by Jana DeLeon
“What in the world for? To protect me from the clutter and dust I saw in there? The only risk to my safety so far has been you, and I’m supposed to believe you were assigned to protect me?”
He clenched his jaw and she could tell she’d insulted him, just as she’d intended.
“Well,” he said, “I managed to sneak up on you in broad daylight wearing construction boots, right? I’m guessing that makes my observation skills a sight better than your own.”
He whirled around and strode away from her.
“I’ll get your things out of your car,” he mumbled as he left.
Joelle stared behind him wondering if the entire world had gone crazy.
I will go wherever you go.
She stiffened. Surely that didn’t mean he was staying in the house with her. Granted, she had her apprehensions about staying in the spooky, rambling mansion alone, but if the choice were Mr. Personality or the ghosts, she’d definitely take the ghosts.
* * *
TYLER STALKED AROUND the side of the house to the front where Joelle’s car was parked. She’d left it unlocked, which surprised him at first given that his father said she was some sort of social worker, but then she probably figured no one was roaming this far out in the swamp looking to lift items from a car.
If only she were right. Then he’d be sitting on his dad’s couch watching television instead of fending off insults.
Likely, no one would lift items from her car, but if his father’s instincts were correct, someone was still roaming around the estate. At least this time, a full-time security detail was on-site and prepared for battle. Tyler wasn’t about to let someone get the better of him in his own neck of the woods.
He grabbed two suitcases from the backseat of the car and carried them inside, still trying to figure out how he was supposed to manage two full weeks around Joelle LeBeau. When his father told him Joelle was a social worker, Tyler had formed a mental picture of some motherly-type woman—probably heavyset—and with a kind smile.
The tall, curvy Creole beauty he’d pulled out of the bushes was the last thing he’d ever expected and, certainly, the last thing he wanted. Gorgeous, endangered women were part of a past he intended to put far behind him, which was precisely the reason he wanted to sit at a desk until he passed out from boredom. During his eight years in the Middle East, he’d had enough excitement to last a lifetime.
During the last twelve months, he’d had enough beautiful women to last ten lifetimes.
Chapter Four
Joelle looked across the table at William Duhon, as charmed by the aging attorney as she was frustrated by his son. Clearly, Tyler hadn’t inherited any of his father’s charisma. Her private security detail hadn’t spoken a word during the entire drive into Calais, and after arriving at the café, had opened his mouth only long enough to tell his father that he needed to pick up some supplies at the general store and would meet them back at the café in an hour or so. William appeared a bit embarrassed by his son’s behavior, but just nodded and directed her to a booth in the far corner.
“I apologize for the rather unconventional meeting location,” William said, “but I recall you saying when you called from New Orleans that you hadn’t stopped to eat. I figured we could accomplish two things at once.”
Joelle took another bite of sirloin steak, smothered in gravy and onions, and said a silent prayer of thanks that she hadn’t stopped for fast food on the way to Calais.
“It was worth the wait,” she said.
William smiled. “Johnny’s mother was the best cook in Calais. When he opened this place, it was with the intention to use only her recipes, and he’s kept it that way for thirty years.”
“If it’s not broken...”
“Quite so. Johnny’s made a good business here. Most everyone has at least a couple meals a week at the café. Make sure you save some room for banana pudding. That’s the dessert special today.”
“Banana pudding?” She looked down at her plate. “Maybe I’ll take half of this home for supper. I may have to start jogging while I’m here.”
William pointed out the plate-glass window to a building across the street. “I’m convinced that this café is the reason the seamstress shop stays in business—letting out waistbands and such.”
“It probably won’t come to that. My brief glance at the downstairs of the house provided a mental list of things to do that is as long as the Mississippi. I won’t have any problem getting my exercise in.”
Quite frankly, the state of the house had surprised her more than anything else she’d heard so far. She never expected that her stepfather would keep it up, but he’d been dead for months. Surely, the estate could afford to hire a cleaning service.
“Can I ask a question?” she asked.
“Of course. That’s what I’m here for.”
“Can the estate hire someone to help with the cleaning? Even if I worked on it full-time for two weeks, I couldn’t put a dent in it.”
William sighed. “The big services in New Orleans won’t travel this far out for the job, especially with no hotel to place the crew in. I’ve hired several local women, but they never last more than a day.”
“Why not? Surely, jobs are hard to come by here.”
“Absolutely, and they could all use the money, but they were too afraid to continue working.”
“Afraid of what?”
“They claim they saw a ghost.”
Joelle stared. “You’re serious?”
“Yes.” William frowned and hesitated a moment before continuing. “There’s been some unpleasantness surrounding the house.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your sister Alaina had a stalker who tried to kill her. Sheriff Carter Trahan, now Alaina’s fiancé, shot and killed him in the front drive of the house.”
“Oh, my! Alaina is all right, though?”
“She’s fine. After all that was put to rest, we hoped Danae would have an easier time with her two weeks, but a different set of problems surfaced.”
William took a deep breath and blew it out before continuing. “I don’t know how to say this in a good way, so I’m just going to lay out the facts. Your stepfather used estate money to buy assets and then sell them. He had the authority to use estate money to purchase investment property—such as art—but could not request cash withdrawals outside of a small living allowance.”
“So that’s why we still have an estate to inherit,” Joelle said, one of her questions answered. “I wondered about that.”
William nodded. “Danae accepted contract work with the estate to go through all the paperwork in the house, and she located some of Purcell’s personal accounting records. The records show large cash receipts, which we think are from the sale of the assets acquired using estate money, but they also show large cash disbursements.”
“I thought he became a hermit after we left. What was he purchasing?”
“Part of the money spent was on you girls.”
“Us? I doubt that. Purcell hated us. Even as young as I was, I could feel it.”
“No doubt you’re right.” William paused for a couple of seconds and frowned. “Your adoptive parents passed away, correct?”
Joelle nodded. “They were already in their fifties when they took me in. They’d never been able to have their own children, and even though they knew it would be a struggle at their age, keeping up with such a young child, they knew it was their last chance at being parents.”
William’s expression softened. “They were good people, then?”
“The best. Of course, I would rather have been with my mother and sisters, but given the circumstances, I couldn’t have asked for a better place to go.”
“I, uh, don’t want to do anything to diminish your opinion in any way
, but it appears that Purcell paid each family twenty thousand dollars to take you girls in.”
Suddenly, something Joelle had never understood clicked. “My college fund.”
“What do you mean?”
“My adoptive parents didn’t make a lot of money. I always assumed I’d need loans to pay for college, but they established a fund for me when I came to live with them. I’ve seen the records. They opened the account with twenty thousand dollars. I always wondered where it came from.”
William’s relief was apparent. “That’s wonderful. Just wonderful.”
“You said part of the money was spent on the families that took us in. What else did he pay for?”
“I apologize in advance, because this is most distressing, but we suspect he paid for silence. So far, we’ve discovered payments to the man who pronounced your mother’s death and the funeral director in New Orleans who handled her burial.”
A wave of nausea rolled over Joelle as William’s words clicked in her mind. “No, you’re not saying...”
“I’m so sorry to have to tell you this,” William said, “but we think Purcell killed your mother to get control of her money. He probably didn’t know that the terms of the estate would prevent him from taking control of the cash.”
Her chest felt as if an entire city block had been dropped on it. She tried to concentrate on controlling her breathing, but every intake of air felt as if a burning dagger stabbed her lungs. Her mind slipped to the past and she steeled herself for the vision that would surely come.
“Are you all right?”
William’s voice seemed far away, and it took her several seconds to force herself back to the present—back to Johnny’s Café in Calais. She couldn’t afford to slip into the past, especially not to the dark place. Not if she had any intention of making it the two weeks she needed to fulfill the estate requirements.
She took a big drink of water and nodded. “I’m okay. It’s just shocking.”
“It is,” William agreed. “I still have my moments when I think it all must be a mistake, but the facts all seem to point that way, especially as one of the men Purcell paid kidnapped Danae and tried to kill her.”
Joelle’s heart dropped once more at the thought of her baby sister kidnapped and fighting for her life. “I can’t believe it. It’s like something out of a movie.”
“Perhaps, if it’s a horror movie. Of course, there’s quite a bit more research to be done as we try to get to the bottom of things. Danae is still going through household records...there’s something else.”
Joelle stiffened, not certain she wanted to hear anything else. If William’s hesitation was any indication, then what he was about to tell her wasn’t going to be any better than what she was already trying to absorb.
“How much more can there be?”
“This is a big one, I’m afraid. Given that there’s mostly only circumstantial evidence and hearsay as to Purcell’s crimes, your sisters requested that your mother be exhumed.”
Joelle stared. “They’re hoping to find evidence of murder. After all these years, is that even possible?”
“Anything’s possible, although it’s probably not likely. But Alaina and Danae felt they had to try everything. They would have waited for you to make the decision but, at the time, I had no idea how long it would take to locate you.”
Joelle waved a hand in dismissal. “I don’t mind any of that. I agree with their choice. I want answers as much as they do.”
“That’s a relief. I’m sorry to dump all this on you the second you arrive. Your sisters planned to tell you everything when you met, but I asked them to allow me to speak to you instead. I didn’t want your reunion marred by all this unpleasantness. I want you girls to focus on getting to know one another again.”
Joelle smiled at William, his thoughtfulness such a departure from the people she normally dealt with. “Has anyone told you how wonderful you are, William?”
The attorney blushed a bit. “Just doing my job.”
“We both know you’re doing far more than that. I remember you said someone would verify my presence on the estate each day. Will you be doing that or will Tyler report to you?”
“Actually, Carter Trahan has an agreement with the estate to perform the verification duties for all three of you. Given everything that’s happened, he’s also busy trying to investigate Purcell and those who may have been on his payroll.”
“Carter is the sheriff, right?”
William nodded. “And will become your brother-in-law next year.”
Joelle struggled to wrap her mind around it all. Two sisters, a future brother-in-law, a potential fortune and a sulking bodyguard. Only the bodyguard ruined the perfect picture.
That, and kidnapping, and attempted murder.
Before she could change her mind, Joelle launched into her next set of questions. “Your son...Tyler...I get the impression he’s not overly happy with his job.”
William sighed. “I noticed his manners weren’t exactly up to par when you arrived. I apologize that he didn’t provide a warm welcome.”
“He’s a grown man. You don’t need to apologize for him.”
“In this case I do, as I’m responsible for putting him in a position he didn’t want to be in. Given everything that has happened with your sisters, the estate insisted on twenty-four-hour, on-site security for you, and I put pressure on Tyler to provide it.”
“After everything you’ve told me, I completely understand the estate’s position, but why Tyler? If he doesn’t want to do it, why did you pressure him to?”
“Because he’s the best man for the job,” William said simply. “Tyler was a securities expert for the Marine Corps. He kept entire military bases safe while ferreting out the secrets of the enemy. If he can’t protect you, I’m not sure anyone can.”
Some of Tyler’s stiff, direct approach to things now made sense. “He was in the Middle East?”
William nodded.
“How long?”
“Eight years. He arrived back in the States only two weeks ago. He’s starting a private security firm as soon as the formation documents are approved by the state.”
“Well,” Joelle said, processing all this new information. “I suppose tolerating a bit of a grouch is a small cost for the level of protection I’m getting in return.”
William gave her a small smile. “He wasn’t always this grouchy. His time overseas changed him, but he won’t talk about it.”
The attorney sighed. “I’m sure he saw horrific things. Hearing about them on the news is bad enough, but to see it firsthand and then feel some level of responsibility because it happened...I imagine it’s a lot of weight for any man.”
Instantly, Joelle’s training kicked in and she slipped directly into psychologist mode, momentarily chiding herself for making something personal when that was rarely the case. “I’m sure you’re right. So what can I do to make the transition easier?”
“Communicate your plans with him and don’t try to fight his presence, even though I’m sure it will feel awkward and inconvenient at times. Allow him to do physical labor. He’s not made for sitting behind a desk, although he thinks that’s what he needs to do. Movement keeps his mind focused and his body ready for action. He’s been that way his entire life.”
Joelle nodded. “He was clearing brush from the back patio when I arrived. Now that I think about it, I suppose it was a two-point process—he worked off some energy, and the more brush that’s cleared away from the house, the easier it will be to see someone approaching.”
William’s expression softened and his eyes misted up just a bit. “Your mother would be so happy to see how you girls turned out. Despite all the obstacles placed in your path, you’re all self-confident, intelligent and compassionate. She couldn’t have asked for
more.”
A blush ran up her neck at William’s compliments. “Thank you. It’s so nice to finally talk to people who knew my mother, and I can’t wait to meet Alaina and Danae.”
“They’re visiting this afternoon?”
“Yes. Alaina was in New Orleans on business, but she is going to pick up Danae and they’ll both be here late this evening. They have to be back in New Orleans tomorrow, so we’re planning a slumber party.”
“How delightful!”
Joelle nodded, hoping the attorney was right. More than anything in the world, she wanted to meet her sisters, but the reality was, she was nervous. Based on everything she’d heard, Danae and Alaina had already formed a close bond. What if they didn’t like her? What if the passage of time had removed that connection between them?
She took a big sip of water and told herself to relax. Her sisters were alive and well and spending a night with her catching up. In two weeks, all of them would inherit everything that was temporarily stolen from them.
Nothing or no one was going to put a damper on her happiness.
* * *
TYLER PICKED UP a bag of chocolate chip cookies and a six-pack of beer and set them on the counter in the general store. The owner, Samuel, was tied up in the back helping a man load his new lawn mower onto his truck, so Tyler leaned back against the counter and grabbed a hunting magazine to flip through while he waited.
“Only two weeks out of the Corps and you already have bachelor shopping down,” a voice sounded in front of him.
Tyler looked up at a grinning Carter Trahan.
Despite Tyler’s general disgust at his current predicament, he couldn’t help but smile as he shook Carter’s extended hand.
“I’m sorry I missed you when you came by my dad’s house,” Tyler said.
Carter waved his hand in dismissal. “You’re working on your business stuff. I’m working on solving ancient murders. I knew we’d run into each other eventually.”
“I guess it’s hard to go too long without seeing someone in a town as small as Calais.”
Carter nodded. “It’s certainly a different pace than New Orleans. I imagine you’re in an even bigger culture shock, relocating from a war zone halfway across the world.”
