Best Kept Secret (Rochester Trilogy 3)

“It turns out her death was misreported. She’s still alive, and back in town.”

The travel mug meets the desk with a thunk. “You’re kidding.”

“I’m not.” I can tell Lauren doesn’t quite believe me. There’s not much trust in her green eyes. She doesn’t owe me any. Lauren Michaels wanted to date when we were in school, and she got up the courage to tell me about it. And I, in classic Beau Rochester fashion, blew her off completely. Emily had moved to town by then and all I wanted in the world was to be near her. To impress her. To show her that I was going somewhere. “She’s resurfaced in town, and I’ve had a couple of conversations with her about the night her husband died.”

“Her husband. Your brother.”

“Yes. The night Rhys died.” I don’t know how far I can push this. The DA’s office is naturally tight with the police force. If Joe’s gotten to Lauren before me, she might make the situation worse. But there’s no one else to go to. “She’s told me that Joe Causey had some involvement with Rhys’s death.”

This is Lauren’s chance to deny it outright. She can express shock at the idea that Joe would ever be involved with something like that. But she just picks up her coffee again. Sips it. Looks at me over the rim of the travel mug. “Seems like everybody’s brother played a role.”

“He didn’t just play a role. If what Emily says is true, he shot Rhys and tried to do the same to her. She’s been in hiding ever since.”

“And her daughter has been with you.” This is known in town. There’s no such thing as privacy in a place this size. Everyone came to Rhys’s funeral and everyone knew Paige would be coming to live with me. We were the main source of gossip for weeks. “Is she looking to regain custody?”

“Ultimately, yes. But she can’t do that unless there’s some guarantee of her safety.”

“You said you’ve had a couple of conversations with her?”

“Yes. This morning, and yesterday.”

“How did she seem?”

Sad. That’s how she seemed. Sad, and tired, and slightly desperate. Like she’d been kept from her own heart. “She was nervous, but determined. Emily wants to get her daughter back.”

Lauren presses her lips together. “She’s been staying elsewhere, or here in town?”

“Here in town for most of it.” In a bare-bones cabin with no furniture and no heat in the winter. If that’s not commitment from a woman like Emily Rochester, I don’t know what is.

“And she never came forward to claim Paige? Never let on that she was alive?”

“Not until after the fire. Scared Joe as much as it scared me. At the time, I thought it was because he’d grieved for her.”

“You have a different opinion now.”

The summer day is coming alive outside Lauren’s windows. Jane and Paige will be finishing breakfast soon. Making plans to go to the beach or play Monopoly. “Emily Rochester is a lot of things, but she’s not a liar.”

A slight frown. “I hate to be insensitive, Beau.”

“Be insensitive. I’m the one who showed up here uninvited.”

She shrugs. “It’s a public building. I didn’t have any early meetings. Have you considered that your judgment might be clouded by your past history with Emily?”

“I’m not still in love with her, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“I wasn’t. No. But this sense that she’s being truthful—”

“She’s never lied before.” I didn’t want to get into all this. Still don’t. “You know we were dating. You know she ended up with Rhys.”

The color in Lauren’s cheeks deepens. “I heard things around town. Can’t say I was paying much attention at that point.”

“Well, if you’re going to lie about anything, I’d think you’d start with that. The two of them got together when I was in California. She wasn’t the one who broke the news, but she never cowered from it. I think she’s telling the truth about Joe Causey. I’ve seen the way he acts.”

“Why are you here instead of her?” Lauren was like this in school. She always wanted to dig into things. I can appreciate it now. Back then, I didn’t have eyes for anyone but Emily. It’s not lost on me that I could have married a girl like Lauren. It would have been impossible to hide anything from her, though. She’d have seen straight through all the walls I’d put up.

“She obviously has some reservations about Joe knowing she’s in town. Too much of a risk.” Lauren makes a sound that could be agreement. “Emily asked me to come here and talk to you on the assumption I’d have some sway.”

Lauren cracks a smile. “Based on a long-dead high school crush?”

“I guess so.”

Good for her. Lauren might not have escaped the way everybody wanted to in high school, but she’s come back to a position of power.