in her documentation. She’d also be getting the history of the house from the real estate agent. The only reason she was out here alone now was because she herself had grown up here and Beth, the real estate agent, knew her.

Cinda wanted photos before the work began, so she’d have a before and after portfolio as well of the property. She did keep track of all the properties she’d helped with and renovated over the years with Catherine Tyrell. Sighed, missed that woman. She’d taken her under her wing, with a hug and smile, and taught her everything she knew. Told her “I just have a great feeling about you, my dear. I know you’ll be perfect here with my husband and I.”

Cinda took pictures of every room, including the basement, an unusual thing around here, but it was good for her. A nice place for storage, and the attic which she wanted to open up into a luxury loft-style bedroom. The house was up on a hill and overlooked the town. A big window here in this attic was going to make for a great view.

She took pictures of the backyard. It was also a very large space, they would be putting in a swimming pool and spa to help attract tourists. Took pictures of the side views of the house. On the left side had old garden beds, likely vegetable gardens, and she was certain that was a good thing. She might just keep them so breakfasts could be made with home grown tomatoes.

Took pictures of the garage as well. It was a nice double garage and she would be making it into a manager’s suite, just a small one-bedroom apartment for a live-in manager. There was plenty of room down the right side of the house to put in a driveway and a few car parking spaces for the guests.

Then she locked up and got back on her bike, but smiled up at the house, this was going to be a good project for her to get her hands into. Today was just a day visit to her hometown, a few hours, and then back to the city. She had been up here just 6 weeks ago to sign the paperwork on the house she had purchased herself, another renovator’s dream. Couldn’t wait to start on that too.

Though she had kept the sale private, no one here in town other than Beth knew she had purchased a house and was planning on moving back to town, and if it got out, Beth was breaching her contract, so Cinda knew she would not. Her secret was safe for the moment.

She glanced at the fuel gauge, she needed to fill up, so she headed for the nearest petrol station. Yanked off her helmet, shook her long dark hair loose, hung the helmet on the handlebar and looked around as she pulled on a pair of sunglasses. Nothing much had changed around here since she’d left for Uni and lived in the city. It had been 8 years and the place was still the same.

She saw the police car cruising by as she took the cap off of the tank, watched it slow and then back up as she started to pump the petrol into the bikes tank. A smile spread across her lips. Ah, so he had told his buddies about last night. She had thought that he would, but wasn’t exactly sure, but should have known it was bound to happen. Cinda would be surprised if he hadn’t put some sort of alert out for her or her bike.

The police car parked, and Cinda watched as Grey and Manny got out and pulled their hats on. It was all business today, it would seem. She still smiled to herself, so he was sending someone else to deal with her. Couldn’t do it himself. Well, she knew personally, that he couldn’t finish something, he started.

“Morning Cinda, you’re looking well.” Manny nodded to her.

“Sending his minions, is he?” She half laughed at the two of them, as she looked over her shoulder briefly.

“Minions?” Grey frowned at her.

“Well, clearly, he can’t do it himself, too scared I’d have to say.”

Both men were frowning at her now and she wondered if Gabe had ever told his closest friends about their past. It didn’t look like it. How interesting that was. She was certain he had, but now it didn’t look like it.

She replaced the cap; the tank was full. “So which one of you is going to frisk me for weapons?” She turned and smiled at them, moved her eyes right to Grey himself, put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow.

“Are you carrying Cinda?” Manny frowned disapprovingly.

“Perhaps you can never tell.” And then turned to go and pay for her fuel. They knew she would not be; it was against the gun control laws.

They were both still there when she got back. “So is he on his way yet then?” she smiled, shame Grey was married and wasn’t closer to her, could just wait for Blue Eyes to turn up and run a suggestive hand down his chest. She knew that would tick him off.

“He is?” Grey nodded.

Cinda nodded in return, she’d seen Grey use his phone whilst inside the petrol station, had been watching the two of them as she had chatted with Mr Brown and just knew that he had called Gabe, “Pity I was hoping for a little fun, Grey.” She smiled right at him, lowered her sunglasses a little and allowed her eyes to slide over his body nice and slow, lingering on his abs which she knew he had, were under that shirt of his and nearly laughed when he looked very uncomfortable at the thought, he hadn’t once. Had liked her touch. Though his being uncomfortable could just be because she was eyeing off a married man. His wife wouldn’t appreciate it. She wouldn’t actually do anything to hurt him or his marriage. Just playing with him so he could report it back to Blue Eyes himself. Tick him off just that little bit more.

She picked up her helmet and swung her leg over her bike, pulled her sunglasses off and tucked them away inside her jacket.

“Pity.” she told him, but didn’t look at him. None of them were likely to play with her with Gabe around, or certainly not Grey, not anymore anyway. If he knew what had happened that night anyway, she doubted it. Though she had seen Gabe and he had seen her, Grey was likely in the dark about that. Gabe had turned and stalked away from them that night.

Cinda pulled on her helmet. Popping the stand, she closed her visor and looked at the two of them and shook her head. “You could have easily taken me. Now he has no chance.”

Cinda started the engine and rolled away from the two of them. Neither one attempted to stop her, but both of them headed in a hurry back to their patrol car. They intended to follow her.

She knew this petrol station was only three blocks from Gabe’s house, but his truck would be no match for her Ninja. She glanced down the street in the general direction of his house, which allowed both Manny and Grey to know she knew where he lived. Smiled at the sight of a motorbike coming up the street, it was coming too fast to be anyone other than Gabe, and the hulking frame of a man on it, also could only be Gabe as well. She turned and looked at Grey and Manny and they both tipped their hats to her.

“Smart boys.” She laughed, revving her engine. More fun was to be had, it seemed.

Gabe stopped his bike. A dirt bike a block away snapped his visor up and looked right at her, he was waiting to see what she was going to do.

She looked from one to the other, actually laughed at them, saw both of them smile herself, as they got into their police car, so tag team it was. Mr Blue Eyes on his bike and his boys in their patrol car, Cinda knew exactly what this was, and they knew, that she knew as well. Nobody moved for a full minute.

A car honked its horn at her, wanted her to move on. Well he could wait, he beeped at her again and Cinda turned and looked at him. A P-plate driver, the police cruiser, whooped its siren at her. Both the boys, it seemed, were also ready to play and so Cinda took her cue to head off, tyres screaming, and a little smoke left behind her.

She went in Gabe’s direction, snapped her visor up and stared hard at him as she rolled past him. He was already turning his bike, but his blue eyes never left hers, not till she looked away that was. Game on.

His dirt bike would be no match for her mighty Ninja, and he must surely know that, but still he was going to try and take her on “Stupid, monumentally stupid.” She murmured to herself, but fun and she did like to have fun nowadays. If James had taught her anything it was how to have fun. That man had been full of cheek and always playful.

Cinda rode down the street no more than 10 kilometres over the speed limit, there was a fair amount of traffic on the roads and she wasn’t going to risk anyone else’s life but her own.

She rounded a corner and found two patrol cars blocking her way. Cinda pulled hard on the breaks and spun the bike back the way that she had come, to find Gabe sitting with his minions at the other end, effectively blocking her way.

So, what was it going to be? Cinda revved her engine over and over again, glanced behind her and then in front, Gabe sat there cockily, his arms crossed over his chest, assured of his win over her, he’d had a plan all along and she’d stupidly fallen into it, or so it seemed.

Well, hell he wouldn’t win so easily, his end was just him and one patrol car, plenty of room to get by. She watched him get out his mobile phone, hers rang a second later. She answered, why not see what the man had to say?

“Give it up Cinda, you can’t get away.”

“Are you so certain, brother?” the last word came out bitter and cold.

She turned her head pointedly and looked at the house on her right. It had front and back access, it led straight into the bush and onto a fire track. She could see that the gates were open, practically a standing invitation for her to use it. From the well-worn track down the side of the yard it was likely that is what exactly it was, likely all the kids in the neighbourhood used this yard to get right into the bush to ride their dirt bikes in the afternoons.

Although Cinda knew that he would have a much better chance than she would out there, seeing as that was what his bike was built for, she knew her bike could handle it, and she still had more speed.

“Don’t risk it Lucinda, its muddy out there and you ain’t got no dirt bike.”

Cinda laughed softly “I’m something you’ll never catch remember.” Then she ended the call, spun the wheels and turned practically on a dime and shot through the yard and out onto the fire track.

She recalled running it as a teenager. It was well maintained and graded for the fire trucks. Her bike didn’t handle the wet ground so well after the night's rain and she saw that Gabe was gaining ground and quickly too. But all she was really doing was making certain this was a private scathing, she saw no need that it be public, and she was fairly certain that he wasn’t about to arrest her. His mother would be horrified, likely to pitch a fit and be very disappointed in him if he did, and he wouldn’t want that now, would he? No, got to take mum into consideration at all times. Never upset the woman. Be the ever-present good son.

A large clearing was coming up and she slowed down, stopped and parked her bike, even switched it off and popped the stand to wait for him. Showing him, she knew what this was.

Gabe passed her and skidded to a stop, turned his bike to face her and cut his engine as well. Neither of them lifted their visors, though his was clear unlike hers, and she could clearly see the hard angry look in those dark blue eyes of his. No man deserved to have eyes like that.