False Pretenses (12 page)

Zoe opened her eyes and saw faces peering down at her. Adele. Julien. Edward. What happened? She remembered talking with Adele and feeling sick and dizzy.

“Shelby, you passed out, hon,” Adele said. “I need to go call Doctor Willis.”

Zoe reached out and took Adele by the wrist. “No. Please. I’m fine. I just skipped breakfast and shouldn’t have. I’m a little shaky. My blood sugar is probably low.”

“You gave us quite a scare,” Julien said.

“I’m fine. Really. I just need to eat something high protein.”

“Goodness, now
I’m
feeling a little puny.” Adele fanned herself with her hand. “Why don’t I have Laura Beth bring you a smoked turkey and cheese sandwich and a glass of milk? How’s that sound?”

“Perfect. I’m really sorry to be so much trouble.” Could she keep anything down? She had to force herself to eat so she would feel well enough to finish what she had come to do.

“For a moment, hon, I thought I was going to have to contact your husband to authorize medical treatment. I looked through your purse … and got your home phone number off your checks.”

The intensity of Adele’s questioning gaze caused Zoe to look away, feeling at the same time terrified, embarrassed, and strangely relieved. It was too late to turn back. Adele knew she was not going by the name Shelby Sieger.

“Julien. Edward. You can leave us now,” Adele said.

Both men gave a slight bow and quietly left the sunroom, their footsteps echoing in the long hallway. What now? Was Adele going to interrogate her?

Adele pushed the intercom. “Laura Beth, I’m going to have lunch in the sunroom with my guest. Would you please make us turkey and cheese sandwiches on that delicious sourdough? I’d like a bowl of fresh fruit with that. And milk … Yes, that’s all for now.”

Adele took the lid off a copper box on one of the end tables and reached inside. She took out a couple packages of something wrapped in cellophane and handed them to Zoe. “You probably should eat these cheese crackers right away, hon. You’ll feel better.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Woodmore. I’m sorry to be so much trouble.”
You don’t know the half of it.

Adele resumed her place on the floral love seat, her thin white eyebrows furrowed, her hands folded in her lap. “After you’re feeling better, I expect you to tell me why you’re
really
here, Shelby—or whatever your name is now. I’m a straightforward person. I know a lot more than you give me credit for.”

CHAPTER 11

Zoe looked into Adele’s questioning eyes and took in a slow, deep breath and let it out. And then did it again. She just wanted to come clean without being questioned by the police—and without causing the woman any more pain than was necessary. The turkey sandwich had made her feel much better. Why couldn’t she find her voice?

“Take your time, hon. If there’s something else I can have Laura Beth bring you, just ask. But we’re going to sit right here until we clear this up.”

Zoe’s pulse raced. She could do this. She had to do this. “I-I
want
to clear this up, Mrs. Woodmore. The name you saw on my checks is my married name, Zoe Broussard. I changed my name to Zoe Benoit right before I stopped working for you.”

“Whatever for, hon?”

“I wanted to divorce myself from my family and blend into the Cajun culture. I lied to you about my parents. My father was a mean drunk—a real loser. My mother was weak and never lifted a finger to protect herself—
or
me. Not from the beatings. And not from”—Zoe looked at her hands and swallowed the anger that formed a knot in her throat—“not from his inappropriate advances. My brother left home at seventeen and toured with a rock band. I almost never saw him after that. I didn’t want the name Sieger, and I didn’t plan on ever having a married name since men repulsed me and I planned to be single the rest of my life.”

There, she said it. Probably the truest statement she’d ever made. What must Adele think of her?

“I can understand that, hon.” Adele’s voice was gentle. “But you were in my employ for six years. Why did you wait all that time to change your name?”

Zoe blinked the sting from her eyes. “Partly because I didn’t want to have to tell you
why
I was doing it. I couldn’t stand the thought of you knowing the ugly truth about my family. I hated feeling like I was trash. I hated the disgusting memories. Sometimes … I even hated my parents. But that’s not the only reason I changed my name.”

Adele cocked her head. “Oh?”

Zoe felt a hot tear trail down her cheek. “When I gave you notice, I told you I was going back to Devon Springs to take care of my sick mother. That was a lie. Almost everything I told you was a lie. I even lied to cover the lies. I honestly don’t remember half of what I did tell you about my family.” Zoe took the napkin off her plate and dabbed her eyes. “I just wanted to get away from all that.”

“But you were away from it, hon. You were here with me.”

“I know, but that’s not what I mean.” Zoe sighed. “No offense, Mrs. Woodmore, you treated me well, and I appreciated the room and board. Working here got me away from my parents, but I was dependent on you. That’s not the future I had in mind.”

Zoe looked into Adele’s eyes and saw only kindness. Could a distinguished lady like her, a woman of means, ever understand how diminished she had felt by the abuse? Or how desperate she had been for a new life?

“Well, did you find what you had in mind?”

Zoe chewed her lip. “Yes, I did. But I made some … compromises.
That’s
why I came here to talk to you.”

“Go on.”

“Actually what prompted this visit is that I recently started receiving anonymous notes, each with only five words:
I know what you did.
That can only mean one thing, and my life will be ruined if it comes out. What I’m about to tell you is what I think that person knows, and what I believe he wants to hold over my head. I’m not proud of what I’m about to tell you, but I hope you can forgive me and allow me to make things right.”

“I’m listening, hon.”

Zoe wiped the perspiration off her lip. Once she admitted the truth, she couldn’t take it back. What choice did she have now? She’d come too far to shut down.

“Mrs. Woodmore … I-I deceived you. I’m the one who stole your diamond ring. I took it off your finger while you were sleeping. I’m so ashamed. I knew you trusted me, and I took advantage of it.”

Adele looked out the window and seemed to stare at nothing. Finally she said, “I’m not surprised.”

“You’re not?”

“I suspected as much. You were different after that.”

“Yet you never confronted me.”

“Child, you looked me straight in the eyes—and the police and the insurance company—and said you knew nothing about it. I couldn’t prove otherwise. But regardless, it wasn’t worth ruining your young life over. I’d grown very fond of you. I suppose I wanted to be wrong.”

Zoe felt the heat color her cheeks. “How come you didn’t make up a reason to get rid of me? How could you trust me if you thought I stole from you and lied about it?”

“I didn’t trust you, but I trusted God. I knew He had a plan in all this. I prayed and prayed that you’d tell me the truth and unburden yourself.” Adele folded her hands in her lap. “Took you a while, hon. But here you are.”

“Ten years is a lot more than a
while
,” Zoe said. “I’m sorry for what I did. I was raised Catholic. I knew it was wrong to steal. But I wasn’t going to get ahead unless I got a break—and there it was. I couldn’t resist.” Zoe wiped a tear off her cheek. “I justified my actions by convincing myself that your insurance would cover it.”

“Well, you were right. But that’s not the point now, is it?”

“No, ma’am.”

“I’d like to know what happened after you took my ring, Zoe.”

“I hid it in my closet, in the zippered pocket of a jacket I never wore. Six months later, I found someone in New Orleans who paid me fifteen thousand for it. I opened three bank accounts there and deposited five thousand dollars in each. Then, to avoid suspicion, I waited almost a year before I changed my name. Once it was legal, I gave you notice.”

“You’re even more resourceful than I thought.” Adele’s eyes turned to slits. “Why did you choose Les Barbes?”

“I fell in love with the place the first time I laid eyes on it—the live oaks draped with Spanish moss, the old-world architecture, people who seemed connected to each other. I did some checking, and according to the chamber of commerce, the tourist trade would easily support another eating establishment. I picked the surname Benoit so I could pass for Cajun. It worked. The community accepted me with open arms. I can’t tell you how much better it felt to be Cajun than poor white trash.”

Adele stared out the window. Finally she said, “How did you use the fifteen thousand dollars? That doesn’t seem like enough to fund a business.”

“I started small, and I worked hard. I signed a lease to rent half an old building in the downtown. I lived in the apartment upstairs and opened the eatery downstairs. I painted the walls and refinished the floors by myself. I bought used tables and chairs and furnishings. I made curtains and tablecloths. It was darling.”

“I see. And what name did you give it?”

“Zoe B’s. I read everything I could get my hands on about Cajun culture and cuisine. I’m a pretty good cook, and I experimented with recipes until I perfected a few. I hired a chef for several years. And after I married Pierce, he became the chef. We make a good team. I didn’t even have to change the name Zoe B’s, since my married name is Broussard.”

“So you were able to make a go of your business?”

Zoe nodded. “Finally. We’re doing really well, but I’ll be ruined if the people in Les Barbes find out I acquired the eatery with dishonest money. And my husband, Pierce, can’t know. He just can’t. It’ll break his heart, and it’ll be the end of my marriage. That’s why I came here today. I figure whoever left those notes will have nothing to hold over me once I confess everything to you and work out a plan to pay you back.”

“You make fixing it sound so simple.” Adele’s chin quivered. “Did you know my late husband, Alfred, had the ring specially made for our fiftieth anniversary? It was a surprise. He had gone all the way to South Africa to find a perfect diamond for the solitaire. He died a few months later. That ring was the most precious possession I ever had. It was worth twice what you got for it, but no amount of money could ever replace the sentiment.”

Zoe’s heart sank. Could she feel any lower? But would it really have stopped her from stealing it, had she known Adele felt that way about it? “I’m sorry. I was only thinking of myself and what it would take to be out on my own. I never meant to cause you pain. Let me make this right without involving the police and without Pierce finding out. I’d die if I lost him. I never thought I could love or trust a man, but he’s more important to me than anything.”

Adele was quiet for a moment and seemed to be pondering something. “So you think the person who left you the notes knows how you got the money to start Zoe B’s and plans to extort money from you to keep quiet?”

“Sure looks that way. There’s nothing else for anyone to hang over my head.”

“Do you have any idea who it might be?”

Zoe shook her head. “Absolutely none. But it’s irrelevant if I can square things with you, without involving the police. Please, could we just have your attorney draw up papers with a schedule for me to pay back the money? The statute of limitations has run, and the police wouldn’t be able to make any charges stick. There’s no reason for Pierce to know.”

“Haven’t secrets caused you enough pain?” Adele said. “Wouldn’t it be better all the way around if you just told your husband the truth?”

“I can’t do that. He loves Zoe Benoit, not Shelby Sieger.”

“But she’s one and the same, hon.”

“Not to Pierce. He thinks I’m Cajun. That means a lot to him. He can’t know I lied about that. Or that I stole from you. It’d break his heart. I just want to pay back the money and put all this behind me.”

Adele traced the flowers on the arm of the love seat. “Assuming I’m willing to go along with some sort of repayment, don’t forget I collected thirty thousand dollars from the insurance company. I’ll need to give that money back. There will be questions, hon. And another thorough investigation. All this will come out. They may decide to file a civil suit of some kind.”

“That’s why you can’t tell them I stole the ring.” Zoe suddenly felt hot all over. “Please, Mrs. Woodmore. You don’t have to give back the money until I pay you in full. I promise I’ll give you every penny. I’ve thought about this, and I can come up with a thousand a month. I’ll have you paid back in thirty months. Let’s do this quietly so Pierce doesn’t find out. Just have your attorney draw up the papers.”

Adele twirled a white curl on her temple. “I forgive you for stealing from me, Zoe. And I’m open to your paying me back by the month. But I don’t want to be a party to deception.”

“The insurance company has already been deceived. After I pay you back, you can return the money to them. They’ll be shocked that you’re so honest, and I doubt they’ll care
why
you returned it.”

“But you’re deceiving your husband, hon.”

“I’ve never had the courage to tell him about my father’s abuse. I told him my parents died in a house fire. He thinks it was my inheritance money that bought Zoe B’s. He’ll be devastated if he finds out the truth.”

“Not if he loves you. It’d take time and effort to regain his trust, but you’d be free of the lies.”

“Pierce and I never talk about my past. I lied to him way back in the beginning of our relationship. But it’s history. It’s not worth risking what I have now to dredge all that up. Please, Mrs. Woodmore. Can’t we work out a payment plan and keep it between us? That’s the only way I know to stop whoever is sending me the notes.”

Adele fingered the gold cross on the pendant around her neck and seemed miles away. Finally she turned to Zoe. “I’ll talk to my attorney about drawing up the papers. But I’m going to talk to God about your dilemma. Paying me back is merely a Band-Aid, hon. You’re never going to be free as long as you’re living a lie.”