Betrayed

by Sharon Sala

  "Oh shit," Kenny said, and shuddered as he did what he was told.

  Thirty minutes later, they were on their way back to town with all of the trail cameras. He needed to view the rest of them, too, and see if they had enough evidence to get a search warrant. They had recovered the shell casing from Logan Talman's shooting. The Parish Sheriff had recovered a bullet from Danny Bales’ body, and he was running a trace to see if Barton DeChante owned a registered weapon. The only thing missing were bodies. Barton had left one lying where he fell, but Logan had buried it. Josh was hoping Barton had buried the others, instead of leaving them to the gators.

  He was at his desk going through everything he had to take to a judge to get a search warrant, when Arnie came in and laid a piece of paper on his desk.

  “This just came in, Chief. Info on who owned Delta Industries.”

  Josh began to read as Arnie left, and when he saw the name, he grinned. One more piece to add to the puzzle. The owner was Barton DeChante.

  Wade and Logan had driven to Barney's for breakfast, but rather than go back and sit in the motel, Wade wanted to see where Logan had grown up, so he drove and she blazed the trail.

  They went past the park, then the high school and football field. She showed him where her brother once worked, and the big fancy house where Caitlin grew up, then they headed to the south side of town.

  It was immediately evident to Wade that the lifestyles here were far different than what he'd been seeing. When she directed him down the street to the house where she and Damon had lived, she began leaning slightly forward, bracing herself against the dash as if it would take her just that little bit closer to finding her brother.

  All of a sudden, Logan pointed to a few men standing beneath a shade tree a few houses down and yelled, "Stop."

  Wade hit the brakes, and when he did, saw one of the men turn around and look. Then he separated himself from the others and began walking toward their car.

  "That's the man who saved my life," she said, and got out.

  Wade parked at the curb, then got out and followed her.

  T-Boy heard the rumble of the engine before he looked to see who it was. When he recognized the vehicle, the ache in his chest was a reminder of how much he'd wanted her to love him. Still drawn to her, he headed for the car, hoping she was in it. He saw her get out, still the same tall beauty, but with her arm in a sling, and she was walking toward him.

  They met in the middle of the street, like they'd done so many times before when they were young, only this time she was smiling.

  "I've been told you saved my life."

  T-Boy shrugged.

  "I saw a friend down. What else would I do?"

  "I am forever grateful," Logan said, and put her arm around his neck and hugged him.

  It was a moment in time that T-Boy would never get back, and because she'd made the first gesture, he wrapped his arms around her and ever so gently, returned the hug. Finally, after all these years, he had the satisfaction of knowing what life would have been like if she had loved him as much as he loved her.

  Then he looked over her shoulder and saw the big cowboy get out and start toward them. He was a damn fine-looking man, older than them, but with a look on his face that told T-Boy she was already taken.

  He patted her on the back and stepped away.

  "Reinforcements are coming to rescue you from the street thug," he quipped.

  Logan knew it was Wade.

  "He works for me," she said, and then Wade walked up beside her. "Wade. This is T-Boy. We grew up together, which is one thing, but he's also the man who kept me from bleeding out before the ambulance came. T-Boy, this is Wade Garrett."

  Wade grabbed T-Boy's hand and shook it gladly.

  "It is an honor and a pleasure to meet you, sir. I don't know what we'd do without this lady back home."

  "Good to meet you, too," T-Boy said, and in that moment, wished with everything in him that he had made better choices.

  T-Boy turned around and shouted at his friends.

  "Hey, y'all. It's Conway, and she's here without that damn bat. Come say hi."

  Logan looked up at Wade and grinned.

  He shoved his Stetson to the back of his head, watching as people began coming out on their porches to see what was happening, then they saw who it was. They had all known she was here, now they knew why, and she was one of theirs.

  People were crowding around her, everyone talking and laughing, but so careful not to bump her. It wasn't until Logan spilled the beans about T-Boy, that anyone knew the part he'd played in saving her life.

  It was a moment T-Boy would never forget, being praised instead of cursed.

  As for Wade, he had never seen Logan so at ease. This was who she was meant to be. A woman without secrets.

  Josh Evans had his search warrant, but he did not have his man. Barton DeChante and his wife, Sugar, were not at home.

  Ruthie, their cook and housekeeper, was informing the chief that they'd gone to New Orleans to shop. He didn't need them to be present when he searched the house. Ruthie could receive the warrant, but he'd counted on rattling DeChante enough to hope he said something incriminating.

  "When do you expect them home?" Josh asked.

  "I got a call from Mrs. DeChante asking me to make something special for dinner tonight, so probably around five or six o'clock. I always serve dinner at seven."

  "That's okay," Josh said, then he had a thought. "Say Ruthie, maybe you can help me with something. Did you work for the family when the first Mrs. DeChante was still here?"

  "Miss Faith? Yes, I did. She was such a lovely lady. So sweet and soft-spoken."

  "Were you here when she went missing?"

  "No. Mr. DeChante had sent me and my husband on a seven-day river cruise on one of those paddle-wheelers. We had the time of our lives."

  "Wow, that's great. Was it for something special? Your birthday...or your anniversary?"

  "No. He just up and surprised me with it."

  Josh nodded. Yet another clue to the man's plan to do what he wanted without witnesses.

  "I see...so I guess you were shocked when you came back and heard the news about his wife."

  Ruthie shrugged.

  "I heard it, but I still don't know that I believe. Miss Faith wasn't like that."

  "Then what do you think happened to her?" Josh asked.

  Ruthie frowned.

  "I don't rightly know. It still puzzles me some. I came back to her gone, and the Mister out rearranging his rose garden. He's in that garden all the time, and he’s real fond of his roses. Why, some of them roots are nearly a hundred years old, he says."

  Josh felt like sweeping Miss Ruthie up in his arms and dancing her about the foyer, but withheld the urge. Now he knew where the bodies were buried.

  "Yes, ma'am. I've taken up enough of your time. Thank you again."

  "You're most welcome," Ruthie said, and went back to the kitchen.

  Josh left, making a call to the judge’s office for a request to amend the search warrant he already had to include the exterior of the property and then told the secretary why, along with a message that he’d be by to pick it up shortly. After that, he made a call to Parish Sheriff Elway, as well.

  Logan was back in the motel and stretched out on the bed, exhausted but at peace. Wade was pacing the floor, talking in undertones so she couldn't hear exactly what was being said, but she knew he was pissed. She was thinking to herself that she would never want to see him this angry at her, and then she heard him say the name “McGuire” and knew it had something to do with her business.

  She sat up in bed.

  "Wade!"

  He glanced at her and then he said, "Wait a second," and covered the phone. "What, honey?"

  "What's wrong on the job site?"

  He hesitated.

  She stood up, and sling notwithstanding, held out her hand for the phone.

  Wade walked straight to her.

  "McGuire came to work
drunk and was trying to load up one of our table saws in the back of his work truck when some of the men stopped him."

  Her eyes narrowed.

  "Who are you talking to now?"

  "Enzo Behenja."

  She took the phone.

  "Enzo, this is Logan."

  "Boss Lady. It is good to hear your voice. You are doing well?"

  "I'm fine," she said."Is this true what Wade is telling me? That McGuire came to work drunk?"

  "Si, Señora, and he wants to take a saw."

  "What was he going to do with it?" she asked.

  "Sell it. He told one of the bricklayers that you didn't pay him, and so he's going to take that in pay."

  "Well, that's a lie," Logan snapped. "Call the police. Have him arrested for attempted robbery. And tell them he came to work drunk, and I'll be pressing charges."

  "Si, Señora, I will do that."

  "Thank you, Enzo. We'll be in touch. Here's Wade."

  She handed the phone back to Wade and went to find her purse.

  Wade told Enzo to call as soon as McGuire was arrested and removed from the property and ended the call.

  Logan was already on the phone talking to her accountant to verify that paychecks had gone out on time, and that no one's pay has been withheld. When the call ended, she was madder than ever as she told Wade what she’d learned.

  "McGuire tried to get her to cut him a check for expenses he claimed he incurred while standing in for you. She said he sounded drunk when he called, and when she refused, he started cursing her and disconnected."

  Wade was still shaking his head. "I have never seen this kind of behavior from McGuire, have you?"

  "No, and he stepped in for you a couple of times after Andrew was gone. With you gone, too, and me somewhere between here and dead, I think he thought it would be an easy snatch," she said.

  "I'm sorry," Wade said. "I put him in charge."

  "And I put him in charge once before that. Neither one of us saw this in him. It is what it is," she said. "But now who can we trust to keep things moving until we get home? Maybe you should just catch a flight home and—"

  "Oh, hell no," Wade said. "I'm not leaving you own your own down here again. When I leave, you're coming with me."

  Logan was secretly relieved.

  "Hey, what about Sarge? I know he's retired, but Andrew used to say he was the best at running a crew he'd ever seen."

  Wade nodded.

  "Yes, good call. I have his number. I'll see if he's free and able."

  "He doesn't have to be too able. Make sure he knows it's nothing but directing traffic, so to speak."

  "I'll give him a call," Wade said.

  Logan was hurting. She glanced at the time. The last pain pills she'd taken were before breakfast, so she took a couple more and lay back down, waiting for them to take effect and wondering if those trail cameras would work. She wanted justice for her brother, but now it was obvious she also needed to go home.

  Sugar bubbled with elation, talking about her new clothes, her new shoes, even giggling about the psychic they'd seen while they were there.

  "Can you imagine? She said something momentous was waiting for us. I wonder what it might be," she said.

  "I don't believe in that stuff," Big Boy said.

  Sugar pouted.

  "I don't care. I do, and you'll see."

  He chuckled.

  "Don't get yourself all in a snit. You have new stuff to wear to your next girls’ night out. You'll be the prettiest one there. You always are."

  Sugar giggled.

  "Ooh honey, sweet talk like that will get you everywhere with me."

  "Yeah...I know," he said, and then they both laughed out loud.

  He was still in good spirits and wondering what Ruthie was making for dinner when he pulled into their drive.

  "Oh my. It's good to be home," Sugar said, and unlatched her seat belt.

  Big Boy's hand was on the door handle when he looked up in his rearview mirror and frowned.

  "What the fuck?" he muttered, and got out.

  Chief Evans rolled up into DeChante's driveway with lights flashing and his siren screaming, as did four of his officers in their patrol cars.

  The chief got out with his warrants, saw the look on DeChante's face, and grabbed him before he could run.

  "Barton DeChante, I have a search warrant to search your house and one to search the exterior of your property as well." He stuffed the warrants into DeChante's pocket.

  "No!" Barton screamed. "Why? What are you doing? You're crazy. Let me go you fuckers! I didn't do anything wrong."

  Josh calmly handed him over to one of his deputies.

  "Please see that he doesn't run off. I'll have questions for him after the search."

  Sugar was in shock up to the point they handcuffed her husband, and then she came to and ran forward, screaming as she went.

  "What are you doing? Stop! Let him go, let him go!" she cried, and rushed up to the chief. "Whatever you’re doing, this is all a horrible mistake.”

  "Move aside, ma’am. We have search warrants for your house and the outside of the property, as well."

  “This can’t be happening!” Sugar cried, as Officer Kenny McKay pulled her out of the way, while two others came up to assist the chief.

  DeChante looked over the backend of the cruiser as a yellow backhoe appeared at the end of the block. When he realized it was coming toward his property, for the first time in his life, he was afraid.

  "What are you going to do with that backhoe?" he cried.

  Josh was in his face. "We're searching the premises, both inside and out, and have reason to believe you buried the bodies of your wife, Faith, and Justin Baptiste here."

  Barton gasped, then began to shout.

  "No. You can't dig in my garden. The roses alone are priceless. Some of the roots are a hundred years old. You can't destroy history!"

  And just like that, without realizing he'd said it, Barton DeChante had just verified his guilt by admitting where the bodies were buried.

  The backhoe came closer, and so did Sugar, still pleading for mercy.

  "Please, please, Chief!" Sugar begged. "What can I do to make you see what a mistake you are making?"

  "Tell me where your husband keeps his gun."

  "In the library," Sugar said. "I'll even show you. It will prove you're wrong."

  Big Boy was in shock. How did the bitch even know he had a gun, let alone where he kept it? Then he threw back his head and let out a scream of pure rage. The woman he'd killed for had just turned into his betrayer.

  "You bitch, you bitch! What have you done? If you hadn't been so good at fucking, I would have already buried you, too."

  Sugar gasped, staring at her husband as if she was seeing him for the first time, and at the same moment, Big Boy realized what he'd said. He dropped his head and closed his eyes as Josh read him his rights, while the backhoe came closer and closer.

  Josh had the back door open, ready to load him up into his cruiser, when the backhoe reached the house. The driver bypassed the cop-filled driveway, and started up through the perfectly manicured lawn, leaving a ragged set of tracks.

  Barton stopped just shy of stepping inside the car, watching in horror at the backhoe bouncing past the magnolia tree. Then it rounded the corner and was heading into the back gardens as it went out of sight.

  Big Boy wailed, and then lowered his head and shook it like a dog shedding water.

  "Stop him," he said.

  Josh leaned down.

  "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you. What did you say?"

  "I said, stop him! Don't let him tear up the roses."

  "Sorry, but we have bodies that are missing and families in grief. It is my job to find them and their killer."

  "I did it," he said.

  "Did what?" Josh asked.

  "I killed them."

  "I didn't hear you," Josh said.

  Big Boy turned on him, screaming.

  "
I killed them. I killed Faith because I wanted Sugar, and I killed Justin because I needed a reason for Faith to disappear. Please, tell him to stop now. Don't let him dig up the roses."

  Josh pressed him for more answers. "I suppose you killed Damon Conway because he turned you down when you asked him to kill your wife, and you killed Danny Bales because he would remember loaning you his truck the night of Damon Conway's murder."

  Barton was in a panic. He could hear the backhoe's gears grinding and pictured his beautiful rose bushes being ripped to shreds. He groaned. There was no way out of this now. "Yes, yes, I did it...I killed both of them. Now please stop them from digging up my roses."

  Josh nodded at one of his deputies.

  "Go tell Henry to take the backhoe back to the City Utility Barn. We'll use it again when we exhume the bodies.

  "Yes, sir," he said, and took off running.

  "Just for the record, where did you bury the bodies?" Josh asked.

  Barton's head dropped.

  "Under the bench at the end of the brick path through the garden."

  Josh grabbed him by the arm.

  "Know that if you're lying, I will make it my personal business to not only dig up everything in that garden, but I will also set it on fire." Then he pushed Barton into the backseat. "Watch your head," he said, then slammed the door in his face.

  An hour later, they were back at the station, logging DeChante's gun and silencer into evidence, and booking him into jail. Later, locking him into a cell was the culmination of a week of hell, and he had the monster who’d caused it off the streets.

  Wearing jailhouse orange, and still smarting from the humiliation of mug shots and fingerprinting, DeChante dropped onto the cot, shuddering to think of the vast number of degenerates who'd been here before him.

  Josh walked out, locking the cell door behind him, then he went to his office and called Johnny Baptiste.

  "Hello," Johnny said.

  "Johnny, this is Chief Evans. How long will it take you to gather your family at your house?"

  "I don't know for sure, Chief. At least an hour, maybe more."

  "Then please start notifying them. I have something to tell the family, and I need to say it to all of you at the same time."