Relentless Pursuit: A Novel (Secrets of Roux River Bayou) (29 page)

“Perhaps it’s because you learned not to expect much from your parents. You expected Michael to always be there for you. You never thought he’d walk away.”

“He didn’t just walk away. He abandoned me. He cut me off.”

Adele nodded. “Yes. He explained what was going on in his mind at the time. If you’d been faced with his impossible decision, what would you have done to survive? I know how you looked up to him. But Michael was a teenager too. He didn’t have the life experience or coping skills to save you.”

Zoe sighed. “I know that in my head. My heart doesn’t want to accept it.”

“Did you do what I suggested, hon? Did you think back and remember what it feels like to be broken?”

“I tried. But my heart seemed hardened.”

Adele sat quietly for a moment and then took her hand. “Remember the day you drove up to Woodmore and confessed to me that you were the one who’d stolen my precious fiftieth anniversary ring—and that you’d
sold
it, changed your name, and used the money to start Zoe B’s?”

“Of course I remember it. I’d never been so scared in my life. I thought I was going to lose everything. Having to admit that I—your trusted employee of six years— had deceived you and lied to the police was humiliating.”

“Yet you weren’t broken at that point.” Adele looked over at her. “You were trying to fix all the lies you’d told so whoever was blackmailing you wouldn’t have anything to hold over your head. I knew that. I was willing to let you pay back the thirty thousand dollars over the next thirty months. That would have squared things with us.”

“What’s your point?”

“Do you remember what happened when I came to you and Pierce, bringing that repayment agreement for you to sign?”

“How could I ever forget? It was the most generous gesture I’ve ever witnessed. You canceled my entire debt, paid off our mortgage on the building, and forgave me for stealing the ring and betraying your trust. It was far above and beyond anything I deserved or expected. I was speechless.”

Adele brushed the hair out of her eyes. “And what did I say to you, Zoe?”

“You said there would come a day when someone I know was in desperate need of grace, to remember how … I felt at that very moment … and to”—Zoe’s voice cracked—“to pass it on.” She held the gold cross hanging around her neck, her vision clouded with tears. “You’re saying that day is now? That I should just write off the past and start fresh with my brother?”

“Why not?” Adele said. “Healing comes as much in the giving as in the receiving. What earthly good can come from hanging on to the anger that divides you? It will make you both miserable. And don’t you both really want the same thing?”

Zoe sat quietly, tears trickling down her cheeks, as she considered all the events that had brought her to the present. She was wholly in touch with the desperate, deceitful Shelby Sieger who had changed her identity and made selfish choices that broke Adele’s heart and nearly cost Zoe Broussard her marriage and her business. Was she any better than her brother? They had both made choices that had wounded others, choices they deeply regretted.

“What are you thinking, hon?”

“That I haven’t forgotten what it feels like to be broken.” She turned and put her arms around Adele. “I love you so much. Your generosity to me in my most desperate moment was a perfect picture of God’s grace. It dramatically changed my life.”

Adele pushed back and held her gaze. “It wasn’t meant just for
your
life, Zoe. What you do with it now will tell Michael who you really are.”

Chapter 34

Emily finished cleaning out what remained of the leftovers in the refrigerator in Chance’s kitchen and sat at the table, adding a few items to the grocery list.

The phone rang, and she grabbed it on the second ring, hoping it didn’t wake up Chance from his nap. “Durand residence, this is Emily Jessup speaking.”

“Emily, it’s Deputy Chief Rivette. I got your cell number from your sister and left two messages, but you haven’t returned them, so I thought I’d try to reach you at Chance’s. Can you speak without Chance hearing you?”

“Yes, he’s napping in his room. Why?”

“Sheriff Prejean and I would like to ask you a few more questions. We’d like to do it without Chance present this time.”

“Is something wrong?” Emily said.

“Nothing to be alarmed about. We’ll explain when we see you. But we’d like to meet as soon as possible. Obviously, we can’t do that at Chance’s house.”

“I was just headed up to Lafayette to buy groceries.”

“Perhaps we could talk to you before you get on the road. The sheriff’s department is practically on your way. Could you meet us there?”

“All right. It’ll probably be twenty minutes.”

“Sounds good. Emily, we’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell Chance we want to talk to you.”

“I’m uncomfortable keeping secrets from him.”

“We wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t necessary.”

Emily sighed. “Okay. I’ll see you soon, and you can explain this to me.”

“Thanks.”

Emily hung up the phone and stared at the list, trying to remember the item she was about to add before the phone rang.
Mayonnaise.
She wrote it down.

“So who was on the phone?” Chance’s voice startled her, and she dropped the pencil.

Was she supposed to lie to him? She hated this. “It was for me.”

“Who knows to call you here?” Chance said.

Emily smiled and tried to look as natural as possible. “It’s no secret I’m over here helping out.”

“Why didn’t they just call your cell?”

“Not everyone is privy to my cell number. Listen, I need to change the subject. I’ve compiled a grocery list and think I’ll run up to Lafayette and get what we need.”

“You don’t have to leave town to get groceries.”

“I do, if we want to be safe. I’m not comfortable buying food in Les Barbes right now.”

“I’m not afraid of getting poisoned,” Chance said. “It’s kind of obvious it’s Gaudry water we need to stay away from.”

“I don’t see how you can say that. Until they catch whoever’s behind the cyanide poisonings, I’m playing it safe.”

Emily rose to her feet, and in the next second Chance was beside her, pulling her into his arms.

“You going anywhere else?” he asked.

“I have a few errands to run.”

“Maybe I should go with you.”

Emily shook her head. “Your attorney is supposed to call at two.”

“I’m not too excited about having you gone.” He brought her face closer and gently pressed his lips to hers.

Emily relaxed in his arms, yielding herself completely. Finally she ever so slowly pulled away, her pulse racing. “You are a major distraction!”

“I hope so. I’m glad Aunt Reba is finally gone and we can spend some time together. I’m starting to really care for you. You’re the person I trust the most in the entire world. I really like the openness and honesty between us.”

“Me, too.” Emily slipped out of his arms. “I’d better get going. I want to get back in time to put things away and cook dinner.”

“You’re going to cook for me too?”

Emily smiled. “I thought it might be nice, since I have to go back to work tomorrow afternoon.” She folded the list and put it in her purse.

“How do you plan to pay for the groceries?” Chance grinned knowingly.

“Uh … I guess I do need some money. Aunt Reba put a lot of cash in that cookie jar and said to use it until you go down to the bank and open your account.”

Chance opened it, took out a roll of bills, and peeled off two hundreds. “It’s more than you’ll need for groceries. But go ahead and gas your car, too.”

She kissed his cheek. “Thanks. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

Emily left by the kitchen door, hoping the sheriff had a good reason for her to keep this meeting from Chance.

Sax stood looking out the window in his room at Langley Manor. Why didn’t he feel any better after talking with Shelby? He had waited more than half his life for that confrontation. He didn’t expect her to forgive him right away. But he had expected to feel some semblance of peace. Some flicker of joy or hope. All he felt was raw shame. Shame that he had left his kid sister in a volatile environment. Shame that he’d deliberately chosen not to ask her the one question to which he feared the answer. Shame that being a part of the rock band was more important to him than staying home and fighting for Shelby. Shame that he hadn’t even started looking for her until she was all he had left.

Sax stared at the sea of cane fields undulating in the breeze. What it boiled down to was that his living in a bus with the drinking, drugging, womanizing guys in the band had been less oppressive than living in a violent home. With the band, it was always party time. And playing electric guitar was energizing. Rock music made him feel alive, especially when he was high on pot. It became a great escape—as long as he didn’t have contact with Shelby. As long as he didn’t have to be reminded that he had gotten out and she hadn’t.

Sax sighed. Today’s encounter with Shelby was supposed to be the answer for his depression. Admitting his mistakes was supposed to bring him the peace he so desperately wanted.

I don’t think you can find true peace and be at odds with the Prince of Peace.

Zoe’s words rang in his head. Adele had said something similar. But why should he turn to God when God had turned away from him?

Sax figured his eternal judgment would come soon enough. But as long as he had both feet in this life, he refused to take one step toward the all-seeing, all-knowing God who had turned a deaf ear when he was a helpless and defenseless child.

Emily followed a male deputy into an interview room at the Saint Catherine Parish Sheriff’s Department and seated herself at the oblong table.

“Would you like something to drink?” the deputy asked.

“No, thanks. I’m good.”

“The sheriff’s just finishing up a phone call. He’ll be with you shortly.” The deputy smiled and left.

Emily folded her hands on the table, feeling surprisingly at home. She looked around the room and wondered if interrogation rooms everywhere looked about the same—pastel walls, a solid table and chairs, a two-way mirror, and no pictures or windows. The two interview rooms her mother used at the Sophie Trace Police Department were slightly smaller but very similar in appearance.

She heard footsteps coming her way and looked up just as Deputy Chief Aimee Rivette walked in, followed by Sheriff Jude Prejean.

“Thanks for coming in to talk to us.” Jude sat on the other side of the table with Aimee.

“I’m glad to cooperate,” Emily said. “Though I’m puzzled why you’re being secretive.”

“Not secretive—discreet.”

“What’s this about?” Emily moved her gaze from Jude to Aimee and back to Jude.

“After the deputies talked with you and Chance and his aunt Reba this morning,” Jude said, “we spent some time talking with Alan Arceneau.”

Emily arched her eyebrows. “Is he a suspect?”

“Merely a person of interest. But something he said raised a question in my mind as to whether Chance might have known about his father’s affair.”

“You wouldn’t have any doubt,” Emily said, “if you’d seen Chance’s face when I told him about it. He was shocked and devastated. According to his aunt Reba, his mother did everything in her power to keep it from him.”

“I don’t doubt that. But is it possible he had found out and just didn’t tell you or Reba? Could he have been faking his reaction?”

Emily was taken aback by the question. It had never occurred to her that Chance might have known and just pretended not to. “I don’t think he would deceive me. If he knew, why wouldn’t he just say so when I came to him with it?”

“I don’t know,” Jude said. “But what Arceneau told us and what Chance told us is inconsistent.”

“What did Arceneau tell you?”

“I’m not at liberty to say. But I have good reason to believe that Chance wasn’t ignorant of his father’s affair.”

“Even if he wasn’t,” Emily said, “what difference does it make?”

“Maybe none. But I’d like to ask you a few more questions.”

“All right.”

“Does Chance talk much about his mother?”

Emily nodded. “A lot. They were really close. Her death impacted him in a way his dad’s didn’t.”

“What do you mean?”

“Chance and his dad weren’t close. His dad rode him pretty hard and found it difficult to affirm him, even after he got a scholarship to Harvard Medical School.”

“You’re speaking from Chance’s perspective, I assume?”

“Yes, but also Reba’s. She wasn’t all that crazy about Huet either. She told me how hard he was on Chance. But I think they were both surprised that he cheated on Lydia.”

“Why?”

“Apparently, Huet was good to Lydia—at least when other people were around. I only met him once. He seemed very nice.”

“What can you tell me about Lydia?”

“She was gracious and hospitable, and I never sensed any tension between her and Huet that one time I met them. According to Chance and Reba, she was the self-sacrificing type. Attentive. Relational. A wonderful mother—a real cheerleader for Chance.”

“Intelligent?”

“That, too. She had a degree in pharmacology. She was a pharmacist for a few years until she got pregnant with Chance and decided to be a stay-at-home mom.”

Jude shot Aimee a knowing look, and Emily wondered what that was all about.

“Did Chance or Reba ever give you an indication that Lydia had a temper? Could be vindictive? Hold a grudge?”

“No. They both thought she was a saint. Sheriff, what’s going on?”

“We’re just gathering information. You, of all people, understand how that works.”

“Are you looking this hard into the background of the other victims?”

“All seven.”

Emily ran her thumb across her silver pinky ring. “I’m just surprised you’re talking to me personally, rather than having your deputies questioning me. Should I read something into that?”

“It would be unwise of you to read into anything we’re doing.”

Emily leaned forward on her elbows. “Can you at least tell me if bringing the affair to your attention was helpful?”

“It’s always helpful to have all the information. We have to do more digging to know if that information’s relevant.”

Emily sighed. “I get it. You can’t tell me anything during an ongoing investigation.”

Jude and Aimee both smiled at her.

Emily glanced at her watch. “What other questions do you have for me?”

“That’s really all for now.”

“That’s it?”

Jude nodded. “We just wanted to get your assessment of Huet and Lydia Durand without Chance present, just in case there was a negative you’d be reluctant to mention in front of him. And we were curious whether you sensed that he had known about his dad’s affair.”

“I told you what I know. I don’t think Chance knew anything about the affair.”

“We appreciate your coming in.” Jude stood and shook her hand.

Aimee followed his lead. “Thanks, Emily.”

“Can I tell Chance I came and talked to you about his parents? I don’t feel right about keeping secrets.”

“I can’t tell you not to,” Jude said. “But I’d appreciate it very much if you didn’t.”

“Can I ask why?”

“I really can’t get into it. We’re exploring a possible connection between victims.”

“So you’re asking me not to say anything?”

“That’s correct.”

Emily studied the sheriff’s face. What in the world was he not telling her?