The Wedding Party (9 page)

“Oh, yeah. I figure I'm going to need one.”

“Big event, huh?”

“I'm thinking ice sculptures.”

“How is it that doesn't surprise me?” Charlene asked.

“I'll get the name of Jennifer's wedding planner,” Stephanie offered. “By the way, where will you guys be living?”

“My house,” they said in unison, and the subject was immediately dropped. Again.

 

Meredith Jersynski arrived at Phelps, Dugan & Dodge ten minutes early. All she knew about law was what she had learned from late-night
Law & Order
reruns on television; her divorce had been accomplished without her ever stepping into a courtroom. She did know enough to try to look as if she could win a case if she went to court, so she wore her very best dress and jacket. She pulled her flouncy blond hair back and clipped it conservatively, but she was a little short of cash, so her dark roots remained too evident. She went light on the makeup, put the run in her hose on the inside of her leg, wiped the dust and scuffs off her old pumps and prayed she didn't look like an eleven-year-old dressed up in Mommy's clothes.

The law offices occupied the entire fifth floor and Merrie couldn't help gaping in awe as she took in her surroundings of dark polished wood, plush leather, immaculate granite and tile, classy prints and fresh flowers in rich vases. A job emptying trash cans in a place
like this was more than she aspired to. To reach this pinnacle, to be a lawyer in a place like this, it must make a person so proud.

In Charlene's office there was a little sitting area made up of a sofa, two comfortable chairs, a coffee table and end tables. Meredith sat in one of the chairs, perched self-consciously on the edge. Pam sat in the other chair with her notebook and Charlene sat in the corner of the sofa across from Merrie. Coffee was served; Meredith's cup rattled on the saucer. There was a tape recorder under the coffee table, which Charlene could operate with the toe of her shoe.

“Pam will take some notes even though we're taping this. It's all for the sake of accuracy. I don't trust my memory with anything.”

“It's all right,” Meredith said.

“Tell me about it,” Charlene said. “Take your time.”

“Which part?” Meredith wanted to know. “Rick showing up and wanting Josie?”

“Maybe you'd better start at the beginning. When you met him, dated him, married him?”

A rueful laugh escaped Meredith. “Well, that all happened real fast. And it was over with real fast, too.”

“Go ahead,” Charlene urged.

“Well, let's see. It was in Odessa. I was living with my aunt and uncle at the time. My folks was…well…my daddy was gone, my mama was remarried to a guy I didn't get along with too good, my uncle had a place I could work in and—” Realizing
she'd strayed quite a bit from the point, she stopped and cleared her throat.

“Rick was this older guy who came into my uncle's place. He offered to drive me home after work and I accepted. He got fresh with me right then and there. There weren't no date, of course. I pushed him away and said no, and figured I'd never see him again, but he came back, brought me a nice present and took me home again. This time he at least bothered with a little sweet talk. I must've had a crush on him because I gave in. Too fast.” She grimaced in embarrassment. “I'm a sucker for presents.”

“That was when?” Charlene asked.

“About twelve years ago.”

“You got pregnant right away?”

“He came around for a week or two. Probably less than two. And yes, I got knocked up. And my uncle, he came unglued. Knocked me near into the middle of next week. By this time I hadn't seen Rick in at least a couple of months. All I really knew about him was his last name and he'd said he was from Sacramento. But he had a real unusual last name. So my uncle tracked him down, found out where he worked and who his people were, and called him up.”

“To tell him you were pregnant?”

“Well, I reckon. And to scare him into marrying me. I wasn't yet sixteen. And he was near thirty.”

Charlene and Pam looked at each other; Meredith looked so young now, this man must have had a shine for real young girls. In Charlene's experience, those kinds of shines didn't often disappear over time. She
tried to push the assumption from her mind and let the young woman finish her story.

The thing she was having trouble rectifying in her mind was Jake's interest in Meredith. Either his tastes in women had made yet another metamorphosis or he had taken a paternal interest in this one.

“So, did he come back for you then?”

“No. He said it probably wasn't his. That he wasn't the first. My uncle went crazy again…said he wasn't going to keep a whore around his place. But the baby was Rick's and I knew it was and I swore it was, and so me and my aunt and uncle came here, to Sacramento, tracked him down, said we'd get a blood test, and he said okay.” Compound sentence finished, she took a breath and sat back in the chair.

“He then married you?”

“Yes. We got this little apartment where I practically never saw him. He'd come around about once a week, maybe twice. Spend the night, leave some money, take off again. Until I got big with Josie and then he stopped spending the night. About three weeks after she was born, he said we were getting divorced and I'd better find myself a baby-sitter and a job.”

“And…?” Charlene prompted.

“I found a baby-sitter and a job,” she replied, confused.

“You didn't get in touch with your uncle? Couldn't he have helped you?”

“Oh, Ms. Dugan, my uncle might've helped me eventually, but only after he'd beat the tar out of me. Then if he could help me, I'd end up with Rick, who
wasn't nice to me and didn't like me. And he didn't want Josie, that was for sure. And she's the prettiest little thing. And smart? Girl's as smart as a whip! Her teachers are always making a fuss over her.”

“Okay, you got a baby-sitter and a job.”

“I'd gotten on with the neighbors by then, and I may not be the smartest person in town, but I put by a little cash when I could. I knew Rick wasn't good for much, and he wasn't good for long. I got a job like the one I'd had in Odessa. In a club.”

“Country club?” Charlene asked hopefully.

“Dance club.”

“Dance?”

“Strip. My uncle had a little strip club.”

Charlene took a breath. “When did you next hear from Rick?”

“About three months ago. I ain't heard a peep from him in all these years. Josie's eleven…and she's scared to death she's gonna have to leave me and Angie.”

“Angie?”

“I had another baby three years after Josie…another pretty little girl. She's eight. I didn't marry her daddy, but her daddy sees her sometimes and even gives me a little money now and again.”

“Her daddy is—?”

“A bouncer at one of the clubs I danced in.”

Charlene took a breath. “Meredith…I have to ask you this question. Are you, or have you ever been involved in prostitution?”

“No, ma'am! I mean, I ain't gonna sit here and
pretend I didn't ever find one of the gentlemen attractive…and I been known to accept a gift if the giver is a nice sort…but I didn't ever sell anything to anybody!”

Pam and Charlene exchanged looks.

“If there's a custody dispute, your ex-husband will very probably say you were a prostitute.”

“He can't prove nothing like that.”

“No arrest record?”

“I didn't say I wasn't ever arrested…but I ain't never been a prostitute.”

“What were you arrested for?”

“I was holding for someone one time. He must have seen an undercover cop in the bar and passed off to me.” She shook her head. “I ain't the smartest girl in town, Ms. Dugan, but I ain't ever done wrong on purpose.”

“Did you do time?”

“No, I got probation…and I don't do drugs, either.”

“Okay, let's fast-forward. Did your ex-husband tell you why he wants custody of Josie?”

She shrugged. “He's married now, has a daughter of his own, and he says he wants to give Josie a nice home.”

The room was silent for a moment. Two of the three people present were seriously wondering if this might not be a good idea.

“And…did you talk about visitation? Joint custody? Any compromise?”

“No, we did not,” she said emphatically. “Because
right after I said no he got me with a left hook to the jaw and liked to have knocked me out. So I took my girls to a shelter and got me one of them…you know…protection things.”

“Temporary restraining order?”

“Yes. Told him to stay away. Then I moved where I thought he wouldn't find me. Ms. Dugan, he
gave
me custody and divorced us and never sent us no money or visited Josie…. He
can't
have her now!”

“Well, Meredith, I'm not going to mislead you. This is not going to be a slam dunk.”

“I reckon Jake must've known that much because he wanted me to see you. He says you're the best lawyer there is.”

“Isn't that nice of Jake,” Charlene said, and though she smiled, she had strong homicidal urges toward her thoughtful ex-husband.

 

Speaking of the devil himself, Jake was sitting outside Charlene's office, waiting, when the door opened. Meredith flew right into his arms, hugging him. “Jake, you're right about Ms. Dugan. She's just about the nicest person I ever met.”

“I told you so, didn't I?”

“I have to visit the ladies',” she said. “Then we can go.”

“This way, Meredith,” Pam said, leading her down the hall toward the community ladies' room. Charlene and Jake were left alone.

Jake stood. “She's something, isn't she?” he asked, wiping at a stubborn spot on his pant leg. “I appreciate
this, Charlie. It looks kind of bad for her and the kid, doesn't it?”

Charlene shook her head. “You really tossed me a winner this time, Jake. The girl doesn't stand a chance.”

“If anyone can help her, you can.”

“Every time you bring in one of these ‘favors,' she's worse off than the one before.”

“Charlie, you might be the first break this kid's had in her life.”

“Well, remind her to call me to set up another appointment.”

“Will do. Give it your best shot, will you, Charlie? She's a good kid. She's had a lot of bad luck, you know?”

“I always give it my best shot, Jake.”

When he was gone and Pam returned, Charlene was waiting for her, leaning a hip casually against Pam's desk. She was wearing a rare look—desperation. “Got any ideas?” she asked Pam.

Charlene shook her head. “You?” she asked.

Pam shook her head as well. “I wouldn't want to be her.”

“How about them? The kids? I don't even know where they'd be better off.”

“That's a good place to start. We should find out if the ex-husband's got anything to offer,” Pam said.

“If he does, it shouldn't be hard to get support in exchange for shared custody. After all, he's been delinquent for eleven years.”

“Jake could get us—”

Charlene was shaking her head. She employed the services of a number of investigators and each had certain specialties. Maxie Preston was not above using her sex appeal to put a gentleman suspected of the occasional indiscretion at a disadvantage. In lay terms, she wasn't above setting traps. And she was a tiny blonde, something she had in common with Meredith. She did not, however, look like a mere child.

“I don't want to use Jake on this,” Charlene said. “I think I'd rather use Maxie.”

“Maxie?” Pam asked. “She's pretty high dollar for a pro bono. Why not let Jake help with this?”

“Because Jake's not objective, and if there's one thing we really can't afford on this case it's getting a loose cannon like Jake involved.”

“But Maxie…? You know I have this problem with the way she works,” Pam complained. She'd never been comfortable with that whole scenario.

“She doesn't have the same constraints as we do, but she gets the job done.”

Pam made a face.

“Tell you what—you set her up on this investigation. You call her, meet with her, tell her what you want. Agree?”

“Agree.” Pam sighed. “That Meredith. Jake sure can pick 'em.”

“Haven't we always said so.”

 

Pam left a message with Maxie's voice mail, and the call was returned an hour later. By the background noise, Pam assumed Maxie was in her car. “My
schedule is really tight, but if this is something urgent, I'll make room.”