With it laid out flat, she could see the note better in the morning sunshine streaming through the window than she had in the dim illumination of the Jeep’s interior light the night before. The lettering was still faded and almost unreadable, but one legible phrase caught her eye.
J’ai déplacé la croix dorée à Chéticamp.
I’ve moved the cross to Cheticamp.
All of a sudden, the empty feeling disappeared, replaced by a rising excitement. The cross had actually been there. It really did exist. It might yet exist in Cheticamp, which, if Michelle remembered correctly, was a fishing village in Cape Breton that had existed since 1660, a place where many Acadians had moved after returning to Nova Scotia once the war between the British and French had ended.
The door to the unit opened, and Michelle turned to Lana with a huge smile on her face, one that promptly went away when she saw who accompanied her.
“What the hell’s she doing here?”
Lana paused, looking surprised, and over her shoulder, Emily’s features arranged themselves into that impassive, professional expression that screamed cop. Michelle immediately forced a smile, regretting her initial reaction and hoping she could slide past it.
“Sorry, you surprised me,” she added quickly. “I’m feeling a bit light-headed.”
Lana looked immediately concerned. “You need to see a doctor. You fell out of a tree. Here, sit down.”
“Yes, do sit down,” Emily said coldly.
Michelle allowed herself to be maneuvered into one of the armchairs, while Lana took the other. Emily remained standing by the door, leaning back against the wall, arms crossed over her chest. Her hair was down, and although the dislike was clear in her blue eyes, Michelle could see how attractive she was. Rounded, open, and honest features, with intelligent eyes and a kind mouth, while her body was solidly athletic but nicely curved. Not much wonder Lana let her hang around.
“I’ve just made an amazing find,” she told Lana, seizing her hands and wringing them tightly. “I may know where the cross is.”
“What? Where?” Lana’s face lit up, her dark eyes sparkling as she responded to Michelle’s excitement. “What have you discovered?”
Michelle turned to Emily. “Do you have one of those forensic kits in your car?”
“Why would I have one of those?” Emily appeared a little taken aback. “I’m off duty.”
“All right, then, do you at least have some rubber gloves? For picking up evidence or something?”
Michelle noticed that Emily’s accent wasn’t quite the same as Lana’s. It was more lively, almost as if there was an Irish influence. Drunk Irish, maybe. The vowels were slightly off, as if she was changing her mind halfway through a word and deciding to say something else.
“I may have,” Emily said guardedly.
“Go get them.”
“Why do you want them?” Emily countered.
“Michelle, what is this about?” Lana demanded.
“I need to examine the letter further.” Michelle turned to Lana, her expression pleading as she tightened her grip on her hands. “The cross may be in Cheticamp.”
“Cheticamp?” Lana echoed. “In Cape Breton?”
“Yes, and we can find it. I just need some supplies in order to do a full analysis on the letter. Then I can compare it to the writing in the journal. If Father Beauséjour wrote the letter, as I suspect, then certain entries in his diary that didn’t seem so important before take on a much greater significance.”
“I don’t know much about historical documents, but couldn’t it take years to research all this?”
“I think it’s all there in the diary. But I have to know the full contents of this letter and who wrote it. To do that, I have to find a way to bring out the ink. We’re so close, Lana. We’ve come this far.”
“Far enough, I think,” Emily put in.
Lana hesitated, and then she looked at Emily. “What harm could it do?” she asked, a touch of pleading in her intonation.
Emily’s expression altered, became more animated, alarm appearing in those pale eyes. “What harm? Lana, she’s talking about examining a document that belongs in a museum.”
“A document that I discovered and that no one else would even know about if it wasn’t for me.” Michelle frowned at her. “Why are you here, again?”
“I’m here because you’re involved in criminal activity.”
“Really, because I think you’re only here for Lana,” Michelle responded dryly, recognizing she’d scored a direct hit when Emily turned a lovely shade of pink. “And honestly, there’s nothing to worry about. We’re just pursuing a historical lead. That’s how discoveries are made!”
“And what about the two men who forced you off the road?”
Startled, Michelle turned to Lana. “You told her about that?”
“She read the note I left her,” Lana said, sounding somewhat defensive.
“How’d you do that?” Michelle asked, turning back to Emily, who immediately became redder and even looked a bit guilty. “Did you break into her house? She wasn’t even gone forty-eight hours, which I believe is standard procedure, if my television viewing is right. Now, who’s the one involved in criminal activity?”
Lana slipped her hands from Michelle’s grip and held them up in a placating motion, one in Emily’s direction. “All right, let’s just everyone calm down. We’re getting ahead of ourselves.” She turned a somber look on Michelle. “Listen, you need to report the accident. Emily says you have five days since no one was injured and it’s only been two, so there’s no harm done. But the car’s already been found, which means the police will be looking for the driver. Tell them that you’re all right and that the flooding and power outages were why you didn’t call it in right away. They won’t mind about the car. They’ll just be glad no one was hurt. Insurance will cover it.”
“If I do that, it’ll take forever, making statements and filling out paperwork,” Michelle said.
“You don’t exactly have a choice here,” Emily said flatly.
Michelle took a breath. “All right, I’ll report the accident, but I won’t say I was forced off the road.”
“Why not?” Emily demanded. “Did you lie about that?”
Michelle ignored her and offered Lana a significant look. “You know why not,” she said, and flicked her eyes in the direction of the briefcase sitting on the dresser beside the box. Lana’s breath escaped in a rush.
“The stolen files,” she said, somberly. Michelle couldn’t believe it. What was the point of being subtle if Lana was just going to blurt it out like that?
“The what?” Emily yelped.
“You know, if you’re going to freak out about every little thing, you might as well just go away,” Michelle told her, irritated.
“Are you telling me you possess stolen property?”
“It’s not stolen if Duperies hasn’t reported it, which I doubt he has,” Michelle said quickly. “And if I don’t report anything about Pierre and Juan running me off the road, then there’s no crime there, either. You can’t arrest any of us based on what’s been said here in the privacy of our hotel room. You’re not here in any official capacity. You haven’t read us our rights. You haven’t even officially identified yourself as a police officer.”
Emily stared at her. “You’re quite the jailhouse lawyer, aren’t you?” she said with icy loathing. “And about as qualified.”
“Enough,” Lana said, her voice a whip, startling both Michelle and Emily. “I’m sorry, Emily, but she’s right. If she won’t cooperate, there’s really nothing you can do here. But Michelle, she’s right in saying that you have to report the accident. That did happen and the police know about it. That’s nonnegotiable.”
“Fine. I’ll do that if you get me some supplies so I can examine the letter,” Michelle said.
“What kind of supplies?”
“Lana!” Emily looked very unhappy.
“Emily, if we do it your way,
she’ll just claim losing her car was an accident, and the case will be closed,” Lana said. “Then she’ll hare off and pursue it all by herself. This way, if something more sinister happens, we can be right there for it.”
Emily regarded her gravely, breathing steadily with what could only be measured force. Michelle noticed that her hands were clenched into fists, pressed into the outside of her thighs. “Is this really what you want?”
Lana hesitated and then nodded, looking a bit apologetic. “I want to know how it turns out,” she admitted. “I want to be there to see it when it does. Maybe that’s wrong, but it’s the first time—” She stopped.
“It’s the first time you’ve wanted anything since Sarah died,” Emily finished for her. She dropped her head. “I get that, Lana.”
“I’m sorry.” Lana’s voice was very soft.
“Don’t be.”
Michelle, watching this exchange with great interest, had a feeling things were finally falling on her side. “So, this is what I’ll need,” she said, breaking the heavy silence that had fallen between the other two women. Grabbing a pad of paper from the nearby desk, she began to scribble her list. “You can probably get everything at the nearest office-supply store.”
“There’s one in New Minas,” Lana said, accepting the sheet of paper that Michelle ripped off the pad. She glanced at it, paused, and then seemed to firm her jaw, nodding slightly. She glanced over at Emily. “Coming?”
“I think I’ll stay here and keep an eye on our friend,” Emily said, leaning back against the wall as if she were never planning to move again. “Make sure she’s still here by the time you get back.”
Lana paused again, then shot a parting look at Michelle, who wasn’t sure exactly what she was trying to convey, only that it was something to do with Emily. Then she scooped up the car keys that had been lying on the end table and left the room.
Leaving Emily and Michelle to regard each other with a wary dislike.
Chapter Fourteen
“You know, you can always go home,” Michelle suggested after Lana had left and she and Emily were alone in the motel room. “Lana and I can take it from here.”
“I’m not leaving her alone with you,” Emily said, furiously. “You’ve done quite enough damage.”
Michelle leaned back in her chair, linking her hands behind her head, which lifted her body, pushing out her chest and allowing the hem of her oversized T-shirt to rise, exposing the fact that she wasn’t wearing any underwear. Experience with suspects in all sorts of situations kept Emily from either looking away or changing expression, but she wanted to. She couldn’t understand how Lana was involved with this woman in any way, though she realized a lot of it undoubtedly had to do with her grieving process over Sarah. The worst part was that in all the time she’d known her, she’d never seen Lana look so vibrant and alive and engaged with everything around her. Despite the situation, and all her instincts regarding Michelle, Emily couldn’t believe that was a bad thing.
“What damage have I done?” Michelle asked, sounding miffed.
“Are you actually a professor?” Emily retorted, instead.
Michelle hesitated. “A graduate student.”
“Uh-huh, and are you employed at all?”
“Not really.”
“So you’re after the cross for the money.”
Again, Michelle looked offended. “No, I just want to make a difference and recover a treasure for my people. My God, didn’t you ever want to do something with your life besides follow the rules?”
“I’m a regular member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the best law-enforcement agency in the world,” Emily said frostily. “I like rules. And I still don’t know why I shouldn’t have you arrested right now.”
“Because if you lock me up, then you’re probably going to have to arrest Lana, too, because she’s been helping me since the moment I got here,” Michelle pointed out in a reasonable tone. “And I doubt you want to do that, because a blind man can see how you feel about her.”
Emily glared, fury roiling in her chest. “I can’t believe she slept with you.”
“She told you I slept with her?” Michelle sounded surprised.
“Wasn’t it obvious when I saw you in her cabin?” Emily said bitterly. Then a hope dawned, a sort of optimism that Emily didn’t want to feel because she knew it was foolish and likely to be crushed. “You mean she didn’t?”
Michelle regarded her steadily. “Oh, yeah, we slept together. More than once, as a matter of fact. And it was fantastic. The woman really knows what she’s doing in that department.”
Emily hoped she wasn’t letting on how much that comment stung, or worse, how much the image that popped into her head generated a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She wanted nothing more than to punch Michelle, wipe that smug expression right off her face. It was a measure of how much she was getting under her skin because Emily, as a rule, wasn’t a violent person.
Michelle shrugged carelessly, apparently unaware of how close she was to being pummeled. “Of course, I really don’t think it was about me, so much, as it was because she was finally ready for it. Let’s face it. If you’d made your move before now, she wouldn’t have looked twice at me. What’s taking you so long?”
“Her wife died,” Emily reminded her, appalled to be having this conversation but unable to extricate herself with any grace. “She’s in mourning.”
“Yeah, but you could have helped her get over it a lot quicker.” Michelle offered a mocking grin. “Look at it this way, Ems. I’m merely a reminder of how sweet life can truly be. Now you can reap what I’ve sown.”
“Don’t call me that.” Furious, Emily dug her nails into her palms and, with an effort, forced her hands to relax. “And don’t be disrespectful to her.”
“I’m not trying to be disrespectful,” Michelle said with what sounded like great sincerity. She does sincere really well, Emily thought darkly. “On the contrary. She probably saved my life, you know. She went down that hill like Black Widow and grabbed me before the river could. She’s the most incredible woman I’ve ever met.”
Emily’s opinion of Michelle rose a little, but only because she was in total agreement with her view of Lana.
“Listen, why don’t you go get those gloves and I’ll get dressed,” Michelle suggested, offering a sunny smile. “Then we can start examining the letter as soon as Lana gets back.”
“Actually, you’re going to get dressed, and then we’re going down to the Wolfville detachment so you can report your accident,” Emily told her, her voice unyielding as she realized that Michelle had been trying to butter her up by singing Lana’s praises. “Don’t be long. I’ll be out by the car.”
As she leaned against the driver’s door of her Challenger, she sagged slightly, thoughts whizzing around and around in her head. If only she could figure out a way to ditch Michelle and all her craziness while leaving Lana untouched. Unfortunately, without Lana’s cooperation, which she suspected she wouldn’t get at this point, she couldn’t see a way to dissuade her from this little adventure. Emily would just have to go along with it and make sure no one got hurt. And try to keep both of them out of trouble along the way.
When Michelle finally came out, she was dressed in jeans and a sweater, a puffy winter coat thrown on but left hanging open in the mild morning air. All new, Emily noted, and wondered how much this was costing Lana since she had a pretty good idea Michelle wasn’t paying for much.
“You know,” she said as they got in her car. “They found your luggage in the trunk of the rental car.”
“Where is it now?” Michelle asked, sounding mildly curious but nothing more.
“Probably at the Stewiacke detachment,” Emily said, and added, “You can pick it up on your way to the airport.”
“After we’ve found the cross,” Michelle told her as they pulled out of the parking lot onto the highway.
“Do you really think you’ll find it after all this time?” Emil
y said, scorn like acid in her throat. “You’re probably just chasing your tail.”
“I have faith. Everyone needs faith, Constable.”
Emily made a sound, more a growl than anything else, and focused on her driving. They made the rest of the trip to Wolfville in silence. After she pulled up to the entrance of the detachment and parked her car, she looked over at Michelle expectantly. Michelle looked back, eyebrows rising.
“You’re not coming in with me?”
“Oh, you’re just going to spin a web full of lies to the members, and I don’t want any part of it.” Emily tightened her grip on the steering wheel. “When you finally go down, you’re going down alone.”
“Fine,” Michelle said, opening her door. “I don’t know how long I’ll be.”
“I’ll wait,” Emily said flatly.
It took longer than she expected, but not as long as she hoped it would, where the constables inside might decide to hold Michelle for reasons unrelated to the accident. Emily shook her head when she spotted Michelle tripping lightly down the stairs, a cheerful expression on her face. She had no doubt that the woman could talk her way in and out of most anything. Heaven knew she had Lana somehow convinced she was worth helping.
“I’m hungry. Can we stop somewhere and pick up some breakfast on the way back?” Michelle asked, once she was in the car.
“Fine,” Emily said shortly. They stopped at a Subway drive-through, and Emily was unsurprised to find herself having to pay for the breakfast sandwich and coffee. After pulling away from the window, but before she pulled out onto the street, she stopped the car and reached for her notepad, jotting down the amount.
“What are you doing?” Michelle muttered through her mouthful of egg white, ham, and bacon.
“Making a tally,” Emily said shortly. “I’ll get what receipts I can from Lana regarding your clothes and the hotel room.” She turned and offered a completely insincere smile. “I’m sure you’ll want to pay us back as soon as possible.”
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