Truth Be Told

“It looks like she and Cade will settle here in Maraville. His construction company can be run from here, with him going into New Orleans when needed. Plus, there’s more and more growth in this direction. I’m sure he’ll get plenty of work. She wants to be near Maddie.”

“And you?”

“If you’d asked me a month ago, I’d have said Maraville was the last place I’d want to visit, much less live. But now I’m back, it’s kind of growing on me. My job and Jack’s prevent us from settling here when we’re married, but we’ve already discussed visiting often, and finally ending up living here when circumstances permit.”

“I’m surprised,” Jo said. And a bit nostalgic and envious, she didn’t add. She and Eliza and April had always done things together when they lived here. Now it seemed as if the other two had picked right up where they left off. Jo felt left out.

It was her own fault, she knew. But that didn’t make it any easier.

“Get up and come help me plan the logistics of the fund-raiser. We have a fashion show planned. Jack has a couple of New Orleans Saints football players coming, which has lots of people excited, why I don’t know.”

Jo laughed. April was such a girlie girl. “I’ll be right down.”

April headed for the door, turning to say, “Please don’t wear black. It’s depressing.”

“It’s all I have.”

April rolled her eyes. “We have to go shopping.”

Jo remembered how much April loved to shop. “Later. I still have to see Maddie.”

“You didn’t see her last night? I meant to ask you when you got home how things had gone, but Jack was still here and—”

“I didn’t make it in,” Jo said.

“Ran into Sam first, I bet,” April said. “He’s the one who found your phone number for us. And helped a bit when I was looking for my birth parents. I like him.”

“You still haven’t told me all the details about learning Maddie’s your grandmother and how exactly you found out,” Jo said.

“We have time. See you downstairs soon. Those workmen are prompt.”

ELIZA HAD BREAKFAST ready when Jo arrived in the kitchen.

“Sit, eat,” she said, dishing up eggs, grits and bacon.

“I’ve gained five pounds since I’ve been here,” April said, pouring another cup of coffee. “But I never say no.”

“When we finish, we’ll all go see Maddie,” Eliza said firmly, pulling out a chair and sitting with her own plate.

“I can go on my own,” Jo said.

“Maybe, but you’re not,” she said. “We’ve decided.”

“Bossy.”

Eliza grinned. “You better believe it. But after that, you’re April’s slave for the day. She has to figure out where she wants everything so Cade’s crew can build the runway for the models.”

“And,” April added, “we also need a changing area and makeup area, and then the chairs and all for the paying customers.”

“We have a huge awning ordered that we’ll use to keep the sun off the models,” Eliza said. “It’s going to be a big undertaking. Cops are good for crowd control, so you can make yourself useful.”

Jo swallowed hard. “It’s good to be back,” she said.

BY NINE, THEY HAD cleaned up the kitchen. April insisted Jo drive them so she could ride through town in a flashy convertible. Eliza then insisted on sitting in the front, to allow April royal status in the back.

When they set off down the driveway, Eliza turned back to April. “Aren’t you going to wave like the queen does?”

“Brat.” April sat tall, looking around regally, and all three burst out laughing.

Jo hoped the fun in the car masked her case of nerves. She wasn’t going to get out of seeing her foster mother this morning. Would it be better with the others? Practicing what she planned to say, she tried to calm down. But nothing worked.

The trip was too short. They entered the hospital and went right to the elevators. Eliza and April explained that one or both of them came to see Maddie each day. They commented on her progress and prognosis.

“Full recovery, that’s what we’re counting on,” Eliza said.

“It’ll help when she can speak again,” April said. “Sometimes I can understand a word or two, but mostly it’s garbled. Frustrating for her and for us.”

Jo nodded, trying to remember all they’d told her about Maddie.

But the reality proved a shock. The frail woman sitting in a chair near the window barely resembled the foster mother she remembered.

“Hi, Maddie,” April said, walking over to give her a kiss and hug. “Look who we’ve brought!”

Eliza gave her a quick hug, then stepped back. Jo stared at the woman who had done her best to “raise her right.” The woman who’d been there when her own mother had abandoned her responsibilities and left Jo to flounder.

The woman she’d betrayed.

Her throat felt closed. She couldn’t take her eyes off Maddie. She saw every nuance of expression when Maddie realized who stood there. Shock and dismay. Then the struggle to say one word.

“Jo.”

Jo’s heart dropped.

“Hello, Maddie.” The words stuck. She knew what she wanted to say, but just couldn’t.

April and Eliza stared at her, puzzled. She knew she must look like a fool, but her feet seemed rooted to the floor. Suddenly she wished she’d worn blue or pink, though she hadn’t worn either color in more years than she could remember. Black was for widows and old ladies, she remembered Maddie saying. The woman had obviously never been to New York or Los Angeles.

Stupid thing to think about when so much was at stake.

“We didn’t even have to track her down. She heard you were sick and came right away, just like Eliza and I did,” April said.

Maddie hadn’t moved her gaze from Jo. She tried to speak, but as the others had said, only garbled sounds came out after that initial word. Jo could see Maddie was frustrated at her limitations. She obviously wanted to tell her something in the worst way. Jo could just imagine what.

“I won’t stay. My being here’s upsetting you,” Jo said. “I came to tell you I’m sorry for what happened. I never meant to have us all end up scattered. I never meant to get you into trouble. I’m so sorry.”

Maddie tried to say something else, then shook her head.

Jo only gave a half smile and turned to leave.

“Jo!” Eliza called after her.

She didn’t want to hang around. She’d done what she’d come for, not as smoothly as she’d hoped, not as healing, but it was the best she could do. She headed for the elevator. Luck was with her: it was discharging passengers as she reached it. She slipped inside and punched the button for the lobby.

Walking outside a moment later, she stopped. The heat of the day was rapidly building. She felt the sharp contrast to the hospital’s air-conditioning, but now she relished the heat on her skin. She felt chilled inside.

Dispassionately she reviewed the scene, disappointed she didn’t feel better. Somehow she’d thought if she apologized, the guilt of what she’d done would lift. It hadn’t. Of course a hasty sorry and abrupt leave-taking wasn’t quite what she’d pictured, either.

She considered going back, but couldn’t face Maddie. She wouldn’t blame the woman if she never wanted to see her again. And that hurt. Far more than Jo expected. She yearned for the relationship she’d seen between April and Eliza and Maddie. Comfortable with one another. Loving.

Heading for her car, Jo had to decide what to do next. Usually she had every bit of her life laid out—she needed to have plans and backups for the undercover work she did. But now she’d accomplished what she’d set out to do. Feeling deflated and unfulfilled, she wasn’t sure what to do next. She wished she hadn’t agreed to stay for the next few days. Heading back to Los Angeles seemed a brilliant idea right now.

She climbed into the bright red convertible, started the engine and peeled out of the parking lot. She headed out of town, going faster than was safe, as if she could outrun her demons. She hadn’t gotten five miles before she heard the wail of a siren. Looking in the rearview mirror, she saw the flashing lights of a police car. Great, just what she didn’t need!

She checked her speedometer and discovered she was going way over the limit. She hit the brakes and slowly, gradually, pulled to the side of the road, resigned to get a ticket and probably a lecture from the deputy. She could imagine the hoots and hollers of her friends at the department if they ever heard about it. Some of them routinely had tickets, speed acting as an adrenaline release. But she’d never had one before.

She looked in her side mirror as the man got out of the vehicle, lights still flashing. Jo almost groaned when she recognized Sam Witt. He placed his hat on his head, hefted the ticket book and walked to the side of her car.

“Do things a bit differently in California?” he asked when he drew even with her.

“No.”

“Speeding is against the law.”

“So write me a ticket.”

He held out his hand for her license. Jo knew the drill, although she had only worked traffic for six months some years back. She held it out for him to take, then reached over to the glove compartment to withdraw her rental papers. She handed them over, as well, looking straight ahead, fuming. Not at Sam—he was just doing his job.

She was mad at herself. She should never have expected things to change just because she offered an apology. Maddie couldn’t even talk. Did she remember all the hateful words Jo had flung that long-ago day? Why had she thought an apology would fix anything?

SAM STUDIED HER LICENSE. The face on the laminated card was unsmiling. He glanced at her.

Jo gripped the steering wheel so tightly her fingers were white. Staring straight ahead, she didn’t move when he returned her paperwork. He was surprised she didn’t try to talk herself out of a ticket. Usually when caught speeding, cops tried to appeal to the brotherhood of the badge and get out of getting written up. Not Jo.

Sam almost wrote her up, but something held him back. Instead, the rigid way she held herself alerted him something was wrong.

He looked down the highway. It headed north, nothing on it for about forty miles.

“Out seeing the sights?” he asked.

She shook her head. “I’m just driving.”

“When you take off from here, are you going to keep the speed below the limit posted?” he asked, wishing she’d open up a little.

She nodded. Sighing softly, she looked at him wryly. “I’ll return to town. Driving isn’t going to solve my problem.”

“And what is that problem?”

“Nothing that can be fixed,” she said. “Give me the ticket and I promise not to be caught speeding in your jurisdiction again.”

“Caught speeding? Or won’t speed again, period?”

“Whatever. I’m heading out soon.”

“I thought you were going to help in the Independence Day fund-raiser for Maddie Oglethorpe,” he said. “And I know all about the wedding—I’m Jack’s best man.”

She eyed the ticket pad, then looked at him.

“I’ll give a donation and send the happy couple a gift.”

“Your presence is what Eliza and April want.”

“Yeah, like that’s going to help anything.”

He tapped the closed ticket book against the edge of the car. “Take it easy, Jo. I’m giving you a warning. Don’t speed in my county.”

“That’s it, no ticket?”

“Call it professional courtesy to a fellow officer.”

“One who should know better,” she muttered. He could tell she was embarrassed and angry.

“What are you doing working traffic, anyway?” she said when he stepped back to let her go on her way.

“I’m not. I’m on my way to take a report of a break-in at a farm just up ahead. Saw you taking off like a bat out of hell so I stopped you.”

“I was upset, which is a stupid time to be driving.”

“Right. Not upset now?”

She squinted up against the glare of the sun. “I’m still angry, but I’ll control my driving.”

He touched the edge of his hat and turned to head back to the patrol vehicle.

“Hey, Sheriff,” she called, leaning out of the window.

He turned.

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

He nodded, wondering again what it was about her that intrigued him. She wasn’t his usual type, if indeed he even had one. He liked small, blond women who loved to cook and had the flesh on their bones to prove it. Like Patty. Not that he was interested in Jo in a personal way. He still loved his wife and couldn’t imagine moving on and opening himself up to a potential loss again. Still, if he never saw Jo Hunter again, he thought he’d miss something.

He continued to the patrol car and got in. Jo took off, driving just under the speed limit. He smiled. That speed would probably last only as long as she stayed in sight.

He had work to do. Pulling away from the side of the road, he soon passed her. She waved but did not increase her speed.

HER SPEEDING WAS STUPID, Jo thought as she watched Sam’s car disappear into the distance. She knew better than most that excessive speed was the cause of most road accidents; she’d cleared her share of bodies from automobile crashes.

On impulse, she checked to make sure there was no traffic, then made a U-turn in the middle of the highway. Heading back to town, she made up her mind. She would stay around and help out at the Independence Day picnic. She owed it to Maddie. And she wanted to visit with Eliza and April just a little longer. She’d missed them so much over the years.

If April still wanted her for the wedding, she’d stay for that, as well. Any hardships, she’d view as penance for her sins.

When she turned into the driveway, she remembered abandoning Eliza and April at the hospital. Eliza’s van was gone now. Obviously they’d found a ride home or walked. Eliza had told Jo about starting a catering business in Maraville. She sounded as if she had the credentials to work anyplace she wanted. Jo couldn’t believe she’d chosen Maraville. Some things still had the power to surprise her.

The sound of construction filled the air. She saw that some of the windows were open, letting out the cool air and the sound. It would be another week or two before the crew finished.

Then the house was scheduled to be approved as a home for unwed, pregnant teens who had nowhere else to turn.

She slowly climbed the three shallow steps to the porch, the din in the house uninviting. Where was April? Had she come home with Eliza or gone off to see Jack? For the first time since leaving Maraville all those years ago, Jo wished she had someone special herself. Someone she could talk to about how she felt. Someone whose advice she could seek to help her decide what to do next. Someone who would accept her just as she was and like her.

A few minutes later, determining April wasn’t around, Jo was at loose ends. She headed back to town. Might as well while away the time walking around and reacquainting herself with Maraville. Maybe she’d run into an old school friend or two.

She cut over to the high school. The building was smaller than she remembered. The yard stood empty, only a single car in the parking lot. No one hung around during summer break, not even the teachers.

Continuing her walk, Jo soon came to the main street of town. Ahead on the right was the bank. Acting on impulse, she entered the old building. The columns supporting the ceiling were made of marble, as was the floor. She found the old-fashioned ornate fretwork on the ceiling reassuring. At least they hadn’t torn down the old building to make way for progress.

The object of her interest was not in view. Maybe he no longer worked here. It had been twelve years. Who knew what happened to people in that time? Maybe he’d attacked someone else who had been believed and he’d been arrested and sent to prison.

She walked around, unaware at first of the interest she was causing. When she caught the eye of the guard, she knew her attire set off internal alarms. Maybe April had been right, and all black attire with motorcycle boots was a mistake. Or was it the spiky hair?

She turned to leave when she heard the hated voice. Heading for the door, she glanced over her shoulder. Allen McLennon was escorting an elderly woman from an office. He spoke again. Jo couldn’t hear the words, only the smarmy tone of his voice.

Her stomach lurched. Her heart pounded. The man she’d hated for twelve years was only a yard away. What would happen if he saw her? Would he recognize her, or be more concerned about her less-than-conservative appearance? She couldn’t take her eyes off him. He looked older. Had put on a few pounds. But he still looked fit and strong. Strong enough to beat a teenager who fought off his attempts at seduction, or worse.

“Can I help you?” The guard had come up beside Jo without her being aware. Such inattention in her normal life could get her killed.

She looked at him and shook her head. “I’m just leaving.”

He didn’t say anything more, but watched her until she was out of the door. Once on the sidewalk, Jo took a deep breath.

“Casing the joint?” Sam Witt asked.

She jumped and turned to see the sheriff standing behind her. How had she missed him when she left the bank? Gee, at this rate, she had better retire, or return to traffic detail.

“I thought you were headed off to do some incident report,” she said.

“It’s done. Didn’t take long. What are you up to now?”

“Nothing.” She glanced back at the bank, almost tempted to go back in and confront Allen McLennon.

“Come with me,” Sam said, taking her arm gently. He led her across the street to Ruby’s Café. “Coffee.”

Jo went along, not putting up a fuss like she normally might have. Maybe she wanted to hear what the local sheriff had to say. Or was she in for another lecture?

Ruby’s was almost empty so late in the morning. In a short time the lunch crowd would start arriving, but for now, they practically had the place to themselves.

Sam steered her to a booth near a window and sat opposite her. A waitress hurried over, coffeepot in hand.

“Anything to eat, Sheriff?” the woman asked as she poured.

“Just coffee for me.” Sam looked at Jo. “What will you have?”

“The same.”

The waitress bustled off.

Jo added cream and stirred, then met Sam’s gaze defiantly. “Allen McLennon is the man who tried to rape me and then beat me silly when I was sixteen. I told Maddie. She didn’t believe me, so in retaliation when I was questioned at the hospital, I said she’d beaten me. I was so angry and hurt. I didn’t know what an uproar that would cause. Then that damned sheriff wouldn’t believe me when I told him the truth. Was that in the report?”

Sam looked taken aback. Maybe she should have led up to the revelation, but she felt anger boil up again after seeing that man at the bank living a life no rapist and child beater should live. Her worst fear resurfaced. Had she been the only one? The sheriff and Maddie had both been told the truth. If neither acted on it, was Jo responsible for any further violent acts the man may have committed over the years? The thought bothered her. She should have come back at eighteen and made a stink. Or after graduating from the police academy. Or any time over the last decade.

“Serious accusations,” Sam said.

“The truth, take it or leave it,” she replied. Jo held her breath. She wanted someone to believe her. But the world wouldn’t end if he didn’t. She’d had years of living with others not believing the truth.

Sam sat back and studied her thoughtfully. “And what do you propose to do about it now?”

She shrugged. No overwhelming vote of confidence from the sheriff. “What can I do? The statute of limitations has run out. If he never bothered anyone else, no other charges would have been made. He gets off scot-free.” She paused. “Then again, maybe I should take out a full-page ad in the local paper and let the good folks of Maraville know what a son of a bitch they have as banker.”

“He’s a respected member of the community. Your coming in here and throwing accusations around—”

“Might damage his precious reputation? Who cares? Not me.” Surprisingly, she was disappointed Sam didn’t believe her.

“Might not be believed,” he said.

“So let him sue me for libel.”

“And he’d likely win. What can you do to prove it? It’s his word against yours, and I’m here to tell you the record of the investigation never once mentions his name.”

Jo stared at Sam for a moment, thinking the implications through. “The sheriff was in his pocket. Damned bastard.” She lapsed into silence. There was nothing she could do—except watch the man to see if he’d changed or was still coming on to young girls. But how such behavior could be hidden in such a small town for any length of time was beyond her. Maybe he had just had the hots for the teenager she’d once been, tried to get it on with her, and when he failed, snapped.

She remembered how angry Maddie had been, convinced that Jo was trying to cover up for Heller and put a spoke into Maddie’s romance with the banker at the same time. She’d refused to listen to Jo, turning her over to the sheriff for interrogation and investigation, convinced the sheriff would find the boy who’d done that awful deed.

“If I make a formal complaint, you have to investigate,” she said. “Maybe I don’t want to tip my hand just yet.”

“I can be discreet, you know. I’ll make some quiet inquiries—if there’s anything to go on,” Sam offered reluctantly. “What can you tell me about the event?”

“I can tell you about every horrible moment.”

“Come to the office later and give a statement.”

“And you’ll investigate?”

“I’m making no guarantees. Allen McLennon is the president of the town’s bank. I’ve known him for the two years I’ve lived in Maraville. He’s never had a breath of scandal attached to his name.”

“In other words, screw off, Jo,” she said bitterly.

“I’m a firm proponent of the truth,” Sam said. “But not in revenge.”

“Revenge?”

“You’ve talked to Eliza and April. You must know McLennon tried to foreclose on the house when Maddie was first in the hospital. They were angry as hell about it. Leads to all sorts of speculation, you know?”

“And you think I’m making this up now to get back at him?” Jo was incredulous. She hadn’t known about the attempted foreclosure.

“I said I’d look into it. You stay away from the case and the man you’re accusing.”

“I don’t report to you,” she said.

Jo stood and fished out a couple of dollars, tossing them on the table. Maybe there was some investigative work she could do.

Sam’s jaw tightened as he glared at her. “Running away?”

“Regrouping. I’ll find a way to hang the SOB.” She turned to leave.

“I asked you for coffee, so take your money,” he called after her.

Jo hesitated, then charged forward. He had not asked her to have coffee. He’d marched her into Ruby’s as if he were the Gestapo or something. Jo always paid her own way. Ever since she’d left the foster care in Meridian she’d vowed never to be beholden to anyone again.

She halfway expected Sam to come storming after her. But she reached the sidewalk alone. She turned and headed back for the house, plenty of thoughts crowding her mind. Her quiet walk around town had changed things. Somehow there had to be a way to bring McLennon down. And she was going to prove to Maddie and everyone that these days Jo Hunter could be counted on to tell the truth.

CHAPTER THREE

JO WALKED BACK INTO the old house on Poppin Hill, heading to the kitchen, wishing Eliza were there making something good to eat. She made herself a sandwich, poured iced tea into a glass, then went to sit on the front porch in the muggy heat. How anyone stood the racket the construction workers made was beyond her. Probably why both Eliza and April weren’t here. Eating slowly, she tried to sort through her emotions.

As a teenager, she’d been full of anger when no one believed her about the man who’d attacked her. She’d spent long hours fantasizing about revenge—against Maddie, against the sheriff, even the social services worker who had taken her from her home. How the truth would come out and everyone in town would beg her to come back to live there. And she’d spurn them. Those daydreams had helped her heal and given her the impetus to go into law enforcement. She never wanted to be a victim again.