Redress of Grievances

by Brenda Adcock

  "What were you arguing about?"

  Clarissa wrinkled her nose and shrugged. "I really cannot recall, but I'm sure it was something trivial. One of those teenage things."

  "She misses her children very much."

  "Sharon is a good mother. There have been times when I thought she might have reacted differently to their behavior, but they are clean and well cared for."

  "I appreciate you coming in to talk to me, Mrs. Collins. If you ever need to contact me, please contact Doug or Alex, and they will relay a message to me."

  "When will we know your decision?"

  "By the end of the day."

  As Clarissa left the room, Harriett made more notes and poured herself a cup of coffee. Carrying her cup, she left the conference room via the back door. She needed to move around, and the conference room seemed to be getting smaller and smaller the longer she remained in it. Halfway down the hall, Alex stepped out of her office and handed a memo to her secretary.

  "How's it going in there?" she asked when she saw Harriett.

  "Okay. I think there's only the father and brother left. Hopefully, that won't take long. I'd like to see Sharon interact with her parents and husband sometime."

  "Does that mean you're going to take her case?"

  "Yes," Harriett said sipping her coffee.

  "Sharon couldn't ask for a better attorney, Harriett. Parker will be here in about an hour."

  "That's fine. I'd like to speak to Paige, too, if possible."

  "I'm sure she will be here with Parker. She's not actually a family member yet, though."

  "You said she had worked with Mrs. Taggart on her brother's election campaign. She might be able to provide a different perspective on her personality."

  "I'm sure she'll be more than willing to help if she can."

  "I need to get in touch with Wayne."

  "Do you have his number? I'll call him for you."

  Harriett shook her head. "He doesn't have a phone. I'll drive to the cabin tomorrow morning and talk to him. If you can, call my office and tell Phyllis I'll be back Friday afternoon."

  "Be glad to and I'll let you know when Parker arrives."

  "Thanks," Harriett said.

  Returning to the conference room, Harriett asked Eleanor to send Sharon's father in. Davis Collins was the antithesis of his wife, a plain looking man who could have been any man on the street, belying his financial status.

  "What kind of child was Sharon, Mr. Collins?" Harriett began after the preliminary introductions.

  "A sweet girl. A daddy's girl, I suppose," Collins smiled.

  "Did you spend a lot of time with her when she was growing up?"

  "As much as I could, but unfortunately, I was away quite a bit on business back then."

  "What kinds of things did you do together?"

  "I used to take her fishing and camping. She liked being outdoors even though it made her mother furious when she came home dirty. I think Clarissa has always been a little disappointed that Sharon was too much like me. Our personalities are similar. We're both quiet and enjoy reading. And we both abhor parties and pretentious people."

  Collins chuckled pleasantly. "Once Sharon asked me to run away with her during the height of the social season. I could always use business as an excuse to avoid those things, but Sharon sort of got stuck. Clarissa would expend a fortune on the beauty parlor and new clothes for Sharon, but they never took. She'd jump right back into jeans and a T-shirt the second she got the chance and then scrub that crap off her face."

  "She didn't enjoy wearing makeup and getting dressed up then?"

  "Hated it!" Collins said expansively.

  Harriett smiled. She liked this down to earth man.

  "Why didn't Sharon just tell her mother that she didn't like those things?"

  "She wouldn't have hurt her mother's feelings like that. It wasn't her way. If she had told her, it would have caused a fight, and Sharon would do pretty much anything to avoid a confrontation with Clarissa."

  "Your wife told me Sharon once broke her hand by hitting a wall when she was angry."

  "Yeah, Clarissa told me about that. It kinda surprised me. Not like Sharon to lose her temper that way."

  "Do you know what the argument was about?"

  "I was out of town when it happened, and neither of them would discuss it."

  "I appreciate your help, Mr. Collins."

  "Don't hesitate to call me if there's anything you need from us, Ms. Markham. No matter how this turns out, I won't turn my back on my daughter."

  "If you can, Sharon would like to see her children. I can arrange for her to see them away from the jail."

  "I'll take them personally tomorrow. Just let me know where to go.”

  "I'll have someone notify your office as soon as I know."

  Chapter Twelve

  "PARKER IS HERE," Alex said as she stepped into the conference room. "How about lunch after you complete these interviews?"

  "Check with me later," Harriett said as she looked over the list of questions she had prepared for Sharon's brother. Looking at Alex, she smiled slightly. "And Alex, if you could, ask Eleanor to give me about five minutes before she brings him in."

  Collins was dressed in gray slacks and a navy blazer over a lightweight white mock turtleneck pullover. Harriett couldn't shake the idea of how much he looked like a politician. Everything about him seemed rehearsed and preplanned. He grabbed a chair and pulled it closer to her.

  "Alex told me you've agreed to take Sharon's case, Harriett. I can't tell you how relieved I am to hear that."

  "You're very close to your sister, aren't you?" Harriett asked.

  "Despite the five years between us, we've always been close. I used to watch her when my parents went out. It was fun playing games with her. Gave me a chance to act like a kid again."

  "What kind of person would you say your sister is?"

  "She's very generous. Kind. I don't remember her ever saying anything bad about other people."

  "After you left home, did you ever hear your parents complain about her behavior?"

  "Well, you know how parents are, Harriett. And Mother has a tendency to overreact when things don't go her way. So if she ever complained, I just blew it off as Mother being Mother again."

  "What about your father? He ever voice any problems with Sharon?"

  "Never. He used to take her places with him and let her get dirty. Probably just to drive Mother crazy."

  "Has Sharon ever told you about problems with her marriage?"

  "Nothing serious. Mostly the usual things you'd expect to hear. We don't have enough money. He doesn't do his share of work around the house. Leaves his dirty clothes on the floor. That kind of thing."

  "Ever hear Frank complain about Sharon?"

  For the first time, Parker Collins seemed uncomfortable.

  "He's tried to bad mouth her once or twice, but I stopped him. Sharon deserves someone better than Frank, and if it weren't for Kevin and Laurel, I think she'd split, but Frank's threatened to take the children and disappear if she ever thought about leaving him."

  "Do you think he'd do it?"

  "Yes. I've offered to move Sharon to Austin to be closer to me several times, but she always said she'd work it out somehow."

  "Did Frank have a specific complaint?"

  "He's intimated that their sex life hasn't been good enough for him, but I didn't want to get into that can of worms. I suggested family counseling, but I don't think they ever went. When I asked him about it later, he said Sharon refused to go."

  "Why would she refuse to see a counselor?"

  "My sister is an extremely private person. Always has been. As a child, she could sit for hours in her room thinking. She told me once a few years ago that she had a special place she liked to go to, and when I asked her where that was she just pointed at her head and smiled."

  "You mean like a made up place?"

  "I suppose."

  "I meant to ask your mother, but d
id Sharon ever have any imaginary friends she played with or talked to when she was little?"

  "God, I hadn't thought about that in years. She did have an imaginary playmate once. What was her name? Sharon used to pour tea and serve plastic cookies to her."

  "Did she ever introduce you to her friend?"

  "No, she said her friend was really shy and didn't like strangers," Parker answered. He closed his eyes and squeezed them tightly. "It was June or Jane, something like that."

  "How old was she then?"

  "Maybe six or seven."

  "Do you know when the friend stopped being a part of her life?"

  "Sorry, I don't remember that."

  Suddenly, Parker snapped his fingers and said, "Jan! That was her friend's name."

  Harriett wrote the name down.

  "I understand Sharon helped you with your campaign," she said.

  "I couldn't have won without her. She's brilliant at analyzing various voter groups. In fact, she insisted I learn Spanish. At least enough to get me by with Hispanic voters in my senatorial district."

  "Was it effective?"

  "Very. I think if Sharon had the nerve to leave Dallas, she could make a fortune working in a wider campaign arena."

  "Maybe she will if you move on to seek higher offices."

  "That's not in the cards right now. There's still a lot to do in Texas."

  "Alex tells me you and Paige are getting married next winter."

  "Yeah, I guess I've delayed marriage as long as I can. She's a great girl. I think Alex is worried about the difference in our ages, but I hope I can convince her not to worry."

  "Do you think there's any possibility that someone might be trying to ruin your political career by framing your sister, Parker?"

  "Anything's possible, but none of my opponents have been vindictive enough to do something like this. In fact, one of them tried to hire Sharon to work for his campaign."

  "Okay. Well, I know where to find you if I think of anything else. The only other thing I should mention is that I'm going to need a retainer before I can proceed any further."

  "I understand. How much will you need up front? I'm prepared to write you a check right now."

  "I'll need ten thousand to start. I'll be retaining an investigator to check out some things for me, and he'll need some money to cover his expenses."

  Parker pulled a checkbook from his blazer pocket and began writing out a check.

  "Not that it matters, but how much do you think this whole thing will run?"

  "I don't think a low end estimate of fifty thousand is out of line, but a lot will depend on what we dig up and what defense we decide to use."

  "Are you considering an insanity plea?"

  "I'm not considering anything right now, but that's one possibility. It has a number of problems, though."

  "Like what?" he asked, glancing up from his checkbook.

  "Well, for one thing, juries don't like it and don't believe it most of the time. They usually think it's an act to avoid going to jail. Secondly, the burden of proof would fall on us. I'd have to prove Sharon's insane, and the burden goes beyond the reasonableness standard. In Texas, if she knows the difference between right and wrong, she wouldn't be considered legally insane even if she were mentally disturbed. And lastly, if she were proved insane, she could spend the remainder of her life in a mental institution, which wouldn't be much of a step up from life in prison."

  "Do you think you can avoid the death penalty?"

  "I doubt we'll be facing that. I think murder second degree will be the eventual charge, and it doesn't carry the death penalty. Of course, we can remain hopeful that she'll be acquitted. But right now, quite honestly, that seems to be an extremely remote possibility."

  "I wish I knew what happened. What could possibly have driven her to do what she did?"

  "We might never know that."

  He tore the check out of the checkbook and handed it to her. "Let me know when you need more," he said as he stood and placed the checkbook back into his jacket pocket. He shook Harriett's hand and turned to leave the room. "Should I send Paige in?"

  "Please," Harriett smiled, flipping to a clean page in her pad. "It should only take a few minutes."

  She was refilling her coffee cup when Paige Dunne tapped on the conference room door and peeked inside.

  "Would you like a cup of coffee before we get started, Paige?" Harriett smiled.

  "No, thank you," Paige chuckled. "I think I've about reached my quota for the month while I was waiting for Parker."

  "He seems quite concerned about his sister's well-being. Are they very close?"

  "Extremely," Paige said, rolling her eyes slightly.

  "Does that create problems between the two of you?"

  "No. I've always gotten along with Sharon and wish I were half as smart as she is. She never forgets anything and can remember the smallest details. During Parker's campaign, she remembered a letter that had arrived at campaign headquarters from some woman who was concerned about some land she owned. It seemed that the taxes had doubled in a year's time, and she didn't understand why. She actually made Parker visit the woman to explain the tax proposals he was going to submit for legislation when he was elected."

  "Did you ever notice whether or not Sharon had a temper or acted unaccountably different for any reason?"

  "I know she has a temper and the election was a close one. Everyone was pretty tense for a while afterward."

  "Did she lose her temper in front of you?"

  "Once, but Parker told her she was wrong."

  "What was she angry about?"

  "We had an engagement party at the Collinses' house over Thanksgiving, and everyone seemed to be having a good time. After about an hour, Sharon and her husband got into an argument and he left. I had never heard her raise her voice before, but her blood pressure was certainly elevated that night."

  "Do you know what they argued about?"

  Shaking her head, Paige said, "By the time I realized they had been arguing, Frank had already slammed the door and left."

  "Have you set your wedding date yet?" Harriett smiled.

  "Next winter is as close as we've come so far. It depends on when the legislature adjourns for the holiday and whether there are any late sessions."

  "Well, congratulations. I hope you'll be very happy. How is Alex taking it?"

  "Like an older sister. She thinks Parker is too old for me."

  "She'll get over it as soon as she has nieces and nephews to bounce on her knee," Harriett smiled.

  "Somehow that is a picture I just cannot imagine," Paige laughed as she got up.

  "I appreciate your time, Paige. I wanted to get a feel for what kind of person Sharon is from someone besides a family member."

  "If there's anything I can do to help, I will, Harriett. I know Parker trusts you to do what's best for Sharon, and I'm sure this will all turn out to be a huge mistake."

  FOR SEVERAL MINUTES, Harriett read over the notes she had taken during the interviews, but she was tired of being cooped up in the glass and steel office tower. As she was placing her pen and pad back in her briefcase, Alex came into the room.

  "Ready for some lunch?" she asked.

  "I should go over these notes again," Harriett said.

  Alex frowned and walked to the table. Placing her hand on Harriett's briefcase, she flipped it shut.

  "Enough is enough. You've been in here taking statements all morning. You need to get your mind as well as your body out of here for a while," she said. Lowering her voice, she looked intensely at Harriett. "You're not going to be able to avoid me, Harriett. I'm suggesting lunch. Nothing else. Now can we please go?"

  "Our agreement was that I wouldn't be taking orders from anyone at Winston and Dunne," Harriett said as she stood up.

  "On the case you won't be. This isn't about the case."

  Impulsively, Alex kissed her, catching her off guard. The softness of her lips hadn't changed and neither had the kno
t Harriett got in the pit of her stomach when Alex kissed her. She didn't resist the kiss and stopped thinking about complicating her case as her lips parted slightly, inviting Alex's exploration. She had been living a long time with only the memory of Alex's kiss, hoping to find someone else who could make her feel the same way. Alex drew her so close that she could barely breathe, kissing her repeatedly. When she finally pulled away and took Harriett's face in her hands, they were both as breathless as if they had made love.

  "Damn," Harriett said, resting her forehead against Alex's.

  "I hope this won't complicate your life and distract you from your case," Alex said softly as she stroked Harriett's hair.

  "Me, too," Harriett said, looking at her former lover. "But I'm still not ready to rush into anything, Alex."

  "All I want to rush into right now is lunch," Alex smiled. "At my age, just the thought of sex makes me hungry."

  Harriett laughed as they headed toward the conference room door.

  Chapter Thirteen

  THE DRIVE FROM Dallas to Lake Texoma gave Harriett a chance to clear her mind and think. She was torn between wanting to revive her relationship with Alex and knowing logically it was something she should avoid. It would be the simplest thing in the world to sleep with Alex and feel wanted again, but the timing couldn't be worse and she felt like kicking herself. Less than forty-eight hours after coming into her life again, Alex had managed to erase eleven years as though they had been eleven days.

  By the time she turned off the highway onto the road that traced the edge of the lake, she was beginning to feel depressed. She wasn't even sure Wayne would be at the cabin. When it finally came into sight, she was glad to see a lone figure sitting on the edge of the fishing pier. The man turned when he heard the vehicle coming his way. The last time Wayne Graham had seen her she hadn't been driving a truck. Stepping out of the cab of the truck, she waved in Wayne's direction, and he seemed unsure whether to wave back or not. Removing her sunglasses, she squinted into the reflection of the sunlight off the water and went toward him. She was nearly to him before he recognized her.