A Case of Sour Grapes

by Gae-Lynn Woods

  Babby and Kay engaged in a silent stand-off and it was all I could do to keep my mouth shut and wait.

  “Fine,” Kay snapped, and stalked off. “You tell her.”

  FAMILY SECRETS

  THE BATHROOM DOOR SLAMMED behind Kay and the office settled into an uneasy quiet.

  I waited.

  At last Babby pulled a chair next to my desk and sat. “Cindy doesn’t know this,” she began. “And I don’t think she’ll need to.”

  “What happened?”

  “Your Uncle Charlie had an affair with Yvette.”

  I swear my eyes nearly popped out of my head, but I had the sense to keep my jaw from dropping. I swallowed. “Aunt Kay’s Uncle Charlie?”

  “The very same. It was a long time ago. But it nearly destroyed Kay and Charlie’s marriage.”

  “What happened?” I was stuck on that two word question.

  “She did some work for his business before she went into criminal defense. Kay walked in on them in his office - on their only time together, according to Charlie - and pulled her gun on Yvette.”

  “Walked in on them as in walked in on them?”

  Babby nodded.

  A picture of the scene popped into my head and I blinked to eradicate it.

  “She threatened to kill Yvette if she ever came near Charlie again, and made her walk out of the office right then, taking only her purse.”

  “No clothes?”

  “Naked as the day she was born.” Babby shrugged. “It was late. I doubt if anybody saw her but her ego was bruised.”

  “Wow. What did Aunt Kay do to Uncle Charlie?”

  “Tried to shoot his balls off. Almost did. If you look close you can see the repairs in the wall behind his desk. He broke down and told her how sorry he was. Kay and I had been spending a lot of time at the agency, our husbands were working all hours, and both marriages suffered. Charlie and Yvette had a late dinner and a few drinks, and one thing led to another. Charlie told Kay that Yvette was the aggressor, and I guess Kay believed him. That woman truly is a man-eater.”

  Babby’s use of my self-imposed nickname gave me pause, but I decided to think about it later. “I don’t remember anything about this.”

  “You wouldn’t, peanut. Kay and I went to Europe for a month to let Charlie cool his heels and both of them decide whether they wanted to keep their marriage.”

  “I still have the Paddington Bear you brought me. I had no idea that was why you went. I guess it worked.”

  “The time apart did them good and they stuck with marriage counseling. It hasn’t been smooth sailing, but Kay and Charlie have one of the strongest marriages I’ve seen.”

  The bathroom door opened and Kay emerged, steel in her spine and fight in her eyes.

  “You so rock,” I said.

  Kay harrumphed but my words brought a small smile. She sat again on the edge of the desk. “Don’t you ever tell your Uncle Charlie that you know, do you understand? It would kill him.”

  I nodded.

  “And Cindy -”

  “Will never hear it from me.”

  “It was done and over years ago and I swear, if we didn’t live in a town the size of a snotty handkerchief, we’d never see her or be reminded of it.”

  “Should I take her off the list?”

  “No,” Kay said. She looked at Babby. “I can handle working with her. But anyone Blue picks from that list will do a good job.”

  I hesitated. “If she’ll sleep with a married man, will she be antagonistic to Blue, the injured spouse?”

  Kay and Babby shared a grim smile. “Things like this always come full circle, baby,” Kay said.

  Babby piped up. “Yvette caught her husband cheating about the same way Kay caught her and Charlie cheating. Turns out he liked them young and often.”

  “Underage?” I asked, wondering why I’d never heard any of this.

  “He wasn’t stupid, just horny. But he had taken photographs and rumor has it Yvette wrecked him financially. Their divorce made the papers. He fled for some industrial town up north.”

  Maybe Yvette and I would have something in common after all.

  “So she’ll likely be very happy to defend Blue,” I said.

  “It’s hard to predict Yvette, but probably.”

  I looked at the computer screen. “I’ve got six names. What do I do?”

  “Go see her,” Kay said. “The sooner the better. Have her sign a new contract, explain her choices on an attorney, and we’ll figure out where to go from there.”

  “Visiting hours start at ten.”

  “Go now, sweetie pie. As soon as word gets out she’s been arrested, people will decide whether she’s innocent or guilty. Every minute counts.”

  “But how do I get in?” I asked.

  Kay waved a hand as she headed for the kitchen. “If you can’t think of something on your own, lovey, figure out what your aunts would do.”

  BREAKING IN

  IT WAS ALMOST SEVEN-thirty when I got to the county jail, now a modern building housed off the square. It used to be part of the historic Forney County courthouse building, but as lockup needs expanded, the locals decided they needed a bigger hoosegow. There are still a few cells at the courthouse, but those are only used by the town drunks who need a night to sleep it off, and those who are waiting to make an appearance in one of our fine courtrooms.

  I consider myself a cynic, but I was shaken after the revelation of my sainted uncle’s affair and feeling decidedly unkind towards the entire male population. I pushed the ringer next to the double doors, pulled my shoulders back, and waved up at the camera in the corner. Not knowing what the day would bring but certain a girl can never go wrong with chic professional, I’d worn an ElieTahari sheath dress with a scoop neck. It hugged me in all the right places, but in a subtle gray with black accents down the sides, looked suitably demure. My feet were clad in a pair of black patent Fifis by Christian Louboutin. After our run this morning, my calves and thighs were feeling toned, and the dress and shoes showed them to a perfect advantage. Little did I know how soon I would need that advantage.

  A buzzing sounded and the doors unlocked with a metallic click. A shade went up on one of the heavily glassed reception windows. I approached and groaned inwardly; Officer Hugo Petchard sat behind the glass, bleary eyed. It had been some time since I’d seen him up close, but his thinning blond hair was longer and instead of slicked straight back, it covered the tips of his ears. I suppressed a smile. His cross-dressing girlfriend had shot him in the ear on the same afternoon she’d wounded Cass. Petchard’s injury was superficial, but I’d heard the bullet left a nick in the cartilage that wouldn’t disappear without plastic surgery. The hair hid this physical reminder of his failure to realize his girlfriend had a penis, and that he was dating a multiple murderer.

  Every police force in the world must have a Hugo Petchard, whose parents are rich or influential. Because their offspring cannot obtain employment on their own, these parents are forced to purchase positions where their kids can hide their ineptitude and hopefully do no harm. In Petchard’s case, it was a bet gone wrong on more than one occasion.

  He blinked slowly as I approached and I took the high road: I smiled. His confusion morphed into a scowl when he recognized me.

  “What do you want?” he demanded.

  I placed my briefcase on the shelf in front of his window. “I need to see Blue Ivey.”

  “Visiting hours -”

  “Start at ten. I need to see her now.”

  “You’re not a lawyer.”

  “No, but she asked me to come this morning. I’m here. Let me in and go get her, please.”

  He frowned. “She’s in the kitchen.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Hard labor?”

  “She’s just cooking,” he sputtered. “Somebody else is doing the dishes.”

  Humor was lost on the boy. “Go get her, Hugo. I need to speak to her now.”

  He crossed his arms over his skinny chest.
“Come back at ten.”

  Right then I knew what my aunts would do and for once, was grateful I came from a town as gossipy as Arcadia. I leaned forward and exposed cleavage. He noticed. I motioned him closer. “Hugo, if you don’t let me see Blue Ivey right this minute, I’ll tell everybody that you -”

  I lowered my voice to a whisper and watched as two red spots blossomed high on his cheeks.

  “Who told you that?”

  I stayed silent.

  He sat back. “You wouldn’t dare.”

  “I’d post it on every social media site I can find.”

  We engaged in a staring contest for several seconds. He must’ve believed me, because a click sounded and the lock released.

  GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS

  PETCHARD TOOK HIS SWEET time bringing Blue to Interview Room 1, but the wait was worth it. A uniformed officer I didn’t recognize opened the door and ushered Blue in. An inmate followed, pushing a stainless steel cart carrying coffee and cinnamon rolls that put off a heavenly smell. Both men thanked Blue for the wonderful breakfast before leaving us.

  She was dressed in prison orange and it looked good on her. I told her so.

  “You’re the one who looks good,” she said. There were still shadows beneath her eyes, but she looked more rested than when I’d last seen her on Saturday. “You have the best shoes.”

  “My mother’s convinced it’s an untreatable illness. Looks like you’re a hit with the inmates and guards.”

  Blue smiled and put a cinnamon roll on a plate, then handed it and coffee to me. “They’re good guys, really. Most of them just need some guidance. Several helped in the kitchen last night and this morning, and they’re all trainable. I’ve told them to come to the winery for jobs if and when we ever get out of here.” She sipped her coffee. “I thought visiting hours didn’t start until ten.”

  “Kay and Babby recommended I come early to miss the rush, and so we can get your attorney working as quickly as possible.”

  “But how did you get in?”

  “A little trick Kay taught me.”

  Blue glanced up at a camera in the corner and lowered her voice. “Can they hear us?”

  “Nope. The sound system’s broken in this room. Cass clued me in.”

  “I knew working with Lost and Found would pay off.” Blue leaned forward. “For the record, I did not murder Bret, Annie, or Daphne.”

  I opened my briefcase. “Before you say anything else, read this and sign it. It’s our standard contract, like you signed before.”

  Blue held her hand out for a pen, scanned the contract, signed it, and pushed it back to me. “Does that give us attorney-client privilege?”

  I was grateful Cass had run through the basics with me last night. “No. Anything the agency puts in writing is subject to subpoena, although we’d fight it. Most of our communications will be verbal instead of written. Any reports we prepare for you or your attorney will be sufficiently vague they would provide no benefit to the prosecution. Make sense?”

  “I think so. We can talk now?”

  “Yes.”

  Blue leaned forward. “I mean it, Maxine. I really did not do this. I’m so naive I thought everybody would realize I couldn’t commit a crime like this. I didn’t take it seriously when Detective Stone arrested me. But I’ve had a chance to talk with some of the people in here, and it sounds like I can’t trust the police.”

  “That may be a bit harsh,” I said. “We need to focus on what we have to do to get you out of here and prove your innocence.”

  “You’ve got a list of attorneys?”

  I pulled the page from my briefcase.

  She blinked. “It’s short.”

  “This is East Texas.” Blue grinned and I smiled back. “I had input from Cass, Kay, and Babby.”

  “Did they have a favorite?”

  “No. I’ve listed strengths and weaknesses and given you an idea of the kinds of cases they’ve handled in the past.”

  She studied it. “Only one woman?”

  “Yvette Hardcastle is the only female criminal attorney in the area.”

  “What’s she like?”

  “Tough as nails, according to Babby and Kay.”

  “Ruthless?”

  I nodded. “And probably sympathetic to your cause.”

  “She’s been cheated on, too?”

  “Yes.”

  “Call her.”

  “You don’t want to talk to any of the others?”

  Blue shook her head. “I’m not sure I ever want to do business with a man again.”

  “If you’re comfortable with it, I’ll ask you to sign a power of attorney so we can hire her and get started. However, we’d advise you to interview several lawyers before you select one.”

  “The power of attorney gets things moving?”

  I nodded.

  “I’ll sign it.” I gave her the sheet of paper. She read and signed it, then she picked up a crumb. “You’ll think I’m crazy for asking this, but has anyone told Nicole Ivy that her husband is dead?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “She deserves to know. If for no other reason than to collect any life insurance.” She glanced up at me. “I’m not that heartless, but she does need to know. Presumably she loved the man and had no more idea what he was up to than I did. But if she did know about his extra-marital activities…”

  “She’s a great suspect,” I finished for her. I slipped all the paperwork into my briefcase and put my elbows on the table. “I’ve got good news and bad news. What do you want first?”

  “I’m locked up, Maxine. Your news can’t be worse than this.”

  “Bret has been married before.”

  “To Nicole.”

  “And others. Many others. Under various names.” Blue stared, so I continued. “That’s the bad news. The good news is that each of those women is a potential suspect, which gives us a lot of hope for proving your innocence.”

  THE ICE QUEEN

  IT WAS ONLY AN hour later when the agency’s door swung open and an absolute sex kitten filled the entryway. I’d seen Yvette Hardcastle’s photos online and she was a stunningly beautiful woman, but the force of her personality added a whole new layer to the mix. Yvette had man-eater written from the top of her silky jet black hair to the tips of her Alexander McQueen pumps. Her eyes said there was intelligence behind that predatory façade.

  “Didn’t think I’d ever cross this threshold,” she said in a velvety voice, and stepped forward. She wore a black two-piece Akris suit and the pumps were midnight suede. Her briefcase was by Mulberry and downright delicious. She was dressed to intimidate and I felt a twinge of uncertainty about my role in Blue’s defense.

  Cindy peeked from behind her Japanese screen and stared. Babby, Kay, and I rose as the temperature in the office dropped to frosty. A steel wall wrapped around my insecurities in the face of this woman who’d hurt my aunt, and I stepped forward, hand out. “Maxine Leverman. You must be Ms. Hardcastle.”

  Her ice blue eyes narrowed. “You’re not licensed, Maxine. What are you doing going to the jailhouse to sign up new clients?”

  Kay shifted but I spoke first. “I’m working under Kay and Barbara’s direction, which is perfectly legal. You’ve decided to take Blue’s case?”

  “No, I haven’t, but I am curious.” Yvette looked Kay and then Babby up and down, her face neutral. “Of all the calls I thought I’d receive, one from your agency was never on the list.”

  “Your office received the call from me, Ms. Hardcastle.” She turned to face me again. “The agency is working with Blue, but I’m her main contact. Would you like to come to the conference room where we can discuss this more comfortably? If you’re a coffee drinker, we’ll put a new pot on.” I gestured to her right.

  Yvette seemed a tad put out that the new girl was stealing the show, but I caught Babby’s eyebrow twitching. The lawyer hesitated, but when I stepped away from the group, she followed.

  I heard Kay speak as I
opened the conference room door. “Always lovely to see you, Yvette. I’ll join you in a moment. You take your coffee black?”

  “With two creams and a sugar,” answered Yvette. She followed me into the conference room and Babby closed the door once she stepped inside. We all remained standing.

  “A few ground rules,” Babby said. Her voice was granite.

  Yvette tilted her head.

  “The past is the past. All of it. Agreed?”

  Yvette nodded slowly.

  “We’ve never worked on the same side before, but I think you’ll find us useful. We will share all information we gather with you, and you will provide us the same courtesy. If you fail to be fully forthcoming, we’ll recommend that Blue cut you off. Understood?”

  “Yes.” Her voice was brittle.

  “You will refrain from commenting on your history with our family,” emphasis on ‘our’, which was very cool, “and we will refrain from dissecting the factors that led to your ex-husband’s unfortunate behavior.”

  A flush crept up Yvette’s neck, but she managed to nod again.

  “Good.” Babby sat and motioned for us to join her. “How much information did Maxine leave regarding Blue’s case?”

  I do love my aunts.

  HE NEEDED KILLIN’

  BY THE TIME KAY joined us fifteen minutes later, Babby and I had filled Yvette in on the high points of the case, done a rough sketch of Bret’s marriages and divorces, and rebuilt the suspect and motive lists Cass and I had drawn up last night. She’d filled three pages of a legal pad with notes and had just flipped to a fourth when the door opened and Cindy brought in a tray of coffee and cups. Kay followed with a plate of donuts.

  Yvette visibly relaxed when she saw Cindy pouring from a communal pot; perhaps she’d expected a dose of laxative with her cream and sugar.

  Kay told Cindy to flip the phones to the answering service and lock the office doors, then join us. I thought Cindy was going to jump out of her heels at the thought of working with Yvette Hardcastle. From fear or joy, I’m not sure. I was grateful for the hour I’d had to brief my aunts between leaving Blue at the jailhouse and Yvette’s arrival at the agency.