Read Online Fatal February by Barbara Levenson - Free Book Online

Is your mother there? How could you upset her like that? She drove out of here like a maniac. Did she get there?”
    “Yes, Dad, she’s here. Why didn’t you drive her, if you were so worried?”
    “You know I can’t miss the men’s morning golf at the club.”
    My parents sold the family house on Miami Beach when Dad sold the Katz Kosher Foods business. They shocked the whole family by moving to a gated development in Boynton Beach, two counties away. Dad’s new occupation since retirement is golf. My brothersand I know if there is a family emergency, it must take place in the evenings when the golf course is closed.
    “Mary, what are you trying to do? Break your mother’s heart? You couldn’t tell her that you broke up with Frank?”
    I was holding the phone away from my ear to protect my eardrum. Mother grabbed the receiver.
    “Abe, stop screaming. I’m okay. I’ll handle this.” She hung up the phone.
    “Listen, Mother, I’m very sorry,” I said. “Everything happened so fast. Frank just wasn’t the person for me. I met Carlos and I realized Frank was a mistake. Carlos helped me get this great office, and then I had to get all my clients moved to my new practice, and I’ve got that big murder case that you saw in the paper, and then Frank sued me, but that case has been dismissed — well, you can see I haven’t had a minute.”
    “Carlos? Carlos who?”
    “He’s my new boyfriend. I’m sorry you’re disappointed about Franklin.”
    “You’re wrong. I’m not disappointed about Franklin. I never liked him. He’s so stuffy. When can we meet Carlos?”
    “Soon, I guess.” I was stupefied. “You didn’t like Frank, and you never said anything?”
    “All I want for you is to see you settled down with a nice home and children. Your clock is ticking. Before you know it, your reproductive years will just be a memory.
    “Now let me buy you a nice lunch and you can tell me all about Carlos. And why don’t you do something about your hair?”
    The morning was gone. I hadn’t caught up on any work. I grabbed my purse and followed Mother out the door like a good little girl.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN
     
    The next day was Lillian’s official arraignment. I had prepared several motions, as well. I called the condo, and was pleasantly surprised to hear Lillian answer. I reminded her that we needed to be in court promptly at nine o’clock. Her community control officer had also phoned to remind her.
    “I’m doing better, Mary. The doctor has me on some tranquilizers. It’ll be good to get out of these four walls even though it’s a trip to court. The officer said she’d meet us there.”
    “Shall I pick you up?”
    “No, Sherry and Brett will be coming with me.”
    “I have to prepare you. The media will be covering this. There will be reporters and TV cameras outside. The judge may keep them out of the courtroom, but you’ll still have to pass through them at the entrance. It will be easier if I pick you up. I can drive you into the underground garage and you can take an elevator up from there and avoid the reporters.”
    “Okay, Mary, we’ll be waiting in front of our building whenever you say.”
    The morning was one of the reasons snowbirds flock to Miami in winter. The sun rose early and by the time I picked up the Yarmouth clan, there was a rosy glow over Miami Beach. The sky and the water meshed into a turquoise blanket. Even the causeway traffic seemed subdued.
    The contrast between Miami Beach and the Civic Center was never more evident. Cars crawled past the criminal courthouse searching out parking. Two large vans from the outlying jails were trying to plow through the traffic, their windows blacked out and barred as if they contained zoo animals. Nervous families dashed across the street in front of the courthouse, ignoring the cars and vans, concentrating on arriving in the correct courtroom to support their defendant relatives.
    “I’m glad you picked us up,” Sherry said. “I