fine, I'm sure. She's a nut. Like everyone in California. Fruits and nuts. I used to laugh about that, you know. I used to think how bad can it be? Lionel was weird, but he was a real good guy.'' He shook his head. ''I'm from Michigan. Lionel and I didn't know each other very well, but I thought he was a neat guy.''
'' Was he really?''
The man seemed startled by the question. His eyes swam with tears. Kathleen had hit a nerve no one else had bothered to touch.
'' Yes he was. My brother was the most giving man I've ever known. He was younger than I was, but even when he was little he would just as soon give you the last of whatever he had rather than keep it for himself.''
'' Then he was kind of a martyr?'' Kathleen almost lost the man on that one.
'' No, he was a true and generous spirit. Hard to believe somebody could change that much isn't it? Hard to believe that he suddenly became a drug user, selfish enough to take his own life.'' The tall man sighed again and ran a hand over his eyes. ''I'm sad he's gone. I'm sad he went the way he did. I was happy to take care of his estate, though. You know. Do something to show that I still felt a connection. Besides, I didn't think it was a big thing. I mean, what could a guy like him acquire that would take so much time to take care of? Lionel, he didn't care about a whole bunch of material things.''
He began to walk. Kathleen fell into step and listened. She was so very, very good at that.
'' I'm ten years older than Lionel. Who would have thought he would kick off before I did? Stupid idiot.'' The man sighed. ''Fruit and nuts. Him and Sarah, they lived in a canyon, raised little animals, had a vegetable garden. They worshipped all this natural world nonsense.'' The man shook his head at their stupidity. Kathleen assumed in Michigan there wasn't time to worship anything. ''And then there are the nuts. Lionel sure knew where to find them.''
Kathleen looked up to see that he had spied Louise. For a moment the two of them stood and watched her, each lost in thought.
'' Mr. Booker, I'd like to depose you,'' Kathleen said.
'' Because Sarah showed up? Because of her you're going to make this more than it is? It should be over by now. I need to go home. There's nothing I have to tell you that I haven't told you in the last few seconds. Lionel was a super guy. He loved Sarah. Weird as they were, they were perfectly suited to each other. Then he killed himself. Who's to say what went on in his mind? There, that's it. I just want to go home.''
His tired eyes were still trained on Louse who lounged against the wall, folding a piece of gum before she popped it in her mouth.
'' I've got to do my job, Mr. Booker. If Lionel loved his new wife as much as you say, you may want to try to set the record straight so she won't give everything away. Lionel would have wanted that, wouldn't he?''
'' Why bother? You want everything. I can't fight that.''
'' I want what's fair,'' Kathleen assured him.
He glanced from Louise to Kathleen then laughed just a little. He walked away, his last comment trailing behind.
'' Fruits, nuts and liars.''
Kathleen pulled her old plaid robe around her and scratched the back of her leg with her sock shod foot. She was watching her landlord fix the sink and thinking about her miserable day. Sarah Booker's face haunted her. Louise's words riled her. Gerry's assertions that she had done her best rang less than true. And there was something else that niggled, something that she'd been trying to tell herself ever since she got home. She just couldn't quite grasp what it was and Paul, the landlord's, chatter wasn't helping.
'' You'll love it. Come on. You haven't been out since you've been here. You haven't even unpacked your stuff.'' He gave the wrench one more twist. He was a joy to watch.
'' No, thanks anyway.'' She was moping. There was no challenge Paul loved better than destroying a good mope.
'' Come on. It's a producer's house.''
Paul stood up and
'' Was he really?''
The man seemed startled by the question. His eyes swam with tears. Kathleen had hit a nerve no one else had bothered to touch.
'' Yes he was. My brother was the most giving man I've ever known. He was younger than I was, but even when he was little he would just as soon give you the last of whatever he had rather than keep it for himself.''
'' Then he was kind of a martyr?'' Kathleen almost lost the man on that one.
'' No, he was a true and generous spirit. Hard to believe somebody could change that much isn't it? Hard to believe that he suddenly became a drug user, selfish enough to take his own life.'' The tall man sighed again and ran a hand over his eyes. ''I'm sad he's gone. I'm sad he went the way he did. I was happy to take care of his estate, though. You know. Do something to show that I still felt a connection. Besides, I didn't think it was a big thing. I mean, what could a guy like him acquire that would take so much time to take care of? Lionel, he didn't care about a whole bunch of material things.''
He began to walk. Kathleen fell into step and listened. She was so very, very good at that.
'' I'm ten years older than Lionel. Who would have thought he would kick off before I did? Stupid idiot.'' The man sighed. ''Fruit and nuts. Him and Sarah, they lived in a canyon, raised little animals, had a vegetable garden. They worshipped all this natural world nonsense.'' The man shook his head at their stupidity. Kathleen assumed in Michigan there wasn't time to worship anything. ''And then there are the nuts. Lionel sure knew where to find them.''
Kathleen looked up to see that he had spied Louise. For a moment the two of them stood and watched her, each lost in thought.
'' Mr. Booker, I'd like to depose you,'' Kathleen said.
'' Because Sarah showed up? Because of her you're going to make this more than it is? It should be over by now. I need to go home. There's nothing I have to tell you that I haven't told you in the last few seconds. Lionel was a super guy. He loved Sarah. Weird as they were, they were perfectly suited to each other. Then he killed himself. Who's to say what went on in his mind? There, that's it. I just want to go home.''
His tired eyes were still trained on Louse who lounged against the wall, folding a piece of gum before she popped it in her mouth.
'' I've got to do my job, Mr. Booker. If Lionel loved his new wife as much as you say, you may want to try to set the record straight so she won't give everything away. Lionel would have wanted that, wouldn't he?''
'' Why bother? You want everything. I can't fight that.''
'' I want what's fair,'' Kathleen assured him.
He glanced from Louise to Kathleen then laughed just a little. He walked away, his last comment trailing behind.
'' Fruits, nuts and liars.''
Kathleen pulled her old plaid robe around her and scratched the back of her leg with her sock shod foot. She was watching her landlord fix the sink and thinking about her miserable day. Sarah Booker's face haunted her. Louise's words riled her. Gerry's assertions that she had done her best rang less than true. And there was something else that niggled, something that she'd been trying to tell herself ever since she got home. She just couldn't quite grasp what it was and Paul, the landlord's, chatter wasn't helping.
'' You'll love it. Come on. You haven't been out since you've been here. You haven't even unpacked your stuff.'' He gave the wrench one more twist. He was a joy to watch.
'' No, thanks anyway.'' She was moping. There was no challenge Paul loved better than destroying a good mope.
'' Come on. It's a producer's house.''
Paul stood up and
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