A Cloud of Suspicion

by Patricia Davids

  Careful, he cautioned himself, reining in his emotions. She wasn’t for him. The last thing he needed was to get involved with another woman from this town—even if his instincts were pushing him to ignore his own good sense.

  The sound of running feet made him look up. Her friend came flying down the center aisle yelling, “Get your hands off her, you beast. I’m calling the police.”

  Do one good turn and what did it get him? He dropped his hands to his sides, fists clenched in resentment.

  Shelby turned away from him. “No, Wendy, it’s not what you think.”

  Wendy, gripping the other side of the counter, narrowed her eyes. “If he hurt you—”

  “He saved me.” Shelby pushed her hair back with one shaky hand. “Someone put a snake in the return book bin—a cottonmouth.”

  “What?” Wendy’s wide-eyed gaze shot to the lid of the container.

  “When it slithered out, it tried to strike me. Mr. Rivers jumped in the way and it bit his boot instead.”

  Shelby turned her gaze back to his. “I think I owe you my life.”

  “I saved you a trip to the emergency room, nothing more.”

  “What a sick joke. Why would someone do that?” Wendy demanded.

  Patrick expected Shelby to agree, but instead an odd look darted across her face.

  His curiosity reared its head much the same way the snake had. “Why would someone do that, Miss Shelby?”

  Her eyes slid away from his. “I don’t know.”

  She wasn’t being entirely truthful. He could see it in her eyes. What did someone like Shelby Mason have to hide?

  Shelby wished Patrick would leave. His dark eyes studied her every move as they waited for the sheriff and animal control to arrive. She had gone to sit with Sarah while Wendy put up a large Out of Order sign over the outside slot of the book return.

  Normally, Sarah would have been the one to open the book bin.

  Shelby closed her eyes in a brief prayer.

  Thank you, Jesus, for letting me be the one to open it today. For putting Patrick here to save me.

  Had this been an attempt to harm Sarah? Did it have to do with Earl’s murder or Leah’s disappearance?

  Clint and Jocelyn were afraid Sarah may have seen something the night her father was murdered, and the FBI had already foiled one kidnapping attempt on her.

  Did the unknown killer believe Sarah was a threat, or was this related to the note on Shelby’s windshield?

  Keep your fat mouth shut about that night or you’ll regret it.

  Had Shelby put Sarah in danger just by having her near? She shuddered at the thought.

  A dozen young mothers with a contingent of noisy preschoolers were gathered in the play area. Shelby quietly explained to the women that a snake had found its way in but had been secured. It didn’t surprise her that the majority of them took such an announcement in stride. Loomis, with its close proximity to the bayou, had its share of unwelcome reptile visitors every year.

  The animal control officer was first on the scene. He quickly captured the snake and, to everyone’s relief, secured it in a large bag with the intention of releasing it back into the wild where it belonged.

  When the sheriff finally arrived, Shelby sent Wendy to begin the program and met with him in her small office behind the counter.

  Sheriff Reed pulled out his notebook with a heavy sigh as Shelby began to relate the event. It wasn’t until she mentioned Patrick’s part that the officer showed the first spark of interest.

  “Do I know you?” He furrowed his heavy brow and tipped his head to the side.

  “We’ve met.” Patrick’s tone was dry, but she heard the animosity underneath.

  “You’re Dan Rivers’s boy, aren’t you? I didn’t think you’d have the nerve to show your sorry carcass back in this town.”

  “It was Mr. Rivers’s quick thinking that saved me today, Sheriff.” If she hoped for a glimmer of gratitude for her defense of Patrick, she was doomed to disappointment.

  Tapping his pen on the top of his notebook, Sheriff Reed asked, “And what were you doing here today, Rivers?”

  “Returning books.”

  “You didn’t drop them in the slot outside? Now, why was that?”

  “I knew there was a fine to pay so I came inside.”

  “Don’t think I’ll rule you out because you’ve got a ready answer.”

  “You could dust the outside of the box for prints,” Patrick suggested.

  A small tic by his eye showed Sheriff Reed’s annoyance. “Are you trying to tell me how to do my job?”

  “Not at all. It was a simple suggestion.”

  “I reckon I’d get the prints of just about every bookworm in town. I think I’m done here, Miss Mason.”

  Patrick folded his arms over his chest. “You could ask me if I saw anyone loitering about when I drove up.”

  “I’m starting not to like you all over again, Rivers.”

  “The feeling is mutual, Sheriff.”

  Shelby interrupted their glaring match. “Patrick, did you see someone loitering outside?”

  “A skinny little guy with red hair and thick glasses. I assumed he was homeless by the look of his clothes. He took off when I rode up.”

  Did he mean Chuck Peters? She had seen Chuck on the street when she found the note. Could he have done this? He’d certainly been disturbed in the park the previous morning.

  It was easier to imagine Chuck putting a snake in the book slot than anyone else she knew. The only other person she could think of who might want her to keep quiet was Coral Travis. Coral picking up a snake was a sight Shelby was pretty sure she’d never see.

  The sheriff addressed Shelby. “I know it’s a day early, but this has all the earmarks of an April Fool’s Day prank, Miss Shelby. I’ll look into it, but I don’t think I’ll find much.”

  Shelby hesitated to say more in front of Patrick’s intense scrutiny, but when the sheriff started to leave, she blurted out, “There’s something else.”

  Sheriff Reed paused and looked over his shoulder. “And what would that be?”

  “Yesterday I received a threatening note. It was left on the windshield of my car.”

  He turned back and eyed her curiously. “Exactly what did this note say?”

  “It warned me to keep my mouth shut about that night, or I’d regret it.”

  “What night would that be?”

  “It didn’t say and I have no idea. I thought I should mention it in light of what happened here today.”

  Surely knowing about the note would make the sheriff suspect that someone other than Patrick was responsible for the snake.

  “I’d like to see this note.”

  Suddenly, her actions yesterday seemed foolish. “I didn’t keep it,” she admitted. “It seemed like such a childish threat that I wadded it up and threw it away.”

  “I see.”

  She had the feeling the man didn’t believe her. “I wouldn’t make up such a thing. My cousin, Wendy, was with me.”

  “And she read the note?”

  “No. I didn’t show it to her. I told you, it seemed silly at the time.”

  “All right. If you get anything like that again, don’t throw it away. Call my office.”

  “With the murder of my son still unsolved, Sheriff Reed, I’m surprised to find you wasting your time on such trivial matters.” Charla Renault glared at the officer as she drove her wheelchair toward the counter.

  Shelby knew a moment of pity for the man as he muttered an apology.

  Mrs. Renault cut him off with a wave of her hand. “I’m here to speak with Miss Mason. If you’ve concluded your business, of course.”

  “I reckon I’m done here. Miss Shelby, Mrs. Renault.” The sheriff nodded at them, then turned to Patrick.

  “I expect you to be leaving town soon. We don’t cotton to the likes of you here.”

  “I don’t much cotton to this town, Sheriff, but I’ll leave when I’m ready and not before
.”

  Shelby almost gasped at his audacity.

  Reed’s eyes narrowed, but he ignored the taunt and left.

  Charla looked Patrick up and down and then dismissed him. She graced Shelby with a cool smile. “You look a trifle pale, Miss Mason.”

  “I had a small fright. It’s nothing, I assure you. How may I be of assistance?”

  “I thought perhaps we could discuss the plans y’all have for my son’s memorial.” With a twist of the lever by her right hand, she turned her wheelchair and began rolling away, leaving Shelby with no choice but to follow.

  “I haven’t yet formulated a complete plan, Mrs. Renault.” To her surprise, Patrick fell into step behind them.

  She was grateful for his help, but his presence made her jumpy. She could still feel his strong arms lifting her to safety.

  “I didn’t expect you would have,” Charla replied without looking back. “I merely wanted to point out things I’d find unacceptable.”

  She stopped at the shelf where some of the current bestselling novels were on display. “For instance, I wouldn’t want to see my money going to purchase more trash like this.”

  Patrick stepped in front of her and picked up a thriller. He opened the cover. “I’ve read this one. It’s good. You should try it.”

  Shelby wanted to grab him by the collar and yank him out of the way. Saving her life was one thing. Deliberately mocking the woman who proposed to give the library a large sum of money was something else altogether.

  “I’m not surprised someone like you would think so.” Charla drove forward toward the children’s area.

  Shelby grabbed Patrick’s arm and snapped, “What are you doing?”

  “She’s making you jump like a lapdog for a biscuit.”

  “I’m not anyone’s lapdog just because I speak to my elders in a civil tone.”

  “You mean, your ‘betters’? She’s not, you know. Just because she comes from an old family with money doesn’t make her more important than you.”

  Shelby’s eyebrows shot up. She opened her mouth to deny his charge but realized she did subconsciously think of the Renault family as superior to her own.

  “I think you should leave now, Mr. Rivers. I’m grateful for your quick thinking and bravery this morning, but I have work to do.”

  Patrick replaced the thriller and picked up a new romance novel. “Don’t let me keep you. I’ll just browse awhile until I find something I’d like to check out.”

  “I’m sorry, but you have to be a resident to get a library card. You won’t be able to check anything out.”

  He smiled at her. “In that case, I’ll just read it here.”

  After walking to a small seating area, he settled himself in an easy chair and opened the novel.

  Deciding that ignoring him was her best move, Shelby hurried after Mrs. Renault.

  Charla had stopped just outside the area where Wendy was finishing up her puppet show. As Wendy bowed, the children and their mothers broke into applause.

  One of the younger toddlers who came twice a week broke into a wide smile and waved chubby fingers at Shelby. “Shelzie, read more!”

  Sarah frowned at the little boy and shook her head. “That’s Shelby, not Shelzie.”

  Rising from her place on the rug, Sarah raced to Shelby. Throwing one arm around her legs, Sarah held up her toy for inspection. “See my monkey?”

  A second later, Sarah noticed that Mrs. Renault had wheeled closer. The three-year-old’s almond-shaped green eyes grew wide. She leaned into Shelby. In a small voice, Sarah said, “Bad lady.”

  Already embarrassed, Shelby heard Patrick’s smothered laugh turn into a cough. She was sure Mrs. Renault heard it, too.

  Shelby placed a comforting hand on Sarah’s head. “Honey, she’s not a bad lady. I’m sorry, Mrs. Renault. Sarah has been much more shy with strangers since…recent events.”

  Sarah had also become terrified of anyone with red hair except Shelby since her father’s death. The child’s aversion to redheads was just one more piece in the jigsaw puzzle of events surrounding her father’s murder and her mother’s disappearance.

  Charla studied Sarah intently. Shelby knew speculation about Dylan and Leah had been fueling the local rumor mill since Dylan’s funeral. Was Charla wondering if this child was her granddaughter? Was she searching for a resemblance?

  Swinging her wheelchair around abruptly, Charla said, “I certainly don’t want my money used to entertain the children of bored housewives and trailer trash. I think I’ve made a mistake in including the library in my list of donation possibilities.”

  Shelby beckoned for Wendy to come and take Sarah, then hurried after Mrs. Renault to salvage the moment.

  “I’m sure that I can find or develop a program that will meet with your approval, Mrs. Renault. The library has a great deal to offer the community. We have a media center for Internet access. We have a program that delivers reading material to shut-ins and a circulating exchange program with the local schools. I can promise we’ll put the funds to good use.”

  Stopping, Charla looked over her shoulder. “Very well, Miss Mason. I’ll keep an open mind until the board meeting.”

  She scowled at Patrick and then at the rowdy children being hustled outside by their mothers. “My family has occupied a prominent place in the history of Louisiana for generations. Please keep that in mind when developing your project proposal.”

  “Yes, Mrs. Renault.”

  Shelby released a deep sigh of relief when Mrs. Renault was finally out the door.

  “I don’t know which one is scarier,” Patrick said at Shelby’s elbow, “the snake or the old dragon.”

  Since her train of thought had been running along that very same track, Shelby didn’t chide him for his comment.

  Wendy came to stand beside Shelby. “Clint just came in.”

  Shelby nodded. “I’d better talk to him.”

  Turning away, she walked to the front of the building where Sarah’s uncle stood waiting with Sarah in his arms. The worried look never seemed to leave his dark eyes these days.

  Shelby didn’t want to add to his burden, but Sarah’s safety came first. Forcing a smile, she said, “Hello, Clint.”

  He nodded at her. “Wendy told me what happened. Do you think it was a prank?”

  “I hope so, but I can’t be sure. Either way, it could have been deadly serious.”

  His arms tightened around his niece. “Is this ever going to end?”

  Reaching up, Shelby brushed back Sarah’s hair. “I adore having her with me, but if anything had happened to her today, I don’t know how I would’ve forgiven myself.”

  “I know she loves coming here, but I think it would be best if she stayed with me for the foreseeable future. This is such a public place. People come and go all the time. You can’t watch everyone. Until this killer is brought to justice, I’d feel better keeping Sarah close.”

  “Of course. I understand.” She walked with him to the door.

  “Thanks for your help, Shelby. It means a lot to me.”

  She laid a hand on Clint’s shoulder. “I’m keeping you in my prayers.”

  He nodded and left the building. With a heavy heart, Shelby watched him walk out. He was suffering so much.

  Please, Lord, send him Your comfort.

  Turning around, she found Patrick watching her intently.

  Meeting his gaze, she asked, “What else can I do for you, Mr. Rivers?”

  His dark brooding presence sent waves of awareness racing up her skin. The air became charged with electricity when he stepped close. She was glad when Wendy walked up beside her.

  He said, “I’ve been going through some things at the house, and I came across a collection of books my mother owned. Some of them are pretty old, but I’m not sure if they are worth anything. I was wondering if you could suggest someone to evaluate them.”

  “If you bring them in here, I can certainly tell you if they are valuable.”

 
“I would, but there are hundreds of them.”

  “Hundreds?” Shelby wasn’t sure she heard him correctly.

  “Several hundred at least.”

  “I see.”

  “Maybe you could drop by the house and take a look at them during your free time?” he suggested. His mocking gaze told her he knew she’d refuse.

  “All right, I will.” She wasn’t afraid of him—exactly.

  Surprise flashed in his eyes, but he recovered quickly. Crossing his arms, he leaned back slightly. “When?”

  There was no turning back from the challenge in that one word. Lifting her chin, she said, “Tomorrow, after the library closes.”

  He glanced from Wendy’s shocked face back to Shelby. “I’ll understand if you change your mind.”

  “I won’t. You saved my life today. It’s the least I can do in return.” That was as good an explanation as any for her insanity.

  “See you then.” His mocking half smile sent butterflies tumbling through her stomach.

  As he walked out the door, Wendy grabbed Shelby’s arm and spun her around. “Are you crazy? You absolutely cannot go to that man’s house.”

  “I’m not insane. I’m not going alone.” Shelby smiled brightly at her cousin. “You’re coming with me.”

  FIVE

  When Patrick answered the knock on his door late the next afternoon he had trouble disguising his surprise—and his pleasure.

  He hadn’t expected Shelby to actually show up.

  He figured she would think better of her offer or that her friends would talk her out of coming. Yet here she was, standing on his porch, looking adorable and nervous. Not quite as nervous as Wendy, who was clutching Shelby’s arm as if she might have to wrestle Shelby away from him at any second.

  Movement next door caught Patrick’s eye. He saw Wyatt unloading a cooler from the back of his pickup. Two young boys, one about six and the other a head shorter than his big brother, were pulling fishing poles out of the bed.

  Wyatt’s concentration wasn’t on his work. His eyes were fastened on Patrick’s house.

  Once again, bitterness cut deep. How long would it take to convince his friend or this town that a woman was safe with him?

  The answer was never. He wouldn’t waste his breath trying to change that perception. When he left town this time, he’d never be back.