by Patricia Kay
“Sounds like they really think a lot of you.”
“Well, they don’t have any children of their own, and I know that’s always bothered them. And I’m the youngest of the nieces and nephews. Plus, Uncle Justin and my father have always been especially close. They’re the only two brothers born of my grandfather’s second marriage... Oh, it’s so complicated-sounding when you don’t belong to my family, but my father’s father—my grandfather Cantrelle—was married twice. He had two sons from his first marriage, Claude and Andre, and they’re both well into their eighties now. Then, from his second marriage, there were four children, two boys and two girls.”
“So when you found out you were pregnant with Aimee, you went to live with your uncle and aunt.”
“Yes.”
Jack chose his words carefully. “If you don’t want to talk about this, or if this is none of my business, say so. But going to live with your uncle and aunt, was this something you wanted to do or something your parents wanted you to do?”
“It was a mutual decision. I... Oh, shoot, I might as well tell you. It’s no great secret, it’s just that I’m ashamed of my poor judgment and lack of good sense. Aimee’s father was a salesman. He worked out of Fort Worth, Texas, but he covered Louisiana. I met him because he rented the apartment over the office of my family’s business, and at the time, I was working in that office. His name was Mark Hodges, and he was good-looking, sophisticated, charming—” Suddenly she chuckled. “Rather like you, actually.”
Jack frowned. He wasn’t sure he wanted to be compared to the sorry son-of-a-gun who had run out on her.
“Anyway, he made a big play for me, and I was flattered. All I saw was the surface charm, and I liked the money he spent on me, the places he took me.” She made a sound that was half laugh, half exhalation. “I was extremely easy pickings.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Jack said.
She turned to look at him. “Why not? It’s the truth.” She grimaced. “Norman warned me. He warned me over and over again. So did Neil. But I didn’t listen. I didn’t want to hear what they had to say. Anyway—to make a long story short—Mark was married. Of course, I didn’t know that at the time. I’m not the sort of woman who goes out with married men.”
“I never thought you were,” Jack said.
She gave him a little half smile. “Thanks. It turns out he had a wife and two little kids in Fort Worth. But I didn’t find all that out until much later. In the meantime, I got pregnant and I told him. I had some rosy idea he’d be happy about the news.” She grunted. “I sure got a rude awakening. He cleared out the very next day. Never said a word, just disappeared. Left the rent money in an envelope in the apartment and took off. Norman’s the one who told me Mark was married.” Her voice trailed off.
Jack clenched his fists. What a bastard!
“Anyway,” she continued after a moment, “I was so devastated and embarrassed and I felt so rotten about letting my family down, and my parents knew how I felt, so even though they really wanted me to be with them, they suggested I go stay in Lafayette.”
Jack felt better. He’d been afraid her parents were ashamed of Nicole, too, but he could see that they’d simply wanted her to be protected and safe from censure—by anyone.
“So I went, and it was a wonderful time for me. I spent a lot of time thinking, and I grew up a lot. I was twenty-six when this all happened, but I wasn’t a very mature twenty-six. I’d been pretty sheltered, and I’d always lived at home. I wasn’t very experienced.”
“We all make mistakes, no matter how old we are.”
Her voice sounded rueful when she answered. “True, but some of us make whoppers.”
“Have you ever tried to get in touch with Aimee’s father?”
Her voice hardened. “No.”
“Seems to me he should be contributing to Aimee’s support.”
“I don’t want anything from him. In fact, if I could pretend he never existed, that’d be fine with me.”
“What’s going to happen when Aimee gets older, when she starts to ask questions about her father?”
Now she sounded uncertain. “I... I don’t know. I’ll tell her the truth, I guess. I don’t really have a choice.”
Jack nodded. The truth was always best. “Well, I’m looking forward to meeting your uncle, since you like him so much.”
On the outskirts of Lafayette, they stopped for lunch. It was nearly one o’clock by the time Nicole called her uncle from the restaurant. Twenty minutes later they pulled into the driveway of an attractive two-story brick colonial in an older section of the city.
A slight man dressed in dark slacks and a burgundy shirt walked outside. As he came closer, Jack could see he was very tanned, and that his hair was completely white. Nicole hugged him and said, “Hello, Uncle Justin. You’re looking well.”
“Hello, ma chere.” He held her at arm’s length. “And you, you look very beautiful, as usual.” Then he turned his dark-eyed gaze on Jack.
Jack leaned forward and extended his right hand. “Jack Forrester, Mr. Cantrelle.”
As they shook hands, Justin Cantrelle studied Jack, and Jack could see the intelligence blazing from his eyes. “Thank you for coming on such short notice, Mr. Forrester.”
“Please, call me Jack.”
Justin Cantrelle permitted himself a small smile and nodded. He turned back to Nicole. Now his smile broadened, and his eyes filled with warmth. “It’s so good to see you again.”
She kissed his cheek. “Yes, I’ve stayed away too long.”
They followed Justin into the house, through the foyer, and off to the left into a large, sunny, living room filled with bright chintzes and glowing antiques. A large yellow Lab came bounding across the room and nearly knocked Nicole over.
“Genevieve, stop that!” Justin said sharply.
Nicole knelt, laughing as the dog lapped at her face. “Hi, Genevieve,” she crooned. “You missed me, didn’t you?”
When the dog was finished with Nicole, she walked over to Jack and began sniffing at his pant legs. He grinned, rubbing her on the back of the head. He liked dogs, especially Labs. That was one of the few things he really regretted about his constant traveling. There was no way he could ever have a pet.
“Where’s Aunt Lisette?” Nicole asked as she sat in a large wing-back chair near the front window.
“Your aunt is at the Center this afternoon,” Justin answered. He turned to Jack. “My wife, she does volunteer work three afternoons a week at the Catholic Youth Center. But she’ll be home later.” He rubbed his hands together. “Now, what can I bring you to drink? Coffee? Iced tea? Or perhaps you’d prefer something stronger.”
“I’d love a glass of iced tea,” Nicole said.
“And you, Mr. Forrester?”
“Coffee, please.”
Minutes later Justin carried in a tray containing a tall glass of iced tea and two cups of coffee. After they were all served, Justin sat facing them. “My brother tells me you are looking for a young woman who looks like Nicole.”
“Yes,” Jack said.
“And her name is Elise Arnold?”
“Yes.”
“Do you have a photograph of this young woman?” Jack, who had anticipated this request, pulled the snapshot out of his notebook. He handed it to Justin.
For long moments, Justin Cantrelle studied the photograph. The room was very quiet, with only the ticking mantel clock and the dog’s breathing breaking the silence. Then Justin sighed deeply and handed the photograph back to Jack. Jack carefully tucked it back into the inside flap of the notebook. Justin tented his hands and pursed his lips.
Jack glanced at Nicole. She was watching her uncle intently, her forehead furrowed. He turned back to Justin. “How old is Elise Arnold?” Justin finally asked.
“Twenty-eight.”
Justin nodded. In a quiet, very calm voice, he said, “I am going to tell you something that has remained a secret for a very long time.” His ga
ze rested on Nicole for a moment, then he turned and stared into space as he spoke.
“Approximately twenty-nine years ago Lisette and I were having some serious problems. We had been married nearly ten years, and we were childless. Lisette was very unhappy, and for nearly a year we were estranged in all the important ways. I didn’t know what to do. I tried in every way I could to show her our lack of success in having a child was not important enough to let it come between us, but she was so devastated and felt like such a failure, she just grew farther and farther away from me.”
He sighed. His eyes were filled with sadness as he continued. “Yes, it was a terrible time for us. I, too, was miserable. The lack of intimacy was terrible, for Lisette and I had always been each other’s best friend. We had shared everything, talked about everything, and we’d always laughed so much together. I... I hate to admit how weak I was, but I couldn’t stand the loss of that closeness. I turned to my secretary, a lovely young woman whom I admired very much. I’m sorry to have to say that we became lovers.”
“Oh, Uncle Justin,” Nicole said.
“But I felt so guilty. I loved Lisette so much, and I knew what I was doing was wrong, so I went to my secretary and told her our love affair must stop. I told her I would give her enough money to get settled somewhere else like Shreveport and even help her find a job, if she wanted, but she would have to leave Lafayette. She agreed.”
“What I didn’t know was that she was pregnant with my child. She didn’t tell me. Only after that child was born did she write and say she had had a little girl, my little girl, and she thought I might like to know.”
After a pause, Uncle Justin went on. “I believe Elise Arnold is my daughter.”
The words trembled in the air. Jack looked at Nicole, saw how still and pale she was, how wide and stricken her eyes were as she stared at her uncle. Jack’s skin prickled as he turned back to Justin and saw eyes filled with pain.
“Does Aunt Lisette know any of this?” Nicole said, her voice uneven.
Justin’s gaze never wavered. “She knows about the affair. I told her, and she has forgiven me. She doesn’t know about the child, because I knew that would break her heart. And I’d already hurt her so much, I just couldn’t hurt her anymore. Besides, what good would it have done?”
“Didn’t you ever try to see the baby?” Nicole asked. “How could you just ignore the fact that you had a child?”
“I tried. The letter from my secretary was postmarked Shreveport, but when I looked for her there, she was gone. I had no idea where she’d gone. I didn’t know much about her—she had only worked for me a short time. I knew she had an aunt somewhere, but I didn’t remember the aunt’s name. I have to be honest, chere, even though I know this will make you think less of me. I was relieved when I didn’t find her in Shreveport. I told myself she had probably been lying to me to make me feel bad, that there wasn’t a baby after all. I preferred to think these things because it made everything so much easier for me.” His face twisted. “You probably think I’m a terrible person.”
Nicole smiled sadly. “Uncle Justin, I could never think you’re a terrible person. And believe me, I have no room to make judgments about anyone. I’m not exactly perfect myself.”
Jack cleared his throat. “Mr. Cantrelle—”
“Please. If I’m to call you Jack, you must call me Justin.”
“Justin, what makes you so sure Elise is your daughter?”
Justin met his gaze squarely. “My secretary’s name was Michelle Sonnier.”
Jack and Nicole looked at each other, and he saw the same spark of excitement reflected in her dark eyes that he knew was shining in his.
Justin spoke again, softly. “When you told my brother the name of Elise’s mother, he knew it sounded familiar. Finally he realized where he’d heard it. That was when he called me.”
* * *
“You know, Jack, I’ve been thinking,” Nicole said. They were in his car, driving back to New Orleans. It was Friday night. They had decided not to stay overnight in Lafayette. “You’ve been spending an awful lot of time looking for Elise without really knowing whether she’s dead or alive.”
He expelled a gust of breath. “Yeah, I know. But I don’t see how we can ever know unless I find her... or someone finds her body.”
“Don’t you think it might be better to try to establish, for sure, that she’s still alive?”
“Yeah, that’d be great, but I don’t know how I can do that. Short of shooting Derek Arnold with truth serum and demanding to know whether he killed his wife, I’m fresh out of ideas.”
Nicole hesitated, suddenly wondering if what she was about to propose was wise. She took a deep breath. “I have a suggestion.”
“Oh?”
“Why don’t you use me?”
In the light cast from an oncoming car, Nicole could see Jack’s frown. “Use you? How?”
“As a decoy.”
“In what way?”
“Well, what I thought you could do is somehow—I’m not sure how, that would be something you’d have to figure out—let Derek Arnold know about me. Maybe you could get the information to him that you had found a woman you thought was Elise Arnold, and that she lived in New Orleans. You could even say the woman says her name is Nicole Cantrelle, but you don’t believe it. You could let him know where I live, then just wait and see what he does.”
“But if he killed Elise, why would he do anything?”
“That’s just it. If he doesn’t take the bait, you’ll know he probably did kill her, and you can go on from there. But if he does come to Louisiana, it’ll prove she really did run away from him.”
Jack pulled out into the passing lane and passed an eighteen-wheeler, then pulled back into the right lane of the highway. “I don’t know, Nicole. It sounds pretty farfetched to me.”
“It’d work, Jack, I know it’d work,” Nicole said eagerly. “It’s at least worth a try.”
“Now, I’m not saying I agree with you,” Jack said thoughtfully. “But for the sake of argument, let’s say we did it. And let’s say Derek came to New Orleans. That still wouldn’t prove conclusively that he didn’t kill Elise, you know?”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because even if he did kill her, he would want to divert suspicion. He’d probably figure out that if he didn’t at least check you out, it would look highly suspicious. After all, he’s playing the role of the concerned husband right now— at least to everyone except Jenny.”
“I say let’s cross that bridge when we come to it. I think he’d be bound to say something that would give him away, don’t you think?”
“What I think is that this is a crazy idea. A dangerous idea. Listen, Nicole, a guy like Derek Arnold might do anything. I don’t want you in danger.”
Nicole felt a surge of happiness at the concern in Jack’s voice. “But Jack, I don’t think he’d do anything to me. After all, I’m not his wife, and I can prove it. I’m no real threat to him.”
“No. There are too many variables. Too much danger.”
“Oh, come on, Jack. I want to do this. I... after listening to my uncle’s story, I don’t know... I just feel so close to Elise. I want to know what happened to her. And if she’s alive, I want to find her.” She turned in her seat so she could look at Jack. “She’s my cousin. She’s family.”
Jack was silent for so long, Nicole almost said something else. Finally he spoke. “I have to admit that the investigative journalist part of me likes your idea, but the other part of me—the man—is scared to death something might happen to you.”
Nicole hugged herself. He cared. He really did care.
“The only way I’ll consider letting you do this is if I can be with you at all times.”
“But, Jack—”
“At all times,” he repeated.
“Jack,” she said patiently, “I have a job. You can’t come to work with me every day.”
“I’m not really worried about the time
you’re at work. If we don’t tell him where you work, he won’t be able to go to your office. I’m worried about the time you’d be alone.”
“So what are you suggesting?”
“I’m suggesting that I move in with you.”
Chapter 11
Nicole’s heart thudded up into her throat. “Move in with me?”
Jack’s lower jaw jutted out stubbornly. “That’s what I said. If I can’t be with you when you’re not at work, I won’t let you do this. I won’t put you in that kind of danger.”
“I don’t know, Jack.” Oh, it was so tempting. Not only because she wanted to do this for her unknown cousin, but because the thought of being with Jack, having him in her home, caused her insides to jump around like Mexican jumping beans.
She looked out the window. In the distance she could see the lights of New Orleans. Soon they would be home.
“If the idea of my moving in with you bothers you so much, we’ll just forget the whole thing,” Jack said, breaking into her thoughts.
She glanced at him. He gave her a thoughtful look before turning his gaze back to the road. She bit her bottom lip. She knew that if she allowed Jack to move into her cottage, she would never be able to withstand her feelings for him. And she was fairly certain he felt the same way.
So if she said yes, she’d agree with his condition, she’d be saying yes to more than just trying to trap Derek Arnold.
She’d be saying yes to a physical relationship with Jack.
She’d be saying yes to possible unbearable heartache.
She’d be saying yes to the biggest risk she’d ever taken.
She said yes.
They decided to wait a week before putting their plan into action. Nicole explained to Jack that Margaret and Caldwell wouldn’t leave for their trip to Australia until the following weekend.
They were sitting in her living room. They’d been home for about an hour. Nicole met Jack’s gaze squarely. “I don’t want them to know I’ve let you move in here. By the time they return from their trip, you should be—” she forced herself to say it “—gone.” She ignored the pain that grabbed at her heart. “So they’ll never have to know you were here.” His eyes, so still, so clear, pierced her with their unwavering intensity.
