Page 116 of The Lady on Esplanade
“I did it because I care about you, Nola.You’re important to me.”He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a ring box.I stared at it, confused and surprised at the same time.
He snapped open the lid to reveal the familiar platinum band of his mother’s engagement ring, but it now displayed a large round diamond held in place with new prongs.“The stone is from Mimi’s maternal grandmother’s ring, so it’s still a special heirloom, even without the original diamond.What do you think?”
“Oh…it’s beautiful.It’s just…I don’t…”
I felt his eyes on me and I found myself hoping that he couldn’t see the inside of my mind and the tightly coiled ball of conflictingemotions.Or maybe I wished he would, so that he could explain them to me.
Beau snapped the lid shut.“I hope Sam likes it.She loves old things that have a past.”He slipped the box back into his pocket.“I know you do, too, which is why I wanted to show you.I’m going to ask Jolene to help me plan a surprise proposal party.”
“Well, then,” I said, feeling motion sickness from riding the roller-coaster of relief and disappointment.“I’m sure she’ll love it.”
I sat back in my rocker, glad to return to somewhat familiar ground.“I’ve been meaning to ask you—was there really DNA evidence on the rings?The police wouldn’t tell me anything about that when they interviewed me.I have a call in to Bernie, since he’s got his ear to the ground and seems to know what’s going on before the police do.”
Beau grinned.“No, there wasn’t.Hair DNA has kind of lost favor in the court of law anyway, but I wagered on Camille not knowing that.Which was a solid bet, because she ended up with a broken shoulder and collarbone, along with a shattered knee and more charges against her than just murder.”
His expression sobered.“I did have a chance to talk with her while we waited for the ambulance, and she told me what happened to my mom.Maybe she wanted to clear her conscience, or maybe she thought confessing to me would make it easier on her later.Regardless, she told me that for days following the storm Charity was only accessible by boat, and the bottom floors were flooded.That’s why she told my mom she could find Sunny there.Adele didn’t question that, since it was Camille, and she didn’t hesitate.Henry was waiting for her.Unfortunately, so was Buddy.He’d returned to the shop right after Adele left, and Camille told him where to go.Henry had a gun, so Camille assumed he’d take care of the problem.”
“But that’s not what happened.”
Beau shook his head.“No.Buddy arrived too late, but not too late to see Henry strangling my mother.Dad tried to save her, but Henryhit him on the head with the gun.Henry thought he was dead, but when he returned to bury Adele, Dad was gone.When Dad didn’t show up again, they assumed he was wandering around with a head injury and didn’t know who he was.That’s why Madame Zoe warned us that we needed to find Buddy before anyone else did.Out of his mind or not, he’d witnessed Henry killing my mother, and that was a loose end they couldn’t afford.”
He spoke without emotion, separating himself from the story.
“By then Charity Hospital had been more or less abandoned, so it was the perfect place to hide her body.They didn’t plan on it ever being found.”He rocked back and forth, the sound of creaking floorboards mixing with that of the rustling leaves in the yard.
Beau continued.“I’m not sure if I should be grateful to Camille for telling me or angry and sad that all of that happened to my mother.”
I put my hand on his arm.“I think you should be feeling both.That’s pretty much life in a nutshell, isn’t it?The universe is pretty good at settling opposing emotions on us and then treating us like players in a spectator sport when we try to figure out what we’re supposed to do.”
“You think?”
“Do we have a choice?It’s not like we’re given a comment box for complaints.We have to go with whatever we’re given and make the most of it.”
He surprised me by grinning.“You know what, Nola?I wouldn’t call you an optimist by any stretch of the imagination, but I do love to hear your observations.”
“Thanks.I think.”I sat back, withdrawing my hand.“Has Adele gone, then?”
“I haven’t seen her.”
I didn’t point out that he hadn’t answered my question.
“At least we know what happened to her, and she’s home now.”
He nodded slowly, his gaze focused on the street in front of us.“I’m just glad it’s over.”
“But it’s not, is it?Not until you find your dad and bring him home.Assuming he’s still alive.”
“He is.That was the last thing Adele told me.Right before she told me to find him.”He stood suddenly, his chair rocking in his wake.
I followed his gaze to the street, and I immediately recognized the woman with the gold hoop earrings and the long salt-and-pepper hair.
“Madame Zoe,” I said, trying to exit my chair using just one leg and failing miserably.I watched through the porch railing’s balusters as she approached, each step bringing with it the sound of tiny ringing bells.She stopped at the foot of the steps.I wasn’t entirely surprised to see her at my house.She’d found me here once before.
Without preamble she said, “Do you still have the stones I gave you?”
“Actually—” Beau began before I interrupted.
“Yes.I have both pouches.And Adele’s stones, too.”
