Betrayed

by Sharon Sala

  "Thank you, sir."

  He smiled, thinking about how good they would taste at dinner tonight, and was halfway up the stairs when he heard footsteps coming from behind him.

  "Where have you been? When are we going to New Orleans? You promised me a shopping trip. I hate this little hick town so much. There's nothing here I want. Absolutely nothing."

  Big Boy stopped, frowning at his wife's chatter.

  "I'm in this hick town, so are you saying you don't want to be my wife anymore?"

  She blinked, then threw her arms around his neck.

  "No, no, no, baby. I didn't mean it that way. I love you more than anything. Forgive me?"

  The fact that she now had her hand on his dick made it easy to say ‘yes’.

  Logan finished reading through the archived copies of the weekly paper for the entire year of 2008. Other than reading notices of the three women's deaths on her list, and subsequent obituaries announcing services, there was nothing to indicate a scandal, a loss of business, or anything else that made her alert on the deaths.

  Having come to the decision that there were no answers here, she decided to wait and see if Blue Sky came up with any new leads she could use. So she logged out of the archives, checked her email on the off-chance Hank might have responded, but he had not, so she logged off the laptop and set it aside. Tired of inactivity, and with the beginnings of an ache between her shoulders, she stretched out on the bed and soon fell asleep.

  Caitlin had just heard the news that Logan Conway, Logan Talman now, was back in Bluejacket and staying at the Bayou Motel. Caitlin was alternating between the excitement of going to see her, or still being put out with her by ignoring she was here.

  They'd been best friends in high school, and when Logan and Damon left town without even a goodbye, she’d been devastated. She’d kept telling herself that Logan would at least write to tell her what had happened, but after a year had passed without a word, she'd let it go.

  The ensuing years had battered teenage Caitlin's dreams. The death of her mother, an unplanned pregnancy, one hasty marriage, and two babies later, she was a far cry from the bubbly blonde she used to be.

  Part of her reluctance to go see Logan was that she had let herself go, but the Logan she remembered would not have cared about that, and in the end, curiosity won out over vanity. Regardless of wishing she looked better, she made the decision to reconnect.A few minutes later, she was dropping her kids off with a girlfriend before heading to the Bayou Motel for a high school reunion of her own.

  She stopped off at the motel office to get the room number, then had to remind the clerk that she and Logan had been best friends in school and she was just coming to say hello, before the clerk would divulge her location.

  Still rolling her eyes, Caitlin walked the short distance down to 4A, eyeing a black Hummer parked right in front of the door. If that was Logan's vehicle, she was seriously impressed and couldn't wait to hear all about what was going on in her friend’s life.

  She smoothed down the front of the loose yellow blouse she'd chosen, which helped disguise her muffin-top. She was as ready to face this reunion as she would ever be, so she took a deep breath and knocked.

  The abrupt knocking at Logan's door startled her awake. She rolled over and reached for the Colt before she went to the window. When she saw who it was, she put the gun back by the bed and unlocked the door.

  The smile on Logan's face eased Caitlin's nerves.

  "Hi stranger!" Caitlin said.

  Logan swung the door inward.

  "Caitie! Oh my God...I am so glad to see you! Come in, come in! How did you know I was here?"

  "Oh you know Bluejacket. Nothing stays secret for long. I hope you don't mind, but I talked the clerk up at the office into telling me your room number by reminding him we'd been friends in school."

  "Of course I don't mind! Come in!" Logan said.

  Caitlin stepped over the threshold into a big hug, then eyed Logan's long, lean legs and body with envy as Logan closed and locked the door behind her. She didn't think anything of the added security measure until she saw the big handgun on the table by the bed.

  "What's with the gun?" she asked.

  Logan blew it off with a shrug.

  "A woman traveling alone these days has to take care of herself." She dropped back onto the bed, pulling Caitlin with her. "Sit. Tell me what's going on with you."

  Caitlin scooted up on the bed to face her like they used to do when they were kids.

  "You first," Caitlin said. "You're the one who disappeared over night. I worried about you for months."

  Logan reached for Caitlin's hand and gave it a quick squeeze.

  "I'm so sorry. It's part of why I'm back, but nothing I can talk about yet."

  "Are you in trouble?" Caitlin asked.

  "Not like you mean. It's all good, honey."

  "So you married," Caitlin said.

  "I was. My husband died two years ago. Accident on the job. I miss him every day of my life."

  Caitlin's eyes welled with tears.

  "Oh my God. I'm so sorry."

  "It happens," Logan said. "What about you?"

  Caitlin's shoulders slumped.

  "I was pregnant when I graduated high school. Johnny and I got married right after."

  "Johnny Baptiste?" Logan asked.

  Caitlin nodded.

  "Yes. He's good to me and the kids. They're both boys, which made Johnny happy, but they are hell on wheels and keep me jumping. Of course, the oldest just had his ninth birthday. My little one is seven. Do you have kids?"

  "No," Logan said.

  "What about Damon? Where's he these days? Is he in Texas, too?"

  "No, he stayed in Louisiana. I moved with the marriage," Logan said. "Hey...it's almost lunch. Have you eaten?"

  "No, but—"

  "Let me change, and we can go to Barney's. My treat."

  Caitlin grinned.

  "Yes, I'd love it."

  Logan rolled off the side of the bed, stripping off Andrew's old t-shirt as she went. She grabbed a clean shirt from the little closet and slipped it on, then was putting on a pair of jeans when Caitlin spotted the tattoo above her navel.

  "What's that on your belly?"

  "Oh, just a tat," Logan said, and began buttoning up her shirt.

  "What does it say?" Caitlin asked.

  "Nothing that matters," Logan said, and began buttoning up the shirt.

  Caitlin didn't argue, but it was becoming obvious that her old friend had secrets, and ten years was plenty of time to make them.

  A few minutes later, they were on their way out.

  "Want to ride with me or follow?" Logan asked.

  "I'll follow you, that way I can go straight home from Barney's. I have a friend watching the boys, and don't want to leave her hanging too long."

  "See you there, then," Logan said.

  She turned off the car alarm and stowed her gun and holster beneath the seat before following Caitlin's car.

  Chapter Five

  From the looks of the parking lot, Barney's was already busy with noon diners. Caitlin parked her smaller car up near the entrance, but the Hummer took up space and required more maneuvering room, so Logan opted to park near the back of the lot.

  Heat slapped her in the face as she got out, but it wasn't anything new. It was hot in Dallas, too. An old gray cat was lying in the shade of the bushes along the side of the parking lot and looked up as Logan walked by.

  "Hi, kitty," Logan said.

  The old cat's mew was as weak as it looked. It was a day fit for cold drinks and languid breezes—languid being a word fit only for places like Louisiana. Logan had known little happiness here, but it had been home until that night. Now it was just a landmark for murder.

  She looked up to realize Caitlin was waiting for her and lengthened her stride.

  "You always did dawdle," Caitlin said, giggling as they met at the front door.

  They were still grinning at each
other as then went inside.

  "Oh, feel that blessed air conditioning," Caitlin said. "I wonder if other people appreciate it quite like we do, you know? And, I don't get out much alone, so this is a real treat."

  "Same here. I'm on the job all day with a bunch of men, so getting to spend time with a girlfriend is a treat for me, too."

  "You work with men? What do you do?" Caitlin asked.

  "I'll tell you all about it as soon as we get seated," Logan said, and once again, headed for the same empty table at the back of the room.

  She chose a seat against the wall, leaving Caitlin to take her pick of the other three.

  Junie and Charlotte were both working the room again, and this time, it was Junie who came to their table with glasses of iced water.

  "Well now, seeing you two together again sure looks familiar," Junie said.

  Caitlin giggled.

  "It feels like it, too, Junie. What's the special today?"

  "Meatloaf and two sides," Junie said.

  "I'll have that with mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn."

  "You got it, honey. How about you, Miss Logan?" Junie asked.

  "Gumbo still on the stove?" she asked.

  Junie grinned.

  "Gumbo is always on the stove. Bowl of that and hush puppies again?"

  "Yes. I haven't had good gumbo since I left Louisiana. Don't want to waste a chance to eat my fill of it before I go home," Logan said.

  Junie went to turn in the order, leaving the two women alone.

  Caitlin leaned forward, her elbows on the table as she lowered her voice.

  "So, what's that all-male job you work at?"

  "My husband was a contractor. He built houses, lots of houses. I worked on the site with him after we married because I wanted to, and when he was killed on the job, I stepped into his shoes and kept it going. I have good men on my crews, and a general manager named Wade Garrett who is my right-hand man.

  "Wow," Caitlin said. "You did what I wanted to do. You got out of Bluejacket."

  "I guess it would seem that way," Logan said. "But you have what I always wanted. You have a family. As hard as I try, I keep losing mine."

  Caitlin knew about the death of Logan's parents, and now her husband? She hurt for her friend as she reached across the table.

  "I'm sorry, sweetie. I do love my boys." Then she leaned closer and giggled. "And most days, I love Johnny."

  Logan laughed. It felt good to be caught up in Caitie's nonsense again.

  Junie came back with their food, and they quickly dug in.

  As they began to eat, their conversation was little more than asking for the salt, laughing at an old story from high school, asking about people they had in common. But as always, Logan was hyper-aware of the people eyeing her, always wondering if one of them was the killer.

  A couple of men were staring at them from across the room and had been since they'd come in, and it was making Logan nervous. She leaned forward and lowered her voice.

  "Hey Caitie, do I know either of those two men at the table under the front window? Don't look at them now. Just do it casually in a couple of minutes."

  Caitlin nodded, then took another bite of meatloaf, chewed and swallowed, then turned in her chair, as if looking for their waitress, and saw the men.

  "The one with the longest hair owns the fish and bait store on the north edge of town. He and Damon used to go fishing together. The man in the white shirt and slacks is our illustrious mayor, Barton DeChante."

  "What does he do?" Logan asked.

  "Much of nothing. He makes his money playing the Stock Market. I don’t know what he did before that. Why he lives in Bluejacket and not New Orleans is beyond me. He'd fit right into their social circle."

  "He doesn't fit into the social circle here?" Logan asked.

  Caitlin giggled.

  "Oh honey, Bluejacket doesn't have a social circle. Just the right side and wrong side of town."

  Logan nodded. The man was probably staring at her because she looked familiar. She didn't remember the men Damon hung out with, but they likely remembered her.

  Logan thought about the house where Caitlin grew up. One of the men on her list lived there now, and she’d decided to ask outright about her family.

  "How is your Mama these days?" Logan asked

  Caitlin's smile shifted sideways.

  "She passed away not too long after you left."

  Logan's stomach knotted.

  "I am so sorry to hear this. What happened?"

  "She drowned in our pool."

  Logan didn't bother to hide her surprise.

  "I can't believe it! That doesn't make sense. All those races we had when we were kids, and she out-swam both of us every time."

  "I know...but she was changing. A year after you left, she started drinking...a lot. She was drunk the night she died. They said she hit her head when she fell in the pool, and that's why she drowned. I was on a date with Johnny and my step-dad was out of town on business. I found her when I came home."

  "Oh my God, I am so sorry, Caitie."

  Caitlin shrugged.

  "It had a lot to do with the choices I made later on. Pops, my step-dad is okay, but he never wanted to be a parent. He just wanted my mother. I made the decision easy for him afterward, and even though Johnny and I didn't get married until we graduated, I moved out. We were living in an apartment here in town within four months of Mama's passing."

  "Did your step-dad stay in your family home or did he leave town?"

  "He's still there in the same house," Caitlin said.

  Logan filed that info away for future reference as she pushed her plate away.

  "It would seem life slapped us both down a little, didn't it?"

  "Yes, but we're both survivors, too, and that's enough sad stuff. Let's eat pie," Caitlin said.

  Logan grinned, and waved at their waitress on her way past the table.

  "Junie, we're having dessert."

  "Chocolate or coconut cream pie...Apple cobbler or bread pudding?" Junie asked.

  "Oooh, I'll take the chocolate," Caitlin said.

  "Make it two," Logan said.

  Junie gave them a thumbs up.

  Logan was trying to stay in the moment and get back to light-hearted chit-chat with Caitlin, but her head was spinning. How was this news about Caitie's mother going to tie in with the new info Blue Sky Investigations would send? Would she find a big life insurance payout on Mona's death?

  However, Caitlin's constant chatter moved to family when she pulled out recent pictures of her boys. Logan nodded and smiled in all the right places, listening to her talk about the two little redheads and how they were just like their father. Her old friend's easy-going personality made their time together enjoyable and the conversation easy—almost too easy, because when Caitlin finally asked another personal question, Logan was tempted to tell.

  "Logan, honey... why did y'all run? And don't tell me you just up and decided to move in the middle of the night."

  Logan glanced at the look on Caitlin's face. She was sincere to a fault, and she'd always kept their secrets. But telling her any of this could put her in danger, too, and that couldn't happen.

  Logan shrugged.

  "All I can say is that it was because of something Damon got mixed up in."

  "Oh Sugar... I'm so sorry," Caitlin said. "Does that have something to do with why you're here? Why you lock everything behind you? Why you carry a gun?"

  Logan shrugged.

  Caitlin frowned. "Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked.

  Logan started to tell her no, and then she thought of Wade.

  "There is one thing," Logan said.

  "Anything," Caitlin said. "Just ask."

  "Do you have anything I can write on?" Logan asked.

  Caitlin picked up her purse and dug through the contents until she pulled out a long grocery receipt and a pen.

  "Will this work?"

  "Yes, thanks," Logan said, turned it
over and wrote Wade's name and phone number, then handed them back.

  "If anything happens to me, please call this man. Will you do that for me?"

  "Oh my God, Logan! Yes, of course I'll do it, but you're scaring me," Caitlin said.

  "That's pretty much what Wade said." Logan watched as Caitlin folded the paper up and put it into a zippered pocket inside her purse.

  Caitlin's hands were shaking as she set it back down on the floor. "Can the police help you?"

  Logan shrugged. "Maybe, but not yet. Don't worry. I'm tough and I'm careful."

  Then Junie came back with the pie, filled up their drinks, and left them to enjoy. They ate with their heads together, talking and laughing, which had diners looking up at them more than once.

  Caitlin scraped the chocolate off the plate, licked the fork, and then leaned back with a groan.

  "That was the best cheat meal on the diet I have yet to start, and the most fun I've had in years, but if I don't get back and pick up my boys, my friend will kill me."

  "And I need to get back to the motel and check my email," Logan said, but she was eyeing the pie crust she'd left on her plate and impulsively wrapped it up in a paper napkin to take with her.

  She left a tip on the table, picked up the check, and went up front to pay. Caitlin waited beside her, and then led the way outside. As soon as they were alone, Caitlin paused.

  "I am so happy I got to see you. This time when you're through with your business, don't you dare leave without telling me goodbye."

  "I promise," Logan said, and hugged her. "Take care, and tell Johnny I said hello."

  "Will do," Caitlin said, then waved as she drove away.

  Logan watched until she was out of the parking lot before returning to her car. The old gray cat was still in the patch of shade beneath the bushes. Logan paused to unwrap the crust, and then laid it down only inches from the old cat's nose. The cat sniffed, managed another weak "mew" and then unwound itself before getting up to eat it.

  Satisfied, Logan turned off the alarm on the Hummer and reluctantly slid across the seat. The temperature inside was like an oven. She wasted no time starting it back up to cool off, and as she was waiting, decided to go by the grocery store and get some snacks to take back to the room. She drove four blocks down Main, and then pulled into the parking lot of Friendly's.