Charmaine backed away from the bed, then whirled around and fled. By the time she returned to her room, Aric had joined Nola.
"You've got to come downstairs right away, Mrs. Fortier," Nola said. "The sheriff's here and he wants to talk to you."
Charmaine's gaze linked with Aric's. "If they want to see Booth, you'd better tell Sheriff Long that Mr. Fortier is sick and on medication and can't be disturbed."
"Ronnie's handling things with the sheriff right now," Aric said. "But the sheriff's wanting to see you. He says it's about Jaron."
Yes, of course it was about Jaron. Undoubtedly his body had been found. The law had come here to tell her that her brother was dead. Strange. Everyone in this house probably already knew that Booth had ordered Jaron's execution.
"Is Charlie back yet?" Charmaine asked, amazed at her calmness.
"No, ma'am. We're not expecting him back for a while," Aric replied.
"Is Curt here?"
"Curt's at the warehouse tonight."
Charmaine nodded. "I'd appreciate it if you stayed up here to keep an eye on Booth. We can't have him waking up and making a scene in front of the sheriff." Charmaine looked directly at Aric and saw from his expression that he understood her meaning.
"Yes, ma'am, I'll see that Mr. Fortier stays put. And you let Ronnie handle things with the sheriff."
She caught an odd look in Aric's black eyes. Sympathy? Yes, that was it. Aric knew the sheriff was going to tell her Jaron was dead and Aric felt sorry for her.
"Nola, get me my robe, please." Charmaine allowed Nola to help her into her robe, then she belted it tightly, put on her house slippers and marched into the hall. She took her time, bolstering up her strength as she made her way downstairs. She found Ronnie in the living room with Sheriff Long. Both men turned to face her when she entered the room. Ronnie watched her intently and she could tell that he wanted to hold her, comfort her. The sheriff's eyes widened when he noticed her battered face. If he asked, she knew what to say. I tripped over a stool and fell into the door. Wasn't that the standard response for abused wives?
"What brings you out to our neck of the woods, Sheriff?" Charmaine asked, as if she didn't have a clue.
"I hate to be the one to deliver bad news, Mrs. Fortier, but I don't suppose bad news is anything you haven't heard before… considering…"
"Please, deliver your news and forget about preaching a sermon on the evils of crime. It's wasted here."
"Yes, ma'am, you got that right." Eugene Long removed his hat and held it at his side. "No easy way to say it, so I'll just tell you straight. Your brother, Jaron Vaden, is dead. He was knifed to death and his body dumped outside the Belle Foret estate belonging to Ms. Grace Beaumont, over in La Durantaye Parish. "
The words bounced off her heart, like arrows off a shield. She had already cried, already mourned her brother. And she would again. In private. And in Ronnie's arms, if that was possible. She closed her eyes for a split second and allowed the reality of Jaron's death to sink in fully.
"Ma'am, are you all right?" the sheriff asked.
Before she could respond, Ronnie was at her side, a strong, steady hand on her shoulder. "Would you like to sit down? Or do you need a drink or-"
"I'm all right." She looked directly at the sheriff. "When may we have the body? I'll need to plan a funeral."
"Can't say for sure, but it could be a few days. Maybe a week or more. Gotta do an autopsy and all."
"You said Jaron was knifed to death… could they tell by looking at his body if he'd been tortured?"
Sheriff Long swallowed hard. His forehead dotted with perspiration. "Hell, Mrs. Fortier, what do you think?"
Ronnie grasped Charmaine's arm. "Mrs. Fortier, maybe I should call a doctor for you."
"No, that won't be necessary." Why did she suddenly feel faint?
"Any chance of me talking to Mr. Fortier tonight?" the sheriff asked.
"My husband has been ill-"
"I've already explained that Mr. Fortier is under doctor's orders to stay in bed and he's been given a sleeping pill," Ronnie said.
"Well, that's it then, folks." The sheriff plopped his hat down on his head, knowing it would be useless to pursue the matter tonight.
Ronnie lowered his head and whispered in Charmaine's ear. "Wait right here." Then he walked the lawman to the door.
Charmaine felt nothing, only a blessed numbness. Jaron was dead. She soon would be. But before she died, she intended to find a way to save Ronnie.
"He's gone," Ronnie said as he returned to the living room and closed the pocket doors in order to give them a little privacy.
She looked at him. Could he see inside her, deep inside her? Did he realize she was a soulless creature, that a part of her spirit had died tonight along with Jaron?
Ronnie pulled her into his arms and held her. "Go ahead and cry."
"What if someone comes in and sees us?"
"Just act like you've fainted and I'll pretend I'm catching you."
She lifted her hand and caressed his cheek, then brushed a kiss across his lips. "I've already cried. Can't you tell. Just look at me. I'm a mess."
"I'm getting you out of here as soon as I can," Ronnie whispered, as if he suspected the walls had ears. "Booth had Jaron killed, didn't he?"
"You didn't know-I mean before the sheriff came tonight?"
"No." He shook his head. "But you knew, didn't you?"
"Jaron was the traitor. I didn't know what he was doing, not until it was too late to stop him. I begged him not to go through with it. I told him Booth would find out."
Ronnie cradled Charmaine's face with his hands. "Play dumb, do you hear me? Tomorrow when Booth sees you act like you're shocked about Jaron. Put on a real show. Pretend you had no idea Jaron would do such a thing."
"I don't understand…"
He squeezed her face gently. "I can't explain more. Just trust me, will you, Charmaine? I love you and I'm going to take you away from all this very soon. Do you believe me?"
She smiled. Tears misted her eyes. She'd been wrong when she thought she could no longer feel anything. Ronnie made her feel, but he couldn't give her hope, no matter how much he wanted to.
"I trust you," she told him. "I believe you."
But she didn't believe. She knew he meant what he said about taking her away from Booth, but Jaron had made her the same promise. And look where that had gotten him. She was trapped, more so than ever. With no way out.
"Promise me something, will you?" She laid her hand over his heart. "Don't risk your life for me. I want you safe, no matter what."
"Charmaine, I can't-"
She placed two fingers over his lips to silence him. "Promise me that even if you can't save me, you'll save yourself."
"How can I promise you such a thing?"
"If you love me as much as I love you, you'll do it."
"I promise that I'll save us both."
"Oh, Ronnie, no…"
"Yes. It's both of us or neither of us."
In that moment, she knew that Ronnie Martine truly loved her. She knew she could trust him. But she also knew that it was only a matter of time before Booth would have them killed… just as he'd had Jaron killed.
Chapter 15
"What do you mean you want to tell her everything?" Sawyer MacNamara growled the question. Jed's having phoned him in the middle of the night and wakened him from a sound sleep might have something to do with his less-than-pleasant attitude.