Part 21 (2/2)
Cora froze the TV, put up her hand. ”Okay, this is not my fault.”
Sherry looked at her. ”No one said it was.”
”Yeah, but if I hadn't married Melvin, and divorced Melvin, and gotten involved in an alimony dispute, and hired Becky Baldwin to represent me, and let her rip the witness apart on the stand-”
”Let her?” Sherry said. ”It looked like you were masterminding the whole thing. What were you whispering in her ear?”
”You were in court? You should take it easy in your condition.”
”I'm not in any condition!”
”That's right. You're in no condition. You should stay home, do some light cleaning, cook dinner.”
”Should I also write your column?”
”Unless you want me to take a crack at it.”
”Yeah, wouldn't that be a hoot.”
”Is there anything to this business with the teller?” Aaron asked.
”Oh, no. Not you, too.”
”If it's news, I need to know. That doesn't mean I'm going to write it.”
”It isn't news,” Cora said. ”That's the whole point. It is not news. Non-news. Unnewsworthy.”
”That's not fair,” Aaron said. ”You can't yell fire in a crowded theater and then blame people for running out.”
”That's a horrible example.”
”Why?”
”You want to hold people responsible for everything that lawyers do? It would be an utter disaster. You'd be constantly overa.n.a.lyzing trivialities. It would be like what instant replay did to pro football.”
”You watch pro football?”
”In my day I made a hundred bucks on a Super Bowl.”
”They had Super Bowls in your day?” Sherry said.
Cora's mouth fell open. ”Oh, you're asking for it.”
”You'd beat up a woman in my condition?” Sherry said.
That tripped Cora up. ”Your condition? What condition?”
Sherry smiled. ”See, it's no fun for you if there's nothing to push against.”
”Kids,” Aaron said, ”it's really nice watching you spar. But we have this murder. I'd be happy for any lead.”
”You and Chief Harper,” Cora said.
”He's got nothing?”
”Not a d.a.m.n thing.”
Buddy jumped up, spun in a circle, and ran barking to the front door.
”You expecting someone?” Cora said.
”No. You hear a car in the drive?”
”No.”
”Then no one should be there.”
”Buddy seems to think so.”
”Maybe he's wrong,” Sherry said.
There came a knock on the door.
”Or maybe he's right,” Cora said.
”Don't we have a doorbell?” Sherry said.
”Yes, we do,” Cora said. ”It can't be anyone. If we ignore it, maybe it will go away.”
”Oh, for goodness' sakes,” Aaron said. ”If you girls are just going to snark at each other...”
”Snark?” Cora said.
”You know what I mean. Sit there and keep arguing and I'll go see who it isn't.”
Aaron went out and returned a moment later, ushering in the last person Cora expected to see.
Bambi.
The young woman was clearly out of her element. She had stumbled up the driveway in high heels. One shoe was slightly wobbly, which might have indicated the heel was breaking or might have merely reflected the fact that she'd had too much to drink. She swayed unsteadily and fought to keep her balance, while the toy poodle darted in and out around her feet as if she were his best friend ever.
”He's precious. Can I take him home?”
”Not going to happen,” Cora told her.
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