Bayou Justice. Robin Caroll

son, was out in his pirogue and hit a submerged stump. The boat capsized and somehow, Caleb broke his arm.”

      “How horrible. Did he drown?”

      “No.” Images of Caleb’s body threatened to choke her. Lord, make them go away. She gulped coffee, scalding her tongue, but it dulled the horror in her mind. “Best the police can guess is he started swimming toward the bank, but his broken arm slowed him down.” Another sip. “An alligator got him.”

      “That’s atrocious. Did they find his body?”

      She nodded, closing her eyes briefly against the memory. It didn’t block out the visuals in her head. “My grandmother heard his scream and called the police. She called me on my radio. I rushed over, arriving right before the police showed up.” She shuddered. “A gator had him in a death roll. I managed to get the gator off him, but it was too late.”

      They fell silent as the waitress returned with their plates and refilled their coffee before bustling away.

      “So, another family member found dead in the bayou would hurt the Trahans?”

      “Not just anywhere, but Grisson Landing. Both Caleb and Beau were found there.”

      Standing outside the sheriff’s office, Luc ducked under the cloth awning, gaining relief from the blistering sun. Not even noon, but the heat already danced in the red of the thermometer. Humidity had to be in the high eighty-percent range. Miserable, that’s the only way he could think to describe the weather.

      He let out a long breath. The sheriff hadn’t been in the office, having gone to the coroner’s for the autopsy. The thought twisted Luc’s stomach. He’d stayed up nearly half the night battling the image of his grandfather being shot. His prayers brought him little peace. Truth be told, guilt had followed his conversation with God. Guilt that he’d accused CoCo and her family of being involved with Beau’s murder. No matter what, Luc couldn’t picture her, her grandmother or her sister shooting his grandfather. After a long grappling with the Holy Spirit, Luc knew he needed to talk to CoCo.

      He should head out to her house, apologize and get back to hear what the sheriff learned from the autopsy. That’s what he should do, but his heart screamed at him to say he was sorry for more than accusations. Even if she never accepted his words. He didn’t know if he could look into her emotion-riddled eyes and not apologize for leaving her, for ending what could have been their happily ever after. Did that scenario exist?

      Staring out across the street, he spied CoCo’s Jeep. How ironic. No, that wasn’t it. He glanced heavenward. Guess I’m not gonna get out of this one, huh, God?

      No, the conviction sitting on his shoulders wouldn’t let him avoid what needed to be done. He walked across the street, heading toward her vehicle. Maybe he could leave a note and prevent having to see the pain in her eyes.

      The door to the local diner swung open and out waltzed CoCo with a tall black man. So much for avoiding. He took a step toward her. “CoCo…”

      Her eyes lit on him, not filled with pain or remorse as he’d imagined, but with anger and resentment. The urge to step away nearly strangled him.

      “What’re you doing here? Following me?”

      “Of course not. I just wanted to talk to you for a second.” His heart skittered like a young schoolboy’s.

      She held his gaze for a moment, before turning to the man beside her. “Dwayne Williams, this is Luc Trahan. Beau Trahan’s grandson.” She jerked her stare back to Luc. “This is Dwayne Williams, my attorney.”

      Luc shook the man’s hand, his mind reeling. Attorney. She’d followed through with her threat to hire one. That shouldn’t really surprise him. He turned his attention back to CoCo. “I only need a minute of your time.”

      “What do you want?” She sounded tired, run down. He’d never really thought about how draining the situation—finding the body—had to be for her.

      “I wanted to say I’m sorry.”

      She tilted her head to the side, her eyes twinkling from the glint of the sun. “For what?”

      Oh, she wasn’t about to make this any easier for him. “For accusing you and your family of being involved in my grandfather’s murder.” There, he’d said it, done what he’d been convicted to do. God, can I leave now?

      “So, you believe me?”

      He rolled a rock with the toe of his hiking boot. “Yeah.” He chanced looking into her eyes. Big mistake. Distrust flashed with the green. What was he doing? “I never really believed you could be involved.”

      “Then prove it.” Had her tone softened? Was that a crack in the wall behind her eyes?