Nutcase

by Hughes, Charlotte

  The president of the bank reached for the pad. He was big on the chocolate éclairs we served. He glared at Green. “Do you know who I am?” he demanded before scribbling his name.

  Green nodded.

  “Well, I happen to be in treatment myself,” he said, “and I’ll have your sorry butt on a platter before it’s over.” He passed the pad to the next person.

  Green looked at me. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I misspoke. I could lose my job,” he added, almost in a whisper.

  “You expect me to defend you?” I said in disbelief. “You evicted me.”

  He looked pale. “I might reconsider if you’ll tell these people I’m not as bad as they think I am.”

  “I would need that in writing,” I said, even as the crowd continued to pass the notebook around.

  “Give me two minutes.” He ran to his car. He was out of breath when he returned bearing a thin sheath of papers. “This is a lease,” he said. “I’ll agree to anything.”

  “I want a three-year lease with no rent increase.”

  “You got it.” He began writing quickly.

  I suddenly felt brave. “And I want the office painted in taupe and new carpet installed this weekend so I can move in on Monday.”

  “What!” He frowned.

  “Take it or leave it,” I said.

  “That’s blackmail!”

  “No it’s not,” the attorney said. “It’s called negotiation.”

  “Okay!” Green replied. He added my demands.

  “Don’t sign it yet,” the attorney said. He glanced around. “Is anyone a notary?”

  A woman raised her hand. “I’ll be right back.” She hurried inside the building. The attorney read through the lease. “Everything looks to be in order.”

  The woman returned with her supplies and witnessed our signatures. “I’ll need a couple more witnesses,” she said. The bank president and the young dental assistant stepped forward. Once they’d signed the lease, Green reached for it.

  “Not so fast,” the attorney said. “Dr. Holly is going to need a copy.”

  “I’ll make a copy,” the notary offered and hurried inside the building once again. She returned and handed Green and me a copy.

  “May I have the pages from the notebook?” Green asked the attorney.

  He shook his head. “Nope. I plan to keep it on file in case you give Dr. Holly any more problems.”

  “That’s blackmail,” Green said for the second time.

  “You might be right.” The attorney tucked the pages inside his jacket and went into the building.

  Green stormed away, cursing under his breath.

  I looked at Mona. “I think that went rather well.” The last word barely left my mouth before my knees went weak. Several people grabbed my arms and led me inside to the elevator.

  chapter 14

  I slept until noon on Saturday. I suppose I’d been tense for so long that I was physically and emotionally done in. I plodded downstairs and made coffee. From the window I saw Mike sleeping in a patch of sunlight. I noted the light blinking on my answering machine, but I was determined to drink my first cup in silence. I sat on my sofa and propped my legs on the coffee table. I savored the moment. It felt like forever since I’d had time to enjoy even the smallest pleasures.

  I poured my second cup and pressed the button on my machine.

  “Kate, this is your mother.” I did a mental eye roll. Like I wouldn’t recognize her voice, I thought. “Arnell is making chicken parmesan and Caesar salad for Sunday dinner. You’re welcome to join us tomorrow. Call me back.”

  The machine beeped and Mona spoke. “My PI called late last night. Everything worked out, and my name is not going to be dragged into you-know-what so I don’t have to leave the country after all. And Liam and I had a wonderful evening last night.” She paused. “I’m meeting Elizabeth Larkin for lunch, so if you need me you can call me on my cell phone.”

  I waited for my next message.

  “Katie, I heard your landlord is going to let you stay in the office after all,” Jay said. “Don’t worry about moving your things back in tomorrow. I’ve got a couple of guys and a truck lined up. We can have you moved in no time.”

  I was touched by his message. Despite everything, Jay made it plain I was a high priority in his life.

  I had a couple more calls, and a hang-up. I was too tired to call anyone back, but I knew if I didn’t return my mother’s call she would think I had been murdered in my sleep and would send the police to my house.

  “You sound terrible!” she said. “Have you got the flu? I’ll bet you forgot to take the flu shot. I’ll bet you didn’t write a reminder on your calendar.”

  “I’m not sick, Mom. Just tired. But I wanted to let you know that I’d love to come to dinner tomorrow.”

  “We’ll set an extra plate at the table,” she said. “Try to rest.”

  I hung up, made a sandwich, and started upstairs just as the phone rang again. I didn’t feel like talking so I listened to the message.

  “Bitsy Stout here. I just found another pile of poop in my yard. You’re asking for trouble, lady. You and your ugly dog,” she added.

  I yanked the phone from the receiver. “Don’t call my dog ugly!” I yelled. I hung up and went back to bed.

  I awoke the following morning at eight, still feeling tired. I’d slept on and off the day before, returning phone messages in between. I found Mike stretched out on the rug in front of the kitchen sink, gnawing a rawhide bone.

  The phone rang. Jay spoke from the other end. He didn’t waste time with preliminaries. “We should arrive at the office with your things around five p.m.,” he said. “You’ll need to be there with a key to let us in.”

  “You sound tired,” I said.

  “I’m okay. I have to run so I’ll see you then.”

  The phone clicked, and I heard a dial tone. “I love you madly too, Jay,” I muttered and hung up.

  I showered and dressed in jeans and a blouse. While I was deliriously happy that I didn’t have to move to another office after all, I dreaded unpacking my things. Just thinking about it made me even more tired. I decided to take a nap.

  I arrived at my mom and aunt’s, fresh-cut flowers in hand, just in time for Sunday dinner.

  My mother made a big fuss. “You didn’t have to buy these.”

  “I wanted to,” I said. “I can’t thank you guys enough for all you’ve done.”

  Arnie was dressed in jeans, a glittery tank top, and a lamé scarf. “Speaking for myself, it was my pleasure,” he said. “Now, everybody sit down so I can serve the Caesar salads.”

  We took our place at the table. Aunt Trixie looked at me. “Eddie wanted to join us, but he is volunteering at the soup kitchen in town,” she said.

  “How nice,” I said. I looked at my mother, who gave me a quick eye roll.

  “Would you like fresh black pepper on your salad?” she asked, offering me the pepper mill.

  Arnie smiled in delight as we praised his salad, chicken parmesan, and spinach pasta. “That was a fabulous meal,” I said as I cleared the table. “I don’t remember when I’ve eaten so much. Would you consider moving in with me?”

  “He can’t move in with you because he’s moving in with us,” Aunt Trixie said. “We’ve adopted him.”

  “For real?” I asked.

  Arnie blushed. “It’s tempting. I’ve become rather fond of your mother and aunt. I feel like I finally belong. Is everyone ready for dessert? I call it Chocolate Sin.”

  Despite swearing I could not hold another bite, I ate my entire dessert and part of my mom’s. Once again, my eyelids felt heavy. I couldn’t stop yawning.

  “Kate, go lie down on my bed and take a nap,” my mother said.

  I shook my head in bewilderment. “All I’ve done for two days is sleep,” I said. “Besides, I need to be awake when Jay arrives. He and a few guys from the department are coming by to move my things back to the office, and I have to meet them at fiv
e to let them in.”

  “He already called us,” she said. “I’ll wake you in plenty of time.”

  I didn’t have to be told twice. I went into my mother’s bedroom, where the scent of Chantilly, her favorite perfume, sweetened the air. I curled up like a fat cat on her plump feather mattress. I started to drift. I was vaguely aware when she came in and covered me with a light quilt.

  I felt I’d been asleep for a long time when someone touched me gently on the shoulder. I found my mom standing over me. “It’s four o’clock,” she whispered. “I thought you’d like a cup of coffee before you leave.” She brushed my hair from my face and stroked it with her fingers.

  “Mom?”

  She looked at me.

  “Thanks again for everything.”

  She sat on the edge of the bed and continued to stroke my hair. “You’re so much like me, Kate,” she said, “whether you want to believe it or not. When your father first died, I felt like I had to be so strong. After all, I had to raise you. People tried to help, but I was too prideful. It never occurred to me that I was stealing their joy by refusing to allow them to do things for us.”

  I nodded as I recalled hearing those same words from Mona when I refused her help only days earlier.

  After a quick cup of coffee, my mother and Aunt Trixie slipped on their sweaters and Arnie donned a shawl.

  “We’re going with you,” my mother said. “You might need help unpacking all your books.” I opened my mouth to protest, but she cut me off. “Remember what we just talked about?” she said.

  Arnie rode in the truck with my mother, and Aunt Trixie joined me in my car. “So, do you plan to keep dating Eddie?” I asked once we were on our way.

  “I’ll see him as a friend,” she said, “but I don’t want to rush into anything like before. Like he said, he has unfinished business.” She suddenly brightened. “We could do the modern thing and be friends with benefits, I suppose.”

  I laughed. We arrived at my office twenty minutes later. We were early; I didn’t see Jay’s SUV or a truck out front. I waited until my mother and Arnie joined us at the entrance before I punched in the security number that unlocked the glass doors after hours and on weekends.

  “Arnie, would you grab that brick behind the hedges?” I asked. “I want to prop the door open so Jay won’t have trouble getting in when he arrives.”

  He reached for the brick and put it in place. We stepped inside the lobby, headed for the elevator, and I pushed the button to the fourth floor. “I hope my landlord didn’t renege on his promise to paint and install new carpet,” I said.

  The bell dinged on the elevator, and we stepped out on my floor and headed toward my office. I slipped my key into the lock and pushed open the door. It was dark inside. “Hold on a minute while I turn on the lights.”

  I flipped them on.

  “Surprise!”

  I almost jumped out of my skin at the room filled with people. Flash lights blinked in my face as Jeff snapped pictures.

  Mona threw her arms around me. “I wish you could see the look on your face!” she said.

  I shook my head as if to clear it. I saw Jay standing behind Mona, along with a couple of men I recognized from the fire department. He gave me a warm smile. Beside him, Elizabeth Larkin, her hair now a flattering reddish brown, winked at me. I was immensely relieved to see her looking so healthy. “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “We decided to throw a party to celebrate your new office,” Mona said. “Elizabeth and I spent all day yesterday picking out new furniture.”

  I gazed about the room, stunned by the changes. An overstuffed sofa and two chairs in a rich chocolate adorned the newly painted reception room. Plump pillows in an array of fall colors brightened the area, and a distressed coffee table held the latest magazines. The lamps, wall art, and decorative objects tied it all together and gave the room a sophisticated flair.

  “Do you like it?” Mona asked. “Elizabeth and I wanted it to be perfect.”

  “It’s gorgeous,” I said.

  “Wait till you see the rest.” She led me into my office where a mahogany desk and matching credenza shared space with other tasteful furniture.

  “How did you manage to do all of this so quickly?” I asked.

  “We would not have been able to pull it off had everyone not done their part,” Mona said.

  Someone tapped me on the shoulder. A smiling Liam handed me a glass of champagne.

  “Congratulations, Kate,” he said and kissed me on the cheek.

  I was so touched that I had to fight back tears. “I don’t know what to say.”

  My mother leaned close and whispered in my ear. “Just say thank you.”

  “Yes, thank you,” I managed.

  The door opened and Thad stepped inside holding a potted plant. He looked uncomfortable. “Mona told me she was throwing a little party for you,” he said, “so I brought you this.” He glanced around the room. “Nice office.”

  I took the plant. “Thank you, Thad,” I said, albeit a bit formally since I hadn’t completely forgiven him. I knew I’d get over it eventually, and we’d find another reason to disagree. Mona handed him a glass of champagne.

  “I don’t know if you’ve met everyone,” I said. I introduced Jeff and they shook hands. Finally, I presented Elizabeth. I had the pleasure of seeing Thad blush. “You look fabulous,” he told her.

  “Thank you, Dr. Glazer.”

  Jay pulled me aside. I noticed he was holding a soft drink. “I’m really happy about your new office, Katie,” he said, “but the guys and I need to get back to the station.”

  I smiled at the two men next to Jay. “I can’t thank you enough,” I said, getting used to the words. They shook my hand, congratulated me, and started for the door.

  I followed Jay into the hallway as the other men pushed the button to the elevator.

  “Um, Jay?”

  He looked at me, and I noted the deep lines of fatigue on his face.

  “Do you still want to meet with Evelyn Hunt tomorrow?”

  He raked his fingers through his hair. “I forgot about that.” The elevator opened. “I’d like to hold off for now,” he said. “I’ve sort of got my hands full.”

  The elevator doors opened, and they stepped inside. I waited until the doors closed before going back into my office. Even though I felt discouraged that Jay would not make the next appointment with Evelyn, I understood his reasons.

  For the next hour, we sipped champagne and sampled Arnie’s hors d’oeuvres. I suspected I would put on five pounds before the day was over. Several people from the other offices stopped by, including the bank president and the attorney who’d come to my rescue.

  Jeff pulled me aside a few minutes later. “I have to go,” he said. “I’m meeting someone at my office to discuss a partnership.”

  “That’s good news!” I said.

  He smiled. “Look, I sort of cleared the air with Mona when she called to invite me to your party,” he said, keeping his voice down. “I’m hoping she and I can be friends.”

  “Me too,” I said, “since the two of you are my favorite people.”

  He gave me a quick hug before leaving.

  Although I’d had a lot of fun, I was glad when the party started breaking up. I’d eaten so much that all I wanted to do was go home, put on my pajamas, and think about my new office. My mother and aunt cleared away the paper plates while Arnie covered the leftovers.

  Finally, it was just Mona and me. “I think it went well,” she said.

  “I can’t believe you pulled it off.”

  She smiled. “Everybody parked behind the building.”

  “You bought the furniture?”

  “Elizabeth paid half. She’s filthy rich like me. She also came up with a great idea on how I could make a real difference in this town. She got so excited thinking about it that she plans to join in. We’re going to raise money to build boys and girls clubs in a number of neighborhoods. We’re also going to
donate money to the police department so they can hire extra personnel. Our goal is to stamp out gang activity.”

  “That’s wonderful!” I said.

  “Elizabeth knows the governor, and he’s behind us. Also, I came really close to sleeping with the mayor right after Mr. Moneybags died. I think I can convince him to help.”

  I laughed. “You’re something else, Mona,” I said, “which is why I love you.”

  “I love you, too, Kate.”

  chapter 15

  I arrived at my office early the next morning so I could move my files from the old cabinet to the new credenza behind my desk. I walked through the rooms that had been freshly painted, carpeted, and filled with tasteful furnishings, and I had an urge to pinch myself to see if I was dreaming.

  It was sort of intimidating to be surrounded by such luxury. My patients were going to expect me to be a better psychologist. I was going to have to read more trade journals and sign up for at least one conference each year.

  I opened the bottom drawer in my desk and reached for a notepad advertising Zoloft so I could jot down my ideas. Drug salespeople left Thad tons of such pads, not to mention pens, and he passed them on to me, not questioning that I insisted on taking an even number when he offered them. I also had exactly thirty-six pens in my stash. While I realized that number was divisible by three, an odd number, I found comfort in knowing it could be divided by two as well. I suddenly realized that if I stopped talking to Thad for good, I would lose out on the freebies.

  Mona arrived as I was sitting at my desk enjoying a cup of coffee. She came in and sat on my new sofa. I could tell something was wrong.

  “Bad news,” she said. “There was a shooting in Ricky Perez’s neighborhood late last night. A member of a gang called the Bloods was killed in a drive-by. The police suspect the shooter is someone from the Thirty-Eight Specials. They’re the ones who recently moved into Ricky’s neighborhood. Mrs. Perez said Ricky hasn’t eaten or slept in two days. She thinks he knows something, but he isn’t talking.”