Abediah Thornton

Chapter 22 - Saturday

It was dark outside when Abediah saw some car lights approaching up the drive. She was sitting in the nook reading her book. There had been a beautiful sunset and she'd wished for a better camera to capture it. She placed her bookmark in the book and rose. She picked up her cup and, sliding her feet back into her slippers, headed towards the kitchen. She filled the kettle and set it to boil and reached for the cookie jar. It would need filling again soon.

There was a knock on the door. Abediah was surprised to see Charlie standing on the doorstep when she opened the door. The light shone on her pretty face, but she looked tired in the porchlight. 'Come on in,' she said, motioning for the young woman to enter. 

'I'm sorry to bother you so late. I thought we needed to have a chat about a few things.'

'No Rose?' asked Abediah, looking out of the door towards the dark car in the drive.

'Not tonight, her father is at home with her. I thought it would be easier for us to chat alone.'

'I see. Would you like a drink?'

'Have you got any tea?' asked Charlie. 'Probably, somewhere...' said Abediah, her voice tailing off as she lifted onto her tiptoes to peer into the back of the cupboard. 

Soon both women were sitting again across the table from each other, drinks in hand. Abediah had Winnie's business card prepared in her back pocket. 'So, Charlie, what did you want to talk about?' Her voice was tight, she felt worried about what might come next.

Charlie took a sip of her tea and then positioning it between her two hands stared down into it as if looking for the answers. 'Goodman keeps calling me,' she hesitated. 'I wondered if he was working for you?'

Abediah raised her eyebrows in surprise, this question rather suggested that Goodman wasn't working for Charlie, which was good news.'He isn't working for you?' she asked.

Charlie looked physically revolted. 'God no!' she exclaimed.

'Oh,' started Abediah, 'I assumed he was working for you. He isn't working for me.'

'Good,' said Charlie, she looked up and met Abediah's gaze, 'do you have a lawyer?'

'Yes, her name is Winnie, she works in town here.' She leaned forward and retrieved the card from her back pocket. Charlie took the offered card and looked at it carefully. She nodded. 

'Holtby & Cope, good. They're the only ones around here who would go up against him I think.'

'Have you heard of them?'

'Of course, they're a small team but they have caused a bit of a ruckus in the state.'

'What do you mean?' asked Abediah. 

'Well, they almost always work for women. They will do cases pro-bono if their clients don't have the money, but Holtby and Cope believe they have a case. They've been going up against some big old names across the county. And they win. They usually win.' This last was said with a wry smile.

'It sounds like you know them well,' said Abediah, but it was more of a question.

'Ah, sorry, I don't think I said before. I work as a paralegal in the city. Dad helped me get through college, but with Rose it's easier than being a high powered lawyer. Most firms expect you to put a lot of hours in. Doing paralegal work gives me more freedom.

'Anyway, several of the firms I've worked for have gone up against Holtby & Cope. They sometimes try putting women up against them, the problem is they always insist that everyone does things the way the old partners want it done, too many old boys. Holtby & Cope are small enough to do things the way they want to. They're changing people's ideas of what lawyers look like and how they do things. The old guard don't like that at all. It's about time though!' 

Abediah was glad that her lawyers had made a name for themselves. It seemed like a reputation she could be proud of. Although it seemed strange she was hearing this from the person she had expected would be going against her. 

Charlie spoke again, 'if I need a lawyer I'll be going with my firm in the city. I trust them, I know how they work and what their ethics are like. Goodman may have been Dad's friend, and for sure he's a good lawyer, but he's a snake. I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him.' She smiled, 'and with that belly, nobody could throw him very far!'

'He told me to sell the farm,' said Abediah quietly. It was Charlie's turn to raise her eyebrows.

'What?'

'I thought he was working for you. He said it was what Frank would have wanted, to support you.'

Charlie shook her head, 'see what I mean, a snake!' She paused to crunch on a cookie. 'I don't know what he's after,' said Charlie, 'but I can promise you, he is not now, nor will he ever be, working for me.'

'Ok, me too,' confirmed Abediah with a nod. They sat in silence for a while. Charlie spoke first. 

'It's weird though, don't you think? Dad's gone. Why does Goodman still care about the farm?'

'No idea,' Abediah said. 

'Ok, well, I don't want your farm. It's nice and all, but I'm a paralegal, my husband is a Software Engineer, we wouldn't have a clue what to do with cows!' She shook her head again with a smile. 

Abediah sighed in relief. She was surprised. All the anger that Charlie had brought the first time they'd met seemed to have vanished. Abediah realised that she was still waiting for the other shoe to drop. She didn't know what to expect out of this unusual relationship. But it seemed it wasn't over yet. 'Charlie?'

'Yes?'

'I wonder if you might help me with some of your father's things. I don't really know what to do with them. Some, obviously belong to you, others... I wondered if you might want to save some things for you and Rose to remember him by?' Abediah was trailing a finger across the scratches and gouges on the table that showed a lifetime of hard work. 

'Mrs Thornton, I would be happy to help,' Charlie sounded relieved. Abediah wondered whether this might have been the real reason for her visit. 

'Call me Abediah,' she said. 'First, come upstairs, there are some letters I think you need to take with you. Grab that box will you?' She asked, pointing to a cardboard box waiting at the bottom of the stairs. The two women made their way up towards Frank's bedroom.