The Secret of Cypriere Bayou Page 18
“Get a room.” A familiar voice sounded from the hallway and John spun around to face his partner standing in the doorway, Rachel hovering behind.
“You’re late as usual. I’ve done all the dirty work.”
Rachel cried out in relief and rushed into the room to hug Olivia and him at the same time. She was soaking wet from the storm and giant tears rolled down her face. “I thought for sure he’d kill you both before I got help, then Brian’s car came down the road and I almost cried.”
“I wondered how you got here so fast,” John said.
“When I couldn’t raise you on the cell, I decided to make a visit. I had a bad feeling about all this. Apparently, I was right. Rachel told me some of it on the way here, but it looks like you two have a story to tell me later.”
Sirens sounded in the distance and Rachel ran for the door. “I’m already soaked. I’ll go meet them and take them to Aubrey in the basement.”
“Oh my God,” Olivia gasped. “Is Aubrey all right?”
“Wheeler knocked him out, but he was breathing when we left. I’m sure he’ll be fine with some rest and care.”
Brian nodded. “I’ll go help Rachel.” He shot John a knowing grin and headed down the hall.
John turned to Olivia. “I know you don’t trust me, and I have some things to make up to you. But if you give me the chance, I’d like to try.”
Olivia’s eyes filled with tears as the past few days flashed through her mind, completely overwhelming her senses. She’d thought it impossible for her to have a normal relationship…to trust that someone could love her and stay with her, but maybe she’d been wrong. Maybe it was time to take that chance, especially as her heart had already made the leap. She looked up at John and smiled. “What if it takes you the rest of our lives?”
John gathered her in his arms again, knowing that he’d found the place he needed to be. “I hope it does.”
One week later
AT THE SOUND OF THE FRONT DOOR, Olivia looked up from her laptop on the kitchen table and smiled at John as he entered his apartment. He set a cardboard box on the counter and leaned over to kiss her.
“How’s the book going?”
“Despite terror week, I’m actually ahead of schedule now. I think my experience inspired me. My editor is thrilled with what I’ve sent her so far.”
“As long as she knows that almost getting killed is not part of your preparation for any other books, she can be thrilled all she wants.” He slid into the chair across from her. “I’ve got some information for you.”
Olivia immediately shut her laptop and gave him her full attention. “About laMalediction?”
“Yeah. The cops turned Wheeler’s home and office inside out. He had a file with the missing diary pages. He wasn’t lying about the baby. It looks like Marilyn Borque had a child while Franklin was at war. Wheeler tracked the lineage from that child down the line until forty years ago, when he lost track of one of the descendants. There’s a chance that descendant was your mother.”
“Wow. I’m not even sure what I think about that.”
“There’s more. Apparently, Wheeler’s been skimming from all his estate clients. The auditor has already uncovered two million worth of discrepancies and he expects he’ll find more.”
“Two million. Surely those emeralds couldn’t be worth two million.”
John shrugged. “With the historical significance, maybe, but that isn’t why Wheeler wanted them so bad.”
“So what, then?”
“That nut Franklin Borque tied the entire estate up in those stones. Until the stones are found, the estate can’t be sold. The detectives found surveys in Wheeler’s office and a family tree with supporting documentation that seems to prove Wheeler was a descendant of Franklin Borque. According to the surveys, the property is full of oil. I believe Wheeler wanted the emeralds so he could claim the property and sell it to an oil company. Then he could settle up the estate accounts he’d stolen from, and sit pretty and rich the rest of his miserable life.”
“It’s so unbelievable. So what will happen to the estate?”
“The prosecutor has some ideas about that and wanted me to run them by you.”
Olivia sat up straight in her chair. “Me?”
“There’s a good chance you’re heir to the estate. There may be others, but at this point they’re not identified.”
“I don’t see how I can help.”
“He thought you might hire someone, courtesy of the estate bankroll, to do some research on the family tree and try to locate the emeralds.” John rose from the table and opened the cardboard box on the counter. He pulled out a dusty book and placed it on the table in front of her. “And I have a surprise from Aubrey. His great-grandmother’s journals.”
Olivia sucked in a breath and lay her hand on the book. “Sissy’s journals?”
“Yeah, Aubrey claims that’s how he knew about the prophecy and the emeralds. Ought to make for some interesting reading.”
“How is Aubrey?”
“Ornery as hell. He said to tell you he doesn’t want the journals back. He’s leaving for Florida next week and wants to put laMalediction behind him. It will be the first time he’s ever left the state.”
Olivia smiled. “Good for Aubrey.” She picked up the journal and looked up at John. “So I guess I’ve just got to find someone who’s willing to move into a haunted house where several murders were committed, there’s almost never any power and cable television and a decent cell phone connection are out of the question. Piece of cake.”
John reached down to her and Olivia placed her hand in his. He pulled her gently into his arms and Olivia snuggled into his chest, still unable to believe how happy she was with this man. How content. She turned her face up to his and he lowered his lips to hers with a kiss that for that moment, took all the troubles of the past away.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-8834-2
THE SECRET OF CYPRIERE BAYOU
Copyright © 2011 by Jana DeLeon
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