Chapter 7

Paul didn’t come to bed that night. Renee found him in the garage at two in the morning, sitting on a cooler with a bottle of bourbon between his feet. He hadn’t opened it.

“I remember the papers,” he said. “I remember her putting a pen in my hand. I remember thinking it was loan stuff. I was so far gone I couldn’t see straight.”

Renee sat on the cooler beside him. “You were set up.”

“I still signed.”

“Yes.”

He laughed, a broken sound. “You’re not going to make this easy.”

“No.”

“Do you want a divorce?”

Renee looked at the dark house. Upstairs, Junie and Theo were asleep. Somewhere in Bellrose Hall, Cece was probably awake too, planning. “I want you to tell the truth. I want you to stand up in front of the trust and say what she did to you. And I want you to understand that if you don’t, she will use you to destroy our daughter.”

Paul was quiet for a long time. Then he nodded. “Okay.”

The next morning, a nurse called from Bellrose. Gus wanted to see Renee. Cece was at a lawyer’s meeting. The nurse, a woman named Sadie who had worked for Gus for years, let Renee in through the kitchen.

Gus was in his study, dressed, shaved, eyes clear. He looked smaller than he had at Founder’s Day, but not confused.

“Sit down,” he said.

Renee sat.

“I signed an amendment,” Gus said. “Two days before Founder’s Day. It removes Cece as chair of the trust and revokes her power of attorney. My lawyer has a copy, but the original is in a safe-deposit box at Delta Parish Bank.”

Renee’s heart hammered. “Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

“I was going to.” He rubbed his forehead. “Then I had the dizzy spell at Founder’s Day. Cece convinced everyone I was incompetent. She took my phone. She has the doctors.” He looked at her. “I need you to get the amendment before the trust meeting on the thirtieth. If she ratifies the sale before then, it’s over.”

“What about Paul’s signature?”

Gus’s face tightened. “Paul was a fool. But he wasn’t a thief. She used him.”

“If I expose him, he could be charged.”

“Then he’ll have to face it.” Gus reached into his desk drawer and took out a small brass key. “This is the safe-deposit key. The box is in my name. You’ll need my ID and the key.”

Renee took it. The metal was warm from his hand. “Why me?”

“Because you’re the only one who never wanted my money.” Gus smiled sadly. “And because Junie saw the stakes. She’s braver than all of us.”

Renee put the key in her pocket next to the brass tag. On her way out, she passed Cece’s office. The door was open. Cece sat at the desk, phone to her ear, and for a second their eyes met.

Cece didn’t look afraid. She looked like she was already winning.