Barbara Levenson - Mary Magruder Katz 03 - Outrageous October by Barbara Levenson Page A
Authors: Barbara Levenson
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shoppers turned to stare. “But you still haven’t told me about your evening with Dash.”
“It was fun. He’s relaxing to be around, but honestly, I’m not looking for a boyfriend. I just broke up with someone who I thought was my soul mate. What is interesting is that Dash invited me to do some legal work for him while I’m here. He wants me to take over a case of his. It doesn’t sound like my kind of criminal case, just two neighbors fighting.”
“Oh, that must be Roland’s case.” Riley grimaced.
“Wow, Riley you know everyone and everything going on around here. How did you know that was the case?”
“This neighborhood argument is taking on a life of its own. Roland claims that Ken Upham has violated an ordinance from 1830 stating that no tree could be removed without permission of the village council. It was all because Vermont was shorn of most of its trees during the farming surge of the late 1700’s when the land was cleared for cultivation. Roland even came before our select board to complain.”
“It’s kind of funny. My religious background is mixed. One parent is Jewish and the other is Baptist, so I always tell people that I’m of the Druid faith; they worship trees. I think I’ve just discovered the lost tribe of Druids.”
“Mary, this case could become criminal. I think these two guys are going to become violent if someone doesn’t intercede soon. Maybe you can do everyone a favor and make this whole thing disappear. If nothing else, you’ll get famous in the Upper Valley. The newspaper has been covering this fight every week.”
“I’m a lawyer, not a magician, but I can try to negotiate a peaceful solution. Not to change the subject but I’ll bet you can answer a question for me, Riley. How did Dash get that nickname? No one calls him Daniel, his real name.”
“Dash loved to run. He was a track star in junior high and in high school he broke some track records in the state. I don’t know if it was his parents or his friends, but everyone has called him Dash forever. We better get moving if we’re going to see some more of the valley today.”
We loaded Sam and our goodies back in the car and headed for the flea market back in High Pines.
As we drove, Riley asked me what else I had seen. I told her about my trip to Dartmouth.
“Riley, you know everyone around here. Do you know a young dairy farmer whose first name is Conrad?”
“Not off hand. What does that have to do with your visit to Dartmouth?”
“My client’s daughter, Sherry, who I went to see, seems to be having a secret love affair with some farmer. She wouldn’t tell me anything other than his first name. I’m worried about her. She doesn’t want her friends to know anything about this guy. She met him in a bar and now she’s gone off to his farm for the weekend.”
“Well, won’t she be back at school tomorrow? You can phone her then and hear all the hot details. I wouldn’t worry too much. This isn’t a big city, like Miami. Everyone’s pretty mellow here.”
“I met my former serious boyfriend at a car wash and that didn’t turn out too well. I guess that’s why I’m worried.”
Riley told me to turn in to an area of shops with a large field surrounding it.
The flea market wasn’t what I expected. I was thinking of the ones in South Florida, where convicted felons sell stuff they’ve hijacked off of trucks, or where they’re selling knockoffs of Gucci handbags for ten dollars.
The High Pines flea market consisted of tables filled with beautiful china, glassware, linens, and old kitchen ware. All of it looked like things my Grandmother Katz gave away when she moved to California. But that’s another story.
I found a hooked rug like the one in my living room made by my Magruder grandmother. Riley explained that I had to bargain over the price or the seller would have his feelings hurt. I did as told and carried my bargain to the back of the SUV where Sam snuggled down in it as
“It was fun. He’s relaxing to be around, but honestly, I’m not looking for a boyfriend. I just broke up with someone who I thought was my soul mate. What is interesting is that Dash invited me to do some legal work for him while I’m here. He wants me to take over a case of his. It doesn’t sound like my kind of criminal case, just two neighbors fighting.”
“Oh, that must be Roland’s case.” Riley grimaced.
“Wow, Riley you know everyone and everything going on around here. How did you know that was the case?”
“This neighborhood argument is taking on a life of its own. Roland claims that Ken Upham has violated an ordinance from 1830 stating that no tree could be removed without permission of the village council. It was all because Vermont was shorn of most of its trees during the farming surge of the late 1700’s when the land was cleared for cultivation. Roland even came before our select board to complain.”
“It’s kind of funny. My religious background is mixed. One parent is Jewish and the other is Baptist, so I always tell people that I’m of the Druid faith; they worship trees. I think I’ve just discovered the lost tribe of Druids.”
“Mary, this case could become criminal. I think these two guys are going to become violent if someone doesn’t intercede soon. Maybe you can do everyone a favor and make this whole thing disappear. If nothing else, you’ll get famous in the Upper Valley. The newspaper has been covering this fight every week.”
“I’m a lawyer, not a magician, but I can try to negotiate a peaceful solution. Not to change the subject but I’ll bet you can answer a question for me, Riley. How did Dash get that nickname? No one calls him Daniel, his real name.”
“Dash loved to run. He was a track star in junior high and in high school he broke some track records in the state. I don’t know if it was his parents or his friends, but everyone has called him Dash forever. We better get moving if we’re going to see some more of the valley today.”
We loaded Sam and our goodies back in the car and headed for the flea market back in High Pines.
As we drove, Riley asked me what else I had seen. I told her about my trip to Dartmouth.
“Riley, you know everyone around here. Do you know a young dairy farmer whose first name is Conrad?”
“Not off hand. What does that have to do with your visit to Dartmouth?”
“My client’s daughter, Sherry, who I went to see, seems to be having a secret love affair with some farmer. She wouldn’t tell me anything other than his first name. I’m worried about her. She doesn’t want her friends to know anything about this guy. She met him in a bar and now she’s gone off to his farm for the weekend.”
“Well, won’t she be back at school tomorrow? You can phone her then and hear all the hot details. I wouldn’t worry too much. This isn’t a big city, like Miami. Everyone’s pretty mellow here.”
“I met my former serious boyfriend at a car wash and that didn’t turn out too well. I guess that’s why I’m worried.”
Riley told me to turn in to an area of shops with a large field surrounding it.
The flea market wasn’t what I expected. I was thinking of the ones in South Florida, where convicted felons sell stuff they’ve hijacked off of trucks, or where they’re selling knockoffs of Gucci handbags for ten dollars.
The High Pines flea market consisted of tables filled with beautiful china, glassware, linens, and old kitchen ware. All of it looked like things my Grandmother Katz gave away when she moved to California. But that’s another story.
I found a hooked rug like the one in my living room made by my Magruder grandmother. Riley explained that I had to bargain over the price or the seller would have his feelings hurt. I did as told and carried my bargain to the back of the SUV where Sam snuggled down in it as
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