Page 96 of Proof

“No. I had an opener back then but if there was any reason I didn’t have it on me, I would get waved through like the rest of the family. I guess it took so long today and the last time because maybe…” Cass’s words dropped off.

“… maybe they didn’t trust you? Renly and other family members were concerned you’d hurt your grandmother?”

“Maybe. Yeah, I guess so. But I haven’t seen any family besides my grandmother since I was released. As far as I know, my father still lives in his penthouse in the city, and all my cousins, uncles, aunts… they either live in one of the other houses on my grandmother’s estate or they’ve taken up residence at the houses and apartments that the Ashby companies own all over the world.”

“What about me?” I asked. “Owen must have recognized me, but he didn’t ask for my ID like he did yours. He spent a lot of time on the phone before he opened the gate. Did that happen the first time too? The time you were alone?”

Cass was silent for several beats. He’d stopped picking at his skin, but he was still tapping his foot. “Yes,” he finally responded. “I guess I didn’t think much of it. I was nervous about seeing my grandmother. I didn’t think…”

“You didn’t think she’d want to see you?”

“Yeah, I figured she’d be afraid of me. Ashamed,” Cass said, his voice cracking. The reminder of how much he loved his grandmother made me want to stop asking the questions I needed to ask because I didn’t want to inflict any more pain on him. I wasn’t sure if his mind had started putting together the pieces of what had happened the previous day but by the time we were done talking, he’d be facing some hard truths.

“Was Renly the one to greet you both times?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“Was he alone or was there any kind of other staff with him or nearby? Security guards or maybe guys that looked like they did other things around the house? Landscaping guys, those valets?—”

“No,” Cass interrupted. “He wasn’t nervous around me at all. He even left me alone with my grandmother. At one point, I went to find him so he could tell me more about her condition. He was waiting by the front door like he usually did when guests were being expected or they were already in the house. That first visit, I had full access to the house. I thought I could use that time to snoop around and maybe even find a relative and get myself invited to the family’s next social event. But no one was there.” He paused briefly. “In the past, it always seemed like the house was full of people who were there just to kiss my grandmother’s ass to get some money out of her.”

Cass took another few swallows from the bottle of water. Thankfully, Sully had remained silent.

“I figured maybe they were trying to keep Mother Ashby’s illness a secret from the rest of the family,” Cass added.

“Who do you mean by they?”

“My father and Renly. My father because he would rather see her locked behind closed doors for the rest of her life than tarnish the Ashby name by announcing that one of the country’smost beloved philanthropists was losing her mind. Renly, he would have done it out of loyalty.”

The bitter way Cass talked about his father and the man’s treatment of his own mother told me he was still locked in denial about several important facts.

“There were no security guards today, either,” I pointed out. “The guard at the gate saw you what, a week ago? You said he spent a lot of time on the phone talking to someone before he opened the gate for you last time. He did the same thing this time. Do you know why he was stalling?”

“Stalling?” Cass asked in surprise. It was the first sign of emotion in his voice.

“It made sense for that first call to take so long if Renly or whoever was in charge of security for the estate needed to call your father to determine whether or not to let you through. Maybe they were having trouble finding the right person who was authorized to make those kinds of decisions. But to do the same thing a week later after you had already proven you weren’t a threat to your grandmother? You said Renly left you alone with her on the first visit. If he wasn’t worried about leaving her alone with you, why wouldn’t he have told whoever was in charge that you could just be waved through the gate the next time you visited? Why didn’t he give you an opener for the gate?”

Cass went silent for several minutes. I could see Sully was getting impatient because he just wanted answers, but I knew this was something Cass needed to do. He needed to think. He needed to put aside the event that had triggered his breakdown and focus on one question at a time. It was easier said than done.

I sent Sully a warning look.

“Renly stayed,” Cass said softly. “He stayed this time when I… we were there with her.”

“But he left you alone with your grandmother on the first visit. Do you think he stayed this time because I was with you, and he thoughtImight be a threat to her?”

He was quiet for several long beats. Instead of answering my question, he said, “Renly never served the tea before. Not once from the time I was a kid. He never brought it, either. A maid usually did all of that. And you… Owen recognized you. I heard him say your name when he was talking on the phone. He should have checked your ID no matter what. And security guards should have been waiting for us at the house to check whether you were carrying any weapons, especially since you used to be a cop. My word wouldn’t have been enough to get you through. At least one security guard should have been with us at all times. That was always the policy when nonfamily members visited. The only person the rule didn’t apply to was my father.”

“Did Renly have the power to tell the security team to stand down?” I asked.

Cass shook his head. “No, not in the past, anyway. I guess maybe things could be different now.”

“Let’s assume that for whatever reason, Renly didn’t tell your father about your first visit with your grandmother, okay? There might not have been any security guards, but there were still a number of people working at the estate when we got there. Most of them probably recognized you. They wouldn’t have cared that you were an Ashby. Several of them probably would have only seen you as a multiple murderer who got off on a technicality. Isn’t it strange that none of them called 911 out of fear for themselves or your grandmother?” I asked. “When we were there yesterday, none of the maids looked at you and me directly, but they also didn’t shy away from you. They seemed tense around Renly, though. Did you notice that?”

Cass didn’t answer me. His agitation began to build. I didn’t try to stop him when he began to pick at his skin againand tapped his foot more quickly. They were the only coping mechanisms that were keeping him as calm as possible, given the circumstances. As much as I hated to do it, I knew I needed to fast-forward things.

“Your grandmother looked and acted the same way today as she did the last time you visited, right?” I asked.

“Mostly. She did seem quieter in the beginning. And when she thought I was my father and then my grandfather and she was trying to hide me… none of that made sense. I mean, it could make sense because she has dementia; I think seeing people or situations that aren’t real is part of the disease.”

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