Josephine dozed off on the way back to Shellhaven. Her face was pale again, and her breathing sounded a little labored, or maybe Brooke was just feeling particularly anxious about her client. After several fits and starts, now that she’d taken on this oddball case, she realized that she really wanted to see it through to its conclusion.
Brooke touched the old woman’s shoulder lightly after she’d pulled the truck around to the front of the house. “Josephine?”
No reaction. Brooke touched the side of her face and was relieved to feel that it was warm and her client was still breathing.
“Josephine, we’re home.”
The old woman’s eyes opened slowly. She sat up and looked around. “So we are.”
“Do you feel okay?”
“Tired,” Josephine said. “What time is it?”
“It’s after three. I need to get home to my little boy. Shall I get Shug to carry you into the house?”
“No!” she said sharply. “I can walk. Just give me your arm and I’ll be fine.”
The front door opened, and Louette came out and opened the passenger-side door. She must have been watching and waiting for the truck’s return.
Brooke took one arm and Louette took the other, and they easily lifted Josephine out of the seat and into the house. The two Chihuahuas met them at the door, eagerly barking and jumping at their mistress’s leg.
“Silly girls,” Josephine said, but she reached into the pocket of her slacks and tossed each of them a biscuit.
After they’d gotten the dogs calmed down and the old lady settled back in her recliner, Brooke sat down and rested her briefcase across her knees. “Do you feel like signing this letter to your Atlanta lawyers?”
“I’m fine,” Josephine said. “Stop fussing over me.”
Brooke produced the papers, which Josephine signed.
“What else?”
“We talked about your making phone calls and writing letters to the governor and any other politicians you think might help stop the condemnation effort.”
“Not today,” Josephine said. “What day is it anyway?”
“Monday.”
“Come back Wednesday. We’ll do it then. Bring your lawyer colleague too. I’ve wasted enough time on this already. I want to get this done. And I want to see those women.”
“Lizzie Quinlan won’t come unless you pay for her expenses,” Brooke reminded her. “And she lives all the way out in California. So this could take some time.”
“Time is what I don’t have. So yes, I’ll pay her way.”
“Shall I make the arrangements?”
“I certainly can’t, so yes, you’ll have to do it.”
“And how will I pay for it?”
“Don’t you have a credit card?”
“Don’t you?”
“It’s in my pocketbook, which is somewhere around here,” Josephine said vaguely. She waved in the general direction of the room. “I’m not paying forfirst class,” she warned. “You tell her that. I never took a first-class plane ride in my life, and she won’t be taking one on my dime.”
***
C. D. rode up to the dock on a small black motorbike just as Shug was dropping Brooke off. He leaned the bike against a tree, then motioned Brooke to follow him to the boat. He jumped easily onto the boat and started the motor before extending a hand to help her aboard.
