Redress of Grievances (25 page)

"Unfortunately
in Texas, it doesn't matter if she's crazier than a June bug," Nick said.
"If she knew what she did was wrong, but did it anyway, then she's just
plain old guilty. Period. End of defense."

"First,
I have to establish that Sharon has a second personality. Jan knows the
difference between right and wrong, no matter how warped her knowledge is. But
the important part is that Jan doesn't believe she did anything wrong. Since
Jan performed the actions and Sharon had no awareness of them, it's irrelevant
whether Sharon knows the difference between right and wrong because she wasn't
the perpetrator. How does that sound?" she asked.

"Jesus,
sounds like you'll need a road map designed by Rand-McNally to get a jury to
follow what's going on. A list of the cast of characters might be a good idea,
too," Nick answered with a chuckle.

"Kind
of makes you wish you'd chosen another profession, huh?"

"Sometimes.
My law students would think this was something created for a TV movie. Does
Lacey have a game tonight?" Nick asked glancing at his wristwatch.

"They
have a bye tonight, but play next Tuesday," Harriett smiled.
"A
couple
more wins and her team will be in the play-offs. Why don't you come to the
house with me? We can scratch up something for dinner."

"Works
for me, but you'll have to drop me at the office later to pick up my car."

When
Harriett pulled the truck into her driveway, she saw a blue car parked at the
curb and frowned.

"Company?"
Nick asked as he closed the truck door.

"Devon.
Lacey's boyfriend. She said they had to work on an experiment for biology
class," Harriett answered as they walked to the front door of the
two-story, red brick townhouse.

The
house seemed quiet as they entered until they heard giggling coming from the
living room. As they reached the entrance to the living room, they saw Lacey
and Devon on the couch. Devon was holding Lacey in his arms, kissing her
passionately. Nick coughed loudly when he saw them. Devon got up quickly,
adjusting his clothing.

"Ms.
Markham," he said. "We didn't hear you come in."

"That
much is obvious," Harriett said coolly as she crossed her arms and looked
at Lacey. "Is this the biology experiment you said you'd be working on,
Lacey?"

Lacey
got up slowly. "We have to wait a couple of hours before we can check the
last sample."

Nick
smiled. "Does it involve studying the chemical changes in saliva resulting
from sexual arousal?"

"Nick!"
Harriett said sharply as Lacey and Devon laughed. "That's not
helping."

"Sorry,"
he shrugged.

Turning
back to Devon, Harriett said, "Don't you have someplace to be,
Devon?"

"Yes,
ma'am. I need to run home and change."

Lacey
took Devon's hand. "I'll be right back," she said as they walked to
the front door and left the townhouse.

"What's
so damn funny, Nick?" Harriett fumed as Nick laughed softly.

"They
weren't doing anything, Harriett, and I think you scared the shit out of that
kid."

"Lacey
knows better than this."

"It
could have been worse. You could have found them upstairs."

"If
we'd been later I might have."

"Stop
it, Harriett. Lacey wouldn't let the situation get that out of hand and you
know it. She's too smart for that."

"When
it comes to sex, brains don't always outweigh desires."

"Does
that observation come from personal experience?"

Harriett
looked at him, remembering that only two days earlier she had let her desire
overrule her brain, and frowned. "As a matter of fact, it does. Are there
any other personal questions you'd like to ask me?"

Lacey
strolled back into the living room. "I'm sorry Aunt Harriett, but we
really weren't doing anything. And by the way, you had a phone call earlier. I
wrote the number down and stuck it on the fridge."

"Thank
you, sweetheart," Harriett smiled.

"Devon's
picking me up around eight. Okay?" Lacey asked.

"Leaving
your poor old maiden aunt home all alone again, huh?" Harriett kidded.

Harriett
took the number from the refrigerator door and walked to the kitchen phone. She
leaned against the wall and punched in the number. "Grab yourself a beer,
Nick. I wish Lacey would write down the caller's name, so I wouldn't have to
waste time with magazine salesmen."

Three
rings later a voice answered. "Sex Offenders. Raines."

"This
is Harriett Markham. I was told I had a phone call from this number."

"Oh,
hi, Harriett. I don't know if you remember me. This is Jess Raines. I met you
at The Corral a week or so ago."

"Of
course, I remember," Harriett smiled as the woman's face floated through
her mind. "How can I help you?"

"Actually,
I was wondering if you might be free for dinner this evening," Jess said.

"I
just got back in town. It's been a very stressful week for me. Did you say Sex
Offenders when you answered the phone?"

"Yeah.
Sorry about that. I probably should have left my home phone. But I was hoping
to hear from you before I left work."

"You
work at Sex Offenders?" Harriett inquired. Nick was looking at her and she
shrugged.

"I'm
an investigator with the Attorney General's Office. Listen, I understand if
you're too tired to go out. Maybe another time," Jess said.

"You
know what, Jess? I'd love to go out for dinner this evening. I'm really not up
to cooking and my niece is going out anyway."

"Great!
Give me your address, and I'll pick you up. What time is good for you?"

Harriett
glanced at the kitchen clock. "Is eight okay?"

"Perfect.
And you don't have to get all dressed up. We'll make it a casual evening."

"All
right." Harriett smiled. "By the way, how did you get this number?
It's unlisted."

"Well,"
Jess laughed, "I am an investigator. That's why I get the big bucks. See
you about eight."

Harriett
hung up the phone and went to the refrigerator. Pouring a glass of iced tea,
she looked at Nick. "I have a date," she smiled.

Chapter
Twenty-Five

JESS
HAD SPENT nearly an hour deciding what to wear for her date with Harriett
Markham. She was nervous, and if she still smoked and drank, she would have
already had several of each. She hadn't been on a date in nearly two decades.
Except for the fact that Harriett was an attractive woman, a lawyer and knew
how to dance, Jess realized she didn't know another damn thing about her. She
had seemed nice enough at the club, and it was only a dinner date. It was
better than sitting around the house reliving the memories of everything she
had lost, feeling Renee's phantom touch next to her in bed every night. Looking
at her reflection in the mirror as she ran a brush through her hair, she knew
Renee wouldn't have wanted her to live this way.

At
precisely eight o'clock, Jess, who had finally settled for pressed jeans, boots
and a charcoal tweed jacket over a white t-shirt, took a deep breath and pushed
the doorbell of Harriett's townhouse. When the door was opened a few moments
later by a tall, slender, blonde teenager wearing a ratty sweatshirt and
well-worn jeans, Jess wondered if this had been a good idea after all.

"Can
I help you?" the girl asked.

"Hi.
I'm Jess Raines. I'm here to pick up Harriett," she answered with a smile.

"Come
on in. My aunt will ready in a minute."

"Thanks,"
Jess said as she stepped inside.

Lacey
extended her hand, "Lacey Markham."

"It's
a pleasure, Lacey."

As Jess
was shaking hands with Lacey, Harriett came down the stairs. Jess thought she
looked even better than she had at the club, if that was possible. She was glad
Harriett's idea of casual matched her own and thought she might faint when
Harriett smiled at her. Coming up next to her, Harriett hugged her briefly.
Noticing the same subtle scent she had noticed the evening they met, Harriett
inhaled it deeply.

"You
look very nice, Jess."

"So
do you." Jess blushed.

"What
time will you be home, Lacey?" Harriett asked as she turned her head back
toward her niece.

"We're
just going to a movie and catching something to eat afterward, so not too late.
Maybe midnight," Lacey shrugged.

"That's
fine, sweetheart. You two be careful."

"We
will. And what time will you be home, Aunt Harriett?" Lacey grinned,
glancing at Jess.

Harriett
also looked at Jess and smiled. "I'm not sure."

"Well,
have fun," Lacey said as she hugged Harriett. "I'll see you in the
morning."

As
Jess backed her sapphire blue Durango out of Harriett's driveway, she said,
"Your niece is very attractive."

"Thanks.
She's graduating from St. John's Prep this year, and I worry about her
sometimes."

"That's
understandable." Jess looked across the seat at Harriett. "I hope
you're hungry."

"I
could eat a cow right now," Harriett laughed. "At least you know
there's nothing wrong with my appetite."

"Perfect,"
Jess grinned. "I hope a thick steak, baked potato, and salad will do the
trick."

Nearly
half an hour later, Jess pulled into the drive of a large split-level ranch
style house on an oversized, tree filled lot and turned off the ignition.
Seeing the look on Harriett's face, she said, "I grill the best steak in
town. And we won't have to leave a tip."

Jess
helped Harriett out of the Durango and escorted her to the front door. Before
she unlocked the door, she looked at her date and said, "If you're
uncomfortable, we can go somewhere else, Harriett. I'd understand, but,
honestly, dinner and some good conversation are the only items on my
agenda."

Harriett
smiled at her. "Sounds good to me."

When
they entered the house, Harriett saw a table for two already set. Jess lit
candles on the table and flipped on the stereo. Soft, melodic sounds of Kenny G
crept into the room.

"Make
yourself at home," Jess said as she slipped her jacket off and flipped on
the kitchen light. "How do you like your steak?"

"Medium
rare," Harriett said as she looked around. "This is a beautiful
house, Jess."

"Thanks.
It's a little big for just me, but I can't bring myself to part with it. There
are some drinks in the fridge. Help yourself while I get a fire going,"
Jess called over her shoulder.

Harriett
took a wine cooler from the refrigerator and continued to look around the front
rooms of the house. The hardwood floors shined, and there were glowing embers
in the oversized fireplace. An eclectic collection of paintings and prints
adorned the walls while bare beams crossed the ceiling of the main room. To
Harriett, it had the feel of a large cabin in the middle of the city. She
glanced at pictures on the mantle and took one down to examine it more closely.
Jess was smiling broadly in the picture and had her arms around a smiling woman
with long corn silk hair.

"That's
me and Renee," Jess said softly, walking up behind her. "In better
times."

"Where
is she now?" Harriett asked.

"She
was killed in a traffic accident about four years ago."

Harriett
replaced the picture carefully on the mantle and turned toward Jess. "I'm
sorry, Jess. You must miss her very much. How long were you together?"

"Twelve
years, and I still miss her every day. But life goes on and she wouldn't want
me to stop living. We had a great life," Jess smiled. "It'll take a
little while for the charcoal to burn down. Why don't we take our drinks out to
the patio?"

Jess
took a bottle of water from the refrigerator and led Harriett outside into a
large enclosed patio. Setting her water on the table, Jess walked over to a
large brick grill that took up one corner of the patio. Harriett joined her and
rested a hand lightly on Jess's shoulder. It was a familiar gesture that
reminded Jess of the evenings she and Renee had spent preparing dinner before
it was all taken away.

"This
is a beautiful grill," Harriett said.

Swallowing
the lump that had formed in her throat, Jess glanced at her. "I built it a
few years ago. If the weather is cold it can double as an outdoor
fireplace," she said as she poked at the charcoal, rearranging a few of
the briquettes.

"It's
very quiet here," Harriett observed.

"It's
great, isn't it? Never hear any sirens or traffic out here. Just peace and
quiet. It sort of reminds me of home."

"Then
I suppose that means you're not from Austin."

"I'm
originally from Stamford, north of Abilene, but the employment opportunities
were much better here."