any other times when your wife acted differently
or erratically?"
"Can't
think of nothing right now."
Harriett
stood up and extended her hand to Taggart again. "If you think of anything
else you think I should know, please feel free to contact me through the
offices here, Mr. Taggart."
As
Taggart left, Harriett jotted down a few quick notes before pressing the
intercom button and asking for the next relative, Sharon Taggart's mother,
Clarissa Parker Collins.
Clarissa
Collins was a walking advertisement for good breeding and the social graces.
She was impeccably dressed as she entered the conference room, standing tall
and erect, her posture straight enough to balance a book on her head.
"Mrs.
Collins," Harriett said as she greeted the woman who appeared to be in her
mid-sixties, "Harriett Markham. I've been asked by Winston and Dunne to
consider taking your daughter's case."
"Of
course. But if you don't think you'll take it, I don't know why I should be
talking to you."
"Right
now, I'm trying to get a clearer picture of Sharon as a person, and even though
I haven't officially notified the court that I will be her counsel, anything
you tell me will still remain confidential," Harriett explained.
Clarissa
Collins brushed off the seat of a chair with a handkerchief and perched herself
on the edge of the chair, crossing her thin legs at the ankles.
"I
don't know how I can assist you, Ms. Markham. I wasn't with Sharon on the night
in question."
"What
kind of person would you say Sharon is, Mrs. Collins?"
"She's
a nice enough girl, has always been very obedient."
"Never
rebellious, even as a teenager?"
"No,
never."
"Never
got mad or lost control of herself?"
"Once.
She was angry with me, as usual."
"Why
do you say as usual?"
"I
think Sharon resented me for encouraging her to be more social. She didn't
enjoy going out that much. It made her an excellent student, but she lacked the
social graces one can only acquire through interacting with others."
"She
didn't date much then?"
"I
can't remember more than once or twice, and they were both younger than she.
Hardly what I had expected."
"How
did you feel when she got married?"
Clarissa
leaned forward slightly and glanced around to make sure no one else was in the
room.
"I
had mixed feelings. On the one hand, I was relieved when she got married. On
the other hand, I wasn't particularly pleased with her choice. Frank doesn't
really fit in."
"Why
were you relieved?"
"It
may sound foolish, Ms. Markham, but when a woman remains single as long as
Sharon did and never goes out with men, people begin to talk, you know."
"You
thought Sharon was a lesbian?"
"It
crossed my mind, but thank God I was wrong. Are you married, Ms. Markham?"
Clarissa asked.
"No,"
Harriett smiled.
Clarissa
leaned away from her slightly. "I see."
"Probably
not," Harriett muttered under her breath. "Is there anything in
particular you dislike about Sharon's husband?"
"He's
not very bright, although he thinks he is. Sharon is exceptionally intelligent,
has a very high IQ, and I have never understood why she chose to throw it all
away on a man like Frank Taggart."
"Perhaps
it was a physical attraction."
"I
suppose it must have been something."
"You
mentioned that Sharon got mad and lost control once as a teenager."
"Yes,
we argued, which was unlike Sharon. She never talked back to adults. I made
sure of that. But she became extremely angry. When she turned to leave the
room, she lashed out with her fist. Actually made a hole in the wall."
"Really?"
"And
broke her hand in the process. I told her that violence like that always hurts
the person who is angry."
"You
think it's better to suppress your anger?"
"Absolutely.
Once you calm down and think about what made you angry to begin with, it's
never as bad as you thought it was."
"I'm
surprised you haven't developed an ulcer, Mrs. Collins. Venting anger is a very
natural thing and considered to be quite healthy."
"Unless
you take that
or erratically?"
"Can't
think of nothing right now."
Harriett
stood up and extended her hand to Taggart again. "If you think of anything
else you think I should know, please feel free to contact me through the
offices here, Mr. Taggart."
As
Taggart left, Harriett jotted down a few quick notes before pressing the
intercom button and asking for the next relative, Sharon Taggart's mother,
Clarissa Parker Collins.
Clarissa
Collins was a walking advertisement for good breeding and the social graces.
She was impeccably dressed as she entered the conference room, standing tall
and erect, her posture straight enough to balance a book on her head.
"Mrs.
Collins," Harriett said as she greeted the woman who appeared to be in her
mid-sixties, "Harriett Markham. I've been asked by Winston and Dunne to
consider taking your daughter's case."
"Of
course. But if you don't think you'll take it, I don't know why I should be
talking to you."
"Right
now, I'm trying to get a clearer picture of Sharon as a person, and even though
I haven't officially notified the court that I will be her counsel, anything
you tell me will still remain confidential," Harriett explained.
Clarissa
Collins brushed off the seat of a chair with a handkerchief and perched herself
on the edge of the chair, crossing her thin legs at the ankles.
"I
don't know how I can assist you, Ms. Markham. I wasn't with Sharon on the night
in question."
"What
kind of person would you say Sharon is, Mrs. Collins?"
"She's
a nice enough girl, has always been very obedient."
"Never
rebellious, even as a teenager?"
"No,
never."
"Never
got mad or lost control of herself?"
"Once.
She was angry with me, as usual."
"Why
do you say as usual?"
"I
think Sharon resented me for encouraging her to be more social. She didn't
enjoy going out that much. It made her an excellent student, but she lacked the
social graces one can only acquire through interacting with others."
"She
didn't date much then?"
"I
can't remember more than once or twice, and they were both younger than she.
Hardly what I had expected."
"How
did you feel when she got married?"
Clarissa
leaned forward slightly and glanced around to make sure no one else was in the
room.
"I
had mixed feelings. On the one hand, I was relieved when she got married. On
the other hand, I wasn't particularly pleased with her choice. Frank doesn't
really fit in."
"Why
were you relieved?"
"It
may sound foolish, Ms. Markham, but when a woman remains single as long as
Sharon did and never goes out with men, people begin to talk, you know."
"You
thought Sharon was a lesbian?"
"It
crossed my mind, but thank God I was wrong. Are you married, Ms. Markham?"
Clarissa asked.
"No,"
Harriett smiled.
Clarissa
leaned away from her slightly. "I see."
"Probably
not," Harriett muttered under her breath. "Is there anything in
particular you dislike about Sharon's husband?"
"He's
not very bright, although he thinks he is. Sharon is exceptionally intelligent,
has a very high IQ, and I have never understood why she chose to throw it all
away on a man like Frank Taggart."
"Perhaps
it was a physical attraction."
"I
suppose it must have been something."
"You
mentioned that Sharon got mad and lost control once as a teenager."
"Yes,
we argued, which was unlike Sharon. She never talked back to adults. I made
sure of that. But she became extremely angry. When she turned to leave the
room, she lashed out with her fist. Actually made a hole in the wall."
"Really?"
"And
broke her hand in the process. I told her that violence like that always hurts
the person who is angry."
"You
think it's better to suppress your anger?"
"Absolutely.
Once you calm down and think about what made you angry to begin with, it's
never as bad as you thought it was."
"I'm
surprised you haven't developed an ulcer, Mrs. Collins. Venting anger is a very
natural thing and considered to be quite healthy."
"Unless
you take that
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