Blackmail Page 9

  No, she didn’t want to believe that. But on the other hand, she knew how law enforcement kept coming and coming, grilling and bullying.

  “Bruce isn’t guilty, but if they make up their collective mind that he is so they can close the case and move on, well…”

  Sweet Jesus, what do I do?

  Sadie chewed slowly, but couldn’t appreciate the Cajun spices flavoring the boudin and rice. She really liked Bruce and his wife and couldn’t just sit by and let him be blamed for something she knew he didn’t do. But she couldn’t risk Caleb’s life, either.

  What would Jesus do?

  Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the Lord delivers him in times of trouble.

  But what about Caleb? Wasn’t he innocent, as well?

  “Sadie, I really need your help. Bruce needs your help.” Jon’s voice had turned to pleading.

  The image of Bruce filled her mind, followed by his wife’s image. Sweet Allie, her tummy just beginning to swell with their first baby.

  Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.

  Tears that had nothing to do with the cayenne pepper formed in Sadie’s eyes. “I could talk to them, as a representative of Vermilion Oil. Maybe make them understand there’s no way Bruce is involved.”

  Jon shook his head and swallowed. “They won’t back off. Please, take no offense by this—it isn’t my opinion—but they’ll write off the opinions of anyone except law enforcement. That’s what matters to them.”

  “Then how can I help you? I’m not in law enforcement by any stretch of the imagination.” She took a quick sip of tea, letting the coolness slide down her throat. Anything for a reprieve from this conversation.

  DON’T GO TO THE POLICE.

  “You know people here, you have a local angle. They’ll open up and talk to you.”

  Sadie nearly spat her tea across the table. “You’re kidding, yes?” She shook her head and let out a snort. “In case you’ve missed it, I’m not exactly in the people of Lagniappe’s good graces.” Her past prevented it. As much as that hurt to admit, it was a fact.

  “But you’re already working on the investigation anyway.”

  BACK OFF OF YOUR INVESTIGATION IMMEDIATELY OR YOUR BROTHER’S BODY WILL BE FOUND IN THE BAYOU.

  “I can’t get anyone to talk to me,” Jon continued. “I’m still called the Yankee behind my back.”

  Her fork clattered to the plate.

  “Yes, I hear the whispers. I know that’s what they call me. Still. But it hasn’t mattered until now, when I need to get info from the locals to prove Bruce’s innocence.”

  “Like they’ll talk to me any more openly? I think not.”

  “But you’re PR for Vermilion Oil.”

  “Which really hasn’t needed much except the occasional good community service gig every quarter or so.”

  “Surely you must have some idea who could be behind the sabotages. Don’t you have any suspects?”

  Several came to Sadie’s mind as she finished off her lunch and dabbed her napkin over her mouth. What was she supposed to do?

  Blessed is he who has regard for the weak.

  Bruce was her brother in Christ just as surely as Caleb was her half brother. She couldn’t turn her back on either.

  Okay, God. I’m going to do this. But I need a lot of help. Please, please keep Caleb safe.

  “Anything? Any suspects of your own? Any ideas?” Jon wore the most intense expression.

  Sadie studied him, his eyes. Nothing but sincerity blinked back at her from those golden orbs. “Okay, I’ll help you. But I have a couple of terms you have to agree to first.”

  Terms? She had terms before she’d agree to help prove her friend’s innocence? Had her outrage just been a show for Bruce’s benefit?

  Jon twisted the cloth napkin into a ball and dropped it onto his empty plate. “Let’s hear your terms.”

  “I can’t publicly come out and help you, or talk too much to law enforcement. I’m, uh, in a delicate situation.”

  Because of her position with Vermilion Oil?

  Her face paled. “There are reasons why I can’t be seen out running around investigating, reasons I can’t explain to you. Most of what I’ve been looking into has been done quietly.”

  He understood. “I don’t exactly picture us running around, toting guns and chasing bad guys.” He smiled. Somehow, he couldn’t picture Sadie in that venue.

  She returned the grin. “I meant that I can’t be out questioning people right and left, yes?”

  Had to be because of her job. Which did put her in a situation, but would also give him more information. Wouldn’t the FBI report their findings and leads to the head of the oil company, who surely shared the information with his PR? “I understand.”

  “You can’t tell anyone, not even Bruce, that I’m helping you investigate.”

  “Gotcha.”

  “Good.” She gave a quick nod. “Then I’ll help Bruce in any way I can. Where do we start?”

  His mind tripped over ideas. “Well, first things first, do you, as a representative of Vermilion Oil, have any suspects in mind? Someone who’s made a stink about something? I caught your press conference and so forth, so I know there are those out there trying to ruin your company.”

  Her face went slack. “I have a lot of suspects. Groups, mainly. I’ll have to get the names for you. I turned the list over to the police and to the private investigators Vermilion Oil hired.” She puckered her lips and bounced her thumbnail off them. “I can get those at the office this afternoon as well as getting an update from the P.I.s.”

  “Great. I’m going to go talk to Sheriff Theriot. See if I can catch him without the federal goons and get him to talk to me a little bit. As a probation officer, I sometimes can get inside investigation information.”

  The waitress moved to their table. “Would you like coffee or dessert?” When Jon and Sadie shook their heads, she set the check on the table, thanked them for their business and whisked their lunch plates away.

  “Why they would even focus on Bruce is the question.”

  Jon shrugged. “Because they haven’t a clue. Like I said, they’re all about convictions, not justice.”

  “That’s so sad. And horrible in this day and age.”

  “I’ve seen that the trend of the legal system these days isn’t about the truth or justice as much as it is about legal maneuvering. It is sad.” And many times, he’d wondered why he stayed employed by the Department of Justice. A decent paycheck? Maybe. He’d chosen his profession because he’d genuinely wanted to help people, thought he could. Now, he’d become too jaded. And who could blame him? Very few of his parolees proved they cared about rehabilitation.

  Which made Jon want to fight for Bruce Boudreaux all the more.

  “I’d better get back to the office.” Sadie reached for her purse. “I’ll have names of people I suspect put together this afternoon.”

  Jon placed two twenties under the check and rose. “And I’ll try to catch up with the sheriff and see what I can find out.” He put his hand under her elbow as they wove through the tables. Warmth spread up his arm, but he chose to ignore it. He released her to open the restaurant door for her and nearly ran smack into Lisa and a sheriff’s deputy.

  “Jon! Fancy meeting you here.” Lisa laughed.

  He glanced at his watch and noticed it was drawing near to two o’clock. How rude of him not to call in to the office. “I didn’t realize the time. I’m sorry if you held off your lunch break for me.”

  “Obviously I didn’t, as I’m here.” She laughed louder. “I just turned voice mail on and locked the door.”

  “Oh. Good.”

  Lisa pulled the man whose hand she held closer. “I’ve been wanting to introduce y’all. Jon Garrison, this is my fiancé, Mike Fontenot.”

  Jon took the man’s offered hand and shook. “Nice to meet you.” He reached for Sadie, drawing her into their circle. “This is Sadie Thompson.”

>   While Mike smiled and said, “We’ve met. Hey, Sadie,” both women just nodded at one another.

  Talk about tension.

  “Well, I’d better get back to the office and hold the fort.” Jon tugged Sadie farther down the walkway. “Nice to meet you, Mike.”

  “Same to you.”

  The sun beat down on them as they made their way to his car. He rushed to open the passenger side for her. She shot him a quizzical look before slipping into the seat. Jon quickly moved to his side and started the ignition, turning the air conditioner on full-blast. He put the car in gear and steered toward Sadie’s office. “I didn’t know Lisa was engaged.”

  Sadie studied him. “Does that bother you?”

  “Oh, no.”

  “Mike’s a nice guy. He used to work at the jazz club.”

  “Hmm.” He turned onto the street housing Sadie’s office. “We need to swap info this evening.”

  “Yes, and set up a plan of action.”

  He let out a slow breath. “We could meet tonight, for supper.”

  She jerked her head and stared at him.

  “Unless you have a date or something.” It hadn’t occurred to him that she might have a boyfriend. For some reason, the idea made the jambalaya stir in his gut.

  Sadie laughed, full and throaty. “Please. When would I have time for a relationship? With everything going on at work and adjusting to Caleb…No, I’m free tonight.”

  Relief filled him and he couldn’t explain why. Well, he probably could but he’d rather not. “We could go out, if you’d like.”

  She paused, staring out the windshield as he turned into the parking lot of Vermilion Oil. “No, it’d be better if we’re not seen out together all the time. And I don’t want to leave Caleb to fend for himself just yet. Why don’t you come to the house for supper? I promise to cook something better than po’boys this time.” Her laughter lilted.

  “Sounds like a plan. What time and what can I bring?” He pulled the car along the curb.

  “Six-thirty, and don’t worry about bringing anything but information.” She opened the door and stepped to the sidewalk. “Thanks for lunch.” She shut the car door before he could respond.

  He headed back to the office, excited. Not only would he be doing something proactive to help Bruce, but also because he’d get to work closely with Sadie. As if that should make a difference.

  Funny thing—it did.

  TEN

  She’d never get everything done in time.

  Sadie rushed about, picking up the place. At least Sunday’s newspaper was off the coffee table. Caleb would be home any minute and she needed to tell him about Jon coming over. He probably wouldn’t be too happy, but she’d explain and it’d be okay. At least, that’s what she prayed.

  She finished straightening the living room and moved to the bathroom, which was in dire need of a good cleaning.

  After lunch, she’d met with Deacon and updated him, gathered a list of her suspects, checked in with the investigators who had already eliminated more names on her list, then left work a little early. She’d stopped by the store on the way home and picked up three really nice steaks, which were now marinating in the icebox. Friday night and she had a date.

  Not a real date. No, she wouldn’t even allow her heart to feel hope. This was just a working arrangement. Two people trying to help someone. That was all. She didn’t even know if he was a Christian, so it couldn’t be a real date. She no longer dated men who hadn’t given control of their lives to God. No, it wasn’t a real date.

  But her heart wouldn’t stop pounding at the thought of sharing another meal with Jon Garrison.

  The door slammed, rattling the pictures on the wall. Caleb had returned from summer school.

  “Hey, Caleb, can you come see for a minute?” She put the toilet brush up and straightened the hand towel on the bathroom rack.

  “Yo.” He crowded the doorway with his frame.

  “Jon Garrison’s coming for supper.”

  “Again?” His slack features twisted into disappointment. “Why’s he gotta check up on me so much?”

  She emptied the trash can into the bag and replaced it. “Oh, Caleb, he’s not here to check up on you.”

  “Then why’s he coming?”

  “To see me.”

  Caleb stepped back as if he’d been slugged. “You two hooking up?”

  She should’ve worded that differently. “No, nothing like that.” Heat crept into her face. “We have a mutual friend who needs our help.”

  “Small town, huh? Everybody knows everybody else.”

  “I didn’t know Jon before you.”

  Caleb’s brows shot up. “So you invited him here?”

  “Yes.” Sadie leaned against the sink. “Is that a problem?”

  Her brother shrugged. “He’s the dude who’s got me on a leash and you’re bringing him around.” He shook his head. “Don’t make a whole lotta sense to me.”

  “Our friend is a suspect in the sabotages going on at my work. We both know he’s innocent.”

  “So what’s the deal?” Caleb actually looked interested.

  “He’s a member of my church and on probation. Jon’s his probation officer. The FBI seems to have focused their attention on him as the prime suspect.”

  “I know how it works. Or rather, how it doesn’t.” He rested his shoulder against the door frame. “Unless you have money.”

  She hated to hear the cynicism in his voice, but after talking with Jon, she understood his feelings. “Was the FBI involved in your case?” She spoke softly, hesitant to probe too deep and have Caleb retreat back into his silence, but he’d never offered details about what had happened to him.

  “Yeah, but they were all right. The judge was the one who was out to get me. Wanted to teach me a lesson, so he gave me a harsher sentence…that kind of thing. But I was in with some guys who weren’t so lucky and some who had money got off easy.”

  Sadie tried to rationalize the logic there, but couldn’t. Before lunch with Jon today, she’d have wanted to write off her brother’s words as nothing more than that—words. Now, she wondered if they had weight and merit.

  Thank You, Jesus, for preparing my mind for Caleb’s claims. I’m more open and that will help in our relationship.

  Caleb stared at her, as if trying to discern if she would argue the point.

  She took a slow breath. “I hate what’s become of our justice system.”

  “You and me both. One guy in juvie, he got busted with crack. Just one point two grams, mind you. That’s less than the tip of your fingernail. Got ten years. He’s fifteen, so he’ll serve three in juvie, then be moved to a fed prison.”

  Gasping, Sadie covered her hand with her mouth. She’d had no idea.

  Caleb seemed to thrive on sharing the horrors. He leaned forward, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets. “Another guy, from here actually, got caught with a stash of pot—with intent to distribute. But all he got was ninety days in juvie, was released the week before he was legal. Dude’s family has money, so he’ll never serve a day in a real prison. Where’s the justice in that?”

  “I don’t know.” She couldn’t fathom the lack of balance by the justice system. “But you understand why I want to help my friend, yes?”

  “Why?”

  “I thought I just explained—”

  “No, why would you help this guy? Is he a boyfriend or something?”

  She laughed. “Not hardly. He’s married and expecting his first baby later this year.”

  “Then why?”

  “Because it’s what’s right.”

  “Huh?” He looked as confused as he sounded.

  “Caleb, as a Christian, I’m called to help those I can.”

  “How do ya figure?”

  Oh, no. She was still too new in her faith to try her hand at witnessing. Father God, please give me the words to share. Ones that will reflect Your mercy and grace. She took a deep breath. “Well, because that’s what
Jesus tells us in Scripture.”

  “And you believe that religion stuff?”

  “I believe the Bible is the word of God. I believe Jesus is God’s son and died for me, for the forgiveness of my sins, yes.”

  Caleb went silent, but his face grew pensive. “So, what can you do to help this dude?”

  At least it was a beginning. She moved past him into the hall. “Give Jon some names of people with an ax to grind against my company. Some groups who I think could be involved.”

  “You’re not gonna work with the police, are you?” Worry sneaked into his voice as he trailed her to the kitchen.

  The blackmail.

  “Oh, no. I’m working with some P.I.s for the company and will help law enforcement as they contact me, but I’m not working with them at all.” Caleb deserved to know about the second letter—he was directly involved. “But I got another note from the blackmailers.”

  “When?”

  Sadie ignored his question and reached for her purse. She passed the letter to him.

  His gaze shot back and forth as he read, then he locked gazes with her. “So helping your friend goes against what these dudes are telling you to do?”

  Her mouth went dry. Surely he knew she’d protect him, but that she had to do this. Had she explained well enough that it was her duty as a Christian? “I suppose…somewhat.”

  He smiled. “Cool. Ultimate defiance. I love it.”

  Not bad.

  Jon stared at his reflection in the rearview mirror a final time. He’d taken more care than usual in dressing for this nondate date. But he knew two facts for sure now:

  Sadie Thompson wasn’t like Aunt Torey.

  And he was attracted to her.

  There, he’d admitted it. Now what to do about it was a whole other ballgame.

  Letting out a sigh, Jon exited the car and ambled up the walkway to Sadie’s porch. He hated that he was so nervous, but there was nothing he could do about it. He knocked on the door.

  The door swung open and Jon’s mouth went dry. Sadie had changed into a casual pair of calf-length pants with a frilly white shirt and looked as fresh as water to a man in the dessert. “Hey, Jon. Come on in.”