False Pretenses - Kathy Herman [57]
No one said anything for half a minute.
Finally Tex said, “Hope y’all don’t mind if I change the subject before Pierce has to get back to the kitchen. I just wanted to say how tasty the seafood gumbo was tonight. I’ve always enjoyed it, but there was just somethin’ extra good tonight.”
Pierce smiled. “I’m glad you noticed, Tex. I’ve been experimenting in preparation for the Gumbo Classic.”
“Well, that was as good as it gets.” Tex put his hands on his middle. “I ordered the bottomless bowl and had to make myself quit eatin’ after the third refill. Mighty good.”
Pierce patted Tex on the back. “Glad you approve. How was everything else?”
“Da red beans and rice hit da spot.” Hebert gave him a thumbs up. “Corn bread was my weakness tonight. I can never get enough o’dat.”
“I had the crawfish étoufée,” Father Sam said. “My compliments to the chef.”
“And the chef thanks you. Okay, fellas. I’d better get back before Dempsey thinks I’ve abandoned ship.”
“What’s Zoe doin’ tonight?” Tex sat back, his thumbs hooked on his suspenders.
“I’m not sure. I noticed she left a little early, but she hasn’t come down for dinner. I think she enjoys the evenings I work late.” Pierce smiled. “Gives her a chance to do whatever she wants.”
Zoe stared at her hands folded on Vanessa’s kitchen table. Had she ever felt more vulnerable than she did at this moment?
“So now you know everything,” she said. “My marriage was founded on false pretenses. And so was Zoe B’s. I can’t imagine what you must think.”
“What I think,” Vanessa said, “is that you need a friend, not a judge. You can’t change the past. What matters now is what you decide to base the future on.”
“Pierce won’t see it that way.”
“Maybe not at first. He’ll be disappointed.”
“More like devastated.”
“But he loves you, Zoe. It’s so obvious that he does. Surely he’ll have some compassion for the abuse you suffered and at least some understanding of why you stole the ring. I certainly do.”
“Even if he does, it won’t matter. He’ll never forgive me for lying to him all these years. Or for letting him believe I’m Cajun.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes I do. Nothing is more important to him than his Cajun heritage. That’s part of what he thought we shared. I’m going to lose him over this.”
“I hate to say it, but better Pierce than your life.”
“Pierce is my life.…” Zoe let out a sob and then stifled it.
Vanessa put her hand on Zoe’s. “I’m so sorry. I can only imagine how painful this is. And I wish you had time to figure it all out before you take the next step, but you don’t. You have to tell Pierce everything you told me about your past and about your meeting with Shapiro. And then you’ve got to go to the sheriff with it, whether Pierce supports you or not.”
“But Shapiro promised he’d kill me if I do that.”
Vanessa held her gaze. “Zoe … trust me, Shapiro’s planning to kill you as soon as he gets his money. The only leverage you have is he wants his hundred thousand.”
“I’m so scared, Vanessa.”
“I know. But you have to tell Pierce—the sooner the better—and then tell Sheriff Prejean.”
“I can’t go to Jude with this. He’s a longtime friend. I’d have to tell him everything. I’d be humiliated all over again. And once it’s on the report and everyone in town knows about it, Zoe B’s will be history. I’d rather go to the police. At least it’ll be less personal.”
Vanessa shook her head. “It won’t matter. You were accosted outside the city limits. That’s Sheriff Prejean’s jurisdiction.”
“How do you know that?”
“My mom’s a police chief, remember? The police have jurisdiction in the city. The sheriff has jurisdiction in the county—or in this case, the parish. I know you’re embarrassed and don’t want Sheriff Prejean to know all these personal things about you, but, believe me, he’s heard a lot worse. The important thing is that he knows Angus Shapiro—or whatever his real name is—is trying to extort money from you and has threatened your life. If Pierce is too upset to deal with this, I’ll go with you to talk to the sheriff.”
“You would do that?”
“Of course