fourteen

“Is there a no-trespassing sign?” Norm had a legal pad and the document that had ruined my previous evening laid out on the table next to his huevos rancheros and was switching back and forth between his fork and his pen. I wondered how long it would be before he stuck the nib of his eight-hundred dollar Montegrappa into his eggs. That would be tragic. Norm loved that pen.

“Where?” We had been talking about Thanksgiving plans, so the question caught me off guard.

“Rasmussen’s place. You sure you don’t want to eat?”

The whole lawsuit thing had made me queasy, and I shook my head. “Not that I noticed. It was dark. I’d be surprised if there was, though, in that neighborhood.”

“Did Mrs. Rasmussen ask you to leave?”

“No. In fact, she wanted to help us with the kittens.” I told him how Rasmussen the husband had reacted to that.

Norm made a note and took a bite, all with the proper implements. “Okay, if she is joint owner of the property, you’re in the clear. I’ll check.” He switched implements and smiled at me. “How did you get into the shed?”

“Studio.”

“Whatever.”

“It was open. Jay just nudged the door a bit wider. The window was open, too. That’s how Gypsy got in, I suppose.” I studied my mental snapshots of the place. “Something was weird, though. Have you ever seen a tidy artist’s space?”

Norm caught the server’s eye and pointed at our coffee mugs. “Everett Bannister is pretty neat.”

I knew the name and had seen Bannister’s paintings, but I’d never met him. “Is he? Still, this studio seemed like a prop. The only painting I remember was a finished one, framed and hung. There were no works-in-progress, no sketches or studies, none of the usual chaos my artsy friends all create when they work.”

Norm raised an eyebrow at me.

“Right. I don’t know what it means, either,” I said. After the server refilled our coffees and took the dirty dishes away, I asked, “What about his threat to report Jay as a vicious dog?”

“I’ll check some cases, but I don’t think it will go anywhere.” He made another note. “Can you pull together copies of his certificates, therapy dog and whatever, and also get statements from experts
who know him? Maybe the police in Indy from when he found that kid?”

“Sure. I have the newspaper clipping from that.”

“If Rasmussen put his hand on you uninvited and in a threatening manner, your dog has a right to growl.” Norm reached across the table and took my hand. “And, Janet, he didn’t bite the guy.”

“So this is all just smoke and mirrors? He can’t really do anything?”

“He can make you spend some money, but I can’t imagine the court ruling in his favor. And if he insists on proceeding, we’ll fight back.”

“That odious man. I’d like to …”

“Shhh.” Norm shook his head slightly. “I’d like to, too, but until this is settled, stifle yourself. Make no threats, call him no names, say nothing that you don’t want repeated in court, if it goes there.”

“But I’m talking to you.”

“In a public place.” He leaned across the table and lowered his voice. “Janet, Charles Rasmussen has a lot of friends in high places, and a lot of money, so as your attorney, I advise discretion.” He leaned back and picked up his water glass, then said, “As your loving brother-in-law, I say a pox on him.”

“That I’d like to see,” I said, and started to laugh as an image of Rasmussen covered in spots formed in my mind. Then I asked, “How?”

“How what?”

“How will we fight back?”

“Ah. Well, for one thing, we can call Neighborhood Code Enforcement and see if they will cite him for leaving his building open to entice pet cats into danger.”

That made me laugh, but not for long. “But what danger?”

“Didn’t you say he threatened the kittens?” Norm shrugged and went on. “It was a trap. He would have grabbed them and killed them if you hadn’t stopped him. And I have friends in NCE. One thing, though. Alberta needs to be sure all her pet licenses are in order and all her pets are up to date on rabies vaccinations.” He paused. “I’d recommend that you and Tom do the same.”

“Already done. Mine, anyway.” Oh, sure, maybe three years ago, whispered the prissy little angel on my shoulder. “The vaccinations, at least. I’ll check the licenses.” I would have, too, if I’d remembered.

We spent another few minutes on more pleasant subjects. Norm and Bill had moved into my mother’s old house, the house Bill and I grew up in, and were putting the final touches on a complete kitchen update. “Bill is more relaxed since we moved than I’ve ever seen him. Sometimes I think he loves that old house more than he loves me.” I knew from the crinkles around his eyes that Norm knew better, and that he spoke from a place of deep happiness.

“You guys should come to the agility trial this weekend. Come watch the boys,” which was Norm’s term for Jay and Drake and Leo. “Did I tell you we’re putting on a feline agility demonstration? So even Leo gets to go this time.”

“I’ll be there. Bill leaves Friday for Europe.”

My cell rang just as Norm was signing the credit card receipt and my heart did a little sidestep when I saw the number.

“What’s wrong?” Norm was watching my face.

“It’s Shadetree,” I said, meaning the retirement center. “Hello?”

I expected to hear the calm contralto of Jade Templeton, the facility’s director, but the voice on the other end was pitched at frantic and the only words I could make out were die and love and next week.

“Mom, slow down. I don’t know what you’re telling me.”

Norm mouthed, “Okay?” and I signaled him to go. He had mentioned another appointment, and I figured if Mom was ambulatory and talking, I could manage whatever was going on. We left the café together and I got into my van while I tried to make sense of my mother’s hysteria.

“Mom, are you sick?”

The sobs that answered tore a hole in my heart.

“Mom, please tell me what’s wrong. I’m on my way, but tell me …”

The phone went quiet, and then Jade Templeton spoke. “Janet. It’s Jade. We have a bit of a situation here.”