False Pretenses - Kathy Herman [101]
“I don’t know,” Pierce said, “but someone returned his fire. Maybe Jude’s deputies finally made it. I think we should stay here until we’re sure.”
She studied his expression. The indifference was gone—at least for now. She relished the moment and wished she could hold on to it.
“Thanks for taking charge in the tunnel,” she said. “I was having a panic attack.”
“I know how scared you are of spiders. I was surprised you even went in.”
“Me too, but I didn’t have a choice.” She shuddered, remembering the spider eggs so close to her skin. “I knew you’d understand. I’m not sure the others did.”
“The important thing is we made it out. But it’s not over yet.”
Zoe sat on her heels, afraid to end their undeclared truce by saying something that might set him off.
A couple minutes passed. The only sound she heard was the cawing of a crow.
Finally Pierce said, “Zoe … what are we going to do when this is over?”
“Go home?” Had she said the words out loud, or was it just wishful thinking?
“And then what?” His eyes glistened. “How do we reconcile all the lies?”
“I never lied about loving you. Falling for you was the most honest thing I’ve ever done.” Zoe ran her thumb across the diamonds on her wedding band. “But when we met, I’d already become Zoe Benoit. I’d already used the money I got from the stolen ring to start up the eatery. I hated lying to you.” She glanced up at him. “But it was either lie or lose you—some choice.”
“Did you ever consider that maybe I didn’t want to lose you either?”
“I figured you would, once you found out I started Zoe B’s with dishonest money—and that my family was just poor white trash.”
“Will you please stop referring to yourself that way?” Pierce bopped her on the arm with his palm. “Did you honestly think I wouldn’t marry you unless you were Cajun? I fell in love with your heart, Zoe. Your family tree doesn’t matter. What does matter to me is honesty. And everything I know about you has been a lie.”
“Not anymore.” Zoe cupped his face in her hands. “Now that you know the truth, there’s no reason for me to lie.”
“How could I ever be sure? I never suspected you were lying before. What does that say about me? I feel like a complete fool.”
“Don’t. My new identity became so real to me that I almost believed it myself.”
Pierce rolled his eyes. “Is that supposed to make me feel better? How can we have a future together as long as I know you have the power to deceive me?”
“But why would I want to? I’m relieved I don’t have to lie anymore.”
“Well, good for you, Zoe,” he said sarcastically. “It’s great that you’re relieved. It’s a whole lot more complicated than that for me—”
“Zoe and Pierce Broussard. Vanessa Langley. This is Sheriff Jude Prejean.” His booming voice echoed, as if it were coming through a bullhorn. “Cowen is dead. Please return to the manor house immediately. Repeat: Please return to the manor house immediately. The threat is over.”
Over? Zoe could almost hear the door to Pierce’s heart slam shut. One life-altering crisis had ended, but another was just beginning.
Zoe sat across from Jude Prejean and Aimee Rivette at the oblong table in interview room one, going over and over the details of her involvement with Reagan Cowen.
“Are we about finished?” Zoe looked from Jude to Aimee and back to Jude. “I’m exhausted. I’d really like to go home.”
“We appreciate your helping us piece this thing together,” Jude said. “When my deputies took him out, Cowen was wearing a size ten and a half Columbia Newton Ridge hiking boot, an exact match to one of shoe prints we cast at the scene of Remy’s hanging. Vanessa told us that Cowen admitted he hanged Remy to stir things up and distract law enforcement while he came after you. He took some serious risks, trying to get his hundred thousand.”
“This was about more than just the money.” Zoe glanced up at the black-and-white clock on the wall. “He wanted to teach Zoe Benoit a lesson for disappearing with her inheritance and not paying him what her parents owed. If it hadn’t been for the feature in the newspaper, he would never have found