Dangerous Mercy: A Novel by Kathy Herman

Author:Kathy Herman [Herman, Kathy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: mystery, Roux River Bayou Series, Chrisitan, Adele Woodmore, Kathy Herman, Zoe B, Suspense, Louisiana
Publisher: David C Cook
Published: 2011-10-01T06:00:00+00:00

Late Monday afternoon, Vanessa Langley hung up the phone and fought back the tears that threatened to turn her mascara into black streams. When she and Ethan opened Langley Manor as a bed-and-breakfast, it never crossed their minds that they would ever have to deal with cancellations on this scale—or a murder on the property. And now she was getting calls from well-meaning friends who questioned whether it was safe for Carter to be staying out there while the killer was at large.

“Mom, what’s wrong?”

Carter’s voice startled her, and she quickly wiped her eyes and pasted on a smile, then turned around. Her son’s cheeks were flushed and sweaty and his mop of strawberry blond hair windblown. Angel sat next to him, panting.

“Where have you two been?” she said. “I asked you to stay close to the house. I want you where I can see you.” An image of Flynn Gillis’s dead body lying in the bayou popped into her head.

“I was out back, throwing the Frisbee for Angel.”

“Good.” Vanessa brushed the hair off his damp face. “I baked peanut butter cookies. Would you like some?”

“Yes, I’m starved! I could eat a hundred thousand million.”

Vanessa chuckled in spite of herself. “How about two—and a glass of milk? I don’t want to spoil your dinner.”

Carter flashed a jack-o’-lantern grin. “When’s the last time I didn’t want dinner?”

“You have a good appetite, all right. But that’s partly because you have a mother who spaces out your snacks.”

“Can Angel have her cookies too?”

“Sure.”

She followed Carter into the kitchen.

He raced to the pantry and took out the familiar green and white bag and gave two dog treats to Angel. “Mom, where’s Noah? He loves your peanut butter cookies.”

“He’s not here right now. Use the hand sanitizer, please.”

Vanessa poured Carter a glass of milk.

He cleaned his hands, and then, with his elbows, he lifted his upper body onto the counter and took two cookies out of the cookie jar. “When is Noah moving into the yellow house?”

“I don’t know, Carter. It’s not finished yet.”

“Mr. Jack said he would have it all done by this time next week. That’s only seven days. That’s even before my birthday.”

“When did you talk to Jack?” Vanessa turned and held his gaze. “Carter, did you go to the caretaker house? You said you were out back, throwing the Frisbee.”

“I went there before I went out back,” he said sheepishly.

She took him by the hand, led him over to the table, and sat facing him. “A half-truth is just a different way of telling a lie.”

“Sorry.”

“I wish I didn’t have to keep you close to the house,” she said.

“Then why do you?”

Vanessa studied his innocent face and questioned whether she should tell him. How could she not? People were talking. He was bound to find out. Wouldn’t she rather he heard it from her?

“Carter, when you were at day camp the other day, something happened. I haven’t said anything to you because I don’t want you to worry. But now I

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