Read Online Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo - Free Book Online Page B

kept his mouth shut, and after they waited all morning, the hearing had taken no more than five minutes. “I don’t want to see this claim again,” the judge told Wirf. “Your client’s got partial disability, and the cost of his retraining is covered. That’s all he’s entitled to. How many times are we going to go through this?”
    â€œIn our view, the condition of my client’s knee is deteriorating—” Wirf began.
    â€œWe know your view, Mr. Wirfly,” the judge said, holding up his hand like a traffic cop. “How’s school going, Mr. Sullivan?”
    â€œGreat,” Sully said. “Terrific, in fact. The classes I needed were full, so I’m taking philosophy. The hundred bucks I spent on textbooks in September I haven’t been reimbursed for yet. They don’t like to pay for my pain pills either.”
    The judge took all this in and processed it quickly. “Register early next term,” he advised. “Don’t blame other people for the way things are. Keep that up and you’ll end up a lawyer like Mr. Wirfly here. Then where will you be?”
    Where indeed? Sully had wondered. In truth, he wouldn’t trade places with Wirf.
    â€œSo, arc you going to keep after them?” Cass wanted to know.
    Sully stood up, tested his knee with some weight, rocked on it. “Wirf wants to.”
    â€œWhat do you want?”
    Sully thought about it. “A night’s sleep’d be good.”
    When he started for the door, Cass motioned him back with a secretive index finger and they moved farther down the counter. “Why don’t you come to work here at the restaurant?” she said, her voice lowered.
    â€œI don’t think so,” Sully said. “Thanks, though.”
    â€œWhy not?” she insisted. “It’s warm and safe and you’re in here half the time anyway.”
    This was true, and even though Sully had half a dozen reasons for not wanting to work at Hattie’s, he wasn’t sure any of them would make sense to Cass. For one thing, if he worked at Hattie’s he wouldn’t be able to wander in off the street when he felt like it because he’d already be there. And he much preferred the side of the counter he was on to the side Cass was on. “You don’t need me, for one thing,” he pointed out.
    â€œRoof’s talking about moving back to North Carolina,” she said without looking at the cook, who had taken a stool around the other side of the counter to enjoy the lull and was studying them.
    â€œAnd has been for twenty years,” Sully reminded her.
    â€œI think he means it.”
    â€œHe’s meant it all along. Half the town’s been meaning to leave. They don’t, though, most of them.”
    â€œI know one person who’s going to,” Cass said, and she sounded like she meant it. “The day after the funeral.”
    They both glanced at old Hattie, who was leaning forward intently and grinning, as if she were in an arm-wrestling match with Death himself, an opponent she was confident of whipping. “Maybe the day before.”
    Something of the desperation in her voice got through to Sully, who said, “Listen. You want to get out some night, let me know. I’ll baby-sit.”
    Cass smiled dubiously. “And where would I go?”
    Sully shrugged. “How the hell should I know? A movie? I can’t figure out everything for you.”
    Cass smiled, didn’t say anything immediately. “I should take you up on it. Just to find out what you’d do when she wet her pants and asked you to change her.”
    Sully tried to suppress a shudder and failed.
    â€œRight.” Cass nodded knowingly.
    â€œI better go shovel my landlady out,” he said. “How’d this town get so full of old women, is what I’d like to know.”
    â€œWe’re closed tomorrow, remember.”
    â€œHow come?” Sully