Dooley Is Dead

by Kate Merrill

  “Gee, I hope they’ll get along.” Danny was already worried about his baby as Gracie tucked her long pencil tail between her legs and hunched up in fear.

  “Don’t worry, they’re both sweethearts,” Liz said. “They’ll love each other like sisters.”

  “God, I hope so.” He tried to smile as Diana came out the back door to greet them.

  Liz gave Diana a big hug, then decided her partner looked pretty good, considering all the stress in her life. Like Liz, Diana wore shorts and a sleeveless string top. Her arms and legs were bronzed from the Lake Norman sun, and her sky blue eyes sparkled when she greeted Gracie.

  Once Diana finished cuddling the greyhound, Danny moved in to give Diana his traditional full-mouthed kiss. It was a long-standing joke---sort of. Danny had always claimed Miss Prim and Proper Diana was the sexiest woman alive, so the kiss never failed to aggravate Liz with the tiniest twinge of jealousy.

  “You know I still want to adopt your dog,” Danny said when he came up for air.

  Diana laughed. “In your dreams. C’mon inside.”

  Typically, Danny trotted after Diana like a love slave, leaving Liz to collect Gracie’s stuff---bowls, food, collar, leash, and her favorite bunny play toy. Gracie followed Danny, with Ursie right behind. Ursie’s ears were still pinned back as she dogged Gracie, trying to poke under her tail for a good solid sniff. By the time Liz lugged the paraphernalia into the kitchen and deposited it on the counter, Danny and Diana were already yakking it up, drinking iced tea. While the dogs continued to eye one another with deep suspicion.

  “I hope it’s okay to dump Gracie on you for one whole week.” Liz helped herself to tea.

  “Of course it’s okay. Gracie’s my dog, and I love her.” Diana ruffled the greyhound’s ears. “Besides, you guys need a good vacation. And Danny, what’s with the beard?” She touched Liz’s boyfriend’s chin.

  Danny blushed to the roots of his curly brown hair. “We’re goin’ campin’, you know? Roughin’ it. So I figured I might as well look the part.”

  “Well, you do.” Diana giggled.

  “Hey, Diana, where’s Trout?” Liz interrupted their mutual admiration society.

  Diana blinked. “He’s working, remember? He’s at his store.”

  “Oh yeah, that’s right. So where’s the kid?” Liz still hadn’t met Lissa, little girl Diana seemed to dote on. She followed Diana’s gesture through the window out to the lake, where a child sat fishing on the dock. Even at that distance, Liz saw the child was adorable, with skinny arms and a head of curly red hair. “Cute,” she commented.

  Danny looked, too. “Jeez, Liz, that kid looks just like you. You could be her mommy. Do you think she’d like some iced tea? I wanna meet her.”

  “Lissa prefers lemonade,” Diana said. “You’ll find her sipper in the fridge, and I keep it full.”

  “Alright!” Danny fetched Lissa’s drink, then called to Gracie. “C’mon, girl, it’s time to meet your new little playmate.” Seconds later, Danny and both dogs were out the door and headed for the beach.

  “Sometimes I think Danny’s the kid in this relationship. He acts like he’s ten years old,” Liz grumbled as she and Diana moved to the living room with their drinks, then plopped down on the couch, where they could watch the action at the dock.

  “But that’s what you love about Danny, right? All that energy?”

  “Yeah, maybe so.” Liz smiled. “We really do appreciate this, Diana. Danny and I haven’t taken a romantic holiday forever, and it’s not like there’s anything happening at the office---except the Paula Dula deal, of course.”

  At the mention of Paula’s name, Liz watched her friend transform from the happy-go-lucky creature who had hugged her out back to a worried, middle-aged woman. Diana’s face wilted and her shoulders sagged. Suddenly Liz noticed the dark circles under her beautiful eyes. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

  “How is that Paula Dula deal coming?”

  Was it her imagination, or did Liz detect a decided lack of enthusiasm about their one viable client? “It’s going great. Super, in fact. After she saw the property, Paula signed on the dotted line. She gave me a check for ten thousand to put in escrow, so it looks like a done deal. Paula’s a great gal.”

  “Really? I’m not so sure…”

  As Liz awaited Diana’s explanation, she glanced out at the lake where a huge storm cloud passed over the sun, leaving Danny and Lissa in shadows as they sat side by side, sipping their drinks. But Gracie and Ursie had still not become friends, with Gracie pressed against Danny, Ursie standing protectively over the child. “Wanna tell me about it?” she asked at last. “What’s your problem with Paula?”

  About fifteen minutes later, Liz wished she’d never asked. The cock n’ bull theory Diana had concocted was straight out of a B movie, and if she was anything close to right in her suspicions about Paula, it meant the biggest real estate deal she and Diana ever dreamed of was swirling right down the drain.

  “I’m not buying it, Diana. You said yourself Lori Fowler wasn’t pregnant, so all Paula had to do was bide her time, and they’d split the money at some future date.”

  “Not necessarily.” Diana slumped deeper into the couch. “I feel sure Trevor and Lori would have had children eventually, but Paula and Maynard have been trying for some time to conceive, with no success. Maybe one of them had a problem. Maybe Paula knew she’d never have a baby.”

  Liz considered the possibilities. “I met Paula’s husband at Lori’s funeral, and he’s a strange geezer---like some old Hippie, you know? I’m sure Maynard knew the terms of the Loveless Fowler Trust. His business was failing. Maybe he killed Lori to get the money sooner and save himself from bankruptcy?”

  Diana frowned. “But you implied Maynard did not know about Paula’s inheritance. He doesn’t even know she’s buying a property at Lakeview Estates, right?”

  “No, I never said that.” Liz gave her friend a long, hard look. “Paula and I never discussed Maynard one way or the other. He could be aware of everything.”

  “Really?” Diana appeared stunned.

  “Besides, why was Trevor’s Jeep at Lori’s house? I still say they had a lovers’ quarrel, and her death was a crime of passion.”

  Liz wasn’t about to tell Diana she also had suspicions about Ginny Troutman. The girl had been a bully at summer camp, and in Liz’s experience, people seldom changed. Above all, she couldn’t afford to lose Paula as a client.

  “Also, who knows, Diana? The newspapers have been covering all the burglaries in Lori’s neighborhood. The bad guys know those rich folks in Highland Gardens own lots of goodies they can pawn, so it stands to reason Lori’s death was simply a robbery gone bad.”

  “You really believe Lori’s death was a random killing?”

  “I don’t know, and neither do you, Diana. So let it go, it’s making you crazy. And I do hope your problem with Paula Dula won’t keep you from helping her while I’m gone. What if she wants another showing, what if she has questions? You’ll work with her, right?”

  Diana hesitated only a moment. “Of course I’ll help her. It’s my job.”

  Liz breathed a sigh of relief, then asked how Ginny was holding up. “You say Ginny’s arraignment is next Friday, one week from today? How come they always hold these hearings so late in the week?”

  “Beats me.” Diana sounded utterly defeated.

  “Do you want Danny and me to come home early? I can cover the office that day, or baby-sit for Lissa. Say the word, Diana, and I’ll be here. It’s no problem. Really.”

  Diana raised both hands. “Absolutely not. I want you two to go and have fun. Forget all this, we’ll be fine.”

  Liz was ashamed by the relief that washed over her when Diana did not take her up on the offer. She didn’t want to cut her vacation short. Knowing she was a selfish bitch, she looked out and saw raindrops on the window. Shit. She imagined driving through the mountains in fog to a soggy campsite.

  At the same moment, she sa
w Danny and Lissa jump to their feet and start running towards the house, hoping to beat the rain. Both dogs followed Lissa, who was fast on her feet. But then Ursie barked and lunged at poor Gracie, seemingly to protect the child.

  “Oh my God!” Diana bolted out the door, screaming as the dogs got into an all-out fight. “Help me here, Danny!” she shouted as she picked up a bucket full of water.

  Liz was horrified to see gentle Ursie baring her teeth, growling and snapping at Gracie’s face. “Stop them!” she cried, not knowing what else to do.

  Diana dumped the water, and in that brief moment, both animals froze. Diana grabbed Ursie’s collar, while Danny tackled Gracie. Lissa stood at a distance, tears streaming down her face. Before Liz knew what was happening, Diana had pulled Ursie across the yard and locked her in the garage. When she returned, her face was blotched red with anger and her white shorts were grass-stained.

  “Jesus, what happened?” Danny was devastated as he stroked the trembling Gracie.

  “Is she hurt?” Diana eyed the greyhound.

  Liz gave Gracie’s body a once-over. “Nope, she’s fine. What about Ursie?”

  Diana scowled. “Ursie’s fine, but she’s in the dog house. By that I mean she’s in deep doo-doo. The fight was about Lissa. Ursie has bonded with her these past two weeks, so now she thinks it’s her duty to protect her, but she has another think coming.”

  “We can’t leave Gracie here,” Danny said. “Ursie’ll kill her.”

  “No, she will not.” Diana stomped her foot. “Gracie will stay in our bedroom. She and the parrot have learned to tolerate one another. In the meantime, I’ll teach Ursie some manners. She’ll learn we’re all entitled to love Lissa, right, honey?” Diana called the scared child to her side.

  Lissa dried her tears and popped a thumb into her mouth as they all stood in the rain. When she removed it, she said, “I love both the doggies.”

  “And they love you,” Diana said. “Don’t worry, they’ll learn to play nice. Now, let’s all go inside.”

  Liz was still shaking, but she marveled at Diana’s ability to save the day. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen the woman turn a bad situation around. She took Danny’s hand, then looked at the weeping heavens. “We need to get on the road, Diana.”

  “Yes, I understand.” After introducing Liz to Lissa, Diana gave Liz a quick peck on the cheek. “Now get going, and drive safely.”

  Danny was reluctant to leave, but Liz gave his finger a sturdy yank before he could reward Diana with a traditional goodbye kiss.

  “Are you sure you’ll be all right?” Danny asked.

  “Right as rain.” Diana rolled her eyes at the sky.

  But as they left, Liz did not share Diana’s optimism, and she feared for her friend.

  THIRTY

  Matthew…

  As Matthew strode into the Mooresville courthouse, he wished to god Diana was with him, but as usual, she was stuck home caring for Lissa. And although Diana adored his granddaughter, Matthew knew the babysitting was taking its toll. This week she had taken Lissa with her to the office, so Diana could “sit her hours” in Liz’s absence. But instead of accomplishing anything work-related, Diana had spent her time filling in coloring books and cutting out paper dolls.

  Late afternoon shadows stretched across the hallway as he moved towards the tiny room where the judge would be waiting to arraign Ginny. In the meantime, secretaries cleared their desks and locked offices, eager to get on with their weekends. Why had his daughter’s case been scheduled on a Friday, when everyone’s tempers were frayed ragged by the workweek? When every last functionary wanted only one thing---to get gone.

  Matthew tugged at the tie constricting his throat and perspired inside his suit coat. He hated wearing his church clothes, especially when the thermostat hovered at eighty-five in the shade and June was just around the corner---yet he wanted to make a good impression. It was the least he could to do for his little girl. Far as he knew, everything else required to set her free had already been done, and if this hearing went as anticipated, he’d take Ginny home to the family for dinner.

  “Are you Mr. Troutman?” A young woman with a bad case of acne touched his sleeve. “You’re the first one here. Judge is runnin’ late, but you can go on in and take a seat.” She guided him into the little room, left, and shut the door behind her--- leaving him alone in the claustrophobic space.

  The cheap folding chairs and miniature tables seemed too small for his large frame, so he felt like an adult stranded in a child’s classroom. The only window was set high near the ceiling, where the leaves of a poplar quivered in the light breeze. One large, noisy fly buffeted himself against the window glass. He was determined to escape, or die trying.

  Matthew carefully unfolded his cotton handkerchief and mopped his face. Diana always made fun of his hankies, thought they were quaint and old-fashioned. Yet they’d come in handy a time or two, when his beloved Diana suffered a crying jag or a sneezing fit. She appreciated them then, all right.

  As he thought of her, a familiar ache began somewhere near his heart and traveled down his ribcage. Their first three weeks of life together had not gone according to plan. He had imagined quiet dinners in the gazebo as they watched the sunset on the lake, companionable coffees on the deck in the morning, and long uninterrupted nights of love. As he thought of those pleasures, an unexpected longing replaced the pressing worries of the moment.

  Diana and he had always been good together in bed, but lately Matthew had been distracted, so he mourned the intimate moments they had lost. Diana was always warm and understanding, a sweet comfort when he’d been paralyzed by worry about Ginny. Still, he preferred the nights of wild abandon, when he and Diana left their daytime skins and soared together like a single airborne creature. They flew passionately as one, shedding inhibitions until they touched the sun and melted into a hot and healing place.

  She often described this place as an endless river, or cool pool---but he experienced it as molten, a fever broken to blessed relief.

  “Hello, Trout. Sorry I’m a little late.” The earnest young man with horn-rimmed glasses startled Matthew from his reverie, jolting him back to the troubled earth. The fellow extended his hand.

  Matthew shook it. “No problem, Mecklin. The judge is late, too.” He could not bring himself to call the lawyer “Geek,” though Ginny referred to him that way all the time.

  “Are you prepared, Trout? You know what to expect today, right?”

  “Yeah, you already warned me that Ginny wouldn’t be here.” They both glanced at the monitor set on a large tray nearby. “The hearing will be conducted via video, but we’ll pick her up afterwards, isn’t that right?”

  Mecklin removed his glasses and held them towards the window. He polished them with a small silk cloth he took from his breast pocket. “Yes, that’s right. They’re holding Ginny at the women’s facility in Statesville, as you know. Your bail bondsman is already there, and you brought your checkbook…?”

  “I’m all set.” Matthew patted his breast pocket. Inside was a navy blue wallet containing checks linked to his brand new home equity account. He was clear to write one up to one hundred thousand, the ten percent required if the judge set bail at one million, as expected. His bondsman would insure the rest, but if Ginny skipped town or failed to appear at any one of her court dates, Matthew would lose much of his equity---his nest egg. But that would never happen.

  “Then we’re good to go.” Mecklin smiled. “Once we get a figure from the judge, your man in Statesville will get the ball rolling. They’ll run Ginny’s stats through NCIC to be sure there are no other outstanding warrants, then he’ll cross the t’s and dot the i’s, and we’ll pick her up. Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “The whole process will take about forty-five minutes.”

  “Okay.” But Matthew thought the system was dragging its tail. By law, Ginny had received a “first appearance” hearing within forty-eight hours of her arrest. A
t that time, she had waived her right to a court-appointed attorney, and they had hired Mecklin Adams. Matthew had been told that under normal circumstances, bail would have been set back then, but due to the serious nature of the charges, and because Ginny wanted her lawyer present at her bail hearing, she had been incarcerated one long week. To Matthew, it seemed a lifetime.

  “I still don’t see why Trevor Dula got to attend his arraignment in person, or why they released him on the spot.” Diana had told him all about it, and the seemingly special treatment still rankled.

  Mecklin loosened his tie and shed his topcoat. “I told you before, Trout, Lieutenant Sokolsky made those arrangements. He knew in advance that Trevor’s release was a done deal. Surprised the hell outta me…”

  Matthew frowned and wondered, not for the first time, if Mecklin was seasoned enough to handle a case like Ginny’s. To Matthew, the kid looked like a “baby lawyer.”

  “It must be against the law to lower the thermostat in these public buildings.” Mecklin complained. “Maybe they think they’re impressing the taxpayers by saving on the energy bill, but I think it’s a sin. Take off your coat, Trout.”

  Matthew scowled at the kid. “No thanks. Here comes the judge.” The thirty-something man entering the room wore a black robe, yet the moment he moved behind a table facing the monitor, he shucked it off. He wore shorts and a pink golf shirt underneath.

  “Please stay seated,” the young judge said. “We’re informal here, and it’s been a long day.” The woman who had greeted Matthew in the hall came in with a rolling cart bearing what appeared to be some sort of recording device. “This here is Mildred. She’ll take the minutes.” The judge dropped a file onto his table and sat down. “Turn on the monitor, Millie.”

  Static snapped briefly on the screen, and then Ginny’s face appeared, larger than life. She looked pale, frightened, and nervous. From that moment on, Matthew could concentrate on little else but the sight of his daughter in distress. He was vaguely aware of the charges being read as Ginny nodded in miserable understanding. He realized the judge was reading from the file, citing evidence.