Page 32 of Camino Ghosts

With her granddaughters in school, Miss Naomi was as free and eager to take Lovely anywhere she wanted. Both women loved the bookstore because they felt welcome there. Bruce kept a long table near the front for African American writers and invited the ladies to the store whenever one was passing through. At Mercer’s request, he also kept Miss Naomi occupied elsewhere when Lovely was in his office.

Lovely assumed her position in her favorite chair, an old French chaise that Noelle had hauled back from Provence. Miss Naomi and Steven exchanged pleasantries as Bruce poured coffee. After a few minutes he left and closed the door. Steven placed his iPhone on the corner of the desk and said, “I like to record my client conferences, if that’s okay.”

Lovely glared at the phone, then looked at Steven. “Why you doing that?”

“It’s standard procedure. My memory is not what it used to be and I like to have a record. It’s no big deal.”

His memory was fine and he seldom recorded conversations with his clients. With Lovely, though, there was plenty of room for misunderstanding and he wanted to take precautions. She looked at Miss Naomi, who shrugged as if she had no idea.

Lovely said, “I suppose.”

“If it makes you uncomfortable, then I won’t do it.”

“No, that’s okay. Just treat me like you treat the rest of your clients.”

“I promise I am.” He picked up a stack of papers and said, “This is the answer, or response, to our lawsuit that has been filed. Two of them actually, one by the state and one by Tidal Breeze. As expected, both deny your claim of ownership. The one filed by Tidal Breeze may be a bit hard to swallow because they make a lot of allegations that are not true.”

“Such as?”

“Such as, well, the most blatant is a claim that you cannot prove you were even born on the island.”

Her face contorted and her eyes burned at him like lasers. Her bottom lip quivered and she bit it. “Who said that?”

“The lawyers for Tidal Breeze.”

“I know where I was born and I know the name of the midwife who birthed me. She birthed my mama and daddy. I know where they were born and where he was buried, same place I hope to be buried. How can you let people like that say such things?”

“Lawyers say a lot of things that aren’t true, I’m afraid. It’s just an allegation, that’s all. Just part of the lawsuit. Don’t take it personally.”

“So they can lie all they want?”

“No, they have to believe what they say, and since there are no records of your birth, they can claim you weren’t born there. Again, there will be other allegations and you cannot take them personally.”

“I don’t like this lawsuit business.”

Steven offered a smile, one that was not returned. “I don’t blame you, Lovely. Lawsuits are unpleasant business, but they are necessary. If you want to prove ownership of the island, then you have no choice but to go to court.”

She absorbed this without seeming to accept it. After a pause she asked, “Are those lawyers going to be in court?”

“Sure, that’s their job.”

“Don’t expect me to be nice to them.”

“You don’t have to, but they’re not bad people. They’re just doing their job.”

“And lying’s part of their job?”

Steven took a deep breath and let it pass. “I need to ask you about records, notes, memos, stuff like that. Paperwork. The other side is asking for all of our paperwork, especially any and all notes you relied on when you wrote your book.”

Lovely gazed at a shelf of Bruce’s first editions and seemed to get lost in them. A long minute passed, then another. Steven was learning that huge gaps in the conversation did not bother her at all. She talked and moved at her own pace.

Finally, “Who says I have papers and notes?”

“Well, do you have papers and notes?”

“If I say yes, then those bad lawyers get to look at them, right? If I say no, then there’s nothing for them to see. Right?”

“I suppose that’s correct. Do you have notes?”

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