Page 30 of Best Laid Plans

And who the fuck is this "we?"

Carole dropped her voice. "Well, she robbed you. That's somethin' we all know about. And she was whorin' herself around before that."

I wanted to protest. Nova had lost her virginity to me, and then had left Sentinel right after. Before that, she worked two jobs and got straight As. She didn't have time to whore herself.

"Who was she…ah…seeing?" I asked, curious to know what story about Nova was going around town.

"Well, for one, she was sleepin' with Maureen's son. Nova went and saw her this morning before she went to Larue Homes. Maureen says Nova is doin' real good. That's not right, Mr. Larue. She never even spent a day in prison for bein' a thief." Carole made a face. These were honest, down-to-earth people, who didn't take kindly to those who committed crimes in their town.

I cocked an eyebrow. "Maureen's son lives in Vidalia; he has been for over ten years."

Carole pursed her lips. "But he used to come home for the holidays. That's when it happened."

"And who told you this?"

"Maria," she informed me.

Maria was Sheriff Pete Fontaine's wife. She was one of Bailey and Alma's friends, and had thought she was going to live the cushy life as the future sheriff's wife. Instead, she was stuck with a husband who had a gambling addiction, and money was tight. In addition, I knew Pete fucked around every chance he got. Maybe Alma was right; everyone was cheating on their partners.

"Carole, I can assure you Nova wasn't with Maureen's son." I couldn't stand Nova's guts, but I would be fair.

"But she's a thief. What if she steals money while she works for you?" Carole's pale face twisted in despair. "You know how their kind are."

I took another sip of wine, reflecting on what Carole meant by their kind. Nova was half Black; her mother and aunt had been African American. In a town like Sentinel, where the racist past was still very much alive, such prejudices lingered. But just because they did, didn't mean I shouldn't speak up.

"You say that sort of thing again in front of me, Carole, I will have to let you go."

She put a hand to her heart. "Mr. Larue," she gasped.

"I won't tolerate racism or racist talk. I've told you that before, and I'm tellin' you again." I set my wine glass down. "About Sentinel Heights, we have it under control, and I promise you no one will be stealin' anything."

Carole looked at me uncertainly. "I know what you're sayin', Mr. Larue, but people were mighty upset when you were seein' that girl all that time ago. You walkin' her home and goin' to her place late in the night, and all that. I'm just sayin' that you should be careful, that's all."

"Thank you for your concern, Carole. I'll consider your advice," I said in dismissal.

She rose. "People are wonderin' why she's workin' for you when you ran her out of town all those years ago."

"Thanks for lettin' me know, Carole."

She waited for an instant, as if thinking about pressing me, but then decided discretion was the better part of valor.

"Please close the door," I requested as she left the room.

I heard the click of the lock, and leaned back on the couch. I hadn't thought about the impact that my spending time that summer with Nova had had on her. Everyone had probably seen us together and made assumptions. No one said anything to me, perhaps because they thought I was just getting some strange, and why the hell not. Nova was a good-looking woman with a good body. Her mother earned her living on her back, so why not the daughter? And I was Anson Larue. I could do whatever the fuck I wanted with whomever I felt like.

Did people give Nova a hard time because of me?

She'd never mentioned it, but I knew she wouldn't have. She wasn't anyone's victim. She'd have let it roll off her back, and got on with what she needed to do. Nova had been clear about reaching her goals. She was going to university. She was going to have a career. She wasn't going to get stuck in Sentinel, working some minimum wage job.

Is that why she stole? To pay for school? She didn't have to. I'd have given the money to her.

I rubbed my hands over my face. I was emotionally drained. Seeing Nova had taken its toll. I felt empty and lonely. Hell, I'd been feeling that way since she left my life. Or rather, as Carole said, since I ran her out of town. I'd never thought about it like that, but that's precisely what had happened.

She'd been released from jail and left right away. The landlord had told me that Nova's lawyer had come by to take some of her things from her apartment. The landlord had thrown everything else of hers away, and let me know about it. Everyone in town had let me know how they supported me and were glad that the whore's daughter had been exposed for who she was. Except Maureen, who'd told me that I was a fool because Nova was the best person she knew.

There was a knock on my office door, and I was going to tell whoever it was to leave me the heck alone. But Bailey came inside before I could respond, a tentative smile on her face.

She went on her knees in front of me. "What's goin' on, baby?"

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