Lawyer for the Cat (27 page)
Read Lawyer for the Cat Online
Authors: Lee Robinson
But she didn't forget my
Maybe,
and somehow it morphed into this gathering, the first party I've had since I moved to the condo. The guest list started smallâDelores, Shenille, Ellen and Hank, Gina, Tony, Gail Sims, and Simon Witowskiâbut then took on a life of its own.
Delores is here with her friend from the choir, a tall, balding baritone with a nice smile. Shenille brings her sister, makes up some excuse about why her husband can't come. My old law school friends, Wendy and Valerie, are here, too, with their husbands, because Ellen said,
If it gets back to them that you had a party, they'll be really pissed.
But it isn't really a party,
I'd said,
just a few people, because my mother won't let it go.
As long as you're doing it,
she'd continued,
you might as well do it right. What's the difference if you have to wash a few more plates and glasses? And why don't you get someone to cater it so you can enjoy yourself? What about that guy at Harris Teeter, your old client? He'd love to do it.
Gina and Mandy arrive together. I hadn't included Mandy on the original list because I wanted Ellen to have a night off from worrying about her, but Gina had said,
She's just moved in. I'd feel bad about leaving her alone right now.
So here's my secretary getting a drink for Mandy, declining Donnie's offer of champagne: “She's pregnant. Do you have some ginger ale?”
When I'd called Gail, she asked if she could bring Simon.
He sent me the nicest letter, telling me how happy Lila would have been that Beatrice is in good hands,
she said.
He's not too happy about moving into that retirement place. I was thinking maybe he could spend a weekend out here every now and then. I come into Charleston sometimes, you know, and I could pick him up. I'd like the company, and Beatrice ⦠Beatrice adores him. And maybe he could keep some of his books here. He doesn't have room for them where he's going. If it's okay with you.
Sure,
I'd said.
That would be nice. And Gail, you don't need my permission to have guests. You're in charge now.
I'll bring Beatrice, tooâto the party, I mean. I don't like to leave her by herself for too long.
Mrs. Furley is here, without Curley, the poodle. “Oh, I didn't know this was a pet-friendly party,” she says when she sees the beagle and the cat. Right behind her is Minh Basilier, minus his stethoscope. I make the mistake of introducing him as Dr. Basilier, and immediately Mrs. Furley is consulting him about her arthritis.
There are absences. Joe Baynard sent his regrets, though I hadn't intended to invite him. Mom saw him at church and blurted out that we were having a party, so I had no choice.
It was nice of you to include us,
he e-mailed,
but Susan and I are taking the boys skiing over Christmas.
He's disappointed that I haven't agreed to help him with his campaign for the circuit judgeship.
Tony calls in the middle of the party, says he's sorry, he's had a tough day at the clinic, he's exhausted. “I understand,” I say. I'll call him tomorrow, suggest we meet for dinner. I've known for a while now what I need to say, though I'm not quite sure how. I only know it's not the kind of thing you should say over the telephone.
For a while I'm worried that Ed Shand won't showâI've promised Mom he's comingâbut here he is, with a bottle of wine and a present for her, beautifully wrapped. It was Delores who made me reconsider.
You think real hard before you break her heartâyou hear me? Her mind's a mess, but she's still got her heart.
*Â Â Â *Â Â Â *
Ann Wilson, the new probate judge, signed the Final Order in the Mackay case this afternoon. I have a certified copy for Gail, and I'll send another one to Randall Mackay, with a letter:
Dear Mr. Mackay:
I've completed my duties as enforcer of your mother's trust. I'm enclosing a certified copy of Judge Wilson's Order. You will see that I've chosen Gail Sims as caregiver for Beatrice. As you know, under the terms of the trust, the cat's caregiver will reside at Oak Bluff so long as Beatrice is alive.
As I'm sure you will understand, my role as trust enforcer has been to fulfill your mother's wishes as set forth in the trust, not to substitute my judgment for hers.
I want to remind you that upon Beatrice's death, you will have possession of Oak Bluff, provided, of course, that you do nothing to harm the cat. Your friend Simon Witowski, who knows you far better than I do, assures me this warning is unnecessary, but I can't conclude my work on this case without reiterating it.
I am enclosing a little book your mother kept, which I think may interest you. This “diary” was included in the box of things she left relating to the trust. At first I had difficulty understanding it, because it is told from Beatrice's point of view. I can only guess why your mother did that. Perhaps she was merely trying to imagine what it's like to see the world through another creature's eyes. Perhaps she had difficulty expressing her feelings, and it was easier to write from behind a mask. If you look at the page I've marked, you'll see some evidence for this latter theory.
Sincerely,
Sarah Bright Baynard
This is the paragraph I've marked, written in Lila's shaky hand:
I'm sitting beside her on the dock, at sundown, watching the tide go out. “When I was a girl,” she says, “I thought life was like the tides, the water going out but always coming back in, the losses always replenished. I was mistaken.”
I'm a lucky cat. She loves me with all her heart, but when she takes me in her arms, as she does this evening, I feel, in a strange way, that I've profited from her mistakes, that I'm the beneficiary of her regrets.
But enough of thatâit's almost dark, and time for dinner! She'll tell me I'm too fat, then fill my bowl to the brim.
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Also by
Lee Robinson
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OETRY
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Lee Robinson
is the author of
Lawyer for the Dog.
She practiced law for more than twenty years in Charleston, South Carolina, where she served as executive director of a legal services agency and later worked in private practice, concentrating on family law. She was elected the first female president of the Charleston Bar Association and received the Bar Association's award for her work in public interest law. She lives on a small ranch in the Texas hill country. You can sign up for email updates
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Contents
26. A Preponderance of the Evidence
Â
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
THOMAS DUNNE BOOKS.
An imprint of St. Martin's Press.
Â
LAWYER FOR THE CAT.
Copyright © 2016 by Lee Robinson. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
Cover design by Young Jin Lim
Cover photographs: cat by Life on white / Alamy; porch by Jasmin Sander / Plainpicture; Spanish moss by Serge Skiba / Shutterstock
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-1-250-05242-1 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4668-5404-8 (e-book)
e-ISBN 9781466854048
Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at
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First Edition: May 2016
