A Cloud of Suspicion

by Patricia Davids

  As compliments went, it was one of the nicest she’d ever received. Stunned, she could only shake her head. “I never know what you’re going to say.”

  “Unpredictability. My best quality. So what were you going to say?”

  “Coral Travis came to see me today.”

  “Ah, another snake in the library. You’re gonna have to start calling it the Loomis Reptile House.”

  “I know you harbor a lot of animosity toward her—”

  “Ya think?”

  His hostility almost silenced Shelby, but she decided to plow ahead. “I think she’s put herself in a position she doesn’t know how to get out of. Social status has always been her brass ring. She’s engaged to an up-and-coming politician, with her sights set far beyond being Mrs. Mayor. She has a lot to protect.”

  “Wait a minute. You’re saying Coral Travis is behind the threats?”

  “The first note I got said to keep my fat mouth shut. Coral used to make fun of me because I was an overweight teenager.”

  “I can’t see Coral climbing through a window, and I really can’t see her touching a snake unless she’s changed a lot in the last ten years. Besides, why threaten you?”

  “Ten years ago, when I was still practicing being invisible, I was at the after-game party the night our team won the championship.”

  “So was most of the university. It was the biggest bonfire that part of the bayou had seen in a while.”

  “I overheard Coral talking to someone. They were just out of sight in the trees.”

  “Who?”

  “I’m not sure, but I think it was a man. I plainly heard her say she was going home with the football hero whether he knew it or not. She wasn’t going to settle for second string. She was talking about you, Patrick. You were going places and she was going along. She saw me there. A little while later, I saw you kissing her and I knew she was going to get what she wanted. After that, I left.”

  What she didn’t share was how seeing that kiss made her feel—totally insignificant. In that moment, she knew her daydreams about catching Patrick Rivers’s attention and winning his affection were baseless. In a sad way, she had grown up that night.

  A shuttered look descended over his face. He didn’t say anything.

  The waitress arrived a few moments later with their order. Shelby inhaled the mouthwatering aroma, then busied herself stirring the piping hot gumbo. Lifting a spoonful to her mouth, she blew the steam away.

  “I thought it was my idea,” Patrick said softly. He was looking down at his bowl, but she could see he was focused in the past. “That tells you how conceited I was back then. A few beers and I was eager to get her alone. She told me her roommate was out of town and we could go there. We made love. I talked about my plans to design motorcycles. She had some silly notion that I was going to play pro football. I think I even laughed at the idea. Anyway, you know the rest.”

  Shelby’s appetite fled. She didn’t want to hear the details of his night with Coral. Stirring her soup, she tried to get the vision of them together out of her mind. To no avail.

  She put her spoon down. “After you were arrested, I wanted to tell someone what I heard, but I never did. When you were released, I thought it wouldn’t make any difference.”

  “It wouldn’t have. It would still have been her word against mine. There were no witnesses. No one even saw us leave the party together.”

  “But if I had spoken up about what Coral said—maybe people wouldn’t have been so quick to believe her. I’m sorry.”

  Patrick raked a hand through his hair and leaned back. “It’s water under the bridge, Shelby.”

  Was he really going to let her off the hook that easily? His whole life had hit the skids in part because she didn’t speak up to defend him.

  Would it have made any difference? Maybe not, but just maybe he could have salvaged his relationship with his stepfather or with his friend Wyatt.

  “I know it doesn’t change anything, but I wanted you to know.” She looked ready to burst into tears.

  “It’s okay.” To his surprise, he wasn’t angry with her.

  They had both been so young. He couldn’t expect a painfully shy young woman like she’d been back then to stick up for him when even his own stepfather hadn’t.

  His bitterness and anger had sustained him for a long time. Those emotions had driven him to succeed, sabotaged his relationships with any woman who cared about him, left him with nothing but his work. He thought he wanted it that way.

  But it wasn’t enough anymore. He wanted more out of his life. He wanted it to mean something. He didn’t know where to start, but he suspected the answer might be found, in part, with Miss Shelby Mason.

  “So you think Coral Travis is behind your threats?”

  He picked up his spoon and began to eat the rich seafood gumbo. The spices heated up his mouth and made him grab for his glass of water. He’d forgotten how fiery-good real Cajun food could be.

  “I really don’t know what to think. I’m not sure if I’d rather believe someone I know did it or that a stranger is fixated on me. Both are creepy thoughts.”

  “We’ll have to hope the police come up with some evidence.”

  “I can’t help wondering if this is somehow related to Leah’s disappearance and the other murders, but I just don’t see how. I keep racking my brain and coming up empty.”

  “Then focus on something else.”

  “Like what?”

  “Your new Easter bonnet. I’ll bet it’s green with yellow daisies around the brim.”

  She chuckled. It was a good sound. He could hear it for the rest of his life. The thought startled him. It was impossible, of course, but it didn’t keep him from wanting it.

  “I don’t have an Easter bonnet, but I did get a new dress.”

  Determined to lighten things up, he wagged a finger at her. “It’s green with yellow daisies, isn’t it?”

  “No.”

  “Okay, what color is it?”

  Raising her chin, she tilted her head ever so slightly. “I’m not going to tell you. If you want to see it, come to church on Sunday.”

  So the little pixie thought she could handle him. He kept a straight face with some difficulty. “You think I won’t?”

  That made her look at him closely. “Would you? Not because I was teasing you, of course, but because…it’s the right thing to do.”

  “Why not? The good folks of Loomis deserve one more shock before I leave town.”

  Sighing heavily, she replied, “That’s not quite the right attitude.”

  “If God wants me in church, He’ll have to take me attitude and all.”

  “At least you’re being honest about it.”

  No, he wasn’t. He was angling to spend more time with her. Had he really sunk that low? “Never mind.”

  Looking down, she stirred her gumbo slowly. “We could go together if you’d rather not go alone.”

  TEN

  “Well? What did he say?” Wendy demanded.

  Shelby cautiously opened the lid of the return book bin and peeked in. Nothing sprang, crawled or slid out. Nothing ominous moved within. She propped the lid open and began removing the items inside. “He said yes.”

  “Y’all are joking.” Wendy took the books, videos and audiobooks Shelby handed her and sorted them on a small, tan metal cart.

  Shelby closed the lid and faced her cousin. “Not joking a bit.”

  “You’re actually going to church with Patrick Rivers on Easter Sunday.”

  “Why are you so shocked? Even you’ve taken a liking to him.”

  “I’ll admit he’s good-looking in a bad boy sort of way.”

  She gestured toward the locked display case where Shelby showcased the journals he’d given her. “Giving you those books was a very nice touch. It’s also hard not to like a guy who stands up to Charla Renault. Of course, he doesn’t have to live in this town.”

  Shelby propped her hands on her hips. “I don’t t
hink that would make a difference to him. He doesn’t much care what people think of him.”

  “You really think Coral lied about that night?”

  “I do. I wish there was some way to prove it.” Shelby moved to the computer to begin scanning the returns back into the system.

  “Don’t hold your breath waiting for Coral’s conscience to kick in.”

  “I won’t hold my breath, but I’ll pray she does the right thing.”

  Wendy finished loading her cart with books waiting to be reshelved. “Can’t go wrong with praying for someone.”

  Shelby glanced at the cloudy gray skies beyond the window overlooking the drive-up lane. “Sometimes prayer isn’t enough. Sometimes we have to act. My heart tells me this is one of those times.” She pounded her fist into her palm. “I have to do something.”

  “Wow. Hanging around Patrick is having quite an effect on y’all.”

  Embarrassment flooded Shelby. She knew her face must be beet-red. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Don’t get me wrong. You’re as sweet as they come, but it’s not like you to go charging in where angels fear to tread.”

  “You make me sound like an Amazon warrior. I assure you I’m not.”

  “Bayou warrior. That has a better ring to it. Honestly, Shelby, you’ve already spoken to Coral. What else can you do?”

  “I’m going to call Jocelyn and see what she thinks. She and Ava Renault are good friends. Maybe Jocelyn can give me some insight on how to proceed.”

  “That’s sort of her job. Are you really going to go see Charla Renault, too?”

  “I am,” Shelby declared with fresh determination. “First thing tomorrow morning.”

  “Confronting the dragon in her den. I don’t know, Shelby, I’m thinking she’s gonna barbecue you for lunch.”

  Shelby rolled her eyes at her cousin. “Could you sound a little more encouraging?”

  Wendy shook her head. “No.”

  “Fine. If I get her to change her mind, you have to buy me breakfast on Monday.”

  “You’ve got a deal.”

  “You’ll see. I can be very persuasive when I set my mind to something.” Shelby turned to smile at the man waiting at the counter to check out a stack of books.

  Pushing the cart past her, Wendy leaned in to whisper, “I’m not sure there’s a single person in all of Louisiana who can get Ms. Charla to change her mind.”

  “You piece of junk! Give it up!” Squatting on the garage floor on Saturday afternoon, Patrick wrestled with an awkwardly placed bolt on his bike. He’d pay more attention to the mechanic’s needs with his next design.

  “What’s the matter with her?”

  Raising his head, Patrick was surprised to see Wyatt standing just inside the open shop door. It was the first overture his former friend had made.

  “She’s leaking oil. I think I have a cracked gasket.”

  “Need a hand?” Wyatt’s hesitant offer made it plain he expected Patrick to refuse. As an olive branch it wasn’t much, but it was a start.

  “Sure. See if you can keep this wrench on the bolt while I loosen the nut with my ratchet.”

  Taking the tool Patrick held out to him, Wyatt crouched on the opposite side of the bike and affixed the wrench. “Okay.”

  Now able to pull down on the handle with both hands, Patrick loosened the nut easily.

  “Thanks.” Patrick arranged himself cross-legged on the cement floor and looked at Wyatt still squatting on the other side. So much unsaid, so much to say. Where could they start?

  Lord, help me heal this rift. I miss my friend.

  Had he just uttered a prayer? Shelby had to be rubbing off on him. Wyatt ran his hand over the black leather seat and said, “She’s a beauty.”

  There was genuine admiration in his tone.

  Patrick allowed himself a touch of professional pride. “Thanks.”

  “So how long does it take to make something like this?”

  “It depends. If the whole crew is working on it, a week.”

  “No way!”

  “Sometimes the design work actually takes longer than the production.”

  “I came over to say thanks for giving me the present your mom got me. You didn’t have to do that.”

  Patrick allowed himself a little smile. Shelby had been right. “Mom would have wanted you to have it.”

  “She was a great lady.”

  “Yes, she was. Shelby Mason was the one who found them. She was looking through some of my mother’s books and came across one for you and one for me. I got The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. What did you get?”

  “My Side of the Mountain.”

  “Man, I haven’t thought about that story in years. Remember the big hollow tree that boy lived in? It was a great story.”

  Recalling one of his favorite childhood books made Patrick smile.

  Wyatt nodded in agreement. “Fishing, hunting, taming wild animals for friends, it was the perfect life for a kid.”

  “It reminds me of the time we spent out at your family’s cabin on the bayou.”

  Standing, Wyatt shoved his hands in the front pocket of his faded jeans. “You like it in California, don’t you? I mean…you wouldn’t be building a beauty like this if you’d stayed here.”

  Patrick wondered why the sudden change in the conversation. “L.A. is okay.”

  “So it was a good thing you moved away.”

  Perhaps on some level it had been, but he could have done without the jump start of Coral’s accusations.

  Let it go. It’s in the past.

  “What about you, Wyatt? You had big plans. You were going to start your own car repair business. Did that work out?”

  “Big dreams take money, which I didn’t have.”

  “I always wondered how it turned out for you. I wrote to my dad, but he never wrote back. I used to wonder what Coral did after—”

  For a long moment, Wyatt didn’t say anything and Patrick thought he’d pressed the issue too soon.

  Wyatt answered slowly. “I hear she has her sights set on marrying the next mayor. Did you know I asked her out once? She wasn’t interested in a second string guy like me.”

  “You were never second string, Wyatt. You were a great player.”

  “Kinda sad if you think about it. The high point of my life was a football field in college.”

  “You’re married, you have kids. That has to be a bigger high than our championship win.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. I dropped out of school the next year and went to work at the mill like my dad. I met Barb two years later, and we got married.”

  “She seems nice.”

  “She’s a better woman than I deserve.”

  “So, she’s the reason you stayed in town?”

  Wyatt nodded. “She didn’t like the idea of moving away from her friends and her family. My folks wanted to retire to Arizona, so I bought the place from them. The boys came along bang bang and the time to leave never did. I envy you, Pat.”

  “Envy me? Why?” Patrick couldn’t hide his surprise.

  “You’ve got nothing to tie you down. You’ve got the freedom of the open road at your fingertips. You can go anywhere, do anything.”

  Patrick rose to his feet and moved to replace his stepfather’s ratchet in a tool chest he’d found on a workbench at the rear of the building. “The open road thing is overrated, Wyatt.”

  “Is it? I wonder. Have you talked to her?”

  “Who?”

  “Coral.”

  Patrick concentrated on closing the lid of the chest without slamming it. “We’ve spoken.”

  “I thought maybe the two of you could find a way to let bygones be bygones.”

  “She accused me of rape. I’d still be in prison if she’d been able to make the charges stick.”

  “It wouldn’t have gone that far.”

  “Wouldn’t it?” Patrick looked over his shoulder.

  Wyatt was staring at the wrench in his hand. “I
don’t think Coral would have let it go to trial.”

  Walking back to the bike, Patrick held out his hand for the tool. “I really wish it had.”

  Wyatt looked surprised. “Why?”

  “Because then I’d have had a chance to defend myself in front of everyone.”

  “The charges were dropped.”

  “Believe me, that’s not the same thing as being found innocent. You don’t know what it’s like having everyone believe you raped a woman and got away with it. Even my best friend didn’t speak up for me.”

  Wyatt placed the wrench in Patrick’s outstretched hand. “What if that friend regretted his actions?”

  Patrick had waited for an explanation for so many years. Now, he was almost afraid to hear it. “I guess the best thing would be to tell me why.”

  “I was in love with Coral.”

  It wasn’t what Patrick expected to hear. Almost every guy on the football team had had a thing for Coral, but he never knew Wyatt’s feeling for her had been so strong.

  Patrick carried the wrench to the tool chest and laid it inside. As he closed the lid, he acknowledged he’d been more than stupid that night. He’d been blind as well.

  “I’m really sorry, Wyatt. I didn’t know I was betraying my best friend.”

  He turned around, but Wyatt was gone.

  ELEVEN

  “You didn’t bring the bike?”

  Standing beside him on the walk in front of her house, Patrick saw Shelby scowl at the dark-blue sedan parked at the curb.

  Cocking his head to one side, he studied the cute pout on her disappointed features. “I rented a car for the day because I thought you’d be more comfortable wearing your Easter finery in this than on the back of my cycle.”

  “That’s very sweet, but arriving at church on the back of a bike would be the boldest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

  “I doubt that.”

  “Would I lie to you on Easter Sunday?”

  “I hope not. By the way, that dress is very pretty on you.”

  She twirled around once, letting the full skirt flair out. “Thank you.”

  “However, it is green.”

  She looked down. “I’d call it jade, and there isn’t a single daisy on it.”