The Battered Body, page 16
“No!” James cried. “And I thought things were looking up! Did you read any of it?”
“Most of the first chapter, and that was plenty!” Lucy replied angrily. “So far, it’s all about us, James. We’re called the Cellulite Club! Murphy made us out to be a group of fat, bumbling nitwits. I’m this aggressive, man-hating secretary; Lindy’s a giggly, flighty teacher desperate for love; Bennett’s a total nerd—she even has him wearing thick glasses and a pocket protector—and Gillian’s just plain nuts. Murphy made her an animal psychic!”
James felt his stomach clench. “And what about me?”
“You’re kind of wishy-washy,” Lucy said. “She often uses the word ‘weak’ to describe you. Everyone else makes decisions while you stay in the background. Murphy portrays you as someone who’s been permanently destroyed by his ex-wife. As a result, you let women run all over you.”
“Jane wasn’t that bad,” James said, feeling stunned. “Our divorce hurt because I was still in love with her, but I’m not weak! And yes, she left me for another guy, which didn’t feel great, but she didn’t destroy me! We shared lots of happy times together, and those good times balanced the painful ending of our marriage.”
“Do you ever talk to her? To Jane?” Lucy seemed genuinely curious, though James suspected she was just trying to change the subject before he could work himself up into a complete tizzy.
“We exchange Christmas and birthday cards and an occasional email, but I don’t really know much about her life. The Christmas card she sent didn’t have a return address. It was postmarked from Charlottesville, so I’m not even sure if she still lives in Williamsburg.” An image of Jane smiling up at him as he slipped a platinum band on her ring finger arose unbidden in his mind. He pushed the memory aside and said, “Tell me more about the book.”
“I only read the first chapter,” Lucy reminded him. “Aren’t you getting a copy?”
James snorted. “I ordered four copies for the library, though it killed me to spend the money! Still, I know my patrons will be standing in line to get their hands on Murphy’s novel whether I like it or not, and it’s contrary to the librarian’s creed to censor reading choices.”
“Too bad,” Lucy said. “This seems like a great time to have a good old-fashioned book burning.” She sighed mournfully. “See you tonight.”
James hung up and sank down on a nearby stool. For the rest of the morning, he did his best to be his solicitous self, but as lunchtime grew closer, his anxiety over how Murphy had portrayed him in print increased. Before he was even aware of what he was doing, he’d purchased two packages of snack-sized cheese puffs from the vending machine in the lobby, went into the men’s room, and locked himself in a stall. He practically inhaled the first bag, and without pausing to lick the salty orange dust coating his fingertips, he tore into the second. He was halfway through that bag when he heard Francis’s voice.
“Professor? You in here?”
James hurriedly swallowed a mouthful of cheese puffs. “Yes.”
“Sorry to bother you, but Milla’s on the phone and . . . well, I think she’s been crying.”
“Be right there.” James balled up the evidence of his frantic snacking and flushed the toilet for good measure. Francis was already gone when he emerged from the stall, so he shoved the cheese-puff bags in the garbage can and quickly washed his hands.
“Everything okay?” James asked as he picked up the receiver.
“I’m sorry to call you at work, dear, but I’m having a hard time dealing with Chase. He said that he didn’t care about the funeral arrangements, but now he’s criticizing all the choices I made, saying that I barely knew my own sister.” Milla sniffed. “That hurts my feelings, James. I tried so hard to be a part of her life.”
“I know you did,” he assured her. “And I bet Chase is giving you plenty of opinions without offering to write a check. Am I right?”
“Yes.” Milla sighed. “Paulette has already been cremated. That’s what she asked for in her will, so I took care of it, but Chase wants to scatter her ashes on the mountain and I’d like to bury them in the churchyard. I know it’s selfish, James, but I’d like to visit her. To talk to her.” Milla’s voice broke, but she quickly regained control. “Your father has been very gallant. I had to stop him from running over to the hotel. He said that he was going to teach Chase a thing or two about manners, but I’m afraid I volunteered you to plead my case instead.”
James wished he were at home so he could wrap Milla in a comforting embrace. “I’ll speak to Chase during my lunch hour, but if that punk is rude to you again, I’m going to let Pop at him!”
More stressed than ever, James closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. He had thirty minutes until he turned the library over to the Fitzgerald twins, and he knew that the fruit salad and vegetable soup he’d brought for his midday meal were not going to cut it. Visions of a double cheeseburger, large fries, and a chocolate shake filled his head.
“You look like you’re thinking happy thoughts,” said a familiar female voice.
“Dr. Ruth!” James opened his eyes and started guiltily. “It’s nice to see you.”
Tapping her chin, the nutritionist grinned. “I think you have some cheese-puff residue right there.”
Pulling a tissue from the plastic holder next to the barcode scanner, James swiped at his mouth and chin. “You caught me. Not only did I eat two bags of cheese puffs while hiding out in the men’s room, but just then, when I looked happy, I was fantasizing about having Burger King for lunch.”
“Oh?” Dr. Ruth placed a copy of Jodi Picoult’s latest release on the counter and waited for James to continue.
“It’s stress-related, I know that.” James scanned her book and tucked the small receipt listing the due date inside the front cover. “I also know that we’re not in your office right now, but can you give me a recommendation on how to avoid surrendering to cravings when I feel like this?”
Dr. Ruth touched him on the sleeve. “This happens to everyone. Stress eating is a big obstacle when we’re trying to maintain a balanced diet. But life throws us curves, James, and sometimes you just need a Happy Meal.”
James relaxed a bit. “Can’t I overcome these powerful urges?”
“Absolutely. First, try to find an alternative for dealing with stress. Exercise is a wonderful solution, but so is a drive through the mountains or working a jigsaw puzzle.” She grew thoughtful. “If you get wound up on the job and can’t leave, try chewing gum, take a quick walk outside, or call a friend and vent. Try not to reach for food. Make that choice very deliberately.”
“That won’t be easy,” James mumbled.
“No, it won’t. But you’re aware of your behavior, which means you’ve already won half the battle.” Dr. Ruth smiled as James held out her library book. “And I’m glad we had a chance to speak because I wanted to tell you that your next appointment with me will be free of charge. A little bird told me that you had something to do with the number of new clients I’ve had since the holidays. I’m very grateful, Mr. Henry. Thank you.”
As Dr. Ruth walked away, James realized that he no longer craved a Burger King lunch. “I can face Chase Martin without a double cheeseburger!”
He marched into the break room to retrieve his low-calorie lunch.
• • •
Chase sat in a club chair in the hotel lobby with all the disinterested arrogance of a monarch awaiting tribute.
“I know why you’re here,” Chase said without preamble. “But my mother was not a religious person and she wouldn’t want to be buried in the churchyard.”
“I understand,” James said, taking a seat next to the irksome lawyer. “However, your mother is gone and Milla is here. It would be a comfort to her to be able to visit Paulette’s gravesite. I’m asking you to be compassionate and grant her this request.” James spoke as pleasantly as possible, which was difficult. What he really wanted to do was grab Chase by the shoulders and shake him.
Chase placed his right ankle on his left knee. After licking his finger, he rubbed at a faint scuff in the walnut-colored leather of his loafer. “Even Chloe agrees with my decision to release Mother outside. Of course, my sister wouldn’t care if I scattered the ashes in a landfill, but with the right incentive, she’ll back me on this issue.”
James couldn’t conceal his disgust. “Did you bribe your aunt too?”
“No need,” Chase said with a satisfied smirk. “She only came back to this hick town because Milla paid for the plane ticket. I suppose she’ll leech off your folks until she’s too infirm to go back to Natchez.”
How could I have believed this man had a shred of decency? James thought.
“Aren’t you eager to return to your own family?” he asked.
Chase snorted. “I expect to receive a big check once my mother’s estate is settled, so the only thing I’m in a rush to do is divorce my wife, see my spoiled daughters as little as possible, and spend a month in the Bahamas with the cute stewardess I met on the flight down here.”
James stood. “I guess there’s no reasoning with someone so lacking in empathy. Would you tell me where and when you plan on scattering the ashes? Milla should be included.”
“Tomorrow morning. Early.” Chase inspected his fingernails. “I found a nice little scenic spot in one of the hotel’s brochures on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Bluff Mountain Overlook. Eight a.m. You bring Milla. I’ll bring my charming relatives. You can inform that Willow creature about our little soiree as well. No one’s speaking. There’ll be no music. I’m walking to the edge of the cliff, opening the cardboard box, and tossing Mother to the four winds. After that, you’ll be rid of me for good.”
“I can hardly wait,” James muttered crossly.
Chase stood, clapped James on the shoulder, and then strutted through the lobby and down the hallway leading to the guest rooms. James’s lunch hour was running out, so he moved toward the display of wooden shelves containing dozens of area attractions and searched for the brochure on the Blue Ridge Parkway. He wanted to look up the milepost of their meeting place. He scanned the upper rows and, only seeing pamphlets highlighting the area’s caves and caverns, squatted down to look at the lowest shelf. Just as he was reaching out to grab the brochure showing a photograph of a two-lane road winding through the Shenandoah Valley’s beautiful blue-hued mountains, he heard the murmur of familiar voices.
“She’s always found us both wanting,” whined Chloe. “Why shouldn’t we be compensated after a life filled with suffering? You lost the man you loved, and I feel more comfortable with sea mammals than I do with people. Mom ruined us both.”
“You’re young, dear. Plenty of time left for sunny days,” Wheezie replied in her childish singsong voice. “I finally got what I wanted. Al and I are spending nearly every minute together. After I catch up with Milla, I’m going back home where I’ll try to be happy. You should do the same.”
“What about you, Willow?” Chloe asked. “How will you manage without any money? Chase owes you too!”
“That’s true. I’m still owed my salary for the month of December. Your brother promised to pay me and give me a bonus for being so devoted to Paulette, but it seems like he’s forgotten how to sign a check,” Willow said.
Her voice was so close that James realized the three women had settled into the cluster of lobby chairs behind him.
How am I going to get out of here? he thought, glancing at his watch.
“We can’t let him treat us like this!” Chloe hissed. “He’s a greedy, lying, cheating son of a bitch. I’ve lost my husband, my house, and any hope of security. If I had half of what Chase had, I could start the marine life tour business I’ve been dreaming about.”
“Everything’s going to be okay,” Willow assured her. “I’m going to get my money and you can look to your future without so much anxiety. Trust me. If I could handle Paulette Martine, I can handle her son.”
James listened as the women moved away. As he drove back to the library, he couldn’t quell a feeling of uneasiness. How did Willow plan to handle Chase Martin?
It’s just Murphy’s book that’s bothering me, he told himself. All I need to do is survive this last family get-together. After that, maybe I can have some peace.
• • •
By the time James and a troop of other volunteers were done, the garage of the firehouse looked like a scene from a high school prom. Colorful streamers and glitter-encrusted gold and silver stars hung from the ceiling. Bunches of festive balloons were tied to the backs of folding chairs positioned around the room’s perimeter and a huge banner reading Congratulations, Bennett hung above a wooden podium.
“Luis had the risers and the podium brought over from school,” Lindy told James. “And the drama teacher is rigging the sound system. We’re going to have a dance after the mayor’s speech. Look! They’re putting up the disco ball.”
“And here comes the food,” Lucy announced as she carried in a commercial baking tray filled with cookies. “Aren’t these awesome?”
James waited until she set down the tray and then moved closer. “Why are the cookies shaped like keys?”
“Because the mayor’s giving Bennett the Key to Quincy’s Gap,” said Lucy. “These snickerdoodles are covered with golden icing. Megan and Amelia Flowers have made hundreds of them. I had to quit decorating to help them.”
“I didn’t realize our town had an official key.” James reached out to take a cookie.
Lucy slapped his hand away. “We didn’t. The mayor had one made to present to Bennett.”
“Did you bake cookies in your uniform?” Lindy teased.
“No. I just frosted them, though I stopped to lick my fingers at least twenty times.” Lucy smiled. “Well, I have to run. I’m part of the team escorting Bennett from the train station. See you soon!”
James smoothed a wrinkle in the tablecloth as Lindy placed two flower arrangements in the centers of the longest buffet tables.
“Any word from Gillian?” he asked her.
“Just an email. I’ve been calling her all day, but I guess she didn’t feel like talking. She wrote back that she needed time to get ready. She said she’d be here tonight and that we shouldn’t worry.”
The two friends continued their preparations. By the time they were done, dozens of women had arrived bearing dishes of food. There were side salads of every variety, including green salad, Waldorf salad, ambrosia salad, three-bean salad, and three kinds of potato salad. There were huge aluminum trays filled with fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, lasagna, tuna casserole, baked beans, collard greens, and mini corn cobs. There were baskets filled with French baguettes, Italian bread, garlic bread, onion rolls, pumpernickel rolls, and buttered white rolls.
The dessert table was so crammed with pies, cakes, cupcakes, and cookies that the yellow tablecloth was barely visible. James examined the homemade treats with a lecherous eye.
Bit by bit, the large garage filled with revelers. Bottles of cold beer were handed out, glasses of cheap white wine were distributed, and the noise level rose exponentially
James said hello to teachers and beauticians, Mr. Goodbee the pharmacist, Doc Spratt, the Fitzgerald twins, the employees from the liquor and grocery stores, Sam and the other bartenders from Wilson’s Tavern, the waitstaff from Dolly’s Diner, the excited postal workers, Dr. Ruth and her sons, Custard Cottage’s Willy Kendrick, and even Joan, his ambitious real estate agent.
“The sheriff just called!” someone yelled. “Bennett’s five minutes away!”
As James turned to identify the exuberant messenger, he was flabbergasted to see a woman standing by the door. She was the last person he’d ever expected to see inside the Quincy’s Gap firehouse.
It was Jane, his ex-wife.
Blinking in shock, James stared hard at her. He tried to convince himself that he was mistaken. But he wasn’t. The woman was definitely Jane. He recognized her wavy brown hair, which she had cut into a cute bob, her angular jaw, and her luminous skin. Her figure had grown fuller since he’d seen her last, but the extra weight had softened her edges. The Jane he had known for over four years had always dressed to the nines in form-fitting skirts and glitzy accessories, but the woman smiling at him from the other side of the room wore jeans, a white blouse, and cowboy boots.
“She’s still beautiful,” James whispered and began to weave his way toward her.
When he finally reached her, he didn’t know what to do. Luckily, Jane took charge. She opened her arms, embraced him warmly, and said, “I’m sorry to show up out of the blue. I didn’t mean to give you a heart attack.”
“My life has been full of surprises as of late,” James replied as he continued to gawk. In the few years they’d been apart, fine lines had sprung around the corners of Jane’s eyes and mouth, proving that she laughed often. “It’s good to see you, even though I can’t begin to guess why you’re here.”
Jane laughed. “It’s good to see you too. You’re as handsome as ever. I thought I’d pick a public place to make my appearance. I wanted to make certain there’d be a defibrillator around in case you needed a hasty revival.”
“That’s very considerate of you.” James couldn’t help but grin. Jane and he had always shared a similar sense of humor. “Did you come alone?” he asked with a trace of old anger. After all, his wife had left him for a hotshot trial lawyer. And having seen the disagreeable Chase Martin Esquire only hours before, James wasn’t particularly fond of attorneys at the moment.
“I’m alone. Kenneth is out of the picture,” Jane said. “He has been for a while now.” She glanced at the floor. “I left a decent and devoted husband for a cruel playboy. I was afraid of becoming predictable and I longed for excitement. Well, I got it.”
