“And what if you can’t? What happens then?”
“I will. There’s just no other choice.”
I got up to leave. I had to get to my office. I was going to call Heather on the way to see if she could meet me there. I hoped that she didn’t mind going to get Steven. I also wanted to see what kind of case law she got for me for the Michael Reynolds’ appeal.
I kissed my mother on the cheek and gave Mick a hug. “Love you guys,” I said.
“We love you too.” Mom gave me a hug. “Please find a way to help Jack.”
“I will.”
As I got into my SUV, though, I started to cry.
Did I just make a promise that I could never keep?
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
I got to the office, after calling Heather from the car. She was waiting for me in the lobby of my suite. She was dressed in a pantsuit in grey, with a colorful shirt underneath and her hair was held back by her trademark red headband. I had to smile, because she looked nervous – as if she was coming in for a job interview.
She had really come a long way from the young girl with the big attitude that I met almost a year ago. She had been humbled, but, more than that, she had found a family who accepted her. She and Louisa were getting along, and that was all that I ever wanted for her.
Because of all that had happened, she no longer had to hide behind a façade. I had the feeling that I was going to get to know the real Heather. And if I could help her along in the world to find her place, I would know that I did my job.
She stood up when I walked in the door. “Hey Harper,” she said. She had a briefcase with her. It was tattered and the locks didn’t look like they worked, but it was a briefcase. I had to assume that she found it in a thrift store. “I have your legal research here.”
“Thanks. Come on in the office. I have another assignment for you that I hope that you can help me with.” I drew my breath. This was an unconventional assignment, for sure. I hoped that she would do it for me.
We walked in and she sat down on the other side of the desk. “Here,” she said uncertainly. “I read through that legal brief three times. I have to admit, when I read their arguments, I was scared. I was scared that I couldn’t find anything to argue with it. But when I started to find case law on Westlaw, I realized something. There really isn’t any law, is there?”
I touched my nose, impressed that she figured that out so quickly. “No. I mean, there is law, in a sense, because our legal system is based upon statutes. But these statutes are so open to interpretation, that you really can make any argument at all and still possibly be right. It all depends on which argument is more persuasive to the judge. It’s all very complicated, but you have to start with the statute, then find the case law and possibly the legislative history. You can usually find case law to fit any argument that you want to make. I like to think of the law as malleable – living and breathing, as opposed to simple words on a page.”
Heather nodded. “That’s what I found, too. Their arguments are good, but I found other arguments that are just as good.”
I opened up her file folder, that was filled to the brim with printed out decisions. I was impressed, really. Heather apparently did her homework. She printed out cases from the 8th Circuit, but she also found cases from the Missouri Supreme Court, from the Western District of Missouri and from the United States Supreme Court. She included some Law Review articles and some statutes. In all, she did an admirably thorough job.
“How long did this take you?”
She shrugged. “I pretty much worked around the clock for the past three days. I was intimidated at first, but I got the hang of it.”
“You’re a natural researcher. I’m impressed.” I nodded my head as I skimmed over the cases that she found. “I think that I found my research assistant.”
Her face lit up. “Really? Seriously? Harper, you’re the shit.”
“No,” I said. “You are. Really. I took an entire class that was devoted just to legal research, and that was how I learned all this. Of course, I had to do everything from the books in the library, which was a pain in the rear. It takes awhile to learn about the doctrine of Stare Decisis, En Banc decisions verses full court decisions, and which case law is binding verses which is just persuasive. Things like that. Now, I don’t expect you to know any of that, but I think that you have a real future. If you like, I can send you to paralegal school and you can work for me part-time. That would teach you everything that you will need to know to become a paralegal anywhere you want.”
She nodded her head eagerly. “Actually, Harper, I think that think that was hella cool if you could do that. Hella cool.” She looked at her nails. “I was scared, Harper. Scared that my life was going to be a waste. I dumped Charlie. After I beat that murder charge, I knew that I didn’t want to blow my second chance. I was going to if I stayed with him. He’s such a waste. He’s mad, though, because he paid your legal fee and he feels like I owe him.” She took a deep breath. “I had to do a few things to pay off my debt. Things that I’m not proud of. But I’m free and clear, now, and I’m ready to walk the straight path.”
I groaned. I didn’t want to hear what kinds of things Heather had to do to pay off her drug dealing ex-boyfriend. But I felt like I had to. I didn’t want to be caught unaware if the cops came and arrested her again for something. “And what did you do to pay off your debt to Charlie? I almost hate to ask.”
She looked out the window and then looked at her nails again. “I went down to Mexico three different times. The first time, I brought back a drug shipment. The other two times, I brought illegals into the country. So, I guess I was both a coyote and a mule.”
I bit my lower lip. “Oh, Heather. Heather, Heather, Heather. You better hope that Charlie doesn’t get arrested and rat you out. I wish you would have come to me. I would have given you the money to pay off your debt.”
“I’m not an Indian giver. I gave you that money for your fee, and that was worth every goddamned dime. I’m not going to come to you and ask for that back. No way. I’m not like that.”
“But Heather, you-“ I sighed. “Well, let’s just hold our breath that the authorities don’t get wind of what you did for Charlie. In the meantime, let’s take a look at some schools where you can enroll for your paralegal certificate. But, before we do all that, there’s something that I need for you to do.”
“What’s that?”
“There’s a lonely old man who is living in the woods. I need for you to drive out and pick him up and bring him to the city. I have an apartment for him, ready to go.” I rented out a studio apartment close by where I lived. It wasn’t much, but I knew that it was going to be fine with him, plus I made sure that it was pet-friendly. I wasn’t going to ask him to give up his dog, not for the whole world.
She furrowed her brow. “I don’t understand. You need me to pick up a random dude?”
“Well, yes, I guess that’s what I’m asking. It’s a long story, but he’s a man who dropped out of society back in 1972. He’s been living isolated in a log cabin ever since. I know that this is an unconventional request. I can rent a car for you if you like.”
“Nah, that won’t be necessary. I picked up a beater 1983 Honda Civic. It runs fine. I just need gas money.”
“Yes. Gas money, and I’ll pay you $3,000. How does that sound?”
Heather whistled. “Fuck yeah. I’ll take that deal. Just tell me how to get to where he is and I’ll be there.”
I wrote down the coordinates of where he was. “Put this into your Google Map. It’ll get you there. In the meantime, I owe you for this research project you did for me. When you’re my assistant, I’ll pay you $25 an hour. How many hours did you put into this?”
She shook her head rapidly. “About 50, but you don’t have to pay me for all those hours. It took me a long time to find simple things.”
I got out my checkbook and calculator. “Let’s see, 50 times $25 is $1,250.” I made out the check fo
r that amount. “Here. With this money and the money I’m going to pay you for getting Steven, that should get you on your way to getting an apartment and whatever else you need to get started in life again.”
Heather took a look at the check and I saw tears come to her eyes. “Harper,” she said after a long hesitation. “Thank you. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for accepting me. I just don’t know…” She started to cry. “How to repay you.”
I smiled and put my hand on hers. “You repay me by getting your life together. You repay me by staying away from the wrong people, like Charlie. That’s how you repay me.”
I stood up. “Come here,” I said, spreading my arms.
She came up to me and hugged me hard.
And then she abruptly broke away and smiled. “I’ll go and get your friend and I’ll be back in a few days.”
“I’ll see you then.”
I watched Heather leave and then I sat down at my desk. I swiveled my chair so that it faced the window and I looked down. At the ground level was the Country Club Plaza, and I could see people walking around with large shopping bags in their hands. They seemed not to have a care in the world.
Oh, how I envied them.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
The next day, I went to the Sacred Heart gym because I wanted to catch Father Mathews again. I found out that he was going to be playing basketball with the team that evening, and my plan was to catch the game and then hopefully speak with him afterwards.
I didn’t quite know what I hoped to find out. I did, however, think that there was something that I was going to know after the game. Something that I didn’t know before.
Albany came with me. She enjoyed watching basketball games. I really didn’t, but Albany was a fan. She got into the March madness – she filled out her bracket every year, and sometimes she even won money on-line. Her favorite team was the Kansas Jayhawks, of course, which made me want to puke. I was a Mizzou fan all the way, as that was my alma mater, and, as a Mizzou fan, I was destined to hate the Kansas Jayhawks. They were our rivals. Unfortunately for me, though, Mizzou always sucked, both in basketball and football, where the Jayhawks usually did pretty well. They routinely won national championships, where I don’t think that my team ever did.
This dynamic led to much teasing by Albany, but I tried to let it all slide off my back.
“Now, why are we here again?” she asked as we took our seats in the stands. She had nachos and a bag of popcorn, while I had a hot dog and some cotton candy.
“Father Mathews down there,” I said, pointing to the Father, who was dressed in the basketball uniform. “Is playing. I want to talk to him again.”
“I see. And why didn’t you just go back to his office and speak with him? Why come here?”
I sighed. “I’m not sure. I just have a hunch.”
She nodded. “A hunch.” She munched on her popcorn and took a sip of her Coke. “You know, you’re always getting on me about not believing in psychic powers and all of that. Yet, you’re always getting hunches, and they almost always turn out to be right. Explain that.”
“I believe in the power of the subconscious mind. The subconscious mind picks up on cues that the conscious mind doesn’t. That’s where my hunches come from. I certainly don’t believe that some guardian angel taps me on the shoulder and tells me what I need to know.”
“Okay.” She looked skeptical. “I just wish that you weren’t so close-minded. You went into that house where the Heaneys lived. You felt the presences there. You felt how cold it was. You felt the oppression, the fear. Yet you still refuse to believe.”
I raised my eyebrow at her. “I believe in what I can see, touch and feel. I also believe in the power of the mind. I don’t believe in spirits.”
She sighed and decided to change the subject. She wasn’t going to change my mind, and I wasn’t going to change hers. “Father Mathews is pretty hot.”
“Yes, he is.” I smiled. “Do you remember that book The Thornbirds?”
She nudged me and laughed. “Oh, yes. Of course. Meggie and Ralph. Richard Chamberlain played Ralph in the mini-series. Man, he was smoking in that.”
“Right?” I looked down at the gym, where Father Mathews was warming up with doing lay-ups. I was amazed at how agile he was, and how well he was able to dunk the ball. “I’ll bet that there are more than a few women who dream about Father Mathews the way that Meggie dreamed about Ralph.”
“Uh huh. But just remember, Ralph fathered her child in that one.”
“Yep.” I took a bite of my hot dog. “Not that I think that Father Mathews breaks his vow of chastity, but to look at him, you wonder how he doesn’t. And he had a life before the priesthood, too. He dealt drugs and went to prison for dealing to a minor who died of an overdose. That was why he decided to enter the priesthood – he knew that he was heading down the wrong path and he wanted to change it all around. That’s why he does outreach now. He really walks the walk – he goes to soup kitchens and plays basketball with these underprivileged kids. He doesn’t stay in the rectory and write his sermons all the time – he’s really out there.”
Albany looked stunned. “Wow. I never thought that a priest would have that kind of a background. I mean, I can see how some of them might have come from a hardscrabble life, but I guess I never pictured a drug dealer turning into a priest.”
“Well, good for him.” I took another bite of my hot dog. “I hope that Heather can turn it around, too. I think that she can, though. I have faith in her. I’m going to do all I can to help her, too. She really deserves a second chance. If anybody in this world deserves a second chance, it’s her.”
“I agree. She may act like she’s tough, but she’s really not.”
The game began with a jump ball, which went to Father Mathews’ team, which was known as the Grizzlies. Father Mathew dribbled the ball, evading defenders along the way, and passed it to one of the kids, who easily dunked it.
As the game went along, I was impressed. Father Mathew had mad skills. He seemed to be a born athlete – agile, in control and strategic. I also noticed, as I couldn’t help but notice, that both of his arms were covered in tattoos. He fit right in with the other guys who were on the court, most of whom also had tattoos.
The buzzer was called, signaling half-time, and Father Mathews looked around and caught my eye. He looked perplexed and he shook his head. I didn’t know what that meant.
It was then that I noticed that the coach of this team looked very much like Father Mathews. He was slightly older, but he had the same bone structure as Father Mathews. He had the same dark, wavy hair and height and build. He put his arm around Father Mathews and patted him and the two of them were laughing at a private joke.
He almost looked like he was Father Mathews’ twin, but not quite. He had to be a relation. Probably a brother. I watched the two of them as I finished off my Coke.
“What are you looking at?” Albany said.
“Father Mathews. Do you see that other guy down there? The coach?”
She nodded. “Yeah. That guy looks just like him.”
“Right.” I narrowed my eyes. “He does.”
I went down to the edge of the court, and Father Mathews saw me, so he came over to where I was standing. “Hey, Harper,” he said. “I’m glad you could make it.”
“Yes,” I said. “You mentioned that you play basketball here, so I had to come down and see for myself. I’ve never known that priests have such athletic skills.”
“Well, priests in general don’t, but I do.” He nodded his head. “I know I’m a good basketball player. These guys know it, too. The other team also has a priest. He’s a priest at Our Lady of Lourdes, but, between you and me, I think that he sucks.” Father Mathews laughed. “But don’t tell him I said that, though. Of course.”
“I won’t,” I said with a laugh. “Is this your brother?”
“It is.” He put his arm around the coach. “He’s my Irish twin. Do you know what
that is?”
“Of course. It’s two kids who are born within a twelve-month period, but they’re not actual twins.” I personally could never imagine doing that – giving birth and then getting pregnant again right away. I didn’t know why anybody would want to do that, but I knew that some women did.
“You got it.” He motioned to the guy who looked like him but didn’t quite. “This is my brother, Raymond. Raymond, this is Harper Ross.”
“Hello,” he said politely. He smiled and then walked away.
I saw Father Mathews look at his brother, who was now talking to some of the other players in a huddle and look back at me. “He’s not the most sociable guy in the entire universe, but he’s my brother. It’s a wonder that he’s even able to coach this team.”
I narrowed my eyes as I watched him huddle around with the other guys. “Oh, that’s not a big deal. He’s pretty busy, I can see.”
“Yeah.” Father Mathews took a towel and wiped his face with it. “Well, it looks like the game is about to start again.” He put his hand on my shoulder. “I’ll chat with you after the game, huh?”
“Sure, sure. After the game.”
I went back into the stands, where Albany was sitting, having gotten another batch of nachos and another coke. Next to her, on my seat, was a hot dog. “Here,” she said. “I got you another hot dog. I hope you don’t mind.”
I laughed and bit into the dog. “I know. There’s something about sporting events that make me want to chow down on crap.” I usually ate well - grass-fed beef and free-range chicken and eggs. My vegetables and fruits were all organic, and I was a decent cook. Passable, anyhow – I enjoyed buying celebrity chef cookbooks and making things out of these books. But every time I went to a sporting event, I would gorge on hot dogs, nachos, candy bars and Coke. From the looks of things, Albany was the same way.
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