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“It was a fishing accident, correct? The Coast Guard would investigate that.”
“He got caught in the trawler net, and Alphé tried to rescue him, but he couldn’t cut through the net fast enough. He came up for air and dove in again, but it was too late. He was like a zombie for a year. It’s just been since Katrina came here that he seems like he’s returning to his old self.”
Austin looked at the pictures in the album, not seeing them, his investigator’s mind working double time. “Did he know his wife was sleeping with his brother at the time?”
“Alphé? No! He might have suspected she was unfaithful, but never with Rodney. Alphé worshiped his brother. Everyone worshiped Rodney.”
“It’s odd that it never came up in the Coast Guard investigation that the brother was sleeping with the wife of the guy who supposedly tried to rescue him.”
Like someone had thrown a bucket of hot water over her, Calista didn’t respond, so terribly sorry she’d ever told him the story. Was she that needy that she’d shared an intimate story with a stranger? Maybe this was the caveat that she was afraid would rear its ugly head.
He looked at her. “Don’t you think it’s odd?”
“Please, forget it, okay, Austin? I’m sorry I said anything to you about it. Alphé found out about it at the same time I did. Lola is having an affair with the guy who owns Casson Hardware. That’s who he thought his wife was with. No one else.”
“But wasn’t Rodney with Lola’s sister in high school? I remember Babette French.”
She gently took the photo album from him. The desire to spend any more time with him, to expose her children to him, to have anything more to do with him evaporated into thin air.
Austin was watching her. “I’ve upset you.”
“Yes. I’m sorry you’re here now.”
He sat forward, his antenna picking up information. “Wait! Are you protecting Alphé? What do you know?”
“I know nothing! You’re making up a story about something that doesn’t exist, stirring the pot because you have a hair in your ass about Alphé Beaumont. Maybe you need to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit in this one, Austin, because your imagination is taking over.”
“I don’t think it’s a made-up story. I think it’s an authentic story that needs to be looked into by real criminal investigators.”
“Are you serious?”
“I’m dead serious.”
“Then you’d better leave and never talk to me or my family again.”
“It’s my turn to ask you. Are you serious?”
“I’m dead serious. You will not come here and tell me you love my kids and want us to be a family, and then in the next breath let your imagination go wild and do something so heinous, so cruel as to accuse Alphé of murder. No.”
He watched her. “What are you saying, Calista?”
“I’m saying you have a choice to make right now. You are going to be loyal to my family, get rid of this ridiculous idea, or if you’re going to pursue it, leave and never contact me again.”
As he leaned back against couch, she could see the wheels turning in his head.
“You don’t have a family. You’ve said that. You don’t know what having a family means. My husband was a lothario, but he hid it well. No one knew about Lola and Rodney. If they did, they didn’t bother to tell me or Alphé.”
“I’m tired. I get crazy when I’m tired. I can feel you resisting me. Did I just ruin everything between us?”
“I don’t know, Austin, did you?” she cried. “Are you going to pursue it or not?”
“No. You have my word. I’m so sorry. Give me a chance, please, Calista. Give me a chance to gain your trust.”
He reached for her, kissing her and she yielded to him after all, loneliness overshadowing all her commonsense.
Chapter 6
The week went fast with everyone preparing for something big. Maggie had a doctor appointment on Thursday. Luke told Katrina Creole Cottage would be ready by the end of the week, so she arranged for the movers to come on Friday. Calista had a weekend with Austin Macon to look forward to.
