Page 94 of Scent of Home

With that decided, I head down the stairs, waving to Mrs Yowee, who blinks at me in concern, but I just smile widely and exit the store.

Even in town, you can see the stars. It’s going to be a cold night, but home is calling. I’ll call Sanderson and let him know what I found out once we’re there.

I have a home.

It’s been a long time since…no, I have never been this happy.

I see Finn and Bray standing on the street, talking to Frank and Mellie, and with a smile and a lightness inside me that is new and slightly scary, I head towards them. It’s time to hit the road.

Chapter twenty-seven

Erin

Jason Wood is adead-eyed, bald-headed man with a twitchy smile that makes me think of all those horrible men in boardrooms and courts I’ve lived with all this time. I’m not afraid of him, but I do hate that smile and the confidence in his eyes. It’s smugness, and it’s foul, and I can’t wait to make him eat it.The random phone call I got today from Alpha Label’s, requesting a time to catch up, has surprised me. Finding out Jason was in town waiting to meet me, was unsettling. I’m not normally on the back foot. Locke has protested me coming alone, but in the end, when I’d asked if he trusted me, he’d said yes, and that was that.

“Jason Wood, correct?” I hold out my hand. “My name is Erin Bradley. I’m a senior partner at Serenday. I am specifically a contract lawyer, and I’ve been hired by Mr. Raines to look over the contract. Can I just ask how you found him?”

“I’m afraid that’s unnecessary,” Wood says, his voice clear and calm. “We’ve had our lawyers look over and write up the contract. And you can ask, but I’m not going to answer.”

I nod, listening to him. “Even so, you will produce the contract and provide it to me or I will visit my boss, who is due to go golfing with CEO Raines on Saturday, I believe.”

Jason’s smile drops. “Locke is contracted to Derision.”

I smile wider. “And yet, he only ever signed one contract. Where are the others? Where is his renewal? Why have his royalties not been assessed and his assets? Why are you refusing to send me a copy, Mr Wood? I have emailed you multiple times requesting one. What have you got to hide?”

He shakes his head. “Go to CEO Raines. He doesn’t care about Locke.”

“He might not, but I do, and I will not let this go, and there are people that owe me, Mr Wood. I’m not going to let this abuse continue.”

Mr Jason Wood sits back. “Has Locke been telling you his lies? All the stories? I thought he was done with all that.”

I narrow my eyes. “What do you mean?”

“Locke used to make up stories about the other band members right at the start. He used to tell us, come to my office and complain, refuse to go on stage.”

I lean forward, staring at him like I can’t even believe what I’m looking at. I’m so glad Shane had a pen that records sound. It’s sitting on the table, right there, recording everything. “You knew?”

He scoffs. “It was a cry for attention from a spoiled teenage delinquent.”

“He was seventeen!” I hiss.

Eustice sets two cups of coffee down beside us, and I hold my tongue until she’s gone.

“He was a child. The band are, what, four years older than him, five?”

“He was trying to get his mother’s attention!” Jason Woods hisses. “Self-absorbed teenager, we were all like it, just most of us had responsibilities and consequences. We weren’t spoiled little rich kids.”

I slap my hand down on the table, and the entire diner goes silent. “He was being abused by his manager, which, let me refresh your memory, is you, and his bandmates. But I’m not going to let it stand.”

Jason shakes his head and starts to laugh. “There’s nothing you can do. That contract is set in stone. He’d need to be dead to wiggle out of it.”

I seethe, suddenly wishing I could get his head and slam it through this table.

“You’re not having him back.”

“Oh, and how are you going to stop me? How are you going to stop Alpha Labels from regaining their property?”

“He’s not property.”

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