Without it ever being his intention, Ward Delaney set something of a precedent. Uncle Pax’s dad got a job down in the southwestern part of the state while Uncle Pax was still in high school. Since the lad was already in the habit of helping his grandparents around the farm it wasn’t a difficult argument for him to make that he should be able to finish his junior and senior years at the same school if he just stayed with them. So Uncle Pax moved in with his grandparents and wound up taking over the family farm. Of course Aunt Maddie was another incentive for Uncle Pax to want to stay around.
“Say....” Dad leaned back in his chair and leveled his gaze at Uncle Pax. “We aren’t messing up any plans of yours by selling this place to Shad and Dulsie, are we?”
“I left enough in the will for all three kids to fight over.” Uncle Pax smirked.
“Well, I don’t know how much actual use Erin and Iona would be able to get out of your place.” Dad’s gaze veered toward his son-in-law. “Shad’s the only one who hasn’t moved away, nor do you seem to have any intention to.”
“Not since I became a turkey farmer.” Shad glanced at Dulsie.
“You didn’t have to remind me of that.” Dad leaned forward. “You know, the kind of turkeys Dulsie raises don’t need to be confined to barns like mine do. She could do something like that on your dad’s place.”
Dulsie leveled a pseudo frown at her father. “Is there something you’re trying to not tell me?”
Dad waved away her question. “Don’t worry, you’re still getting this place.” Dulsie didn’t miss the glance he shot toward Mom. “But I know you always thought your aunt and uncle’s place was even better.”
Dulsie shrugged. “It’s got lots of great outbuildings. And I’ve always loved that old house.”
Mom spoke up in a tone that mocked betrayal. “Your dad and I put a lot of work into this place.”
“And Shad and I are gonna put a lot of work into this place, too.”
“And you know what the first thing is she’s gonna do?” Dad leaned forward with apparent eagerness. “She’s gonna break your rule that there can be no liquor in this house! Probably stock up half the pantry with the stuff.” He turned toward Shad. “The first time we come to visit you after you guys move in, I want you to offer me a beer.”
Shad had a bit of that deer-caught-in-the-headlights look as he stopped chewing and his gaze moved from his plate toward Uncle Pax. Mom had stuck to her family tradition of being a teetotaler. She didn’t bother trying to forbid Dad from imbibing, but Mom was also firm there would be no such spirits brought under the roof of her house. Aunt Maddie shrugged off that tradition when she married a Delaney, and Dulsie had already been corrupted by Dad, so Mom stood alone on that issue. Dulsie wasn’t sure what help Shad thought he was going to get from Uncle Pax, but he finally swallowed with what seemed like more effort than required.
“Deal,” Shad muttered.
Dad leaned forward to gaze at Mom again. “Whaduya think of that?”
“When it’s Dulsie’s house she can do whatever she wants,” Mom replied nonchalantly.
“Shad’s gonna offer me a beer. Right here under this roof.”
This was not the first time Dad tried to get Mom to acknowledge Shad’s existence, but Mom made a pretty formidable opponent. If nothing else, Dad’s needling might remind Shad of the task he was supposed to be working on.
Dad’s attention was locked on Mom. “Whaduya have to say to that?”
Mom looked up from her plate and leveled a look at Dad that was almost chilly. “You’ll finally be able to drink somewhere else besides Maddie’s, but you’re still not gonna drink in our new house.”
Yep, Mom was good, especially when she could deflect somebody like Dad, who sat back in his chair and pursed his lips while Mom resumed eating with the same indifference. And Shad no longer seemed concerned about the skirmish that just occurred.
Dad, as irreverent as ever, had to add another comment.
“You know, I can’t understand how a woman with that much Scotch in her could be so much against drinking.”
Dulsie waited only until she backed the car out the driveway and began the drive home to speak her mind. “Did you forget?”
Shad frowned slightly. “I must have. Forget what?”
“You had many opportunities to say something to Mom during the day today.”
A few seconds passed before he exhaled and responded. “I’m sure there was. You know I tend to miss those kind of things.”
“Be that as it is, you could’ve made your own opportunity as well. It’s nothing harder than anything else you’ve already done.”
It took Shad a few seconds again to respond. “I’ve never done any of them quickly.”
“That’s fine. I’m just a little curious on when you intend to start.”
“First I’ve got to figure out how to start.”
Dulsie shook her head. “Just start a conversation with her. You get to pick the topic.”
“You know, the last time I had a conversation with her, Jill told me she had nothing more to say until she accepted an apology from me.”
Dulsie pursed her lips. The only reason she knew about the discussion Shad just mentioned was because Mom, who had assumed Shad already told Dulsie all about it, let it slip shortly before their marriage. Even as his relationship with Mom got flushed, Shad made it a point not to damage what Dulsie had with Mom. Dulsie pointed this out to her, but Mom remained dubious.
“Maybe you should try an apology,” Dulsie suggested.
She was accustomed to Shad’s habit of considering his answers before speaking. “The chance to apologize is long gone. I married you. And I’m not sorry I did it.”
Dulsie couldn’t resist smiling. Shad wasn’t trying to be charming, but his blunt honesty sometimes came out that way.
“You could try a different angle.” Dulsie glanced at him. “Say you’re sorry you’ve waited for so long to try to patch things up with her.”
Shad took time to think again. “Jill specifically said I had to apologize for being so selfish I would put you at risk.”
Dulsie’s exasperated exhale was caused less by what Shad said than by what she knew about his history. As wonderful a man as he was, as much as he had overcome, Shad still occasionally exhibited results from having once been an abused child. He was no longer a victim, but in his effort to be protective Shad was willing to do anything short of exposing his soft underbelly if it meant keeping peace in the family. And he probably believed he deserved Mom’s ostracizing because Shad had dared to “defy” her. For someone whom survival once meant being unheard and unseen, Shad had perfected it to an art form in regard to Mom.
“You don’t have to take her so literally.” Dulsie kept her attention on the rock-packed road. “Mom isn’t a rigid ramrod.”
“I know that.” His response was quick that time.
“The fact you’d offer her any kind of apology is gonna make Mom have to soften up a bit. It’ll at least be that start you’ve been looking for.”
Shad had to think again. “How? Where? There’s no way I’m gonna wind up being alone with your mom to say anything like that to her.”
“You can do it in front of Dad. He’s on your side anyway.”
A few more seconds passed. “I don’t know if having your dad around is a good idea.”
Dulsie had to chuckle. As much as Shad claimed he had trouble understanding people, he had their family dynamics pretty well figured out.
“How about when Erin comes to visit next weekend?” Dulsie knew Shad had a rather unique relationship with her oldest cousin. “We’ll be a pretty big crowd, and it’ll kinda be like old times. Just make it a point to say something to Mom during that time. Pretend it’s like the good ol’ days when she used to be nice to you.”
“I don’t want to impose on her.”
“This isn’t the first time she’s been a mama bear. When Aunt Maddie and Uncle Pax first took you in, Mom kept me away for the first couple of week
s. Once she apparently became convinced that you weren’t going to pounce on anybody with a tire iron or nail clippers, she finally let us start playing together. You can get her to trust you again. Just use those memories of better days to your advantage.”
Shad seemed to consider Dulsie’s suggestion for a few seconds before responding. “I can’t help thinking it’ll be like an invitation to her to start sprinkling arsenic on my plate every weekend.”
Dulsie cast a sidelong gaze toward him. “You know, sometimes you set the bar really low with your expectations of some people. You know how direct Mom is. She’d stick a bratwurst up your butt and sic starving dachshunds on you.”
“And that’s supposed to encourage me?”
“I know you’re up to the task. We both know you’ve survived far worse.”
Again a few seconds passed before his response. “I think the difference here is I actually do have a relationship with Jill. Right now it’s just repressed. When I don’t care about somebody’s thoughts or feelings, it’s a lot easier to do something. But I don’t want to put your mom in a worse place than she already is, which by backlash would also put you in a worse place. And you’re definitely the last person in the world I could bear having harm come to. So you see why I’m so hesitant with this?”
Shad sometimes used that bachelor’s degree in psychology like a defensive weapon, but Dulsie had lots of citations to fight back. “It’s you and me against the world, remember? I’m watching your back, and what doesn’t kill us will only make us stronger.” She smiled at Shad. “It’s worth a little hardship to repair your relationship with Mom. Say something next weekend.”
“Maybe so.” Shad seemed to study the scenery out the windshield. “But if she offers me a bratwurst, I’m getting the heck outta there.”
Chapter Seven
The more laws, the less justice.
--German proverb
Shad was reaching the conclusion he was once again going to have to do something he would really rather not do.
He could credit Dulsie with giving him the idea that Shad was just going to have to talk to Wally. If the man was still preying on young boys, Shad was obligated to stop him. But if Wally had actually repented and was no longer a threat, Shad saw no reason to harass the man, regardless of the limitations statute. The only way he was going to be able to ascertain what course to take next was by determining which path Wally had chosen.
That wasn’t going to be easy. But thanks to his very thorough experience and training in the dynamics of abuse, Shad was reasonably sure he’d be able to see through Wally’s barriers. This time Shad wouldn’t be able to rely on his gut instinct, since that one flicker of insight he possessed was based on empathy with victims. Those who were being abused could tip Shad off, but abusers could fool him as easily as they did everyone else – unless he was able to pick up on some of the warning signs he had acquainted himself with so well.
Shad did have the advantages of surprise and knowledge about Wally. He would keep in mind that Wally had the reputation of being a liar. And with the change in his surname and use of his legally given name of Shadow basically limited to Karl calling him “Shady” in reference to Shad’s law practice, Wally would never realize who he was until Shad told him.
His profession as an attorney could also provide a convenient screen for wanting to meet with Walden Palmer.
That Monday Shad donned a dark grey suit with a light blue shirt (he wore the white shirts only on court days) and as always left his tie, which was maroon today, draped unknotted around his neck as he drove the Ford pickup truck to his office in Linn.
Since his office and Dulsie’s job were in opposite directions once they reached the highway, Dulsie drove the car because it was newer and less likely to suffer a mechanical failure. Shad drove the old blue pickup because his route took him closer to the feed store and he could pick up grain and dog food. Both of them were in the habit of leaving for work early. Shad wanted to miss the rush hour traffic and Dulsie liked being able to take off early from her job whenever possible.
It wasn’t even seven-thirty when Shad parked the truck at the back corner of the old single-story red brick house with a black hip roof. Over twenty years ago the home had been converted to an office building. Since he was the first one there Shad had to unlock the back door to enter the structure. The back door didn’t have any sign, but at the front door a large wood sign was mounted under the window, and a year and a half ago it had been repainted to read “Harcourt and Delaney – Attorneys at Law.” Before that the names had read “Martin and Harcourt,” but when Martin prepared to retire, Nolin Harcourt began looking for a new partner.
At that time Shad had been working for a year and a half as a staff attorney in Jefferson City. He and Dulsie often got to ride together, but otherwise Shad started to question why he had chosen this profession. He had to take whatever cases were assigned to him, which made Shad feel like just another cog in the wheel, even though he knew he would benefit from experience before trying to strike out on his own.
Then opportunity masqueraded as coincidence. Shad happened to cross paths with Nolin while both men were attending a continuing legal education seminar in Cape Girardeau. Nolin had hoped to take on a young attorney as a partner whom he could mentor as Martin had once mentored him. Shad’s “home boy” qualities definitely piqued Nolin’s interest, and he invited Shad to give the partnership a try.
The back door led into what was once a small, screened-in back porch which was now totally enclosed. As soon as Shad stepped in he faced the back of the rock chimney of the now defunct but still regal fireplace which sat in the rear of the reception room, formerly a living room, on the other side of the wall. To Shad’s right was the entry to the kitchen that also provided the access to the basement which was used for storage and where the second bathroom was located. To his left was the entrance to a long hallway that connected to the first bathroom, a conference room, and finally Shad’s own office at the front of the building.
Nolin’s office, which had once been the dining room but now the kitchen access was walled off, was located directly across on the other side of the reception area. Nolin now had the larger office but agreed that Shad’s office had the better location. The joke was Shad could sneak out the back if he wanted since he had a door to the hallway as well as the entrance to the reception room.
Shad made a right turn into the kitchen which was now set up more as a break room. After making himself a glass of tea and dropping off his lunch, Shad strolled through the hallway and into his office where he removed the laptop from its case and opened it on the polished wood desk. Then Shad stepped over to a nearby mirror on the wall and fastened the top button of his shirt so he could finish knotting his tie. Once it was properly adjusted, Shad loosened the tie, undid the top button, hung the suit coat on a rack beside the mirror, and rolled up his sleeves. Now he could get to work.
The door to the reception room was ajar, so Shad knew when it was about five minutes before eight o’clock because he heard Francine unlocking the front door. He continued updating files on the computer as Shad listened to their receptionist put away her things at her own desk, then walk through the building and turn on lights to the rest of the rooms. As always she worked her way down the hall and finally stopped to stand at the entrance to his office.
Francine was a regal woman with short, curled gray hair. Today she was wearing her own suit, a matching peach-colored blazer and skirt with a ruffled white blouse. Francine was old enough to have retired last year, but she didn’t seem to be in any hurry to leave her job. Ten years ago she became a widow when her husband died of a long-term illness, and they had no children. So Francine seemed to be one of those people who viewed retirement as a threat. Shad was already making plans for retirement, assuming he made it that long in this profession.
“Mornin’, Francine.” Shad glanced up only briefly from the computer screen.
“Good morning to you.” Francine
’s demeanor was usually quite dignified, and when he initially started working here Shad used to be a little wary of her. Then again, his standard procedure was to initially distrust people. “How was St. Louis?”
Shad stopped typing on the keyboard and leaned back in his chair as he leveled his gaze at her. “Hot.”
“Then you didn’t miss anything here. Get to do anything over the weekend?”
“Swim.”
Francine waved her hand as though she was trying to shoo him away. “Why do I even ask? That’s all you ever do is fish and swim.”
“Sometimes I float.”
“Which includes fishing and swimming.” She proceeded to inform Shad about her own weekend, which he patiently listened to and remembered to occasionally respond with “Oh yeah?” and “uh-huh.” Then the phone rang.
Francine glanced at her wrist watch, muttered “It’s Monday,” and reached for the phone on Shad’s desk. In this office Francine answered any telephone that was closest to her and not already in use.
The call wasn’t for Shad, so Francine had to put the person on hold and return to her own desk to finish handling it. By the time she wrapped up the call, Shad heard the front door open again and Nolin entered the building. After a quick greeting to Francine, he immediately stepped into Shad’s office.
Nolin Harcourt was the same height as Shad but was a broader man overall. His hair was dark blonde except for his graying temples, and his eyes were a lighter blue than Dulsie’s and Karl’s. The suit he wore today was darker than the one Shad was wearing, and Nolin’s red striped tie was already fixed over his shirt, which was always white.
“Mornin’.” Shad looked up from the computer and even pulled his hands away.
“And how are you this morning after all your traipsing across the state?” Nolin asked.
As partners they kept each other informed about their clients so that one could step in if the other became unavailable. Shad gave Nolin his latest news on the Simms case.
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