Relentless Pursuit: A Novel (Secrets of Roux River Bayou) (5 page)

Chapter 5

Zoe sat at Adele Woodmore’s kitchen table, her hand wrapped around a cold glass of raspberry tea, her mind racing with the day’s developments.

“I’m glad you came over, hon.” Adele brushed a lock of Zoe’s hair away from her damp eyes.

“Seems I always end up at your table when I’m upset,” Zoe said. “The latest news about cyanide in bottled water put me over the top. And Dominic … how do we even begin to deal with that?”

“It’s overwhelming. Domi was such a sweet little boy. I can still picture him kneeling at my coffee table with Grace, putting puzzles together. They were so cute and such special friends.”

Zoe cried unashamedly in the comforting presence of this precious woman who was as much a mother figure to her as a friend.

“Margot and Josh both seemed dazed when I stopped by the house,” Zoe said. “I’m surprised they could even carry on a conversation. But they were gracious as always. I guess they have to maintain their sanity for the other children. I feel bad for Chance Durand, too. I don’t know him well, but Emily seems taken with him.”

Adele looked into her eyes. “Was she with Chance when his parents died?”

“She drove him to the hospital, but his parents were dead before they got there. It’s so terrifying.”

Adele squeezed Zoe’s hand. “We have to trust the Lord.”

“I do. But we have to be smart. If whoever’s doing this can poison a food bar and bottled water, how can we trust anything we buy locally? I’ve decided to start taking my family’s perishable groceries out of what we have delivered to Zoe B’s—eggs, fish, meat, poultry, dairy items. Our wholesale supplier comes three times a week from New Orleans. I won’t be shopping for any of those items at local stores, that’s for sure. I’ll order enough for you, too.”

“Isabel and I will be fine,” Adele said. “You take care of your little ones.”

Isabel Morand stood in the doorway, her arms crossed, her long dark hair draping over her shoulders. “I think we should take Zoe up on her offer, Adele. We have no idea what’s safe and what isn’t.”

“I insist,” Zoe said. “I can easily adjust my food orders to cover it.”

“I suppose it couldn’t hurt. I’ll pay you, of course.” Adele picked up a copy of
National Geographic
and began fanning herself. “Could you have imagined this in a million years?”

Zoe shook her head.

“Maybe not this,” Isabel said. “But after the nightmare with Murray Hamelin, nothing should surprise us.”

Zoe caught Adele’s gaze. “Have you heard from him lately?”

“Just last week.” The corners of Adele’s mouth curled up. “Murray’s doing as well as a young man can do in prison. He’s in a Bible study with a dozen other inmates. He’s accepted that he’ll never be up for parole. He said in his letter that he wanted to work for God right where he is, that he wanted to lead other prisoners to Christ so they could experience the freedom he has, despite the bars. It’s remarkable.”

Zoe wrinkled her nose and was immediately sorry she had shown her disdain. “Sorry. I know I should be rejoicing that
he’s found a relationship with God. But after what he did to you … I’m just glad he’s locked up.”

Isabel pursed her lips. “I’ll never forgive him for what he did.”

“Then perhaps both of you should concentrate on what he
didn’t
do,” Adele said. “That should put you in an attitude of gratitude.”

“You’re right. I should focus on that instead.”
But not today
. Zoe glanced at her watch. “I guess I’d better get back to Zoe B’s. The place was all but dead earlier, though I’m hoping business will pick up this evening. I posted a notice on the door, letting people know we buy our ingredients in bulk from a wholesaler out of New Orleans, and that it’s perfectly safe to eat there.”

“That may not be enough reassurance right now,” Isabel said. “I’m sure the people who ate at the food bar thought it was safe.”

Adele sighed. “I do hope Domi didn’t suffer.”

“Cyanide works quickly,” Zoe said. “I doubt he even had time to react. I suppose that’s the only relief in all this.”

“It’s not just the children I’m worried about, Zoe.” Adele took her hand. “
You
be careful.”

“I will. I want you and Isabel to be careful too. Don’t drink Gaudry bottled water. And examine everything. From what I saw on the news, there was a clear spot on the bottom of the poisoned bottled water where the plastic had been tampered with. But who turns the bottle upside down?”

Adele sighed. “I’ll bet we will now.”

Emily sat next to Chance on the white leather couch at his home, wondering what thoughts must be racing through his mind. The front porch had been roped off with yellow crime scene tape, and sheriff’s deputies and police officers were still in the kitchen, gathering evidence.

Two deputies walked out of the kitchen and sat in navy leather Queen Anne chairs, facing Emily and Chance.

“Chance, I’m Deputy Stone Castille, and this is Mike Doucet. Sorry we’ve kept you waiting so long. It’s been a crazy day.”

“That’s okay,” Chance said. “I had a lot of phone calls to make.”

Stone nodded. “I’m sure. Deputy Doucet and I read the statement you gave the detectives. We just have a few follow-up questions.”

“Whatever you need. This is my friend Emily Jessup. She knows the situation. We can speak freely in front of her.”

Castille glanced at Emily and then turned his attention to Chance. “We’re talking to the family members of all the victims, just to see if any of you might know some detail that will help us—something that may not even seem important but could be key.”

Chance seemed to stare at his hands. “I told the detectives everything I know. I’m blown away by this. I can’t believe both my parents are dead. They’ve gotten their groceries from Marcotte’s since I was a little boy. Who would do this?”

“What can you tell us about the delivery boy?”

“Adam Marcotte?” Chance shrugged. “Just what I told the detectives. He’s a nice kid. He had just gotten his driver’s license when I was home on Christmas break, and his great-uncle hired him to deliver groceries after school and on weekends. You don’t think he had anything to do with this?”

“We’re just gathering information,” Castille said. “Right now, we can’t rule out anyone.”

Doucet wrote something on his tablet.

“Do you know if your parents always had their groceries delivered on Friday?” Castille said.

“I’m not sure.” Chance leaned his head back on the couch. “I’m away at school most of the year. But since I’ve been home this summer, they have.”

“Were you home yesterday when Adam brought the groceries?”

“Yes, sir. I was. It was around four thirty.”

“Was there anything different in Adam’s demeanor?”

“Not at all,” Chance said. “He was personable as ever. Cheerful and polite.”

“Who put the bottled water in the refrigerator?”

“I did.”

“In hindsight, did anything about it seem odd? Had the plastic netting around it been cut and reattached?”

“My mom laid out all the groceries and handed them to me. I didn’t pay attention.” Chance’s eyes welled with tears. “It never occurred to me someone could poison bottled water.”

“Did your parents always buy Gaudry brand?”

Chance nodded. “It’s the only kind my dad would drink. He said Looziana spring water was the best.”

“Did either of your parents have a grievance with someone at Marcotte’s?”

“I doubt it. They loved that place. Like I said, they’d been buying groceries there since I was a kid. Before they started having groceries delivered, they knew the checkers by name—and how their kids were doing.”

Doucet scribbled something on his notes.

“Chance, do you think there’s any possibility this attack was personal?” Castille said.

“It was to me.” Chance put his fist to his mouth and swallowed hard. “But if you’re asking whether I think someone deliberately targeted my parents, I doubt it. Everybody liked Mom and Dad.”

“You’re sure about that?”

“As sure as I
can
be.”

“So you think they were just unfortunate victims of a random attack?”

“I don’t know what else to think,” Chance said. “I can’t imagine anyone wanting to hurt them.”

“So you never heard anyone threaten them—even in jest?”

“Never.”

“No estranged friends? Neighbors? Relatives?”

Chance heaved a sigh. “No, sir. Not that I know of. They’ve had the same friends and neighbors for as long as I can remember. They played bridge with a lot of them or knew them from the country club.”

Stone glanced at the report. “Okay, I see you’ve already given us their names and phone numbers. I think we’re done for now. If something comes up that we have questions about, we’ll be in touch. We appreciate your talking to us. I know this has been a terrible ordeal.”

“Deputy Castille, I have a question,” Emily said. “How many people were poisoned?”

“Sixteen. Six died—one from Marcotte’s food bar and five from Gaudry bottled water.”

“Is that brand of water still on the grocery shelves?” Emily said.

“No, it’s been voluntarily pulled from the shelves in Les Barbes. And there’s also been a state recall on all bottles with that expiration date, originating from the Lafayette plant.”

“I thought plastic bottles were tamperproof,” Emily said.

“Tamper
resistant
.” Castille arched his eyebrows. “I doubt any containers are truly tamperproof. If a person is determined, he can get into almost anything. What else?”

“That’s all. Thanks,” Emily said.

The two deputies rose to their feet and shook hands with Chance.

“We’re very sorry for your loss,” Castille said.

Doucet nodded. “We’ll do everything in our power to find out who did this.”

“Thank you,” Chance said. “I know you will.”

Emily linked her arm in his as the deputies walked out to the kitchen. “Are you all right?”

“Would you be?”

Dumb question
, Emily thought. “Whoever did this is not going to get away with it.”

Chance exhaled. “I wish I were as confident as you are.”

“It’s serious enough that the authorities won’t quit until they figure out who’s responsible.”

“I hope you’re right.” Chance got up and pulled Emily to her feet. “I’ve got to go to the mausoleum and make sure the prearrangements are in order. And then I need to meet with Monsignor Robidoux at Saint Catherine’s. I’m not religious, but Mom and Dad would want a Catholic funeral.”

“I’ll drive you,” Emily said.

“I thought you were working the dinner shift at Zoe B’s.”

“I was, but Zoe sent me a text and said not to come in—that business was almost dead at the moment. I’m here as long as you need me.”

Jude hung up the phone and looked out his office window. Across the street, the stately Saint Catherine Parish Courthouse stood tall and proud, its white pillars taking on a soft yellow glow in the evening sun. A perfect picture if it weren’t for the media mob out front.

Aimee walked into his office, her hairdo wilted but her demeanor cool and calm. “You wanted to see me, Sheriff?”

“Yes, you can leave the door open. Take a seat.”

Aimee pulled up a chair next to his desk and sat.

“Officials from the Department of Health and Hospitals have arrived,” Jude said. “I want you to fill them in and give them whatever they need.”

Aimee’s jaw tightened. “We can do this without DHH.”

“Maybe,” Jude said. “But sixteen people poisoned with cyanide—six of them fatally—was bound to turn a few heads in Baton Rouge. The governor wants to make sure this thing is contained before it becomes a statewide risk. We can use all the help we can get. Be gracious about it.”

“You know I will. Anything else?”

“Have we finished interviewing the families of the victims?”

Aimee nodded. “Immediate family. We’re getting their statements into the computer so you can review them.”

“I want hard copies too. It’s easier for me to compare them that way. So what’s your assessment?”

Aimee pursed her lips. “Overall, they seem devastated.”

“Any anger? Threats to sue?”

“Some. But I think it’s just grief talking. Most are still stunned. I imagine the anger will come later. Leo Marcotte was so stressed he started hyperventilating. His son took him to the ER, and they sedated him. Poor guy. He started the Market from the ground up and has run it himself for over fifty years. He’s horrified that something like this could originate from there.”

“Have we checked to see if any family member of the victims works in an industry that has access to cyanide?”

“We’re in the process. So far, that hasn’t yielded anything.”

“Well, lots of people had access to that food bar. What do we know about the great-nephew, Adam Marcotte? He certainly could have moved about freely in the store without drawing suspicion.”