Bayou Justice (16 page)

“A letter. I can't believe this.”

CoCo strained for a better view. The letter was typed on regular copy paper, but the creases were smudged, indicating that it'd been folded and unfolded several times over.

CoCo took note of the header—no date and no indication of the sender. There was no closing, no signature. Most importantly, she recognized the pencil etching in the bottom right hand corner.

A Confederate coin.

Just like the ones she'd found at her homestead. Just like the one the appraiser told her the Klan stockpiled.

Could it be?

C
onsidering they'd found more Confederate coins mere hours ago, the context of the letter couldn't be more timely. Coincidence? No, Luc knew better. God's fingerprints were all over the situation. Now he needed to figure out what to do. He studied CoCo. “Had my grandfather been to your house recently? Where he could have found a coin?”

“Not that I'm aware. Just when he served that stupid eviction notice.” She chewed her bottom lip, a sure sign her mind was working overtime.

Luc read the note again. “This letter implies Grandfather knew the coins were in your house.” He raked his hand over his face. “How else could he have known? Maybe he didn't.”

CoCo's mouth hung slack as she read the letter again, then lifted her gaze to his. Her eyes were bright, as if a light had come on behind them. “The coin appraiser told me a gentleman had been in the past month with a genuine Confederate coin. It was probably Beau.” She snapped her fingers. “Somehow he knew.
That's
why he served the eviction notice. He wanted the coins. If the appraiser told him about the connection between the Klan and the coins, well, that would be even more reason for Beau to want my house.”

Surely his grandfather wouldn't stoop so low. Then again… “We don't know that. This letter could have been sent a long time ago.”

CoCo pulled the paper from Felicia's slack hands and scanned it yet a third time. “No date.” She straightened. “Don't you see, Luc? He wanted the coins. That's why he served the eviction notice now and not years ago.” CoCo waved the letter. “And he wanted to find whatever evidence this person implies is hidden in my house. The one that would defame his reputation.”

Felicia finally found her voice. “Would one of y'all please explain what's going on here?”

Luc tapped the letter. “That image right there is of a Confederate coin. Someone laid this paper over a coin and rubbed the paper with a pencil, thus making a copy etching here to prove they knew the coins were in CoCo's house. We think more are hidden there.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “This is proof that someone knew the coins were in the LeBlanc house, so it stands to reason they'd know of other things, this so-called evidence that would hurt Grandfather, being hidden there as well.” He pierced CoCo with a hard stare.

“You can't think I would send Beau this letter!” The green flecks of her eyes flashed with anger.

The memory of his accusing her of being a party to his father's death, Grandfather's murder, flashed against his mind. “I'm not saying that. How would someone know what's hidden in your house?”

“I don't know.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I can assure you that no one in my family would have written Beau that letter. It implicates my own grandfather of being in the Klan. Why would we want that exposed? Not that I believe it's true for a minute.”

“This letter could be from when Grandfather was in office,” Luc said.

“I don't think so.” CoCo ran a finger along the crease. “This was opened and folded back several times over. If your grandfather had it for that long a time, the creases would've already split.” She laid the letter in Felicia's lap and stared directly into Luc's eyes. “Besides, the paper's still crisp. And think about it—this is a perfect reason why Beau served us an eviction notice. He'd recently been told about the connection between the coins and the KKK.”

“I don't understand,” Felicia said.

“Follow me for a minute, okay?” CoCo stood and paced. “Someone found the coins and this supposed evidence in my house. Beau must have known the coins were there. I'm thinking he probably found out about them and then started legal proceedings to serve us the eviction notice. When he got this letter, with this rubbing of the Confederate coin, it was proof someone else knew things are hidden in my house.” She turned and stopped. “If they knew about the coins, then Beau would probably assume the evidence was also legitimate.”

“What does this have to do with Grandfather's murder?” Felicia asked.

Luc raked a hand over his face. “It's possible that whoever wrote this letter might have killed Grandfather.”

“Whatever for?” Felicia paled.

CoCo laid a hand on her shoulder. “What if Beau found out who'd written this letter and confronted him?”

Both Felicia and Luc chuckled. Luc shook his head. “Come on, CoCo. Grandfather would never resort to violence. You know that. He'd have turned them in to the police amid quite a fanfare where he'd look like a hero, but never would he have gotten into a physical confrontation. His years in politics taught him well.”

“What if the writer planned on blackmailing Beau with whatever he'd supposedly found in my house and then found out that Beau was trying to take possession of my place? That'd be motive to kill your grandfather. Not getting the evidence to be able to blackmail him.”

Felicia shook her head. “Grandfather would never pay a blackmailer. Ever.” She waved a thin arm through the air. “Besides, this accusation of Klan activity is so long ago. It wouldn't have made that much of a difference to Grandfather.”

Felicia stared at CoCo. “Who else has access to your house?”

“Me, Grandmere, Tara and Alyssa.” She tapped her finger against her bottom lip. “A young grandson of a neighbor who does odd jobs for Grandmere. One of Tara's friends, maybe.”

“About as many people who had access to Grandfather's gun cabinet,” Luc said with a sigh.

“I say we first have to figure out if this letter is recent or not, yes?” Felicia asked.

“Maybe Bubba can run some tests and determine its age. We need to turn it in to him anyway, as evidence or something.” Luc took the letter, read it a final time, then folded it again. He glanced at his watch. “If we hurry, we can get it to his office before he leaves.”

“Allons.”
CoCo gave Felicia a quick hug.

“Let me know what the sheriff says,” Felicia hollered behind them.

Luc opened the door for CoCo. He slipped behind the steering wheel of the SUV. “I hope he's still there. It is Friday.”

“Me, too.” CoCo blew her bangs off her forehead and stared out the window.

He punched the accelerator and headed down the driveway. Gravel spun and popped against the undercarriage with little pings.

“Do you have any clue who could have written that letter?” She peered back at him.

“I can't even begin to imagine.”

The tires hit the blacktop, zinging in the heat. The sun teased the tips of the trees. All too soon, July would fade in the Louisiana heat and August would be upon them.

CoCo licked her lips. “He never said anything about this letter to you?”

“Not a single word.” He gripped the steering wheel tighter, despite feeling as if the leather would melt against his hands. “You know, Grandfather didn't actually confide in me much, now that I think about it.” Much? How about never? With all that had been uncovered, Luc couldn't help but replay every conversation he'd shared with his grandfather. Upon doing so, he realized Grandfather hadn't ever, not once, opened up to him. So much for strong family ties.

“Let me guess, he confided in Justin.”

He cut his gaze to her, held her stare for a moment, then focused back on the road. “They are brothers, you know.”

She let out a long sigh. “I know. I just don't think your uncle likes me very much.”

“He likes you. He never said anything against you while we were…”

“Together?”

“Yes, together.”

Her laughter filled the vehicle and set his heart on fire. “I wouldn't think he would. That would be bad, now wouldn't it?”

He joined her with a chuckle of his own. “Shows how much you know about Uncle Justin. Trust me, if he didn't like you, he'd have let me hear about it.”

“Really?” Her laughter ceased.

Luc felt her stare before he turned to meet it. “Yeah. He's pretty outspoken about his likes and dislikes.”

“Oh.” She leaned her head against the headrest, her hair splaying over the tan leather.

Here she sat beside him, and he had to force himself to concentrate on driving. How long had he dreamed of having her back at his side? He needed to figure out a way that they could prove their innocence.

She sat upright and dug around in her purse. “Can you run me by the post office right quick? I need to mail this.” She waved a large envelope.

“If it's that important, of course.”

“It's my grant proposal to the Center.”

His mouth went dry.

“Look, I know this is a sore subject with you, Luc, but it's important to me. It's who I am.”

She was right—it was who she was. “I know.” He flipped on the blinker to turn in to the post office.

“Merci,”
she all but whispered.

They made the rest of the drive in a comfortable silence. Luc's every sense was acutely aware of CoCo—her breathing pattern, her nervous gesture of chewing her bottom lip, her wiping her palms against her shorts. If he tried hard enough, he could even pick up the sweet smell of coconuts clinging to her hair. He slammed the vehicle into Park with a jerk.

She snapped to look at him. “Something wrong?”

“Just ready to get some answers,” he said and stepped from the vehicle.

Once again his luck held. Bubba's cruiser sat outside.

He opened her door and helped her out, then kept his hand on the small of her back as he led her into the sheriff's office. The air-conditioning felt nice against his skin, which heated from the contact with CoCo's back.

Missy smiled when he leaned over the counter. Then her gaze drifted to CoCo standing close by his side. Missy's smile slipped. “What can I help you two with?” Her stare darted between them.

“We need to see the sheriff.”

“I see.” She lifted the receiver to her ear and whispered into it, all the while staring at CoCo as if she had a piece of cabbage stuck in her teeth. Missy let the phone drop back on its cradle with a thunk. “He'll be right out.”

“Thank you,” CoCo said smiling sweetly.

Luc recognized that smile—as fake as Missy's platinum hair color. He pressed his lips together and turned to watch Bubba stride to the counter.

“Luc! What brings you by so late again?”

CoCo moved toward the sheriff. Bubba's eyes widened. “And CoCo. What're you doing here?”

Although Bubba didn't say it, his eyes finished the question—what're you doing here with him? Luc laid his hand in the small of CoCo's back again, guiding her toward the swinging door, but the thrill he got from touching her didn't dissipate. “We have something else to show you.”

Bubba led the way as he had before. Luc could feel the heat from Missy's stare. He knew that within five minutes, most of the townspeople would know he and CoCo LeBlanc had come to the sheriff's office together. The knowledge brought a smile to his face. Maybe he should send Missy a thank-you card.

“So, whatcha got?” Bubba asked as soon as they were seated.

Luc handed him the folded note.

“Another letter?” Bubba took the paper, unfolded it, read it, then set it on his desk. “Any idea who it's from?”

“Not a clue. This is the first time I've really seen, up close, the animosity my grandfather invoked in people.”

The sheriff turned his scrutiny to CoCo. “What do you know about this?”

“I found some Confederate coins on my property.” She squirmed in her seat, glancing quickly at Luc before giving her full attention to Bubba. “I had one appraised. They're authentic.” She nodded toward the letter. “They match the etching on the bottom of the page.”

“Uh-huh. I see.” Bubba grabbed an empty water bottle to hold his tobacco juice. “So whoever wrote this letter knew those coins were at your place.”

“I believe so, yes.” She swallowed, looking away from the revolting bottle.

Luc didn't blame her. It was disgusting. He cleared his throat. “Obviously my grandfather knew the coins were there, too. If this person knew to use that as confirmation of knowing what was in the LeBlanc house.”

“Which is why he served my grandmother an eviction notice as soon as he found out about the coins. He wanted to get his hands on them.” CoCo lowered her voice a notch. “And whatever proof is hiding in my house. Proof most likely connected to the Klan.”

“We don't know that,” Luc interjected, throwing a hard look at her.

She met his stare and lifted her chin. If he weren't aggravated with her accusations, he'd find the gesture cute and endearing.

“Okay, it's
probably
why.” Defiance wrinkled into her face. “It's the only thing that makes sense. The trigger to serving the eviction notice. I mean, isn't it odd that he serves his eviction notice and then the next day he's murdered?” She shook her head when Bubba opened his mouth. “Isn't that entirely too convenient to point the finger at my family?”