by Robin Caroll
Bubba didn’t know what to do, either. What his aunt dabbled in had never hit him so squarely between the eyes. He jerked a tissue out of the box and passed it across the desk to Suzie.
She wiped her face and struggled to bring herself under control. “I don’t know what I would’ve done had she agreed to help me.”
“She didn’t?” Hope roared into his chest.
Suzie shook her head. “She told me she wouldn’t do such a thing, especially not behind the back of the baby’s father.”
His aunt might be deeply involved with voodoo, but she had scruples. Morals. Relief flooded him.
“She referred me to a doctor, if that’s what I wanted to do, but suggested I talk with Paul first, figure out where he and I stood.”
Bubba had always known his aunt was one smart cookie.
“I was scared, but I took her advice. I told Paul about the baby and demanded to know if he was seeing someone else.”
Bubba felt uncomfortable, nervous, as if he were reading someone’s personal diary.
“He laughed at me.” Suzie smiled and pressed the tissue to the end of her nose. “He actually laughed. Showed me what he’d been keeping from me.”
She dropped her hand to her lap, her smile relaxed and wide. “Plans to build an addition onto our house. He wanted to surprise me.”
Bubba finally found his voice. “That’s great, Suzie.”
“It is.” She nodded, but then the happiness slipped from her face and her voice. “He was so excited about becoming a daddy that I didn’t tell him about my visit to your aunt.”
“Well, I guess no harm, no foul, yes?”
She swallowed and twisted the tissue in her lap. “Actually, I thought that at first. But now I’m not so sure.”
“What do you mean?”
“Apparently your aunt keeps records of every person who comes to see her…with a need.”
He let that one sit for a moment, trying to grasp the enormity of the situation.
“And now it’s possible someone else has seen those records,” she went on. “At least, that’s what Tara LeBlanc told me.” More tears pooled in her eyes. “She asked me about what I came to see your aunt for, and told me it all looked suspicious, but I just can’t tell her.”
My, my, Tara had sure been the busy little bee. And without saying a word to him.
“She thinks I had something to do with what happened to your aunt. Sheriff, I promise I didn’t. I never saw your aunt again after I left her place. I wouldn’t.” She dabbed her face with the frazzled tissue. “But what if someone else did see the notes and figured out why I’d gone? What if they told Paul? What would he think of me?” Her body shook as sobs overtook her.
And just when he thought it couldn’t get any worse.
She continued. “He’d be so disappointed, or more likely furious that I’d even considered aborting our baby over such a silly misunderstanding.” She hung her head. “I’m so ashamed.”
Bubba cleared his throat. “Look, I don’t think anyone’s going to tell Paul. Whoever saw those notes saw them some time ago. What would be the point in waiting so long?”
“But what about Tara LeBlanc? She’s determined to get answers to this mysterious illness that caused your aunt’s and her grandmother’s comas. She’ll keep coming and asking questions, poking around. Paul’s bound to catch wind of it.” Her voice went up in pitch, indicative of panic and oncoming hysteria. Neither of which would benefit an expecting mother.
“Don’t worry. I’ll talk to Tara, explain that I know you had nothing to do with the comas. I’ll get her to back off.”
Suzie smiled through her tears. “I’d really appreciate that, Sheriff.” She struggled to her feet, and he stood, as well. “And I appreciate your discretion.”
Bubba hesitated. “Suzie, you know that keeping a secret of this magnitude from your husband isn’t healthy for your marriage.”
“I know. I’ve been praying on how to tell him. Just not now.”
He nodded. Who was he to give out marital advice? His own heart had betrayed him—falling for a woman who didn’t even believe in Jesus.
Suzie flashed him a smile, nodded and then hastened from his office.
He slumped back into his chair and lifted his pencil again.
First the mayor and his wife, now Suzie Richard. Who else was on Tara LeBlanc’s hit list? It was high time for a long talk with her to find out exactly what she knew. Clearly she’d been withholding information from him.
Disappointment and something else, something he wasn’t ready to examine just yet, flooded his senses.
He stood and grabbed his radio. No time like the present to clear the air. Get things out in the open.
Father God, please help me out down here.
Not a person’s name but a company. Winn Pharmaceuticals.
Tara shook her head. She should’ve figured it out. It’d been right there in her face all the time. And she’d missed it. Distracted, she’d been too wrapped up in circumstances to see the obvious.
She again scanned the data sheet the credit-card company had faxed over. Winn Pharmaceuticals. Authorized signers were Vincent Marsalis and Hannah Gerard, but as both were on a leave of absence from the company, the card charges had been declined and marked as possibly fraudulent.
Leave of absence, huh? That wasn’t what Vincent had told her. He’d said they were gathering samples for research on behalf of their company. The liar.
So everything they’d been doing was a lie. Running about in the middle of the night, taking her foliage, desecrating her bayou. What were they really up to?
She stared at the fax again. The number for Winn Pharmaceuticals’ home office was listed. Tara lifted the phone and punched in the 1-800 number.
Time for answers.
SIXTEEN
“She looks amazing, doesn’t she?” CoCo’s voice vibrated with happiness.
Despite the lack of windows in the ICU, Tara could almost feel the late afternoon sun shining into the hospital room. Tara clutched her grandmother’s hand, careful not to squeeze too hard. Since Grandmere was coherent and alert, the doctors had allowed all three granddaughters to visit at once. “She’s beautiful.” Emotion clogged Tara’s throat.
Grandmere smiled. “You girls, ma ’tite filles, are the ones who are beautiful.”
Even Alyssa had tears shimmering in her eyes. “I’m going to go find the doctor and see when he thinks you’ll be moved to a regular room so one of us can stay with you at all times.” She pressed her lips to Grandmere’s temple, then rushed from the room.
Tara and CoCo locked gazes over the bed and smiled. Alyssa had always been emotionally detached, but the pregnancy hormones must be playing havoc with her.
“When is she due?” Grandmere whispered.
CoCo gasped. “How’d you know she was expecting?”
Their grandmother smiled. “I was in a coma, not dead. Bits and pieces of conversation, I remember.”
CoCo smiled. “Right after the first of the year.”
“A New Year’s baby.” Grandmere’s eyes glazed with moisture.
“Now, Grandmere, how’re you feeling?” Tara caressed her hand.
“Bien, considering.”
CoCo grinned. “And you look well, considering.”
The three laughed, the mix of love and relief almost palpable. Tara hadn’t realized how much she missed this—the circle of her family.
Grandmere tightened her hold on Tara’s hand. “How’s Tanty?”
“Out of a coma. They’re running tests, but so far, it looks very good.” She grinned. “The doctor said she’ll be able to actually eat food for supper.”
“Praise God,” Grandmere whispered.
Tara ignored the comment and patted her grandmother’s hand. “I need to ask, Grandmere—what happened?”
“That can wait,” CoCo admonished.
“Non, ma chère, it’s fine.” Grandmere’s eyes met Tara’s. “You were right, child. I should’ve
listened to your concerns.”
Tara eased onto the edge of the bed. “About what?”
“That research team.”
Something akin to fear stole Tara’s ability to speak.
“What are you talking about?” asked CoCo.
“Tara told me something wasn’t right with them. I didn’t listen.”
“What’re you saying?” Tara struggled to keep her voice level, while she wanted to scream with every fiber of her being.
“That young man, the one who rubbed you the wrong way?”
“Vincent. Oui, I know who you’re talking about.” Boy, did she ever. And if she found out he was responsible for hurting her grandmother and Tanty…
“He came by that morning.” Grandmere’s thin face contorted. “I think it was the morning I got sick.”
“Don’t worry about the time, Grandmere. Just tell us what happened.” CoCo’s face had paled.
“We had coffee and some of the cake I’d made the day before.” She shook her head. “Was that the day before?”
“Oui. You’re doing fine.” Tara brushed the long silver tresses from her grandmother’s cheek. “You had coffee and cake?”
“I cut the cake and he poured the coffee.”
“What did he want?” Tara’s impatience showed.
“He wanted to ask me about a young man. If I’d ever met him months ago when he’d been visiting down this way.”
“Who? What was the man’s name?” Tara pressed.
“Slow down,” CoCo snapped. “Stop pushing her.”
Tara swallowed her comeback before it came out.
“His brother. Wayne Marsalis.”
Marsalis, not Marshall. Tara’s heart raced, but she forced herself to remain calm. “And did you meet him?”
“Non. So he asked me about healing potions.”
“What about them?” Tara asked.
“He said he wanted to buy the recipe.” She smiled at CoCo. “As if I’d go down that road again.”
“What happened?” Tara wanted to know.
Grandmere shook her head. “I told him I wouldn’t, and he became quite fâché.”
Tara let go of Grandmere’s hand and clenched her fists. “Angry how?”
“Said he knew that either Tanty or I had given his brother something, and demanded to know what.”
“What’d you do?” CoCo asked.
“I told him I thought he’d better go right then.”
“Did he?”
“Oui.” Grandmere nodded, but her eyes clouded. “He left. I put the dishes in the sink, intending to wash them out, but then I suddenly felt nauseated. I went to the bathroom, and that’s the last I remember.”
Tara jumped to her feet. “I knew it. I knew something was off with him when I met him, and he almost rammed into CoCo’s boat.”
CoCo’s face twisted into a grimace. “What? When did this happen? You didn’t tell me anything about that.”
“You were gone. I handled it.”
“Calm down, child.” Grandmere reached for Tara’s hand.
“He did this to you.”
“You can’t prove that.” CoCo shook her head.
Tara snapped her fingers. “The para-stuff.”
“What?” Grandmere struggled to sit up.
CoCo adjusted the pillows behind their grandmother. “Shh. Don’t worry, Grandmere.” She shot her sister a blistering look. “Tara’s going to go find the sheriff and fill him in. You don’t have to worry about a thing.”
Find the sheriff? Not high on her list of things to do. But the scowl on CoCo’s face really didn’t leave Tara any room for arguing. Maybe now he’d listen to her. Take her seriously. Maybe this was concrete enough for him and his badge.
She bent and kissed Grandmere’s cheek. “I’ll be back. Je t’aime.”
“I love you, too. Be careful.”
Tara fled from the room, reaching for her cell phone. Rats! It wasn’t on her belt. She must’ve left it in the car after leaving the jazz club.
She slipped into the elevator and tapped her toe as the car descended to the first floor. It jerked to a stop, highlighted by the electronic ding. The doors seemed to take forever to slide open.
Tara stepped from the car and turned toward the front door. From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the blond nurse in the elevator across from her.
The nurse’s eyes widened in recognition.
So did Tara’s. She moved toward the elevator, only to have the doors close in her face.
That woman wasn’t a nurse. She was the blond with Winn Pharmaceuticals—Hannah. The one who’d been with Vincent on the boat and in the bayou. The one who had signing privileges on the credit card. The one who’d been at the jazz club.
And the one who was posing as a nurse so she could…what? Tara’s heart sank. So she could continue to poison Grandmere and Tanty?
Tara jabbed the “up” button repeatedly. The lights above the elevators showed that the cars were in motion between floors. No time.
She ran to the end of the hall and yanked open the door to the stairs. She took them two at a time, pulling herself up with the handrails. Her sweaty palms slipped a couple of times. She wiped them on her shorts as she continued to race up the stairs.
What if Hannah was going up to give them a final dose of poison? One that would kill them?
Not on Tara’s watch.
She ran faster. Her thighs burned. She ignored the pain and pushed harder.
Second floor.
Tara made the turn in the stairwell and kept climbing. What if CoCo had stepped out of Grandmere’s room, leaving their grandmother unprotected? What if the doctor had ordered rest for Grandmere?
Third floor.
Eyes stinging as badly as her thighs, Tara continued to race up the stairs. Her heart thudded angrily. Her vision blurred, but she blinked, pushing onward and upward.
Fourth floor.
Tara jerked open the door to the hallway. She glanced at the nurses’ station and didn’t see Hannah.
Grandmere’s room.
She turned and raced down the hall—and once again ran smack into the wall of muscle more commonly known as Sheriff René “Bubba” Theriot.
“Whoa!” Bubba steadied Tara in his arms. He supposed every man dreamed of a woman falling into his arms, but this was a bit over the top. Even for Tara. “Where’s the fire?”
“Blond. Not a nurse.” Her words came out between pants.
“Calm down. Catch your breath.”
“Can’t. Gotta…check…Grandmere.”
“Your grandmother’s fine. I just left her room. CoCo’s with her.”
Tara finally focused on his eyes. “Are you sure?” Her breath fanned against his neck.
“Yes. I’m positive. Now what about the blond?”
She let out a long breath and stepped out of the circle of his arms.
He felt void. Empty.
No. He had a job to do, and right now, that involved finding out why she’d been running as if the devil himself was on her heels.
She straightened and met his gaze. “Can I just look in on Grandmere first, s’il vous plaît?”
Fear and worry circled her eyes. Her sprint must have been prompted by concern for her grandmother. “Sure.” He took her elbow and led her down the hall.
She stuck her head inside the room. “Just wanted to let y’all know I found the sheriff. I’m filling him in now.” Relief was apparent in her voice. She crossed the room and whispered in CoCo’s ear before returning to him.
“Why don’t we go to the waiting room and talk?”
“Can we check on Tanty first? Just bear with me, yes?”
As if he had a choice, Bubba thought. He nodded and followed her. She ducked into Tanty’s room, her gaze scouring the small area, and then stepped back into the hall. “Okay. Let’s just talk out here, where I can see both doors.”
“Tara, what about the blonde? We’ve checked every blond nurse on this floor and received verif
ication of their credentials from the chief of staff.”
She took a deep breath and proceeded to tell him about the pharmaceutical research team not working for their company, credit card chargeback, coffee, the blonde who posed as a nurse and Wayne Marsalis. When she’d finished, she sucked in air and leaned her head against the cold concrete wall.
He remained silent, trying to process everything she’d told him. Nothing made sense, but everything did. He nodded and pushed himself from the wall.
“Where’re you going?”
“To talk to the doctors and nurses at the station. Someone has to have seen this Hannah woman. No wonder all the nurses checked out. And then I’m calling Deputy Anderson to stand guard in this hall until we’ve found her.”
The smile she flashed him made his heart quicken.
He ignored his reaction to her and strode to the nurses’ station. Work had to come first, even if it seemed all tangled up with his personal life.
At the nurses’ station, he requested to see the chief of staff immediately. They directed him to the sixth-floor office.
He made the call to his deputy on his cell phone, then approached Tara. “I’m going to meet with the chief of staff before he leaves for the day and put the hospital security on notice about Hannah. Deputy Anderson’s on his way.”
She nodded. “I’ll wait with Tanty until he arrives. CoCo’s with Grandmere.”
That she wanted to ensure the safety of his aunt touched him deeply. Too deeply for him to consider at the moment. He cleared his throat. “Do you happen to have the number for the pharmaceutical company?”
“At the club.” She snapped her fingers. “Wait. I can get it. Can I borrow your cell?”
He passed her the phone and listened.
“Hey, Mike. Can you connect me with Jayden, please?”
“Thanks.” She did a little sidestep before cocking her hip. Bubba smiled at her impatience.
“Hey, Jayden. It’s Tara.” She smiled as she listened. Her face lit up, and Bubba’s heart ached. What was this Jayden to her, and why did talking to him make Tara glow? For the first time in his life, he knew what jealousy felt like. And he didn’t relish it.