THE PHONE RANG IN Liam’s office and the caller ID told him it was Bolger & Martin, one of the city’s largest law firms.
“Mr. Taggart? This is Mike Shirley over at Bolger. We represent Arthur Woodward.”
“Ah, yes. Arthur. A very unpleasant fellow. What is it you want with me, Mr. Shirley?”
“Mike. Call me Mike. And can I call you Liam? Let’s get this thing off on the right foot. Things will always go more smoothly if we’re sociable.”
“You might mention that theory to your client, Mike. But, again, how can I help you?”
“I would like to come and meet with you and Ms. Lockhart.”
“To what end?”
“Well, it’s about Arthur’s mother. She hasn’t been well. Arthur’s concerned about her … uh … her…”
“Estate, Mike. The word you’re looking for is estate.”
“No, no, not at all. He’s concerned about her health. You know, she’s eighty-nine years old.”
“She looked pretty healthy to me. But, in case you didn’t know, Ms. Lockhart’s not a doctor.”
Shirley’s tone changed. “Liam, let’s stop playing these games. My client wants me to set up a meeting. We can meet in Ms. Lockhart’s office or we can meet in a courtroom. Why don’t we try to avoid the latter?”
“Why didn’t you call Catherine directly? Why go through me?”
“I’m sorry, I tried. She wasn’t in this afternoon and she hasn’t returned my call. I figured you could get through to her quicker than I could.”
“When do you want to meet?”
“The sooner the better. Arthur is very concerned.”
“No doubt. I’ll speak to Catherine and I’m sure one of us will get back to you tomorrow.”
“That’ll be just fine, Liam. Just fine.”
* * *
CATHERINE ENTERED THE FOYER, brushed a few November snowflakes from her coat and hung it on the coatrack.
“How was your appointment this afternoon?” Liam said. “Did Dr. Epstein tell you it was the most good-lookin’-est baby he ever saw?”
Catherine laughed. “There’s not a lot they can see on an ultrasound at this stage, but he said I’m doing fine.” She feigned a pout. “I’ve gained four pounds!”
Liam spread his hands. “Where? No way. Tell him I’ve paid close attention to every inch, under the most intimate of circumstances, and the mother-to-be has her movie-star figure intact.”
Catherine gave him a peck on the cheek. “There was a message that Michael Shirley called me this afternoon about Mrs. Woodward. He wants to schedule a meeting.”
“I know. I spoke to him. He represents Arthur. He wants to meet with both of us.”
“Liam, there is absolutely nothing wrong with Lena Woodward. She’s sharp as a tack. I wish I had her memory skills.”
“Shirley threatened a lawsuit. Said he’d meet us in your office or in court.”
“The bastard’s going to sue his mother? She hasn’t been through enough in her life that she has to face a competency hearing brought by her own son?”
“It’s about the money.”
“No shit, Liam.” Catherine stormed into the kitchen and started to rattle the pots and pans.
“What are you doing, Cat?”
“Making pasta!” she snapped. “So I can gain another four pounds!”
He walked up behind her, put his arms around her and kissed her on the neck. “Come on, put the pots down. Don’t let that jerk get under your skin. I’ll take you to Sorrento’s.”
She turned around and looked up into Liam’s eyes. “She’s such a sweet, courageous woman.” She shook her head. “We’ll have to meet with him, you know. I don’t want him running into court and filing some scathing petition accusing her of dementia.”
“You know how this will go. We’ll meet with him. It’ll get nasty. He’ll demand you stop seeing Arthur’s mother. You’ll refuse. And at that point he’ll hand you a petition that he’s already drafted and tell you he’s going to file it the next day.”
Catherine nodded. “Right. And at that moment, I want you to punch him in the face.”
Liam smiled. “I love the way you negotiate.”
As they walked to the car, Catherine said, ‘I’ve already set up a meeting with Lena for tomorrow at noon and I’m sure it will take the entire afternoon. Tell Shirley we’ll meet with him on Thursday.”