Love Is a Four-Legged Word

by Kandy Shepherd

  “Surely the wording of the will is evidence enough? He left his millions to a dog, for God’s sake. How much crazier can you get?”

  Tom leapt to his feet. “Objection! Under law a dog is considered property. Property cannot be bequeathed property. Mr. Stoddard left his residuary estate in trust and appointed a guardian to administer for the care of his dog and to inherit the remaining funds when the trust expired.”

  “Objection sustained,” said Judge Eaton.

  Zoe Wong resumed her examination. “What can you tell us about your uncle’s relationship with Madeleine Cartwright?” she asked Stoddard.

  “I didn’t actually meet the woman. However, I very quickly became suspicious that she was using sexual favors to manipulate him.”

  “Did you see any evidence of that?”

  Jerome pulled a fastidious face. “Please. A man his age with a girl like that. Just the thought nauseated me, let alone the idea of actually watching—”

  Tom leapt to his feet again. “Objection.”

  “Objection sustained,” said the judge.

  “So sorry,” said Jerome with a saccharine smile. “I withdraw my comment.”

  “No further questions,” said Zoe Wong. “Your witness, Mr. O’Brien.”

  Tom was more than prepared to do battle. He squared his shoulders, drew himself up to his full height, and set his expression to stern. Then he started his cross-examination. “Mr. Stoddard, how do you explain this clause in Walter Stoddard’s will?”

  He read out the exact words. “To my distant relative Jerome Stoddard I leave nothing. For years I financed his tuition at an elite private school in England. Recently I gifted him the sum of ten thousand dollars. I consider I have discharged any obligation to him.”

  Stoddard shrugged. “I see that as further evidence of my uncle being coerced by his young mistress to ignore the rights of a legal heir. He was a foolish, mad old man.”

  The sound of deep, vicious growling was now unmistakable. Alarm gripped Tom. He whipped around to see Brutus straining against Maddy’s hold. Hackles raised and ears flat, the dog’s gaze was directed at Stoddard. His lips were pulled right back in a snarl. Even on a comical little dog like Brutus, the wolflike effect of his teeth was frightening.

  There was a collective gasp from the court.

  Maddy’s eyes were huge with an appeal for help as she pulled desperately on the leash to hold the enraged animal. But before Tom could reach her, Brutus broke free.

  He jumped over the defendant’s table and, trailing his leash, scampered on his stumpy, turned-out legs to the base of the witness stand. There he looked up at Stoddard and erupted into loud, rapid-fire barking.

  Stoddard’s mask slipped momentarily. His eyes glittered with hostility and his lip curled in an approximate imitation of Brutus’s snarl before his urbane expression slid back into place. Then he rolled his eyes heavenward in a blatant attempt to discredit Tom. He affected a laugh.

  Judge Eaton banged her gavel. “Control your witness, Mr. O’Brien, or it will be evicted from this courtroom.”

  Tom marched toward the dog. “Brutus,” he said in his most commanding, alpha-male voice. Brutus stopped barking and looked up at him. Then he turned back to Stoddard and started to bark again.

  “Brutus. Heel.”

  Brutus ceased his racket. He whined. He looked up at Tom with mournful button eyes. He put up his paw to shake. He whimpered. Then he rolled over on his back, showing his brindle tummy, tail thumping on the courtroom floor.

  Tom heard a smothered laugh from Zoe Wong and titters from the gallery. He would never, ever live this down. What did this performance mean for his hopes at Jackson, Jones, and Gentry?

  The only person who didn’t seem to find Brutus’s performance amusing was the judge.

  Tom gritted his teeth and picked Brutus up. He nodded to the bench. “My apologies, Your Honor.” He would look more and more ridiculous as the hearing went on if Brutus continued to object like this to Stoddard’s answers.

  “No further questions,” he said. Then he stalked back to the defendant’s table and dumped Brutus back in Maddy’s lap.

  To Maddy’s horror the plaintiff’s next witness was a middle-aged man of Walter’s acquaintance.

  She’d met him just the once. She had been upstairs at Walter’s house cooking dinner. His visitor had followed her into the kitchen and attempted to fondle her ass. When she’d slapped his hand away, he’d made lewd suggestions that made her want to swing a saucepan at him. Now she felt sick to her stomach as she heard the man swear on oath that she had enjoyed a sexual liaison with Walter.

  Cheeks flushed scarlet, she could only do exactly as Tom had instructed and keep her head down. Thank heaven she had Brutus to hug close for comfort and her lucky pony in her purse. She swore she could hear the collective scratching of the reporter’s pens on paper as they recorded her humiliation. This was so unfair. Not for the first time, she cursed Jerome.

  She longed to stick her fingers in her ears to block out the testimonies of the rest of Jerome’s witnesses. Where had he dug up these horrible people who were so willing to swear she was a ruthless, gold-digging skank?

  But finally the hearing took a turn for the better. Tom’s witnesses were altogether of a different ilk.

  First was Walter’s family doctor, one of the witnesses to the will. In brisk, no-nonsense terms he attested that Walter’s official cause of death was bronchial pneumonia. But while his patient had faded physically, in the doctor’s opinion Walter was mentally alert and fully compos mentis until the very end.

  “Walter played bridge until the last week of his life and did the newspaper crossword every day.”

  Tom asked the doctor if Walter was on any medication.

  “Yes,” he said, “for several years Walter took medication to control high blood pressure.”

  “Were there any side effects of this medication?”

  “Yes. A common side effect is impotence.” The doctor glared at Jerome. “Walter was not capable of having an affair even if he’d wanted to.”

  Yes! Maddy took great pleasure in the chorus of indrawn breaths that greeted the doctor’s statement.

  Poor Walter, imagine having an intimate health detail like that broadcast in court. But personally she felt like cheering at its vindication of her. She brightened even more when she noticed a corresponding lack of cheer on Jerome’s face.

  Tom’s next expert witness was a prominent psychiatrist, the other witness to the will. He also testified to Walter’s mental competence.

  Things were definitely looking up for the good guys.

  Tom called his third witness. Much to Maddy’s bemusement, it was Helen O’Brien, elegant as ever in a gray silk suit.

  “Mrs. O’Brien,” Tom asked, “how much time did you spend at Walter Stoddard’s house in the last weeks of his life?”

  “Our church drew up a rotating roster so Walter was never left alone. I was often there.”

  Maddy wondered how Tom could keep a straight face, addressing his mom so formally. And how would Helen refrain from mommy speak when answering her son’s questions?

  Still, who else had taken such a Christian interest in Walter’s welfare? Helen had filled twice the number of slots on the church care roster than anyone else.

  “Did you observe Mr. Stoddard’s relationship with his dog?” Tom asked his mother.

  “Brutus was Walter’s dog kid. He adored him. I firmly believe caring for Brutus was the reason Walter kept going for as long as he did.”

  “Did he ever refer to his fears for Brutus’s future once he, Walter, had passed away?”

  “He was very concerned.”

  “What was Mr. Stoddard’s relation to Madeleine Cartwright?”

  “Maddy was his tenant. She lived in the apartment below his house. Maddy was a breath of fresh air in Walter’s life. In my opinion, the vitality of youth is very refreshing for a person nearing the end of their years.”

  “Did you suspect
a sexual relationship between Mr. Stoddard and his tenant?”

  Tom’s mother flushed. “Certainly not!” She waved her arm to indicate Jerome. “That . . . that creature should be put down for suggesting it.”

  “Objection!” said Zoe Wong.

  “Objection sustained,” said Judge Eaton. “Counselor, please ensure your witness confines herself to answering the question.”

  “Then I’ll repeat it,” said Tom, his jaw set. “Did you suspect an intimate physical relationship between Mr. Stoddard and Ms. Cartwright?”

  “No. Walter considered her a surrogate granddaughter. His wife and the little girl he lost had red hair. Maddy was not related to them, of course not. But she brought a special kind of light to Walter’s last years. Not to mention a great many delicious meals to tempt his appetite.” She turned to glance at the judge. “She’s a chef, you know.”

  “What was Madeline Cartwright’s relationship to the dog, Brutus?” asked Tom.

  “She was marvelous with him. And Brutus is not . . . well, he’s not an easy dog to love.”

  Maddy put her hands over Brutus’s ears. “You don’t want to hear that,” she whispered.

  “What did you consider to be the most important things in Mr. Stoddard’s life?”

  “Objection. Relevance,” said Zoe Wong.

  “I will prove the question relevant,Your Honor,” said Tom.

  Judge Eaton fixed him with a look. “Make sure it is, Counselor. Objection overruled.”

  Helen took a deep breath. “It certainly wasn’t money. None of us knew he had any.”

  Maddy was amused to see Helen tick off the points she made on her fingers, just like Tom did.

  “The three most important things in Walter’s life were, first, Brutus. Second, his church.” She waved at the gallery. “Sorry, Father Andrew, to list you second to a dog, but it’s a fact.” She faced Tom again. “Third was Maddy, who brought him a grand-fatherly joy he thought he’d never have.”

  Maddy’s heart turned over. She had been so fond of Walter. He had been such a good, kind man. He did not deserve this public raking over of his life. All because of Jerome’s unscrupulous greed.

  “Were you surprised at the contents of Mr. Stoddard’s will?” Tom asked.

  Helen O’Brien shook her head. “No. It was exactly how Walter would have wanted things.”

  Maddy sensed that the mood in the courtroom had subtly shifted—just as the smug complacence had all but vanished from Jerome’s face. It was the doctor’s revelation about the side effects of Walter’s medication that had done it. Now she could hold her head high again. The only damning looks coming her way were from Jerome.

  Then it was her turn to take the stand. Even though Tom had coached her on what to do, her heart was pounding and her mouth dry.

  She left Brutus with Helen and approached the witness stand on leaden legs. Her voice didn’t want to work as she swore the oath and the court official had to ask her to speak up. She kept her hands clasped together to stop them from trembling.

  “Ms. Cartwright,” said Tom, “were you aware that Walter Stoddard was a multimillionaire?”

  She shook her head. “No. I had no idea. Nobody did.”

  “Did you at any time discuss with him the terms of his will?”

  “Never.” Her voice grew stronger with each answer. All she had to do was tell the truth.

  “Did you agree you would adopt the dog Brutus after Mr. Stoddard’s death?”

  “Yes. Walter was terrified Brutus would end up being eutha nized at a shelter.”

  “Did he discuss financial recompense for your care of the dog?”

  She shook her head. “No. It was my understanding I would feed and look after Brutus using my own money. I was happy to do that.”

  “That will be all, thank you, Ms. Cartwright. Your witness, Ms.Wong.”

  Maddy swallowed against a suddenly dry throat. In her own way, Jerome’s attorney was as formidable as the judge.

  “Ms. Cartwright, do you consider yourself to be a close friend of the O’Brien family?”

  “No! I mean . . . well . . . Mrs. O’Brien was a friend of Walter’s and . . . she visited him along with the other church ladies. I met her then.” Her eyes darted to Tom and back to Zoe Wong.

  “Isn’t it true, Ms. Cartwright, that in the weeks before Walter Stoddard’s death you plotted with his attorney, Tom O’Brien, to influence the old man to leave—?”

  “Objection!”Tom leapt to his feet. “That’s an unsubstantiated allegation.”

  “Objection sustained,” said the judge. She directed her beady gaze at Zoe Wong. “Be very careful of where you’re going, Counselor.”

  Maddy’s cheeks burned scarlet. “I had never even met Tom O’Brien.”

  “And now, Ms. Cartwright?” said Zoe Wong. “Are you dating your attorney?”

  Before Maddy had a chance to stutter an answer,Tom was on his feet again. “Objection,” he said. “Irrelevant.”

  Maddy heaved a sigh of relief that turned into a gasp at the judge’s next words.

  “Objection overruled,” said Judge Eaton. “Answer the question, Ms. Cartwright.”

  Now even the tips of Maddy’s ears burned. She ached to look to Tom for guidance. But that would only add fuel to Zoe Wong’s accusation.

  Instead she took a deep, steadying breath. Just tell the truth. “Tom and I . . . Yes. We’ve gotten close. But only very recently.”

  “So how do you explain the newspaper photograph of you and Mr. O’Brien kissing passionately just days after Walter Stoddard died?”

  Maddy felt paralyzed by panic. Damn Jerome and his gutter press pals.“But I’d never met him before Walter died. I swear I—”

  “No further questions,” said Jerome’s attorney.

  Maddy made her way back to her seat, took Brutus from Helen, and sat down. She felt bad about the way she had answered the last question. Had she made it worse for Tom? She chewed on her lower lip. Surely that must be it for their case? Would the judge take long to make her decision?

  But Tom was not finished yet.

  Tom approached the bench. “Your Honor, my final evidence is in the form of a video presentation.”

  A gratifying murmur of interest hummed through the courtroom. Court officers adjusted a large, flat-screen monitor at the front of the courtroom and a number of smaller monitors throughout.

  Tom made his voice very grave. “Your Honor, when Walter Stoddard discussed his final wishes with me, I knew any resulting will could be contentious. I took the precaution of interviewing my client on the day the will was executed.”

  That was the “bulletproofing” he had mentioned to Maddy. In hindsight it was the smartest thing he’d done all year.

  He pointed a remote control at the monitor. The screen flickered into life. “Your Honor,” said Tom, unable to completely suppress a note of triumph from his voice, “my final witness, the late Mr.Walter Stoddard.”

  The courtroom went deathly still.Tom could not help a very unprofessional inner gloating at Jerome Stoddard’s ashen expression. But when he saw the grief etched on Maddy’s face as Walter appeared on the screen, his heart went out to her. He sobered and turned back to the screen.

  The professional video producer Tom’s firm had employed had done an excellent job. The opening shot was of Walter in animated discussion with Tom and the two expert witnesses, the doctor and the psychiatrist. Then it cut to Walter, sitting at the boardroom table of Jackson, Jones, and Gentry.

  The old man turned to look directly into the camera. Tall, but stooped with the burden of eighty-two years, he was thin from the ravages of the illness that would claim his life just four weeks after the filming. But intelligence shone from his eyes and determination from the set of his jaw.

  When he spoke his voice was strong and confident. “Good morning,” he said. “If you’re watching this, you know I’m long gone.”

  A stifled sob came from Maddy’s direction. Tom couldn’t help turning to her, sa
w her wiping tears from under her eyes. Brutus sat statue still, his back paws resting on Maddy’s knees, his front paws balanced on the edge of the table. Ears pricked up, he stared intently at the screen and whimpered deep in his throat.

  Walter’s image continued: “I’m here to prove I’m not a crazy man.” He chuckled. “And that I knew exactly what I was doing when I made my will.” He leaned closer to the camera. “I’m leaving some money to my church, and the rest in trust to the best young friend a man and his dog could ever have. I know Maddy will look after Brutus, and I hope she will use the money to give herself a good life, too.”

  Tom saw Jerome in urgent, whispered consultation with his attorney. He was gesticulating wildly with his hands. The veneer was definitely cracking.

  “You might wonder why I never told any of you that I had money,” said Walter. “It couldn’t help me save my daughter’s life, so I never made a whole lot of fuss about it.”

  The old man coughed, then reached for a glass of water from the table. He sipped and put the glass back. “And I don’t want another penny of it going to that Jerome. Why, I put that boy through private school with never a word of thanks. Then he shows up here two weeks ago with his slimy ways trying to squeeze more out of me. I gave him ten thousand bucks to get him out of my hair.” He leaned forward. “Not another penny, Jerome. Find some other scheme to pay your debts.”

  Jerome leapt to his feet and cursed viciously.

  “Control your client, Ms. Wong,” said the judge without taking her eyes off of the screen.

  In the final scene of the video, Walter leaned back in his chair. “Maddy, honey, this is a message just for you.”

  Tom couldn’t take his eyes off Maddy. Eyes reddened with tears, she was staring, entranced, at the screen. Brutus strained forward toward the monitor. A low but audible whimper vibrated through him. Tom wondered why the judge let that go without comment.

  “Maddy,” continued Walter, “the money will change your life, and I’m sorry I couldn’t warn you about that. But remember what I always told you. It’s not right for a special young lady like you to live her life alone. You go find you that good man.”