by Jana DeLeon
He sighed. “I guess I hedged on that one. Look, I got out of Ville Platte because a little over a year ago, I stole some stuff on a weekend trip to New Orleans with my old friends and they locked me up for six months. When I got out of jail, I didn’t go back home. Nothing to go back to. Had an old mobile home I rented from a guy but it burned down while I was locked up. So I was in New Orleans with only the clothes on my back, my truck, and forty bucks to my name. I figured I might as well stay. Couldn’t afford to leave.”
“So you joined the carnival,” I said. “Where you just happened to run the attraction in which a man was killed and a woman was injured. A woman that you wanted to accost about her husband fathering a child with another woman. Can you see why we have a huge problem with all of that?”
He ran his hand through his hair. “Yeah, it looks bad, but I swear I didn’t hurt her. Why would I? I just wanted to talk to her. Find out something about my father.”
“So you did go in after her,” I said.
“No! I swear. I took a break after I let that guy in, just like I said.”
“You’re telling me the woman you wanted to talk to entered your attraction and you didn’t take the opportunity to talk to her?” I asked.
He shrugged. “I wasn’t sure it was her. I mean, it looked like the lady I saw on the internet but I’m not real good with faces, especially with women since they change their hair and makeup all the time. And I figured what I needed to ask should be done in private. You know my father, right? What’s he like?”
I frowned and glanced over at Ida Belle.
“Dead,” I said.
“For real?” he asked. “I didn’t see a wedding ring at the hospital, so I thought maybe they were divorced.”
“He’s been gone a while,” Ida Belle said. “So you can see why your showing up might constitute a problem for a woman who doesn’t need any more stress, especially now.”
“I don’t want to cause her no more problems,” he said. “I just wanted information.”
“Ever heard of Google?” Ida Belle asked.
“I’m not all that good with computer stuff,” he said. “And for a long time, I didn’t have a name.”
“Why didn’t you ask your mother?” I asked.
“She took off so long ago I barely remember her,” he said. “My grandma raised me but she said my mom never told her. She passed a little over a year ago.”
“And then you found a name?” I asked.
He nodded. “After she died, I found a box of stuff that belonged to my mom and it had a newspaper clipping of some soldiers shipping out. One of the guys was the same one from the photo with my mom. The guy she said was my dad. The clipping had his name.”
“Then why didn’t you contact Emmaline then?” I asked.
“I was going to, but…” He stared down at the table.
“You stole stuff and went to jail,” I said.
“Yeah,” he said. “When I got out, I guess I figured it didn’t matter. I’m an adult and not a very good one. What man would want me as a son? So I decided to let it go. But it was always there, you know? The not knowing.”
“No other family?” Ida Belle asked.
He shook his head. “I guess I thought…”
“You thought you’d show up and surprise a man with a son he never knew about?” Ida Belle said.
“My mom said he knew,” Brandon said. “He just didn’t want anything to do with us. Said he had a wife and son already and he wasn’t looking to mess that up.”
“Why didn’t your mother pursue him for support?” I asked.
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I suspect my mom took money from him and that’s what she used to jet.”
I felt my stomach clench, and I searched for an explanation that cleared Carter’s dad of being the horrible person that Brandon was presenting.
“That picture doesn’t mean he was your father,” I said. “It could have been taken at a party for all you know and been perfectly innocent.”
“My mom had ‘Cam’ tattooed on her…um, boobs,” he said. “She was always complaining that she needed to get it removed. I asked if that was my father’s name but she never would answer. But then I found the newspaper picture.”
I looked over at Ida Belle, who looked as unhappy as I did.
“Look, Brandon,” I said. “This is how it’s going to go. You’re going to stay far away from Emmaline LeBlanc. She can’t help you and I’m not about to let you upset her memories with this story of yours. Cameron is dead. Telling her this story doesn’t serve anyone. It just makes a good woman question a large portion of her life and that’s not cool.”
Brandon looked disappointed. “Yeah, I get it. I guess I just hoped…I don’t know.”
“You wanted a family,” Ida Belle said.
He shrugged.
“Emotionally tearing someone apart isn’t the way to get one,” Ida Belle said.
“I know,” he said.
“Do you have any other proof?” I asked. “A birth certificate? A baby book? A diary? Anything that proves your mother named Cameron as your father?”
He shook his head. “I could take one of those tests, right?”
“A DNA test?” Ida Belle asked.
“Yeah, that’s the one,” he said.
“Cameron was cremated,” Ida Belle said.
He frowned.
“We could test Carter,” I said.
“How is that?” he asked.
“Familial DNA,” I said. “If you and Carter had the same father, then your DNA will show a familial link. Since we can be sure you don’t have the same mother and Cam was an only child, that only leaves one option.”
“Do you think Carter will do it?” Brandon asked.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I’ll ask him. But you have to promise me that you won’t attempt to see Emmaline again.”
“I promise,” he said. “Like I said, I wasn’t looking to cause trouble, although I guess I can see now that was sort of stupid thinking.”
“Extremely,” I said. “And you’re sure you didn’t know the man who was killed?”
“I swear,” he said. “I’d never seen him before that night.”
I studied him hard, but I still couldn’t be sure if he was telling the truth or lying.
“You know I’m going to dig into your background until I uncover every secret you ever had,” I said. “So if there’s anything you’re hiding, don’t bother. I was CIA. By tomorrow, I’ll know what kind of shoes the doctor was wearing when he delivered you and if you were a bed-wetter. There’s no limit to what we can find out.”
A flicker of fear crossed his face but he remained silent.
“Fine, then,” I said. “I think it’s time we all go home. Where are you staying?”
“One of the guys rents me the couch in his travel trailer,” Brandon said. “It’s not all that comfortable but it’s better than my truck. At least there’s AC.”
“You got a cell phone?” I asked.
He nodded and gave me his number. I punched it in and rose from the table.
“I’ll talk to Carter about the test,” I said. “But I’m not making any promises. As far as he’s concerned, you’re the enemy. And if he thinks you’re going to cause his mother one second of pain, he’ll probably shoot you where you’re standing.”
“Yeah, I get it,” Brandon said. “I won’t try to see her again. No point really. Seems like nobody knew anything about me or my mother, anyway.”
We all headed out and Ida Belle took off down the highway, leaving Brandon in her wake. I could tell she was frustrated and taking some of that frustration out with her driving. I personally had the overwhelming desire to shoot something, but I figured it wasn’t a good idea to just lower the window and open fire. It wouldn’t be overly productive either. I preferred a target.
“What do you think of his story?” Ida Belle finally asked.
“I think it’s awful, and if it’s true, then that’s even worse.�
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“It’s possible they’re just similar in looks,” Ida Belle said. “Plenty of women have a type. Could be his mother couldn’t land Cameron, so she took up with someone who looked a lot like him. I’ve known people who were so much alike you thought they were related.”
“But you don’t actually believe that.”
She sighed. “I have a really bad feeling about this.”
“So what do we do?”
“First thing, we wake up Walter and fill him in and you should check in on Carter. He’s probably losing his mind.”
“Maybe you should drop me off at the hospital,” I said. “I don’t know that Mannie and Carter are a good combination to have together at the moment.”
“You think Mannie’s still there? I figured he’d leave since Carter was staying.”
“I got a text from him earlier. He said Carter was wound a little too tight so he was sticking around for a while.”
Ida Belle nodded. “Mannie is a good dude, but yeah, two caged tigers in the same hallway probably isn’t the best thing. But how will you get home?”
“Either Mannie or Carter can take me home—whichever one leaves.”
Ida Belle nodded.
“Will you do me a favor?” I asked.
“Of course.”
“Wait on telling Walter. I’d like to be there.”
Ida Belle frowned. “You think Walter knows something he wouldn’t say?”
“If he thought he was protecting Emmaline, then yeah. But I’ll know if he’s covering.”
“And you think I wouldn’t.”
“I think you would, but I don’t want to put you in the position of questioning your new husband like a suspect, then calling his answers into question.”
“That wouldn’t stop me.”
“I know it wouldn’t and that’s why I love you, but there’s no point in Walter being mad at both of us. You live with the man. Let me take this one for the team.”
“Okay. You’ll probably get it out of him easier than I would anyway. He’s used to bucking my stubbornness but you still break him down.”
I stared out the window and held in a sigh. It was exhausting, really. I’d thought when I left the CIA that my days of breaking people down were over. Granted, I knew I’d have to do it with the whole PI thing, but I incorrectly assumed it would be the bad guys. I hated that my next two conversations were going to be some of the hardest I’d ever had, and they were with two of the people I cared about the most.
Chapter Seventeen
Ida Belle dropped me off at the hospital entrance and I gave her a wave as I headed inside. Mannie was refilling his coffee cup in the lobby when I walked in.
“How’s Emmaline?” I asked.
“She’s in and out of consciousness,” he said. “A little longer every time. The last was about ten minutes ago. She recognized Carter, so that’s a good sign.”
“That’s a very good sign.”
“So what did you end up doing with that guy?”
“Did Carter tell you anything about our conversation in the lobby?”
He shook his head. “Your man is seriously worried about something—more than just his mother. You don’t get Special Forces on edge like that without it being something big. But he didn’t offer anything, so I didn’t ask.”
“Then let me fill you in, because I’m going to need your help on this.”
I told him about our conversation with Brandon. As soon as I got to the part where Brandon claimed Carter’s father was his own as well, Mannie whistled and shook his head.
“No wonder the guy is all sideways,” he said.
“Yeah, it’s thrown us all for a loop, but Carter has it the worst. And of course, he’s frantic about Emmaline finding out, especially now.”
Mannie nodded. “Totally get it. Well, if the dude decides to get stupid again, he’s still going to run into me. And that goes for when she leaves the hospital. I’ll be watching her house until this whole thing is over. What else do you need from me?”
“I’m going to text you Brandon’s ID. If you could ask Big and Little to run him for me, I would appreciate it. Carter can’t risk it, but I know they have access to some cops who help them out on occasion.”
“Not a problem. I’ll have them take care of it first thing. You’ll probably have something midmorning at the latest. And if you decide to go the DNA route, let me know. The Heberts have someone who can handle that for you while you wait.”
“Thanks, Mannie. I really appreciate everything you’re doing. I know you say it’s your job but it’s more than that. And it’s not the Heberts’ job to help me out, but I can’t tell you how much I appreciate their wanting to.”
“You’re doing good work in Sinful. Making the town safer. Clearing out the disease that has been festering for far too long. The Heberts appreciate that and respect your talent.”
The compliment warmed me a bit but still barely touched the feeling of dread I had over my upcoming conversation with Carter and the request I was going to make.
“Thanks, Mannie. But after my next two conversations, the number of people who appreciate my tenacity might decrease a bit.”
He gave me a sympathetic nod before I headed down the hallway, feeling as though I was facing the executioner. Carter was in Emmaline’s room, sitting next to her bed. He rose as soon as he saw me and stepped out into the hall, closing her door behind us, making sure she couldn’t overhear anything we said.
“You don’t have to do that,” Mannie said as he walked up. “I can take over. You two go talk. I’d tell you to go home, but I know you won’t listen.”
“I want to be here if she wakes up again,” Carter said. “But I do appreciate the offer. I could suggest the same thing for you. I’m not going anywhere.”
“I’m good,” Mannie said as he took a seat in a chair next to the door.
“I’d be lying if I said it didn’t feel safer for my mother with him around,” Carter said as we headed down the hall.
“He’s definitely not someone most people would take a look at then choose to tangle with. Brandon found that one out the hard way.”
Carter blew out a breath. “That guy. Did you figure out his angle?”
I pointed to some chairs in the corner of the lobby and we took a seat.
“He’s sticking to his story,” I said.
Carter flushed and I could tell he was struggling not to explode.
“I know you think he’s lying, but everything that has happened has had Emmaline in the mix. I can’t just dismiss his claim. Neither can you.”
“You’re asking me to believe that my dad not only cheated on my mom but had a kid that he didn’t acknowledge. I can’t make that leap.”
“Maybe it was a stupid fling and he never knew about Brandon.”
“Uh-huh. What does Brandon say?”
“He says his mom said he knew, but his mom also ran off and left him with his grandmother to raise, so she’s not exactly the most upstanding of people. Look, I know this sucks seriously hard. I’m not suggesting you let this loose on Emmaline, especially now, but I do think you have to find out if it’s true.”
“You really think he could be telling the truth?”
“I don’t know. I couldn’t get a read on him. He appears to be telling the truth and lying at the same time. My guess is he’s doing both and it’s so convoluted that I can’t tell what’s fact and what’s fabrication.”
“The picture can be faked.”
“Agreed. But Brandon’s facial features can’t. He does look like your dad when he was young. Now, it’s entirely possible that his mom had a type and it’s just one of those weird things, but you need to find out.”
“What do you suggest? The person who would know for sure is no longer with us.”
“A DNA test.”
Carter stared. “My dad has been in that urn on my mom’s mantle for over a decade.”
“I don’t suppose you’ve ever looked…”
&nbs
p; “At his ashes? Why in the world would I?”
“Under normal circumstances, I can’t think of a reason, but sometimes there are large enough fragments of bone or teeth—Jesus, I hate even saying this.”
Carter was completely dismayed. “I can’t sift through my father’s ashes.”
“I can.”
It certainly wouldn’t be the most pleasant of tasks, but better me than him.
He ran one hand through his hair. “I don’t even know what to say.”
“There’s one other way we can try,” I said.
“How’s that? I doubt my mom still has his hairbrush from a million years ago, and even if she did, it wouldn’t still have hair in it. You know how she cleans everything.”
“You can take the test. If you and Brandon share the same father, a test will show a familial link. If it doesn’t, then we send Brandon packing.”
Carter frowned and stared out the window for a while. “What’s his angle?” he asked finally. “What does he get out of all this?”
“I don’t know. He’s playing the ‘I just wanted to know my father’ routine, but I don’t buy it. Did your dad have a will?”
“Yes. And he left everything to my mom.”
“And Emmaline?”
“She has a will as well, leaving everything to me.”
“So no money angle to pursue.”
“Unless he thinks bribery is an option.”
“Oh! I hadn’t thought of that. Like you or Emmaline would pay him to be quiet and go away?”
“There’s plenty of people who would. It’s a small town. And even if things your family do aren’t your fault, they have a tendency to spill out onto your life.”
I slumped back in my chair. I hadn’t considered what would happen if Brandon was telling the truth and that gossip made the rounds. Emmaline was a strong, proud woman, but the looks of pity and all the whispering of ‘how could she not have known’ would wear down even the strongest of spirits.
