by Emery, Lynn
“It’s packed on Fridays and Saturdays.” Savannah settled in the chair across from him. She pretended not to pick up on what he was implying.
“It’s obvious Tuesday is a slow night. Not many working people would drive here from Beau Chene to get dinner.” Devin pressed.
“I guess.” Savannah pushed down the urge to wipe that conceited smirk off his face with an insult. Instead she changed the subject. “So, how are things at the firm?”
“Never better. We hired a new associate to replace you about two weeks after you left. Not as sharp as you, but a hard worker. We needed the help what with taking on two major new clients. We have been working like crazy. By the way, Clayton sends his regards.”
“I have a lot of respect for that man. He’s not only a smart lawyer, he’s got integrity.” Savannah said.
“Not like me?” Devin raised an eyebrow at her.
“I was talking about Clayton, not making any inferences by omission.”
“But if the shoe fits, eh? I can understand if you think of me as a no good snake.”
“How is Karen by the way?” Savannah bared her teeth in an imitation smile.
“Sadly, not too well. Lately her performance has been less than brilliant to say the least. The lady has had some unfortunate setbacks.”
“Oh, how terrible for her.”
“Now, now. It’s unworthy of you to be unkind. Still, she did fumble some important assignments for several of our biggest clients. Seems she just can’t handle the work.”
“Aw, too bad. And after all the trouble she went through to stab me in the back to get those assignments.” Savannah wore the first genuine smile since they had been together.
“Listen, I swear to you I had no idea she would pull something like that.”
“Come on, the only way she could have known about my work and the file names in my computer is if you told her.” Savannah snapped.
“Sure we talked about work, but I didn’t tell her anything about your file names. She’s a computer whiz. It never occurred to me that she was using working late with me as an opportunity to dig into your files?”
“Then why didn’t you tell Clayton the truth when I was on the hot seat? No, you let me take the fall because you were protecting her.”
“I didn’t find out until after you had resigned. When you made that accusation, it got me to thinking. You remember how wrapped up I was in Smith vs. Walton, et Al. Karen was helping me with the research. I would never do anything intentionally to hurt you, sweet. You know that.” Devin leaned across the table. As he reached for her hands, she drew away placing them in her lap.
Savannah wanted to believe him. She did recall how immersed he was in a big suit the firm was handling. Devin had been a good friend to her for so long at a time she had really needed one. Maybe she had jumped to conclusions.
“That still doesn’t explain why you didn’t bust her little scam with Clayton.”
“I had no proof, just a suspicion. Please believe me; I would never have let her pull that stunt if I had known.” Devin stared at her with an earnest, anxious expression.
“Well, you know what they say about blessings in disguise. I needed to come home. I was thinking of establishing my own practice anyway. In fact, I have gotten very interested in consumer and environmental law,” Savannah said
“Not much money in crusades for the underdog.”
“Fighting for environmental safety isn’t a lost cause anymore, Devin. There have been more and more judgments against big business when they were caught polluting. Communities aren’t willing to take whatever gets handed to them. Even poor people have stopped being intimidated by the notion of going up against large corporations. And government officials and politicians are listening to them.”
“Sure, but don’t count out the influence of the Batton Chemicals of this world. Right now the federal and state regulations are a mish mash in certain areas. They can be contradictory or enforced inconsistently.”
“Is that what you’re going to argue? Batton Chemical complied in good faith so it’s not their fault that the feds and state bureaucrats haven’t gotten their acts together? Come on.”
“What I’m saying is this self-righteous act coming from Simmons won’t wash.”
“The people who have to live near these plants are scared, and judging from the environmental nightmares that we are waking up to every day they have a right to be. Thousands of barrels of toxic chemicals dumped in empty fields or dumped into rivers. Tons of waste released into the air. The big companies will get away with whatever they can to avoid giving up their huge profit margins.”
“Listen, I didn’t ask you out so we could debate environmental issues or talk about this case. Let’s just say you believe in your cause and I have a responsibility to defend my client. Now tell me; how are you doing really? I’ve missed you.” Devin leaned across the table, his voice a husky whisper.
“Devin, you were a good friend to me at a rough time in my life. Maybe we could have become more once, but now—”
“But now you’ve decided to punish me for Karen. It was no heavy love affair. Just one those things that can happen when a man and a woman spend lots of time alone working together.”
“You don’t owe me an explanation. We didn’t have anything romantic between us, and we sure didn’t have any understanding that we wouldn’t see other people.”
“After you left, I realized that you meant much more to me than a friend. Let’s give it a try, sweet. We were so good together as friends, think of what we could have as lovers.” As he spoke, Devin moved to the chair next to her. He began to stroke her arm lightly.
“No, Devin. It’s too late for that.” Savannah moved away from him as far as she could without changing chairs. She didn’t want to draw any more attention them.
“Honorè. That was fast. Even in Shreveport you didn’t want to get serious. He must be one smooth operator to puncture your armor.”
“He isn’t a so-called smooth operator.”
“Really? He works for Batton Chemical. He’s going to testify that the company you want to put out of business isn’t so bad after all. All that and he gets next to you? He’s got something special.”
“Yes, he does. He’s got integrity and heart.” Savannah stared down at the plate of food she hadn’t touched. Suddenly she felt wrong. In the wrong place, with the wrong man.
“Well, judging from the dreamy look you get in your pretty brown eyes at the mention of his name, it’s official.” Devin moved back to the chair across from her.
At that moment the waitress came to clear the table and give them the check. Savannah tried to pay for her half of the dinner, but Devin insisted on paying for everything. Savannah observed him closely. Was it her imagination, or was there a fleeting look of anger on his face that he quickly disguised right at the instant that he moved away from her minutes before. Maybe it was, because he was smiling and chatting about mundane things as easily as though they were the best of friends.
As they turned on the street to her house, He slowed the rental car. Devin turned down the radio that was playing jazz. The music had been a backdrop to the casual conversation Savannah had labored to keep up during the agonizingly long twenty minute trip back to Beau Chene.
“I want you to know that the old cliché holds true for us, we can still be friends. I mean that. My only concern is that he makes you happy.” He put the car in park behind a dark vehicle in front of Savannah’s house.
“I’m glad, Devin. Thank you for understanding. I didn’t want to have this hostility between us.”
“For what it’s worth, if you ever need me I’ll be there.” Devin gave her a firm hug.
As Savannah got out of the car, her heart thumped when a tall masculine figure emerged from her house. The porch light switched on and she breathed a sigh of relief. It was her father, not Paul.
“Poppy, you scared the life out of me. Is anything wrong? Whose car?” Savannah pointed to the
mini-van that resembled Paul’s until the light from the porch revealed it to be a different make and color.
“Gralin, he stopped by to get some of your research. I’m sure glad you showed up finally. He’s in the den with all your stuff trying to find something on some case in your files and I ain’t much help.” Antoine swung the door wide for her to enter.
“Let me put my jacket up, and I’ll be there.”
“Sure, baby. Uh, so you went out with that lawyer.” Antoine followed her into her bedroom instead of returning to the den.
“Yeah, he didn’t say much of use to us though. He’s too slick, guess I should’ve known. But he did hint at one strategy he might be taking. I want to discuss it with Gralin and Simmons.”
“Uh-huh. Paul, he don’t mind this?” It was clear that Antoine’s question was not about the case.
“Mind how?”
“Ain’t you two courtin’ kinda heavy? I mean, you out with some other guy, he gone be real mad.”
“Poppy, I can’t believe this. That is so outdated to think that I have to check with Paul. He knows that Devin and I were friends. He also knows that there is nothing wrong with my having dinner or lunch with an old friend.” Savannah’s throat felt tight as she uttered those words.
“If you say so, cher.” Antoine went down the hall.
“Who you think you foolin’, lil’ gal?” Tante Marie stood in the door, her arms folded across her bosom.
“Now, Tante Marie, don’t you start in on me. I already went through this with Charice and now Poppy.” Savannah had forgotten the down side of being in a small town. Your relatives and friends were close enough to not only know all of your business, but to stick their noses into it, too.
“That man gonna be fired up when he find out. Goin’ out with a good-lookin’ lawyer. Yessir, things gone heat up round here.“Savannah was about to defend herself when the twinkle in Tante Marie’s eye brought her up short.
“You’re something, you know that? You’re getting the biggest kick out of this. Well, I hate to disappoint you but, Paul is cool with me seeing Devin.” Savannah lifted her chin passed her aunt to go to the den.
“Sure, Miss Priss. That’s why you jumped two feet when your papa stepped out the front door before I turned on the light.” Tante Marie chuckled as she followed her.
“He startled me because I wasn’t expecting him to appear so suddenly.”
“Yes, Lord.”
Savannah was about to continue her defense when Gralin rose to meet her carrying a long sheet of computer paper. They quickly got into reviewing particular precedent setting decisions that he had hopes would aid Simmons. To her chagrin, Tante Marie and Poppy left the room whispering together and throwing backward glances in her direction.
“What’s that about? They’re not worried about the case, I hope. I really think it’s going to be close. With a little hard work it could easily tip in our favor.” Gralin peered over his glasses as he pulled a large law book to him.
“No, unfortunately they’re meddling in my personal life right now.”
“It’s good they have a distraction.” Gralin, engrossed in his reading, did not notice Savannah’s mouth fly open in amused amazement.
Before long they were both shuffling papers and pausing to discuss complex legal questions. Checking her watch, Savannah was surprised to find that two hours had passed. It was clear that Gralin would spend the night combing through every book, every bit of paper. She yawned loudly several times as a cue, but he didn’t even look up. The direct approach was going to be necessary.
“Gralin, it’s late. Let’s finish this some other time.” Savannah said.
“Hum? Oh, right. I’m sorry. I got so wrapped up that I didn’t think that I might be imposing.” He smiled sheepishly. Packing his briefcase with some of the papers, he prepared to leave.
“It’s okay. This is something that could affect our lives in a big way. It’s no wonder you are working so hard.” Savannah got his short coat out of the hall closet.
“It means more to me than that. I’ve lost my mother and oldest sister to cancer. You know what they call this area? Cancer Alley. Six months ago my wife found a lump in her breast. Thank God they were able to remove it and it didn’t show up in her lymph glands. I’m not willing to lose anyone else dear to me. I just can’t accept that it’s some fluke the cancer rates are so high around here.”
“I know.” Savannah could think of nothing else to say. She had been speaking about the effects from the viewpoint of a distant observer. She had forgotten that many had been touched tragically.
“Anyway, things are going to slow down with Mardi Gras coming up. Probably Judge Duplessis will call a recess at least until the Monday after Ash Wednesday.”
“That’s right. He’s the king of the Krewe of Aurora. Every year during Mardi Gras, he stops any case he’s presiding over.” Savannah laughed. This wasn’t unusual since most people in south in Acadiana felt the same way. Few things were so important that indulging yourself before Lent did not come first.
“Thank you for putting up with me for so long. I’ll get in touch with if I need anything else.” With a wave, Gralin hopped into his van and drove off. Savannah was lost in thought as she checked the doors and turned off the lights before retiring. The sound of movement in the kitchen drew her there.
“I figured you was gonna have to throw Gralin out. He is some intense when he gets going.” Poppy sat at the table, a glass of milk and a slice of Tante Marie’s sweet potato pecan pie in front of him.
“He’s a good man who has a solid reason to be so intense about this case in particular.”
“I know.” Antoine paused and nodded, a far off look on his face for a few seconds.
“Look at you, raiding the pie pan late at night. How you keep your boyish figure is a mystery.” Savannah kidded him out of his blue mood.
“Yeah, I just know how to pace myself. Which by the way is something you oughta do with that Devin fella, cher.” Antoine wiped a few crumbs from his mouth.
“We talked it out, Poppy. Devin is ambitious, he can be devious, but I really think he got taken in by Karen. Besides, I learned my lesson. I intend to keep my eyes open to that one even so.”
“And LaShaun, you can handle her too I suppose?” Antoine rinsed the saucer and glass in the large sink.
“Tante Marie shouldn’t have worried you with that silliness. It’s nothing. LaShaun been pulling mean tricks on me for years and I’ve survived.”
“Your Tante Marie didn’t have to tell me, I found a few of them gris gris that you didn’t even see. I got a good mind to go see Monmon Odette myself.” Antoine threw the dish towel down onto the counter in anger.
” That’s just what they want, to see us get upset. No, let’s carry on as though nothing is happening. Promise me you won’t go near them.” Savannah hugged him tight, panic rising that he would become stubborn and insist on facing the Rousselles. Despite her words, the thought of them turning to threaten her father as well sent chills through her.
“All right, cher. You calm yourself down now. I was just blowin’ off steam. You right about ignorin’ them. That’s the one thing they can’t stand.”
That night Savannah found it hard to sleep. Finally accepting that much needed rest would elude her at least for a while yet, she went into the den. Picking up her canvas bag containing pens, pencils and extra notebooks, she reached in to get some of her supplies. She could a least get a little work done to help the case. A sharp object pricked her finger tips. Drawing her hand back she rubbed away two tiny drops of blood from puncture wounds. Swearing softly, she dumped the contents of the bag onto the couch. A dark item stuck with nine pins fell to the floor. Touching it with her toe, Savannah gave a cry of disgust. It was a cow’s tongue, powerful gris gris used to bring down a foe. With the large broom from the kitchen closet, she swept it into a paper bag and hurled it into the large garbage can that sat outside the back door. She scrubbed her hands with hot soapy w
ater until they were red. Breathing raggedly, she climbed into bed. Shivers shook through her despite the heavy patchwork quilt pulled up to her chin. Now every sound, every shape in the darkness seemed to signal some menace moving toward her. Drawing her body into a ball, she cried herself into a restless slumber.
Chapter 9
Purple, green, and gold was everywhere. Streamers were hung from the replica nineteenth century lampposts downtown. Grocery stores, drug stores, even the dry cleaning store put up window displays of Mardi Gras masks. The town’s only bakery was buzzing day and night to supply king cakes for parties. Local companies were sending them all over the country to clients. Bosses served them at staff meetings. The society pages of the Beau Chene’s small newspaper were filled with the pictures of elaborately costumed kings and queens presiding over the fancy balls of their krewes. Savannah and Charice were thrilled to revive a girlhood tradition, king cake parties. Beginning the month before, a circle of their childhood playmates began to host the Saturday night parties. A huge king cake was the most important item on the menu. Whoever got the baby, a tiny plastic doll concealed somewhere inside the cake, had to host the next party. But no one minded since the whole point of Mardi Gras is to find as many opportunities as possible to party. Now that they were all grown up, they had decided to include males. Because Imelda had gotten the baby at Charice’s house the week before, she was the host for the party they were attending the Saturday before Fat Tuesday. Savannah and Charice watched with amusement as she went around trying hard to convince everyone that Carlton had only turned to another woman because she had rejected him.
“I guess he had to settle for something since I lost interest. Child, she is welcome to his tired butt. He wasn’t exactly the most exiting man in the boudoir, if you know what I mean.” Imelda told one more bored listener for the hundredth time that night.
“That is pitiful. Everybody knows he found something he wanted more than her.” Charice, standing nearby, tittered.
“Yeah, and I can understand why. I dated her for two months. The only time she stopped talking about herself was to ask me to buy her something, take her someplace expensive, or tell her how good she looked.” Terrel, another old acquaintance from high school, stood to her left. He shook his head before walking away.