by Jon Coon
On the wall was a large print of a houseboat with an upper deck big enough for a dance band and fifteen or twenty couples. Bo looked quite happy at the helm, surrounded by attractive young women in bikinis holding champagne flutes. Bob got out his phone and began copying the photos. “Let’s see who his friends were.”
Gabe looked through a leather-bound daily planner. “He was booked solid for the next two months. Then a three-week vacation. Looks like they were going to take a Mediterranean cruise.”
Gabe pulled out a file drawer and found a folder marked “cruise.” In it were brochures and several pages of notes and copies of receipts. They had six upper-deck balcony suites booked. “Big bucks!” Gabe said, “Let’s find out who was invited.” Gabe found a reservations number for Princess Cruises and placed the call. Within a few minutes, he had a list of ten additional names and contact information for couples from five other southern states. “Wouldn’t it be interesting if any of his guests happened to work for state highway departments?”
“You don’t think?” Bob asked with a sarcastic laugh. He continued pulling out drawers and going through files.
Gabe quickly read the list. “Oh, check this out. Our friends Steve Overstreet and Mrs. Overstreet will be cruising with us. Isn’t that just cozy?”
“A jury is going to love that,” Bob added. “Do we know anyone else?”
“It looks like the rest are from other states, but I imagine they have a thing or two in common: like kickbacks and mayhem.”
Gabe folded the list and added it to his notebook. “Do you see anything here that spells suicide? This guy had it made.”
“Unless he thought he wouldn’t survive the investigation,” Bob said.
“Punishment for white collar crime isn’t that bad. Even if he was convicted, he wouldn’t have done much time. I don’t think it adds up to killing yourself. Just a thought.”
“So how we going to prove he didn’t take the jump without help? No signs of a struggle,” Bob said.
There was an ornate tray on the corner of Bo’s desk that should have held four glasses and a decanter. Three glasses remained. With latex-gloved hands, Gabe picked up one of the glasses.
“You know,” Gabe said, “looking at those photos, Bo was a man who appreciated a drink; or more likely a whole bunch of drinks. So where’s that decanter and the fourth glass? Was he drugged or drunk before he took the jump? Someone should have told him; it’s not healthy to drink alone.”
Police were removing files and computers as Gabe and Bob left the building. Standing at the door was a very angry, very attractive blond in an elegant skirt and jacket yelling, “You can’t do this! That’s private property. I’ll sue . . .”
Gabe watched and wondered, who is that, and how does she keep from falling in those ridiculously high heels?
By midafternoon Bob took Gabe back to the RV, and Gabe picked up the police cruiser. There was no sign of Carol’s rental car, but it was still early. It was time to meet Cas.
She’d asked him to meet her at a roadhouse not far from the highway. The place was dark, smoky, and mostly empty. Cas sat in a back booth with a cigarette smoldering in the ashtray alongside three other dead butts. Based on the look in her eyes, Gabe guessed she’d also had a drink or two.
“Bonjour,” she greeted him.
“Bonjour, Cas,” he replied without smiling. “Where’s your mother?”
“Ma Mére is talking with a contractor about getting that stupid shack rebuilt. You know her being here is all your fault. If you would just come home she could be living a civilized life again.”
“I don’t understand. She said she wanted a retreat away from the university where she could focus on her book. She wants it to be authentic, and living here put her closer to what slave living conditions were back in the day.”
Cas shook her head and frowned, “Wake up, Gabe. The only reason she came here was to tame you and bring you home.”
“That can’t be right, Cas. She’s never said . . .”
“No, it’s not right, but it’s the truth.”
“What do you mean?”
“Why do you think she welcomed you to our home and asked you all those questions about your family and what happened to your mother?”
“She said she and my mother were cousins. That she didn’t know about the problems with my father.”
“They were more than cousins, Gabe. They were best friends when they were girls. Your mother drifted away about the time she and your dad began having trouble. Ma Mére was heartbroken when she learned what happened.”
“So?”
“So she brought you home.” Cas paused, looked into Gabe’s eyes, and took his hand across the dark table. “She brought you home for me.”
“What?”
“Think about it. Remember all those evenings she had to work late at school? She didn’t ever do that until she moved you in. She wanted us to be together.”
“But why?”
“It’s about the power, the vision. With every generation, the power is diluted. The further from the source, the weaker the blood. Gifts like yours and mine are nearly gone. If she could bring us together, our bébés would be the most powerful in ages.”
“And you knew?”
“No. That’s where it went wrong. She counted on letting nature take its course: put two hot-blooded creoles together and get out the way.”
“That part certainly worked.”
“More than you know.”
“What do you mean?”
“I was pregnant when you left.” She pulled away her hand and waited for him to respond.
Gabe sank back in the booth staring at her in amazement. “You never said—”
“I didn’t know until you were gone. Then what was the point. You didn’t want me.”
“Oh, Cas, I’m—”
“You’re sorry? I lost my soul because of you. You should be sorry.”
“What do you mean?”
“I had an abortion.”
“Oh, no . . .” He reached back across the table for her hand, but she pulled away again. They sat quietly for a while. Gabe was utterly unsure of what to say.
She finally broke the awkward silence with, “I want another drink.” She waved to the bartender, then opened her purse and found cigarettes. She dug for her lighter, and when the purse flopped open, Gabe saw the white plastic grip of a thin profile, high standard .22 derringer sticking out of a small holster. She lit another cigarette and inhaled deeply, waiting for her drink.
Gabe picked up his tea glass and stirred the lemon while trying to unravel the information Cas had thrown at him. “So why now? Why are you telling me now?”
She leaned forward, her ebony eyes hard as stone. “Because of her. The widow and her kids. You’re making a huge mistake. Darlin’, I know your history like nobody else. You think she’s going to stay with you, have bébés with you, once she finds out who you really are?”
“She knows,” he opened his hands on the table as though showing all his cards.
“Don’t make me laugh.”
“She knows everything,” he said and shifted on the hard booth seat.
“I’m the only one you’ll ever be safe with. I’m the only one who knows all your secrets and still loves you. When you wake, screaming at night, I know what you see. I will walk that walk with you, and I can set you free. Or—”
“Or what?”
“Or I can make your life and hers extremely difficult.”
“Cas, you wouldn’t—”
“You forget. I loved you. I gave myself to you, and you threw me out like last year’s Christmas tree. Thanks to you my soul is forfeit. I got nothing else to lose, babe. Give me one reason I should have mercy on you now.”
“Carol and her kids have nothing to do with us. Leave them out of it.”
“You want them out? Come home with me and promise you’ll never see them again.”
“I made a promise to Charlie, her dead husband, to wat
ch out for them.”
“Well, good luck with that. You made a baby with me. I’d say that counts more than a promise to a dead guy. What’s he going to do? You need to worry about what I’m going to do.”
“Cas, I still care about you, but if you hurt them there’ll be no place you can hide.”
“Goodbye, darlin’. Sweet dreams.” She grabbed her bag and stormed out.
On the way home, he went to the vet’s to rescue Smith, who while still limping was happy to see him and eager to rejoin her family. Smith rode sitting as close to Gabe as she could get with the console and computer bracket in her way. “Oh, girl, I’ve messed up again,” Gabe confided and scratched her head. “I’m glad you still love me, ’cause the future is looking grim.”
CHAPTER 28
1900
Back at Gabe’s RV that evening, Carol and Emily had been busy. A new, yellow Ford Mustang convertible was in the drive with boxes of new clothes filling the back seat.
“Mom let me pick it out,” Emily said, her excitement meter pegged. “It’s going to be mine when I’m old enough.”
“Terrific,” Gabe said, a bit stunned.
They went in, and Gabe settled in one of the swivel rockers. Carol and Emily dropped on the couch.
“The construction guys will be at the camp tomorrow with dozers to clean up the lot. I used two of the websites with reviews to pick them out. I called three contractors: These guys weren’t the cheapest, but they have the best reviews, and they aren’t that much higher.”
“Okay.”
“I’m meeting a realtor on Monday, and I’ve been online looking at log homes. One story, four bedrooms, big porches, open floor plan, double garage, timber, cedar, and stone exterior. That sound about right?”
“Great. How long to build it?”
“They are kit-built, so when the materials are delivered everything is already cut to fit. That means it goes up quick, less than three months. We can drive up to North Carolina and see them being built. I love the cabin look. It will be perfect.”
“Think we might want to buy the property before you buy the house?”
“Can’t we do it this week? This is exciting.”
“Are you coming with me to see Paul tomorrow?” Gabe asked.
“He called. We’re going to lunch,” she replied.
“Okay, that’s good. Let’s take the dogs for a run, and you can tell me all about how we’re going to pay for this.” He grabbed a ball cap and held open the door.
After dinner out and rocking chairs under the awning, Gabe settled on the couch while the girls retreated to the bedroom. Gabe lay awake, staring into the darkness. He heard Carol and Emily laughing in the bedroom and was overcome with a sense of dread. If I tell her about Cas, will it ruin everything?
He remembered the fiery creole girl, full of life and passion. His heart ached at the bitter young woman she had become. Was it his fault, as she claimed? He closed his eyes and prayed for understanding, compassion, and forgiveness. He was falling asleep when Smith came to his face, quietly crying.
He rubbed her head, “Does it hurt, girl?” She moaned softly.
He got her meds from the cabinet, and she chewed them without argument and walked to the door. He followed, and they both went out.
While he waited for Smith, Gabe eased into a double lounge rocker, enjoying the view of a full moon and a million stars. His thoughts drifted. First to Nancy Bodine and Wilson Corbitt. Their lives taken and what they had missed. Then to Zack Greenly and how his life had been altered by the murder of his father and mother, and he thought sadly about Charlie and the pain his death was causing his family. He thought about his mother and how her brutal murder had changed his own life forever. Pain and loneliness were everywhere. Is it worth the risk to love anyone if, in reality, you are powerless to protect them? Are what could be only fleeting moments of love worth decades of pain? “What do you think, girl?” he asked Smith when she returned to his side. She put her head on his knee, offering complete understanding and empathy but no answers.
The RV door opened and Carol, wrapped in a blanket, came down the stairs. “I couldn’t sleep either, so I made herbal tea. It will help.” She sat beside him and scratched Smith’s head lovingly.
“What were you two talking about?” she asked.
He sipped the tea. “About how nice it is to have someone bring you tea in the middle of the night.” He wrapped his arm around her and they rocked in silence until the tea was gone and night chill sent them back inside.
Carol was first up making coffee, and by seven thirty she and Gabe were on the way to meet the construction crew at the river camp. Gabe called the prison to set up a meeting with Stony Waller for that afternoon.
At the camp Gabe’s gun safe, the refrigerator, stove, and claw-foot bathtub were the only things still standing. Much to his surprise the ancient, guaranteed-fireproof gun safe’s combination lock still worked. Gabe was able to retrieve his Colt Cobra and other guns, including Carol’s AR-15, ammo, and documents. That done, the dozers went to work loading charred timbers and junk into their trucks. Gabe used his phone to take a few pictures, and shortly before noon they were on their way to the dive locker to meet Paul.
Paul’s newfound freedom agreed with him. He was more relaxed than Gabe had seen him and looked like he enjoying his court-ordered custodial duties. He hugged and kissed Carol and offered Gabe a handshake. Seated at the diner, Paul began, “I’m sorry. I owe you both an apology. It’s just been hard since Dad died. I guess I took it out on you guys, and that wasn’t fair.”
Good opening statement, Gabe thought.
“I’ve found a place to stay with college kids who share one of those big old houses out by the lake. It’s cool. I’m happy there. If it’s all right with you, Mom, I want to stay.”
“What about school?” Carol asked.
“The junior college has a GED program. I can finish there by going to night school. I’ve got a job. I’m filling tanks, doing maintenance, and learning how to repair dive gear at the dive shop where I got certified. Mr. Lane says once I learn the ropes he’ll put me on full time. It’s not much, but I can make it. He says he’ll throw in free training, and I can be an instructor in a year or two.”
“Honey, that’s wonderful. It sounds like you’ve got a plan.”
“It’s what Gabe said about finding that gold line. I guess I was lost, but now that I’ve got a plan, I’m doing better. Much better.”
“Paul, do you know about the fire?” Gabe asked.
“Fire? No, what happened?” Paul put down his Coke and turned to Gabe.
“Someone torched the river house.”
“I didn’t know.” He paused. He looked surprised.
Good. Gabe waited.
Paul looked from Gabe to his mother and back again. When he realized what they were asking and why, his face flushed with anger. “I’d never have done that. If that’s what you’re thinking. It wasn’t me. I swear it.”
“I need to ask where you were Wednesday night,” Gabe said.
“I was at the dive shop and then at the house. You can ask Mr. Lane and the kids at the house. They saw me; they’ll tell you.”
“I’m sure they will. I’ll need to have that address so we can eliminate you from the investigation. Last thing is Zack’s phone. Have you taken care of that?”
“Yes. I took it to Mickey’s mom’s house right after we talked. I left it for her. They came and picked it up.” Paul was calming down and refocusing.
“That’s fine. I’m glad you followed through so quickly.” Gabe nodded his approval.
“Honey, there’s more,” Carol began. “I’m selling the house. Gabe and I are going to buy the river property and build there. Honey, we are going to get married.”
Paul stiffened, glared at Gabe, but said nothing.
“Paul, I will always love your dad, but he’s gone. Gabe’s been part of our family since before you were born. Your dad was adamant if anything ever happen
ed to him, Gabe would be the one to watch out for us . . . the one to keep us safe.”
“You’ve said all that before, Mom. This is all too fast. I’ll have to think about it. That’s all. I’m not sure what Dad would want me to do. I’ll have to think about it.”
“Do you believe him?” Carol asked when they were back in the truck.
“You know him a lot better than me. What do you think?”
“You are going to check out what he told us, aren’t you?”
“Of course.”
“Let’s decide then. But it went better than I’d thought. It sounds like he wants to act like a human being. Don’t you think?” she said.
“I do think. I mean I think he thinks he does too.” Gabe stumbled. “Carol, we need to talk. I’ve been thinking a lot about us—”
“Gabe, you must have the coldest feet of anyone I’ve ever known,” she chided. “Look, if this doesn’t work, I’ll have the house, you’ll have the Montana, and we’ll be neighbors and best friends. We don’t have to be married for this to work. How’s that?”
“I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just, well, some things have happened. There’s more about my past you need to know. Not now, but soon.”
“Okay, so now you’re going to tell me you’re married three times and have six kids in Ohio?”
“It’s not that bad.”
“Well, thank goodness.”
They rode in silence a while on the way to the prison. Then Gabe smiled and laughed.
“What?” she asked.
“I was thinking about Stony Waller when we first met. He was such a mess, and it was almost funny.”
“How so?”
“Redneck boy up to his ears in pot, gators, and redneck girls,” Gabe started. “Got into trouble with one of the Columbian cartel’s gangs. It got bloody before I got involved. He lost a brother and would have lost his girlfriend and their kid. I helped get the mom and kid out of Dodge. Stony got twenty, but under an assumed name to keep him alive. The property belonged to his granddad and, for whatever reason, it didn’t get seized. I guess they weren’t growing there, which was smart.”
