Her Guardians Lost(20)

Nudging Simon with my good shoulder, I smiled. “I don’t think so.”

“I had a feeling you would say that. Come on then. Let’s get this over and done.”

Walking towards the door, I got a sense of trepidation. It didn’t help I was searched and was asked to pull out all my belongings before we ventured in.

We were both given a pass and were met by a small man, who looked to be in his fifties, with a white beard and glasses. “Simon, how nice to see you again.”

Smiling, Simon shook his hand. It led me to believe they knew each other rather well. No wonder Simon was able to pull some strings.

Turning his attention back to me, Simon motioned for me to come forward. “Thomas, this is the lady I was telling you about. Cassie Johnson.”

Taking a deep breath, Thomas held his hand out to me. “Oh, yes. Nice to meet you.”

Looking at his hand, I gasped a little, but it seemed like Simon was the only one who noticed.

Before Thomas could say anything, Simon asked, “So, what is the procedure?” He looked at me out of the corner of his eye. I released the breath I had been holding.

“Oh, um… You will have to wait outside, but Miss Johnson can take a seat in the counselling room. We thought it best to set it up in there. He seems to be a troubled man and we know he is hiding something. We just haven’t gotten to the bottom of it yet. I hope you might be able to shed some light on it.”

I smiled at Thomas, not knowing what to say because I wasn’t sure what Simon had told him. “Well, that’s what I’m here for.”

With a pat on Simon’s back, Thomas motioned for us to follow him. We were led to a lift, which took us to the third floor. Once we got off, we walked the quiet hallway towards a room at the end of the corridor.

“You can wait in here, Miss Johnson. We’ll bring Mr. Merryfield to you.”

“Thank you,” I said.

I felt a tug on my arm and when I turned around, Simon was looking at me, as if making sure I wanted to do this. I nodded. With a smile, he walked away, leaving me with Thomas. He led me into a quiet, comfortable room with white walls, sofa chairs, and an array of magazines placed neatly on the table. In the corner was a couple of boxes filled with toys for any children unfortunate enough to visit this place. The room was obviously made to make people feel comfortable enough to talk.

I thanked Thomas before he left, then I sat quietly, a guard in the corner warily watching me. His stare made me fidget under his intense scrutiny. “I’m not a villain, you know.” I thought I would break the silence. All he did was smirk at me. Good grief, another man who liked to intimidate. I bet if I were to read him, he would be just another Paul—but worse.

The door clicked open and it couldn’t have come soon enough. The attention that was once on me was now fully on Justin Merryfield.

He was as I remembered—dark, wavy brown hair, brown eyes, a five o’clock shadow, and rough features. He would have been a semi-attractive man if it wasn’t for the fact he looked tired and gaunt. His jeans and scruffy-looking checked shirt hung loose on him. I remembered him as a well-built man, but this person before me was nothing like that. The stress had obviously taken a toll on him.

He regarded me with a nervous smile and sat down on the chair opposite me. I waited for him to settle before I spoke. “Mr. Merryfield, I’m Cassie Johnson. I’ve come here today to speak with you about Molly and Caroline.”

The mere mention of his daughter’s name had his head snapping up to look at me. “You know, you’re the first person who has acknowledged Caroline as my daughter.”

That surprised me. “Well, she is, isn’t she?”

Looking off into the corner of the room, he smiled. “Yes, she is. But if you’ve come to dig and ask questions, I’m afraid I can’t help you.”

I shifted in my seat, pausing for a moment to gauge his body language. I knew all I would have to do was reach out and touch him, but that was easier said than done.

“You know, your daughter is a beautiful young lady. She will be quite the stunner when she’s older.” Watching him, I could tell this was the avenue I needed to proceed down.

In obvious pain, he closed his eyes. “I miss her.”

I could immediately tell what he said was true. I just couldn’t understand why he did what he did. He was a monster but, sitting here, he looked like a lost child.

“She misses you, too.” I smiled sympathetically towards him, despite not feeling that way. I needed to gain his trust.

“Does she?” Justin’s face was suddenly bright with joy. This just got stranger and stranger.

“Well you are her father, Justin. Do you mind me calling you Justin? Or would you prefer Mr. Merryfield?”