TRUTH OR LIES

by Kylie Brant

  "If you're holding a pizza, I'll buzz you up."

  "I'm not, so you better come down. We'll go out and find one."

  "Hmm. I'm not in the habit of going out with every strange guy who rings my buzzer."

  "I'm not all that strange, am I, kid?"

  Shae could hear TeKayla's giggle in the background. She must be playing on the stoop again. Shae grabbed her jacket and purse and let herself out of her apartment. What she'd told Cade wasn't the complete truth. She didn't make it a habit of going out with many men, whether they promised to feed her or not. She didn't want to consider what made her change her routine now. Didn't want to admit that the reason was Cade himself.

  When she got outside, she found man and child sitting on the steps, telling knock-knock jokes. "Careful," she told Cade, closing the door behind her. "She can keep that up for hours."

  "Yeah?" Cade cocked an eyebrow at the girl, who nodded vigorously. "Well, I'm all out, so I'll have to get some new ones before I come back next time."

  Lingering on the steps, Shae asked, "Is your mom home?"

  TeKayla shook her head. "She's workin'."

  Shae stifled a sigh. The girl was too young to be left unsupervised, especially outside. "Then I think you should go back into your apartment and wait for her, okay?" A thought occurred then, and she sent a quick glance at Cade. "I know we were supposed to go to the gator farm this weekend, but—"

  "I can't wait!" The girl bounced on the step, her pigtails jiggling. "I been drawing alligators and crocodiles at school and I told all my friends I was going, too."

  Shae's stomach rolled. Squatting down, she looked into the girl's face. "You know I want to take you, but something's come up and I can't do it this weekend. But we will go another time."

  The little girl's lip jutted out. "But you promised."

  "I didn't…" Shae stopped. The girl wasn't going to understand her verbal gymnastics. To a child, any intention stated by an adult was a promise. And if the child was very lucky, she or he never learned the disappointment that came from believing too deeply in someone else. "I will still take you. Just not this weekend."

  "When?"

  Shae looked helplessly at Cade. "As soon as I can." It was the best she could do, but it wasn't enough to wipe the crestfallen expression from the girl's face or erase the disappointment from her eyes. Without another word, TeKayla stood, walked dejectedly up the steps and went into the building. Leaving Shae fighting memories of her own childhood that still had teeth.

  Her father had been full of promises. Shae rounded the car and got in silently. Each time he'd come home bearing presents and glittering stories of the places he'd been, the things he'd done. But Shae had hung back. The house would be full of excitement as her mother and brother would clamor for his attention. She'd always wondered why they opened themselves up for that time after time. Allowing the man close enough to raise hopes, to spin dreams. Hadn't they known how painful the reality would be when he disappeared again?

  Cade pulled away from the curb. "She'll be okay. Kids are resilient."

  "No," she murmured. "That's what people think. But sometimes they're not." Given enough disappointment over a long enough time, and some stopped believing. Stopped expecting. And started to erect defenses that would prevent hope from ever taking root again.

  Cade glanced at her oddly. "I'm sure by tomorrow she'll be—" His cell phone rang, and he used his free hand to withdraw it from his coat pocket.

  "Carla." It was the warmth in his voice that caught Shae's attention, not the name of another woman. Curiously she listened to his side of the conversation, which ended with Cade promising to call her later that week.

  "Brian's widow," he said by way of explanation. He wore a slight frown. "She's been staying with her folks for a while, but her boys are getting to be too much of a handful there. She's thinking about bringing them home."

  "Sounded like you were trying to convince her otherwise."

  "I'd rather she stay put for a while. This whole I.A. thing hasn't run its course yet. And once she's back in town I'm afraid they'll be badgering her again."

  Shae felt a flash of sympathy for the unknown woman. "Maybe there's somewhere else she could go."

  He thought for a moment before shaking his head. "Brian's folks retired to Arizona, and I don't think she wants to go that far. Her dad has a cabin on one of the bayous, but it's not exactly Carla's favorite place." Brian had liked to go there. The memory was unaccompanied by a pang. He'd always said a weekend spent there fishing and catching crawdads with the boys was better than taking a week's vacation.

  The memory clicked like a shifting gear. Brian had liked to go to the cabin. Had even taken Cade once. And it was fairly close to the city. Questions flooded his mind, and he knew he wouldn't rest until he got some answers. He skated a glance to the woman at his side. "How do you feel about taking a road trip?"

  "Well, that was an adventure." Shae gamely shook off the effects of the airboat ride and accepted his help onto the dock. "Something tells me there isn't a pizza place around here, either."

  The driver of the boat cackled. "I could find ya a place that serves a mean gator stew, if that's to your liking."

  Despite the darkness, Cade was certain he saw Shae pale. "Don't tell me. It tastes just like chicken."

  The man laughed again and Cade leaned down with a folded bill in his hand. The driver backed away. "Forget it, man. I brought the guy and his family out here more times than I can count."

  Cade nodded. "I appreciate it. This might take a half hour or so."

  The driver shrugged and slouched down in one of the seats. "I'll be waiting."

  Taking Shae by the elbow, Cade guided her down the dock to the small cabin ahead. Using touch alone, he felt above the doorjamb for the key Carla had assured him was still kept there.

  He'd had to call her back to get information about how to get here and who to contact to boat them over here. It had been difficult to field her questions when he had more questions than answers himself. He just hoped he wasn't raising the widow's expectations, only to have to dash them later.

  He hoped he wasn't raising his own.

  Pushing open the door, he found the battery-operated lantern on a small table right over the threshold, exactly where Carla had told him he would. Flipping it on, he and

  Shae went around turning on all the other lanterns until the small area was filled with light.

  "Cozy," Shae said, looking around.

  Rustic was the word Cade would have used. There was a wooden stove with a portable kerosene one sitting atop it. A round woven rug sat in front of an overstuffed sofa, flanked by a couple of rockers. All were situated before the native-stone fireplace. A small table and chairs were tucked into one corner of the room. If memory served, a postage-stamp-size bedroom completed the building, with an outhouse in back.

  "Tell me again, what are we looking for?"

  "Anything that looks like it shouldn't be here." It was the best he could do. She immediately went to the cupboards above the stove while he checked in the bedroom. When he came out minutes later, she had the cushions off the couch, the covers unzipped and her hands inside.

  Dropping to his hands and knees, he went over the floorboards, looking for a loose one. He almost hoped he wouldn't find one. God knew what lived under the floors as close to the swamp as this place was.

  Fifteen minutes later he was willing to admit the floor was solid. His gaze landed on the fireplace. "Come and help me with this, will you?"

  Shae joined him. "What are we doing?"

  "Checking to see if any of the stones are loose." While she complied, he got down on his back and squinted up into the chimney.

  "Find Santa up there?" she inquired.

  Because he could reach her, he nudged her with his foot. "Can't see a damn thing. Bring me one of those smaller lanterns, will you?" While he waited, he reached for one of the pokers sitting beside the fireplace. She placed the lantern in his other hand.
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  Setting the lantern inside the fireplace, he ran the poker along the inside. The facing was rough, with a small ledge around the inside about two feet up as the chimney narrowed. It was this ledge he directed his attention to now.

  And was rewarded when a manila envelope, soiled with dirt, dropped to land beside the lantern.

  Shae kneeled beside him. "What is it?"

  Edging out of the fireplace, Cade sat up, the envelope clutched in his hand. A locomotive was racing through his chest, making it difficult to breathe. If he could have spoken, he'd have told her that it was probably an answer to all his questions about Brian's death.

  And holding it in his hand, not being able to guess at the contents, he was more terrified than he'd ever been in his life.

  * * *

  Chapter 13

  « ^ »

  Shae had known something was very wrong when Cade had insisted she get in the driver's seat once they'd returned to the car. She looked from the keys he'd pressed into her hand to him. "Are you sure?" she asked dubiously.

  "Yeah. If you drive, I'll be able to take a look at what's inside this." He'd indicated the envelope he still clutched in his hand.

  But it had taken him a full half hour to reach up to turn on the interior light. They'd hit the city limits before he undid the clasp on the envelope. She didn't think it was her imagination that his hand trembled slightly.

  Shae's mind flashed back to something he'd said the previous night. I don't know if I hate myself more for having doubts or for not being able to refute them. She hoped, for his sake, that the papers in his hands would put his doubts to rest once and for all.

  Because she didn't want to disturb him, she drove the powerful sports car around the city aimlessly, waiting on tenterhooks for Cade to speak. Caring, more than she should have, what he would say.

  When he finally lifted his head, she could restrain herself no longer. "What'd you find?"

  "Secrets," he muttered, his voice sounding rusty. He cleared his throat. "Stuff Brian was looking into on his own. Stuff that probably got him killed."

  A chill ran down her spine. "What do you mean?"

  He took a deep breath, released it slowly. "These are notes from some conversations he had with one of his informants. The same guy who set us up in City Park. His name's Freddie. He was just a junkie snitch. Never had much more than street gossip."

  Cade stopped then, looked around. "Where are we going?"

  "I have no idea."

  He gave her some directions and then continued. "This guy called Brian a few weeks before and claimed he had something big and wanted real money for it. I.A. claims there was nothing on the logs, so I'm guessing Brian never paid him. Probably wanted proof of what the guy was telling him. It sounded pretty farfetched."

  "How farfetched?"

  "That the entire illegal drug market in the area was being reorganized into one cohesive unit."

  Something in his voice alerted her, and she turned to meet his gaze.

  "And that the people at its helm are cops."

  When she stopped before the building he'd directed her to, her brows rose. "This doesn't look like a pizzeria." Located on Decatur in the French Quarter, they were within walking distance of Café du Monde. Rows of renovated historic buildings lined the street, complete with lacy wrought-iron balconies and hidden gated courtyards.

  "I know for a fact that we can get pizza inside." He reached over, took the car keys from her and got out of the car. It wasn't until she'd joined him on the sidewalk that she first noticed the yellow curb.

  "This also doesn't look like a parking place."

  "It's okay. I know someone who can fix my tickets."

  "Really?" Her brows skimmed upward. "Doesn't exactly fill the average citizen with faith in the local law enforcement."

  He used his keys to unlock the wrought-iron gate. "Lucky for me you're not the average citizen."

  She took the banter as a sign that his earlier grimness had eased, at least enough for her to ask, "What are you going to do?"

  He didn't pretend to misunderstand her. "About Brian's papers?" He unlocked the side door to the building and showed her into a foyer filled with antiques. "I'll take it to my lieutenant. See where he wants to go with it. If Brian was on the right track, though, it's going to be damn difficult to know just who to trust."

  Rather than using the artfully concealed elevator, he guided her up the stairs. "I live on the fourth and fifth floors. The rest are rented out."

  The statement had her brows arching again, and sidetracked her from her earlier question. "Tremaine, do you own this building?"

  His smile was satisfied. "My accountant told me ten years ago it'd be a good investment. But I'd already gotten addicted to beignets. It seemed more convenient to stick close to Café du Monde."

  Comprehension flooded in then, and she couldn't believe she'd never put it together before. First the luxury car, and now the exclusive property. "Tremaine Technologies? That's you?" The security software company was the largest employer in nearby Tangiphoha Parish.

  "Mostly it's my brother James. He's run it practically since birth. He likes running things, and it keeps him out of our hair, at least most of the time." He took out a key and pushed open a door, ushered her in.

  The interior was vast, decorated with comfort in mind and with an eye to the history of the area. The result was at once arresting and intimate. Shae dropped her coat and purse on a chair and wandered around. There were two sets of French doors, one overlooking the street and the other, she discovered upon exploration, the courtyard.

  "What kind of pizza do you want?"

  "I'll eat anything." She followed his voice into a kitchen that would do a chef proud, and a smile twitched at her lips. "Frozen pizza? You really know how to treat a lady."

  He looked up from preheating the oven and shot her a devastating grin. "There goes my plan to pass it off as homemade. Pour some wine, will you?"

  There was a bottle whose label she couldn't pronounce on the counter with two wineglasses. Amusement filled her. Frozen pizza and fine wine. The dinner of champions. She handed him his glass and lifted her own to her lips to sip. "I was chauffeured to and from work today."

  "Sullivan and Hanson?" She nodded. The two men assigned to her detail had been polite but insistent. She'd figured Cade had seen to that. "They said LeFrenz slipped away again last night."

  "I don't want you to worry about that," he began.

  "I'm not worried. Not anymore." And it was true. She'd decided last night that she was through letting her life be curtailed by fear. She was taking back control. And if that meant encouraging LeFrenz to act… She gave a mental shrug. At least the waiting would be over.

  As if he read her thoughts, Cade said, "You were taking an unnecessary chance, baiting him like that."

  "I wasn't baiting him."

  "It was like waving a red flag to a bull," he disputed. "You all but dared him to make his move."

  "I want this over," she said flatly. "I want my life back."

  "And I want him caught before he comes after you."

  "Have you ever wondered what's stopping him?" Because she'd spent too much time wondering that very thing. "He said something last night about business before pleasure." With effort she restrained the shudder the memory brought and tried to remember his exact words.

  "He said he had something to see to first. I've figured for a long time that there had to be a reason he was staying in the area. Something other than you."

  "Like what?"

  He shoved the pizza into the oven. "I'm figuring it has to be drug-related. He's got a big shipment coming in, got a deal going he can't walk away from…" He shook his head. "I don't have the details figured. The point is, thanks to your statements last night, he might decide not to wait until his business is taken care of."

  "Isn't that what you want? To make him reckless enough to make mistakes?"

  He took her elbow in his free hand and drew her close.
"Not if his mistakes involve you."

  A warm frisson of pleasure jittered down her spine. There was no mistaking the concern in his eyes, and something else. Something that turned the blood in her veins molten, scorching her from the inside out. "I really don't want to think about him anymore."

  For a moment he looked as if he'd say something more. Then he nodded, slipped an arm around her waist. "Okay." He walked her into the area adjoining the kitchen, the one overlooking the courtyard. This looked like the room he spent the most time in. Bookcases lined one wall. Every shelf not holding TV or stereo equipment was crammed with books and framed pictures. He stopped in front of the stereo and fiddled with some knobs. To the accompaniment of a wailing sax, a legendary blues singer sang plaintively of lost love.

  Shae reached out and picked up a picture that showed Cade, two other men and a diminutive blond woman. "Your family?" He nodded. "Sam, James and Ana." He pointed each of them out in turn. "That was taken last year." She studied the photo intently. There was an easy camaraderie among them that the photographer had managed to capture, an intimacy that came from family.

  At least, it came from some families, she thought, setting the frame down. "None of you look much alike."

  "Well, Sam's got green eyes, too, but you're right, I did get the looks in the family."

  Shae smiled, as she was meant to. "All the modesty, too."

  He dipped his head, nuzzled her neck, making her shiver. "I also got all the dancing ability. Wanna see?" He set his wine on one of the shelves. Took her glass and set it next to his. Then, drawing her into his arms, he moved her to the music.

  He was making it all too easy to forget everything but this moment. This man. She'd never been much of a dancer, but he wasn't doing anything fancy. Just holding her close and swaying to the sound of the sax.

  His mouth went to her neck, and she arched it to give him better access. The room was shadowed; the only light was that spilling from the kitchen. He did a quick twirl, weakening her knees and elevating her pulse. And the rest of the world was forgotten for the moment.