The Girl in White Pajamas Page 23

  On the edge of the sand,

  They danced by the light of the moon,

  The moon, the moon,

  They danced by the light of the moon.

  When she finished, she softly said, “Goodbye, Fluffy.”

  52 WHY I HATE MY JOB –PART II

  Bailey sat next to Mildred Murphy while she answered questions. Mildred Murphy had fallen while leaving a CVS store and was suing CVS for negligence.

  Before coming to this deposition, Bailey had spent hours going over the exhibits with the little old lady. They reviewed ad nauseam how the accident happened while pointing out that the drug store chain had plastered too many advertisements over the glass doors blocking out natural light. This had caused Mildred Murphy to be temporarily blinded by the brightly lit parking lot as she exited the store. The differential in lighting caused her to become dizzy and fall to the ground fracturing her wrist and foot.

  Bailey stopped breathing as she listened to Mildred recounting the accident to the defense attorney. The woman forgot everything they had discussed prior to this deposition. She talked about going out of the store, seeing people walking between parked vehicles in the parking lot and then falling. Why did she fall? The old woman just shrugged.

  As Bailey visualized dollar bills with wings flying out the window, the attorney for the insurance company could hardly contain his glee. He offered to pour more water in Mildred’s glass. With her hands shaking, the old woman smiled and said, “I’m so nervous. I’ve never been to court before.”

  The rotund man with a stringy comb-over patted Mildred’s hand. “You’re doing fine.” He had a malignant smile for Bailey to let her know she and the old woman were both fucked.

  Bailey stared at Mildred wondering if her client was brain damaged. Since they were in defense counsel’s conference room giving a deposition, not in a courtroom, it was apparent Mildred would never hold up during a trial. In the space of a half hour, the value of her case plummeted from a high six figure settlement to a couple thousand dollar nuisance value.

  As they left the office, Mildred turned to Bailey. “I did good, didn’t I?”

  Afraid to speak, Bailey only nodded.

  *****

  When Bailey returned to the office, she watched Rubin as he ranted and yelled into his cell phone and paced back and forth between his office and hers passing all the empty offices in between. Bailey glanced at him then at the receptionist. “His ex-wife?” Bailey asked.

  “His divorce attorney,” Susan answered.

  Bailey shook her head. For more than two years, most of Rubin’s time had been devoted to filing and answering motions in his contentious divorce from his third wife. Two adolescent children were involved. The divorce got so ugly that the court appointed an attorney ad litem to protect the children’s interests. A two-ring circus turned into a three-ring circus.

  By the time Rubin came up for air, Sal was long gone, his law practice had dwindled and he was swimming in a sea of debt. Rather than working on rebuilding the practice, Rubin decided to rebuild himself. He saw a psychiatrist twice a week and had a standing prescription for Prozac. The world was no longer an ugly place as he looked at it through his Prozac colored glasses.

  Unfortunately, his bi-polar ex-wife made a career of having her attorney file more motions every time she had a hair across her ass. Many hairs grew. Rubin was forced to pay his attorney’s fees as well as hers no matter the outcome. At one point, Rubin confided, “I should have killed the bitch when I had a chance! I would have been out in eight years and rid of her!”

  Bailey tried to ignore the scene, walked into her office and was greeted by Carole Irving sitting in her visitor’s chair. Bailey moved behind her desk, sat down and smiled. “What can I do for you Mrs. Irving?”

  The middle-aged brunette twisted her hands in her lap. “As I told you on the phone, we need to borrow some of Jamie’s money.”

  “That’s not possible.”

  “Listen, we need—”

  “Stop!” Bailey said sharply. “I explained this to you over and over. We have no control over the money. The settlement was approved by the court to protect the child’s interests. No court is going to allow you to take her money.”

  “We just want to borrow it.”

  Bailey sighed. “The money is being held in trust for her until she turns eighteen years old. It’s in an annuity with a licensed company. There is nothing that can be done to get the money sooner.”

  “We shouldn’t have listened to you! We know what’s best for our daughter!”

  “Of course, I’m sure you do, but it doesn’t change the fact that the laws regarding settlement of a minor’s case are very strict. Too many children have reached the age of majority only to learn that their money is gone.”

  “We might have to sue you for misrepresentation!”

  Bailey stared at the woman then said, “Do whatever you think is necessary, but you still won’t get the child’s money.”

  Carole Irving glared at Bailey. “You have no idea what it’s like trying to live with no income! My husband got laid off six months ago. Our phone’s been shut off, our cable’s gone, we’re probably going to lose the house and have to move in with his parents. But you wouldn’t know about such ordinary, everyday things!” She stood up, opened the door, walked through and slammed it before Bailey could say a word.

  As the day continued, Rubin and the clients spun further out of control. Experiencing the other end of Prozac, the ‘crazies’, Rubin went into a diatribe over Mildred Murphy’s performance at her deposition. He said it was Bailey’s fault the old woman fell apart and made up shit. Bailey hadn’t prepared the client enough, and she should have stopped the deposition and stormed out with the client in tow. She should have told Mildred that she sucked, that she screwed up any chance of getting a dime.

  David Thompson called to let Bailey know how dissatisfied he was with her. He didn’t care if she waited for the bail bondsman, she should have been there to personally comfort David. Chicken pox or not, she was his attorney and was supposed to be there for him. He was the innocent victim of racial profiling. David believed he was picked up in Neiman Marcus just because he was black. He was sick and had gone out for some cough medicine and just wandered into Neiman Marcus where he found a credit card on the counter. Being a simple person, he said ‘what the hell’ and decided to buy a little something.

  The next call Bailey received was from Matt MacDonald. “Have you been able to locate the white coat you were wearing on April second?”

  “What!?”

  “You heard me! I asked you if—”

  She cut him off. “What are you, the wardrobe police? Why are you worried about my clothes?”

  “I just want to check the coat. You know, counselor, I’m conducting an investigation and believe you are trying to impede that investigation. Obstruction of justice is a pretty serious charge.”

  With the chill of an iceberg Bailey said, “Thank you for your tutorial on the law. If you have any more questions for me, let me know so that I can have an attorney present.” She slammed the phone down.

  At four-thirty, Bailey closed her office door, put her head down on her desk and sobbed. As she cried, Jesus Hernandez pressed buttons on his cellular phone from his protective perch on the couch in the reception area.

  At five o’clock, Bogie opened her office door without knocking. He sat in the chair across from her, reached over and took her hand. He looked at her red-rimmed eyes and blotchy face. “Bad day?”

  She nodded.

  “You know what you need?” he asked.

  “A gun!”

  “Close. A vacation.”

  “I can’t—,” she started to protest.

  “I have to go back to Florida for a few days. I want you and Isabella to come with me,” Bogie said.

  Bailey studied him. “What about Amanda?”

 
“She has a birthday soon and a graduation coming up. It’s a good time to get re-acquainted.”

  Bailey sighed. “I’m probably the last person she wants to see.”

  “I’m inviting you to my home,” Bogie said. “Mi casa es su casa ! ”

  Bailey laughed. “Yeah, sure, but Rubin…”

  “He said it was fine.”

  53 TIME FOR A WATCH

  Weston, Massachusetts

  Bogie held the cell phone away from his ear, his face tight with anger as he listened to Amanda ranting. “She has a hell of a nerve even thinking about coming to my home. It’s my birthday and my graduation! Why doesn’t she just stay there with her kid?”

  After taking a deep breathe, Bogie said, “First of all, it’s my house, Princess. If it’s so upsetting to have Bailey and your little sister there, I’ll stay here and Rose can come down alone.”

  “But you promised you’d come.”

  “And I will come, but not if you’re going to act like you have been lately! I’ve got a three-year old here who is behaving more mature than you are right now.”

  Amanda started crying. “I knew this would happen. You’d hook up with her again and not care about—”

  “Chill out! You really sound like a child now! You keep telling me how grown up you are, act like it! Just let me know either way.”

  After a long silence, she said, “Let her come, I don’t care!”

  “You know, Mandie, there was a time when you thought she was the greatest thing since peanut butter and jelly.”

  “That’s when I was a stupid kid and she was my babysitter, not your mistress.”

  “Mistress. No, she was never that! When she was much older than you are, she was my lover, never my mistress.”

  “Whatever!”

  “So are we all set?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I love you.”

  She hung up.

  *****

  It was two o’clock in the morning when Bogie gently disentangled himself from Bailey as she lay asleep. He slid off the bed, grabbed his pants, cell phone and sneakers and moved quietly toward the bathroom. He got dressed then called Jesus and told him he was on his way down the stairs.

  Jesus stared as Bogie quietly moved down the back stairs. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m paying a social call on our neighbors,” Bogie said as he gestured toward the carriage house.

  “You sure they’re not going to shoot you before you knock on their door? Remember, you gave Jack that gun.”

  “Good thinking!” Bogie punched a number into his phone and quietly said, “Jack, this is Bogie. I’m coming over. Unlock your door…Yes, I know what time it is!” As he ended the call, Bogie muttered to himself, “You’ve got the watch, I’ve got the time.”

  54 THE CAT WITH NINE LIVES AND TWELVE BURIALS

  Weston, Massachusetts

  It was eight o’clock that morning when Jack and George walked out of their front door. They smiled as Isabella ran toward them. Bailey and Bogie walked behind her. Isabella and Bailey seemed rested and refreshed. The men looked tired.

  Bogie, Jack and Jesus each lifted a suitcase and tossed it into the back of the Escalade. After hugs and goodbyes were exchanged, Jack and George left for the office. Jesus drove the Escalade with Bogie beside him. Bailey and Isabella sat in the back waving to Kim who looked more tired than anyone else.

  Fifteen minutes after the Escalade drove away, a dark sedan moved slowly past the house, turned around and came back. The car moved down the driveway and stopped in front of the carriage house. Matt MacDonald opened the driver’s door as Kim came out the cellar door to greet him. “Where was he digging?” Matt asked in greeting her.

  Kim pointed to the side of the carriage house. “Somewhere back there. I don’t know for sure.”

  Matt walked around to the back of the small building. When he came to an area that looked like it had fresh vegetation and twigs strewn over it, he asked, “Where’s the shovel?”

  Kim pointed to the basement door.

  “Go get the fuck’n thing rather than standing there looking stupid!” Matt yelled as he removed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves.

  By the time Matt was able to unearth the buried treasure, his white shirt was stained with perspiration and soil. He opened the black trash bag. “Fuck!”

  Kim walked over, looked in and then gasped.

  With her eyes and jaw frozen open for all eternity, Fluffy’s rigid body hit the ground with a small thump as Matt MacDonald angrily dumped the contents of the black garbage bag onto the ground. “You wasted my time with this shit!?” he asked enraged.

  “No, that’s not right. The cat is buried over there!” Kim said in a trembling voice as she pointed to the spot where the tulips were planted.

  Without another word, Matt stomped over to Fluffy’s other grave and started digging. Ten minutes of digging destroyed the tulips and produced nothing. Matt turned to her still leaning on the shovel. “You’re fuck’n useless!” he yelled. “You’re good for nothing! I’m not giving you any more shit!”

  “You promised!” she said growing anxious.

  “Fuck you! You’re cut off!” Matt said as he started to turn away.

  Desperate, Kim ran to him and started clawing at the side of his face.

  Stunned, Matt pushed her away then tightened his grip on the shovel and swung it like a bat at the side of her head. The second he heard the cracking sound, Matt knew it was not a high fly ball into center field. It was Kim’s skull—he’d smashed it.

  He looked at the crumpled body and yellowed unseeing eyes then quickly checked around. As the realization of what he’d done washed over him, Matt’s only concern was covering his ass. He wanted to make sure he left no trace of evidence behind. Matt returned to the sedan and popped open the trunk. He removed two plaid stadium blankets that he and his wife used when they watched their youngest son play football. Matt laid the blankets out on the grass side by side then rolled Kim’s body into them like a stuffed cabbage. Matt cursed as he carried the small corpse to the car while body fluids leaked onto him. Matt dropped her into the trunk then returned to the yard to clean up. Skipping the black garbage bag, he buried Fluffy once again. The bag was going with him. Matt arranged the twigs and vegetation as well as he remembered them. After replanting the tulips in no particular order, he walked to his wife’s car. As he was about to toss the shovel in the trunk, he looked up to see a gray Toyota Forerunner stopped across the driveway with the driver looking directly at him. The driver beeped twice and drove away.

  55 MY FANS AND FAMILY

  Isabella entertained everyone in the long security line at Logan Airport by doing kicks against imaginary opponents as she twirled around. She added some back flips and front rolls to her repertoire understanding the necessity for keeping her act fresh. Isabella had been wearing her white karate costume every day and taken any opportunity to remove her sneakers and walk barefoot. She believed she looked more authentic that way. The outfit was only removed at bedtime and rushed downstairs to the washer and dryer to get ready for another day of Isabella-style kick boxing.

  Isabella sat between her parents on the plane complaining that the seat belt was too tight, she couldn’t see out the window and couldn’t see the flight attendant showing them what to do in case of an emergency. “I’m thirsty. I never finished my juice box or my Cocoa Puffs.” Thankfully, she was asleep before the plane reached twenty thousand feet. Bogie and Bailey looked at the sleeping angel, sighed and smiled.

  As the little family disembarked with Isabella perched in Bogie’s arm, Randy and John Carpenter in full uniform stood at the gate to greet them. Amanda was between the two of them. Bogie walked quickly to Amanda and hugged her with his other arm. “Hi, Princess. Is this one of the perks for being the future wife of Deputy Carpenter?”

&nb
sp; She nodded and smiled.

  Bailey walked to her and stretched out her hand. “Hello, Amanda. How are you?”

  After a pause, Amanda said, “I’m fine. Thanks,” and ignored the proffered hand.

  Isabella pushed down from her father’s arms and stood in front of Amanda. She lifted her arms and grabbed Amanda by the neck and kissed her cheek. “Thank you so much for all the wonderful books!”

  Flushed with embarrassment, Amanda hugged her little sister and whispered, “You’re welcome.” In a normal voice she added, “What an interesting outfit!”

  Bogie’s eyes rolled as Isabella displayed her moves in the Palm Beach International Airport for everyone’s entertainment.

  John and Randy shook Bogie’s hand and John laughed. “She’s a little pistol! She looks just like her mamma.” John made no mention of his thwarted attempt to tase Bogie or the cracked jaw he received for his troubles.

  Bogie nodded and turned to Randy. “Thanks for looking after my family. Have you changed your mind yet about joining up with this clan?”

  “No, sir.” The young man beamed.

  *****

  When they arrived at the apartment complex, Ann stood at the glass front door looking out while Elizabeth McGruder waited in the lobby in a portable black wheelchair. Margarita stood next to the wheelchair, holding Elizabeth’s hand knowing the influx of too many people would disturb her.

  Bogie was stunned when he looked at Ann. His sister was back! Ann, the old woman was gone. She had been replaced by an attractive woman with golden brown hair, a tan and a broad smile. He didn’t remember her ever seeing her looking this radiant. Bogie went to her and hugged her. Bailey stepped into the reception and told Ann how great she looked. Isabella joined the little circle and hugged Ann. “Did you miss me, Aunt Annie?”

  “Yes, I did,” Ann answered laughing.

  Isabella nodded and walked to her grandmother. “Hello, Grandma, did you miss me?”