by Robin Caroll
CoCo’s mouth hung slack as she read the letter again, then lifted her gaze to his. Her eyes were bright, as if a light had come on behind them. “The coin appraiser told me a gentleman had been in the past month with a genuine Confederate coin. It was probably Beau.” She snapped her fingers. “Somehow he knew. That’s why he served the eviction notice. He wanted the coins. If the appraiser told him about the connection between the Klan and the coins, well, that would be even more reason for Beau to want my house.”
Surely his grandfather wouldn’t stoop so low. Then again… “We don’t know that. This letter could have been sent a long time ago.”
CoCo pulled the paper from Felicia’s slack hands and scanned it yet a third time. “No date.” She straightened. “Don’t you see, Luc? He wanted the coins. That’s why he served the eviction notice now and not years ago.” CoCo waved the letter. “And he wanted to find whatever evidence this person implies is hidden in my house. The one that would defame his reputation.”
Felicia finally found her voice. “Would one of y’all please explain what’s going on here?”
Luc tapped the letter. “That image right there is of a Confederate coin. Someone laid this paper over a coin and rubbed the paper with a pencil, thus making a copy etching here to prove they knew the coins were in CoCo’s house. We think more are hidden there.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “This is proof that someone knew the coins were in the LeBlanc house, so it stands to reason they’d know of other things, this so-called evidence that would hurt Grandfather, being hidden there as well.” He pierced CoCo with a hard stare.
“You can’t think I would send Beau this letter!” The green flecks of her eyes flashed with anger.
The memory of his accusing her of being a party to his father’s death, Grandfather’s murder, flashed against his mind. “I’m not saying that. How would someone know what’s hidden in your house?”
“I don’t know.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I can assure you that no one in my family would have written Beau that letter. It implicates my own grandfather of being in the Klan. Why would we want that exposed? Not that I believe it’s true for a minute.”
“This letter could be from when Grandfather was in office,” Luc said.
“I don’t think so.” CoCo ran a finger along the crease. “This was opened and folded back several times over. If your grandfather had it for that long a time, the creases would’ve already split.” She laid the letter in Felicia’s lap and stared directly into Luc’s eyes. “Besides, the paper’s still crisp. And think about it—this is a perfect reason why Beau served us an eviction notice. He’d recently been told about the connection between the coins and the KKK.”
“I don’t understand,” Felicia said.
“Follow me for a minute, okay?” CoCo stood and paced. “Someone found the coins and this supposed evidence in my house. Beau must have known the coins were there. I’m thinking he probably found out about them and then started legal proceedings to serve us the eviction notice. When he got this letter, with this rubbing of the Confederate coin, it was proof someone else knew things are hidden in my house.” She turned and stopped. “If they knew about the coins, then Beau would probably assume the evidence was also legitimate.”
“What does this have to do with Grandfather’s murder?” Felicia asked.
Luc raked a hand over his face. “It’s possible that whoever wrote this letter might have killed Grandfather.”
“Whatever for?” Felicia paled.
CoCo laid a hand on her shoulder. “What if Beau found out who’d written this letter and confronted him?”
Both Felicia and Luc chuckled. Luc shook his head. “Come on, CoCo. Grandfather would never resort to violence. You know that. He’d have turned them in to the police amid quite a fanfare where he’d look like a hero, but never would he have gotten into a physical confrontation. His years in politics taught him well.”
“What if the writer planned on blackmailing Beau with whatever he’d supposedly found in my house and then found out that Beau was trying to take possession of my place? That’d be motive to kill your grandfather. Not getting the evidence to be able to blackmail him.”
Felicia shook her head. “Grandfather would never pay a blackmailer. Ever.” She waved a thin arm through the air. “Besides, this accusation of Klan activity is so long ago. It wouldn’t have made that much of a difference to Grandfather.”
Felicia stared at CoCo. “Who else has access to your house?”
“Me, Grandmere, Tara and Alyssa.” She tapped her finger against her bottom lip. “A young grandson of a neighbor who does odd jobs for Grandmere. One of Tara’s friends, maybe.”
“About as many people who had access to Grandfather’s gun cabinet,” Luc said with a sigh.
“I say we first have to figure out if this letter is recent or not, yes?” Felicia asked.
“Maybe Bubba can run some tests and determine its age. We need to turn it in to him anyway, as evidence or something.” Luc took the letter, read it a final time, then folded it again. He glanced at his watch. “If we hurry, we can get it to his office before he leaves.”
“Allons.” CoCo gave Felicia a quick hug.
“Let me know what the sheriff says,” Felicia hollered behind them.
Luc opened the door for CoCo. He slipped behind the steering wheel of the SUV. “I hope he’s still there. It is Friday.”
“Me, too.” CoCo blew her bangs off her forehead and stared out the window.
He punched the accelerator and headed down the driveway. Gravel spun and popped against the undercarriage with little pings.
“Do you have any clue who could have written that letter?” She peered back at him.
“I can’t even begin to imagine.”
The tires hit the blacktop, zinging in the heat. The sun teased the tips of the trees. All too soon, July would fade in the Louisiana heat and August would be upon them.
CoCo licked her lips. “He never said anything about this letter to you?”
“Not a single word.” He gripped the steering wheel tighter, despite feeling as if the leather would melt against his hands. “You know, Grandfather didn’t actually confide in me much, now that I think about it.” Much? How about never? With all that had been uncovered, Luc couldn’t help but replay every conversation he’d shared with his grandfather. Upon doing so, he realized Grandfather hadn’t ever, not once, opened up to him. So much for strong family ties.
“Let me guess, he confided in Justin.”
He cut his gaze to her, held her stare for a moment, then focused back on the road. “They are brothers, you know.”
She let out a long sigh. “I know. I just don’t think your uncle likes me very much.”
“He likes you. He never said anything against you while we were…”
“Together?”
“Yes, together.”
Her laughter filled the vehicle and set his heart on fire. “I wouldn’t think he would. That would be bad, now wouldn’t it?”
He joined her with a chuckle of his own. “Shows how much you know about Uncle Justin. Trust me, if he didn’t like you, he’d have let me hear about it.”
“Really?” Her laughter ceased.
Luc felt her stare before he turned to meet it. “Yeah. He’s pretty outspoken about his likes and dislikes.”
“Oh.” She leaned her head against the headrest, her hair splaying over the tan leather.
Here she sat beside him, and he had to force himself to concentrate on driving. How long had he dreamed of having her back at his side? He needed to figure out a way that they could prove their innocence.
She sat upright and dug around in her purse. “Can you run me by the post office right quick? I need to mail this.” She waved a large envelope.
“If it’s that important, of course.”
“It’s my grant proposal to the Center.”
His mouth went dry.
“Look, I know this is a sore subject
with you, Luc, but it’s important to me. It’s who I am.”
She was right—it was who she was. “I know.” He flipped on the blinker to turn in to the post office.
“Merci,” she all but whispered.
They made the rest of the drive in a comfortable silence. Luc’s every sense was acutely aware of CoCo—her breathing pattern, her nervous gesture of chewing her bottom lip, her wiping her palms against her shorts. If he tried hard enough, he could even pick up the sweet smell of coconuts clinging to her hair. He slammed the vehicle into Park with a jerk.
She snapped to look at him. “Something wrong?”
“Just ready to get some answers,” he said and stepped from the vehicle.
Once again his luck held. Bubba’s cruiser sat outside.
He opened her door and helped her out, then kept his hand on the small of her back as he led her into the sheriff’s office. The air-conditioning felt nice against his skin, which heated from the contact with CoCo’s back.
Missy smiled when he leaned over the counter. Then her gaze drifted to CoCo standing close by his side. Missy’s smile slipped. “What can I help you two with?” Her stare darted between them.
“We need to see the sheriff.”
“I see.” She lifted the receiver to her ear and whispered into it, all the while staring at CoCo as if she had a piece of cabbage stuck in her teeth. Missy let the phone drop back on its cradle with a thunk. “He’ll be right out.”
“Thank you,” CoCo said smiling sweetly.
Luc recognized that smile—as fake as Missy’s platinum hair color. He pressed his lips together and turned to watch Bubba stride to the counter.
“Luc! What brings you by so late again?”
CoCo moved toward the sheriff. Bubba’s eyes widened. “And CoCo. What’re you doing here?”
Although Bubba didn’t say it, his eyes finished the question—what’re you doing here with him? Luc laid his hand in the small of CoCo’s back again, guiding her toward the swinging door, but the thrill he got from touching her didn’t dissipate. “We have something else to show you.”
Bubba led the way as he had before. Luc could feel the heat from Missy’s stare. He knew that within five minutes, most of the townspeople would know he and CoCo LeBlanc had come to the sheriff’s office together. The knowledge brought a smile to his face. Maybe he should send Missy a thank-you card.
“So, whatcha got?” Bubba asked as soon as they were seated.
Luc handed him the folded note.
“Another letter?” Bubba took the paper, unfolded it, read it, then set it on his desk. “Any idea who it’s from?”
“Not a clue. This is the first time I’ve really seen, up close, the animosity my grandfather invoked in people.”
The sheriff turned his scrutiny to CoCo. “What do you know about this?”
“I found some Confederate coins on my property.” She squirmed in her seat, glancing quickly at Luc before giving her full attention to Bubba. “I had one appraised. They’re authentic.” She nodded toward the letter. “They match the etching on the bottom of the page.”
“Uh-huh. I see.” Bubba grabbed an empty water bottle to hold his tobacco juice. “So whoever wrote this letter knew those coins were at your place.”
“I believe so, yes.” She swallowed, looking away from the revolting bottle.
Luc didn’t blame her. It was disgusting. He cleared his throat. “Obviously my grandfather knew the coins were there, too. If this person knew to use that as confirmation of knowing what was in the LeBlanc house.”
“Which is why he served my grandmother an eviction notice as soon as he found out about the coins. He wanted to get his hands on them.” CoCo lowered her voice a notch. “And whatever proof is hiding in my house. Proof most likely connected to the Klan.”
“We don’t know that,” Luc interjected, throwing a hard look at her.
She met his stare and lifted her chin. If he weren’t aggravated with her accusations, he’d find the gesture cute and endearing.
“Okay, it’s probably why.” Defiance wrinkled into her face. “It’s the only thing that makes sense. The trigger to serving the eviction notice. I mean, isn’t it odd that he serves his eviction notice and then the next day he’s murdered?” She shook her head when Bubba opened his mouth. “Isn’t that entirely too convenient to point the finger at my family?”
“I’ll follow up on this as soon as I can.” Bubba pushed back his chair. “Is there anything else? If not, I need to get home.”
Luc scrambled to beat CoCo to her feet. She won. He shook Bubba’s hand. “Let me know as soon as you have anything.”
“As much as I can.” The sheriff nodded at CoCo. “You, too.”
CoCo stared through the windshield at the setting sun. Purplish-orange hues streaked the Louisiana sky.
“Are you hungry?” Luc’s voice interrupted her observations.
She turned her head and looked at him. “Kinda. Why?”
“You didn’t eat much for lunch. I thought we might grab something.”
She arched a brow. “Are you asking me to have dinner with you, Luc Trahan?”
His cheeks reddened. Ah, she’d forgotten about his blushing. It had always been such an endearing sight to her. Still was, so she steeled her will. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
“Come on, you gotta eat.” His dimples cut into his tanned face. She swallowed, not able to remember how many nights dreams of those dimples had awoken her with such a sense of loss. “And we need to form a plan.”
He had a point. They couldn’t just wait on the sheriff to figure things out. Right now he seemed bent on them as the primary suspects. Especially her. “Okay. Just dinner.”
“The diner okay?”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m starved.”
He whipped into the lot and parked, then rushed to open her door. They went inside, her heart hammering. He’d always been such a gentleman—opening doors, sending flowers, ordering for her.
No, this was a working partnership. Nothing more.
They slipped into a corner booth, and the waitress appeared with glasses of water and menus. After taking their order of chicken-fried steak with mashed potatoes and lots of lard-based gravy, she scuttled off behind the counter.
CoCo rested her elbows on the table. “So, what have we learned?”
“You’re beautiful,” he whispered.
Her heart fluttered. Beautiful. He used to call her that all the time. No one had since. Her insides felt like grits. “Luc…”
“Sorry, but you are. Even more now than before.” His eyes darkened.
Oh, yeah, she could see the emotions were still there. Her entire being shot to attention. He still loved her. Despite all the tragedies and pain between them, Luc Trahan still loved her. The knowledge sent her senses reeling. How could she have missed it?
“I’m not trying to sweet-talk you, ya know.”
She chewed her bottom lip. “You’re doing it so well.”
He laughed, the loud, honest laugh she’d missed. The one that could make her believe in the happily-ever-after part of fairy tales. Then she remembered they weren’t even close to that part of their story. Time to get the discussion back on track—back to a safe topic for her emotional well-being. “Seriously, your grandfather found out about the coins in my house before I even knew they were there. You have to admit that’s only logical.”
Luc sobered. “You’re probably right.”
“Admit it, that’s most likely the reason he served us the eviction notice.”
He let out a heavy sigh. “Probably.”
“We’re going to find out the truth, no matter what. Right?”
“Right.” His eyes still reflected sadness and confusion.
For now, that was enough. It would have to be, as the waitress returned with their soft drinks and plates. She set them down with a clatter and turned away, not even bothering to ask if they needed anything.
“Merci,”
CoCo called out after her.
Luc chuckled and handed her the pepper. “If I remember correctly, you bury your food in this.”
She took the shaker with a grin. “Can’t eat without it.” CoCo sprinkled pepper over her food until darkened. She cut off some of the steak and slipped it into her mouth. Her taste buds sang their approval.
Luc chuckled and shook his head. “Glad to see some things never change.”
She swallowed. “Such as my addiction to pepper?”
“That and your delight in food.”
With emphasis, she jabbed another bite into her mouth. Luc grinned over his glass.
“Okay, we know your grandfather knew about the coins at my place before I did. They’re what made him serve us the eviction notice. My question is, how did he know?”
He swallowed. “I don’t have a clue. You haven’t any idea?”
“None.” She took another bite. “He wouldn’t exactly have come callin’ to see Grandmere.”
“He had to know the coins were there for the threat of the letter to be effective.”
How did Beau know those coins even existed? Come to think of it, nobody ever really came to visit. Most of the locals who employed Grandmere’s services met her at her outbuilding, never the house. Even when CoCo had been practicing herself, her grandmother had told her never to bring it inside. The spirits wouldn’t approve.
“What?” Luc took a gulp of his drink, his eyes studying her over the rim of the glass.
“I can’t think of anyone who’s been in my house in the last month or so.”
“No friends of yours or Tara’s?”
Her mind raced. Tara did bring friends over a lot. But, if Tara had found a coin, CoCo or Grandmere would’ve known about it.
Luc tossed a couple of bills on the table. “You know, your house probably holds a lot of answers to the questions we’ve been asking. Why don’t we go see what we can find?”
She stood, her legs still wobbly from the emotional tidal wave that had ransacked her heart. “Sounds like the best idea we’ve come up with all day. Allons.”
SEVENTEEN