Pacing the floor of the small room he used as a study, Carlisle Drummond was a little frustrated. His brow furrowed in a frown, he listened carefully to the young woman sitting on the two seater leather couch. This wasn't quite what he wanted to hear. He needed evidence. He needed something he could throw at Haner, something that would light the fuse on the metaphorical stick of dynamite he planned on using to blow up between Haner and the man that was currently seducing his ex.

"So he just hung around until she returned home, then left not long after?" he questioned.

"He was in there fifteen, twenty minutes at the most, and he didn't look happy when he left."

Drummond ran a hand over his face, letting out a low breath.

"We need something solid, and this little scenario is the way to go."

"But I thought you were going ahead with the Vegas deal?" Drummond looked over at the young woman.

"That may shake them enough, but it will make them close ranks. I need to blow them apart Natasha, and that was the perfect way."

Drummond sat behind his desk, his elbows resting on the dark mahogany, his head in his hands.

"Dad, I really don't know what to suggest, I can't keep following them, they're bound to...."

"The security tapes from Mezmer," Drummond interupted Natasha's flow.

"What?" she murmured. Her father looked at her, a glint of excitement in his steely grey eyes.

"The security tapes from the club. You said that Sanders was with her last Friday, the cameras had to have caught something. We need those tapes."

Natasha shook her head.

"I don't know, Cassandra keeps them locked away, and surely she'd notice they were missing."

"I don't care Natasha, I want them by tomorrow at the latest, do whatever you can to get them."

Natasha rose from the couch, knowing better than to argue with her father.

"I'll get on it right away," she murmured before leaving the room.

************

Brian jogged down the stairs to answer the door. Jimmy was a man who was always early, so Brian had rushed back from dropping Emily at school to make sure he was home in plenty of time. Jimmy had also called him the night before to let him know that Cassandra would be joining them. Brian had repressed the urge to make a smug remark, realising that Cassandra would have found it extremely difficult to finally admit that she needed their help.

There were times when Brian wondered if the encouragement they'd given her over the years to be so independant had actually been a good idea. It had made her more stubborn than she had been before. Asking for help or admitting that she couldn't always do everything on her own was almost a foreign concept to her.

Jimmy stepped in the moment the door was open, Cassandra standing a little behind him, head bowed slightly, almost hesitant to follow her brother inside.

"We don't discuss business on the step Cass, you know that," Brian tried to keep his tone light, making Cassandra look up at him, a brief smile flitting across her lips.

Brian took in her appearance as she walked past him. Casual wasn't a look she did as a rule. She'd always felt the need to look every inch the business woman she was, even when she'd held another man's life in her hands whilst holding the barrel of a gun to his head. Yet today, it seemed appropriate for her. Her whole demeanour told Brian that Cassandra was a troubled woman. He hated to admit it, but it crushed him to see her that way.

Cassandra remained silent whilst Brian and Jimmy talked through the developments from the weekend. She didn't fail to notice the way Jimmy's eyes flickered in her direction whenever Matt's name was mentioned. Thankfully Brian hadn't appeared to pick up on it. She simply concentrated on tuning out what they were saying, she felt like she had no place in their conversation.

"Cass, wanna tell us what's on your mind?" Brian's smooth voice broke her out of the slight trance she'd found herself in.

Cassandra pulled out two files from the oversized purse she had brought with her.

"It's probably nothing, but I was going through the employee files last night, and something on these two stood out," she began, handing the files over to Jimmy and Brian.

"Joel Hamilton and Brandon Geller? Should we know them?" Brian asked.

"I don't think so, but it wasn't their names, it was how they'd heard about the bar jobs."

Brian's eyes wandered down to the section of the files where it stated how they'd found out about the vacancies they'd applied for.

"So, they saw it advertised in the Huntington Beach Independent, seems fairly reasonable to me," Brian stated with a shrug.

"Not when we've never used the Independent to advertise vacancies," Cassandra informed him "We always use the OC Register."

Brian looked over at Jimmy.

"You've got connections over there right?" Jimmy nodded.

"Yeah, which is why Cass has always used them, advertising for the low low rate of zero is always music to my ears," he told him with a grin.

Brian looked back at Cassandra.

"Did you check over the accounts, to see if there were any payments made to the Independent?" he questioned.

"I'd already looked over them, and didn't remember seeing anything, but I looked at so much yesterday, I may have missed it."

Brian rubbed his forehead, looking as though he was thinking what to do.

"Both of them were hired by Taylor right?" Cassandra nodded. "Ok, I have someone that can get them checked out, and I think it might be an idea to run something on Taylor too, just to make sure. It may take a day or two, but I'll get it done."

"Thank you," Cassandra murmured.

"Also, I'll get Johnny to go over your accounts thoroughly, he's fucking shithot on picking up things anyone else would miss, but that's going to have to wait til Thursday, he's flying out to Vegas this afternoon on business."

"Ok, anything you can do I'd appreciate."

Brian's eyes met hers briefly, and for the first time in a long while, Cassandra caught a glimpse of the warmth that they had always held, the warmth that they'd been devoid of for so long.

"You heading over to Mezmer at all today?" he asked, his gaze never leaving her.

"Yeah, but just to pick up mail, I don't work Monday's."

"Ok, well I'll follow you over and get the accounts ready for Johnny to look at, if that's ok," he added quickly. Cassandra simply nodded once again.

Jimmy stood up.

"Well, I'll leave you two to get on with that, I need to go see Zacky, we have a pick up later."

He kissed Cassandra on the cheek, before slapping Brian's shoulder as he headed out the door. Brian gave Cassandra a brief smile.

"Shall we?" he suggested.



Cassandra pulled into the lot behind Mezmer, Brian pulling up alongside her. Stepping out of his car, his eyes automatically scanned the lot. He always needed to take in his surroundings wherever he went, time and experience had made him a suspiscous man.

"Who's car is that?" he asked, pointing towards the black VW parked further up the lot.

"Taylor's," Cassandra replied. Brian raised an eyebrow at her.

"She always around during the day?" he questioned.

"She is on Monday's, seeing as that's her night in charge," she told him, walking to the back door, Brian close behind her.

The door to the office was unlocked, causing Cassandra to frown. Taylor knew it was meant to be locked at all times when there wasn't anyone in there. Brian closed it behind them as they entered, and leant against the wall whilst Cassandra went over to the filing cabinet. Just as she opened a drawer, the door to the office opened again.

"Oh hey!" Taylor greeted, a slight nervous edge to her voice "I hadn't realised you were here."

"Cass and I were just picking something up," Brian told her.

Taylor's head flew round in his direction.

"Brian! Didn't see you there!" Brian smirked.

"You know me, I like the element of surprise," he told her as he walked over and stood next to Cassandra.

Taylor gave a faltering smile.

"Taylor, could you just give us a minute," Cassandra stated.

"Er, sure" Taylor backed out of the room, closing the door firmly.

Cassandra turned back to the cabinet, jumping as she felt Brian's hands rest on her shoulders.

"I don't trust her," he murmured, the combination of his low tone and warm breath on her skin causing a rush of anticipation to flow through her. Cassandra took a deep breath to calm herself.

"These are the ones that Johnny might need to look at, she's been hiring during these times," Cassandra told him. Brian took them from her.

"Ok, I'll pass them onto him as soon as he's back from Vegas."

Cassandra picked up the mail from her desk and placed it in her purse.

"Thanks for this Brian, I know I'm infuriating at times, but I do appreciate it."

Brian flashed her a warm smile.

"I'll always help Cass, you just need to take that stick out your ass from time to time and not be so fucking proud to ask me."

In spite of how she felt, Cassandra laughed.

"The stick is well and truly removed," she assured him.