Rachel's Rebellion (Moss Bayou) (26 page)

They shared
a chuckle as they returned to silence once more. They were getting closer.
Rachel didn’t know if her nerves would be able to take another mile much less
the remaining seventy eight.

“I think
this trip will help us get passed the sadness and the fears and…” Lily stopped
talking.

“I know,” Rachel
said softly. “It’s been a lot to process.”

“Laurel’s
funeral was sad, wasn’t it?”

“Yes,” she
murmured.

Laurel Cross
had kept her life separate from Moss Bayou and even with that sad truth, the
town filled St. Anthony’s for her funeral. The Cross family grieved the loss
and tried to find the answers to questions left by her death. To Violet and
Owen Cross, it was an especially bitter pill to swallow once Aurora Prescott’s
role had been revealed. As Tanner said after his sister’s funeral, Aurora
Prescott survived her gunshot wound because she owed Laurel and so many others
a life in prison. Tanner’s mother walked away from her sister the day the news
broke.

Aurora Prescott’s only reaction to her arrest had been a
smirk for a news camera. That smirk enraged the town of Moss Bayou. Rachel
didn’t think Aurora Prescott would find much sympathy in the town she’d called
home for so many years. Silas Prescott’s funeral had been small and attended by
only Felicity Prescott Haynes and Patrice Collier Prescott, Edward’s widow.
Before the coffin was completely lowered into the ground, both women had left
town.

“Tyler was
devastated,” Rachel commented.

“Yes, he
was,” Lily agreed. “I think he really loved Laurel.”

“Think so,
too.” She nodded. “Poor Heather felt guilty that she hadn’t been able to do
more.”

“Luke didn’t
make that whole thing any easier,” Lily added. “I wonder if they’ll work things
out. Get back together.”

“I think
Luke and Heather love each other,” she chuckled. “They’re just really
stubborn.”

They laughed,
but there was something a little sad in knowing Luke and Heather were not
together. Even though his interest in Heather had begun when she and Luke were
still dating, she really believed they belonged together. She held no bitter
feelings. Never had.

Lily exited
the interstate for gas. Rachel took the opportunity to visit the restroom and
pick up a couple drinks for them while Lily pumped the gas. Walking into the
store, the first thing she saw was a large man. A large man not unlike T-Bob
Chaisson. That early Saturday morning when T-Bob forced his way into her
apartment with a frightened Lily tried to creep into her brain. She stopped the
memories. T-Bob Chaisson was locked away. He couldn’t hurt them anymore. Mullet
Guillot couldn’t hurt them, either. Both sat behind bars awaiting the trial
process that would keep them from hurting anyone ever again. With Denny Dennis
and Silas Prescott both dead, there was no one left to tell them what to do
anymore. Mullet and T-Bob had to rely on themselves now. In prison.

Once she
visited the restroom, she grabbed drinks for her and Lily and stood in the
checkout line. Lily walked past her, heading for the restroom. When it was her
turn, she paid for the drinks and made her way to Lily’s car. She looked over
the parking lot for what she didn’t really know. It had become a habit of sorts
to survey her surroundings. What she saw were people coming and going. The
bright sunshine warming the last Saturday of April. No one looked suspicious.
No one looked like they were hiding deadly secrets. Like Russ Patterson.

Again, she
mentally slapped the fears and doubts away. Russ Patterson was locked up and no
longer a threat. CJ’s bullet hadn’t been a shot to kill. He had been quickly
patched up and taken away. Disgraced.

“Stop thinking
about it,” Lily scolded as she sat in the driver’s seat.

“I guess it
all still wants to replay in my mind sometimes. Let’s face it. Russ Patterson
fooled the world.”

“Yes, he
did.” Lily started the car and soon the store was behind them and I-49 stretched
before them once again. “You know what I think about when Russ pops into my
mind now?”

“What?”

“The night
Edward Prescott kidnapped Hope from Kelly’s.” Lily paused. “Remember how he
was? Instead of rushing to find Hope, he spent time dissing Charlie to Brody.”

“I thought
Luke and Russ were going to come to blows,” Rachel added.

“Dex arrived
just in time.”

Rachel
nodded. “What do you make of CJ Adams in all of this?”

“Never
would’ve guessed.”

“Her plan was
ridiculous.” Rachel shook her head. “I’m not a cop and even I know that.”

“She says
differently,” Lily croaked. “Swears she was trying to serve the investigation.”

“Whatever
that means,” Rachel replied.

“It means
she screwed up and she got caught.”

Rachel
agreed. CJ Adams had placed everyone in greater danger because she wanted to
prove herself. She’d felt left out of the main investigation, she’d said.
Spending time as a waitress, eavesdropping was not what she considered a good
assignment. She had admitted that she had developed unreturned feelings for a
co-worker but that was only part of what made her go out on her own. However,
she did admit that her feelings for the co-worker were why she tried to make a
bust on her own. If her plan had worked she thought he would see her a little
differently. CJ’s plan had been to play Russ Patterson and his ego. Pretend a
romantic interest, feed him just enough information to get him to trust her and
lead her where she wanted to go. She wanted to prove she could play the
undercover role as well as any veteran cop. When Russ pulled out the gun to
shoot Rachel and Lily, that’s when she claimed she saw the error in judgment as
she called it.

“Maybe we
should feel a little sorry for CJ?”

Lily’s
expression was all the reply Rachel needed but still Lily asked, “Are you
crazy?”

“She didn’t
get anything she thought she would,” Rachel reminded her.

“No. Thank
God.” Lily gave her a look. “She didn’t get him, either.”

“Now she has
nothing.”

“Her fault. Not
mine.” Lily said with a point of her finger. “It’s not like she deserved to
keep her job. She was a rookie from what I’ve heard. The whole probationary
thing applied.”

Rachel
agreed. But something about CJ still invoked sympathy for the woman’s situation.

“What do you
think testifying before a Grand Jury will be like?” Lily asked.

“No clue,”
Rachel said with a shrug.

“Why does
Travis Haynes have to be indicted after being arrested?”

Rachel
laughed. “Again. No clue. Something about he wasn’t really involved so much as
he just leaked information.”

“Guess he
wasn’t offered a plea deal,” Lily retorted. “Tamra Till’s deal must have been a
doozy.”

“She was
granted immunity for her testimony,” Rachel informed her.

“Wow.”

Yes. Wow. So
many players. So many deaths. Russ Patterson had been cleaning house. One
bullet at a time. Ordered by Silas and Aurora Prescott to take care of
unnecessary witnesses, Russ went a step further than that. T-Bob, Mullet, &
Whiskers hadn’t been necessary according to the Prescotts but Denny was
considered a main ingredient to their recipe for success. Russ didn’t want
Denny to talk, either. Russ had had his own plans. Kill everyone who could link
him to the crimes and take the money and run. His one error had been Travis
Haynes. The sheriff’s office detective not only had knowledge but was willing
to talk.

“What a ride
that week was,” Rachel finally said.

“Yes, it
was.” A smile tried to overtake Lily’s face. “Let’s change the subject.”

“What shall
we talk about?”

Rachel
watched as Lily opened her mouth and then clamped her lips together.

Lily changed
lanes but didn’t speak. As she passed a trucker in the right lane, the truck’s
horn sounded. Neither acknowledged it.

Rachel
couldn’t stand it. “So Wyatt Hawke is off limits for discussion?”

“Please. For
now.” Lily gave her a quick glance.

“Fine, Lily.
You roll with that.” Rachel eyed her.

“If we have
to discuss Wyatt…we have to discuss Gabe.”

It was
Rachel’s turn to open her mouth and then quickly clamp it shut. She didn’t want
to discuss Gabriel. And yet, she did. After two weeks of very limited
communication, she didn’t know anymore.

The road
traveled on as her mind filled with all things Gabriel Deacon. She loved him.
There was no doubt of that. But, did he love her? The past two weeks had left
her alone. Lonely. In the beginning there had been quick texts and some phone
calls. While the arrests had been made, there was still a lot of work to do,
he’d told her. In his defense, he had warned her. Forewarned or not, she missed
him. She missed Gabriel so much it physically hurt. Especially, when she was
alone in her bed with nothing but the memory of when he’d been in that bed with
her.

“Why are we
doing this again?” She needed Lily to convince her once more.

“Because you
love him, Rachel.”

Yes. She
loved him. It was that simple and that complicated all in the same package.

“What if…”

“Don’t,”
Lily cut her off. “You have a plan, remember? Work things out, find a job there
so you can be with him.”

“What about
you and Wyatt?”

Lily didn’t
answer immediately. Finally, she said, “It’s just a weekend bit of fun.”

“You mean
you’re not going to confess your love and marry him?”

Lily looked
at her momentarily. “Marry him? My name would be Lily Hawke. I’d have to go
through life with the name of some old war plane.”

Rachel
laughed. “You know what they say about protesting too much and all that, Lily
Quinn.”

Rachel
laughed once more as Lily broke into a grin. No, she couldn’t hide the truth.
Lily had a thing for Wyatt Hawke and that scared the hell out of her. Maybe
this trip would help Lily see the truth. Or better yet, maybe this trip would
help Lily admit the truth.

After more
miles of silence, Lily finally announced, “I-20 up ahead.”

Butterflies
attacked her stomach with the fierceness of thousands of bats. She felt her
hand shake as she unnecessarily adjusted her sunglasses. Was she doing the
right thing? He didn’t know she was about to invade his life. He didn’t know
she was anywhere near Shreveport. He certainly didn’t know Wyatt Hawke had set
it all up.

The car’s
navigation system tracked the journey. When the ramp taking them onto I-20
neared, the system’s feminine voice told Lily to prepare. Following the
prompts, Lily made the turns, drove the designated miles, made another series
of turns, and then pulled into the apartment complex where Wyatt Hawke stood by
a dark blue SUV. As he stood beside the shiny Escalade, he looked nothing like
Wylie. Not a loud Hawaiian shirt in sight. His dark blonde hair was neatly cut
and his face was free of the ever present stubble he’d constantly worn. Dressed
in a black shirt with a gold badge and wording emblazoned on the left breast
and black tactical pants, with the gun holstered to his hip. Wyatt now looked
like a cop. A totally hot cop.

She looked
toward Lily as the car stopped beside Wyatt. Rachel felt her nerves jitter a
little more as Lily left the car and went into Wyatt’s arms. Would Gabe be that
easy? What if he hadn’t spoken to her for a reason? A reason like maybe it was
over. Like the investigation, it was only a matter of coming to an end.

“Stop
fretting, Honey.” Wyatt grinned the grin they come to know so well. “This is
what you both need. He’s been miserable.”

“Then why
are we doing this without his knowledge?” She asked.

“Honey,
Gabe’s miserable.” Again, Wyatt grinned. “Trust me.”

Lily nodded
her head as Wyatt handed her a lone key on a key ring.

“Go,
Rachel,” Lily urged. “Just do it.”

Rachel
hesitated. “I’m not so sure now.”

“I need to
spend a little time with Fancy,” Wyatt teased. “You’re not invited. Go!”

She was
being silly. She’d just traveled five hours to drop destiny in Gabriel Deacon’s
lap. She needed to do this. Without another word, she reached into the backseat
for the large bag that held everything she would need for the weekend. Placing
the leather strap on her shoulder, she said goodbye to Lily and Wyatt and moved
toward the stairs Wyatt pointed out.

With each
step, she climbed closer and closer to what she wanted. Once she reached the
door labeled as sixteen ten, she inserted the key Wyatt had provided. The
apartment door opened and the sight before her was scarier than had it been
Gabriel himself.

As she
stepped further inside and shut the door behind her, her eyes looked along one
wall and then the other. The combination living, dining, and kitchen area was
filled along every wall with boxes. She turned. The only furniture was a brown
couch and a small end table. The dents in the carpeting told her that until
recently, more furniture had been in the apartment. Where was it? Where was he
going?