a new client I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Oh?” He turned to look at her. “You look worried.”
“Confused is more like it.”
“I’m listening.”
And Kate knew that, despite whatever was bothering him, Eddie was listening. He always did. “Randall referred a new client to me.”
“Frances Sloane?”
“How did you know?”
“He called me just before supper. He was concerned about you.”
“Oh, really?” Kate bent down to pat Alaska’s head so Eddie couldn’t see her face.
“He said you knew her. From a long time ago.”
Kate glanced away. “Yes.”
“It was good of you to see her, Kate.”
Kate threw him a glance. So Randall had obviously told him of her history with the Sloane family.
“I like her. I feel sorry for her. She’s dying. She asked to see me. How could I say no?” She gave a wry smile. “Besides, I thought it would be a one-time deal.”
“It isn’t?”
Kate exhaled. “No. Yes. Well, from a legal perspective, it’s over. But she asked me to help lobby an M.P. to change a law.” She was bound by solicitor-client privilege to not say more. But she wished she could have Eddie’s insight.
Eddie blew out a cloud of smoke, away from Kate. “And did you agree?”
“No.”
Eddie turned to look at her. “Why not?”
A flush heated Kate’s cheeks. “I’m not a lobbyist, Eddie. I have no desire to become one. I would be terrible at it, anyway.”
He said nothing.
“Besides, I’m not sure what I think about the whole thing.”
“You mean about helping someone kill herself?”
Kate bit the inside of her cheek. “I killed my sister, Eddie.”
He shot her an admonishing look. “Kate, it was an accident—”
“I’ve had enough of death and destruction.”
“But the philosophy behind assisted suicide is to allow people to die with dignity. Peacefully.” Light was fading fast. Eddie tapped the glowing ember on the end of his cigarette, the ashes reminding Kate of a dying star. “You’ve seen your share of violent deaths. Perhaps this an opportunity to change that.”
“Eddie, I don’t want to screw this up for Frances Sloane. This is too important. I don’t know the first thing about lobbying. She told me that she thinks I’ll be successful because I’m ‘famous,’ but I don’t think that’s true.” She watched the mist drape itself along a branch, the water globules suspended from its underside. Eventually they would crash to the ground or evaporate.
What would it be? Crash? Or fade away?
“Why don’t you think it’s true?” The question drifted through the twilight.
“I don’t think my fame will change people’s minds. And besides, I really don’t want to dredge that all up again. It was one of the worst periods of my life.” Kate clipped the leashes on the dogs. They lumbered to their feet. Alaska nosed Kate’s thigh. “Nietzsche sums it up pretty well— Battle not with monsters lest ye become a monster… .”
“So you think if you become an activist for assisted suicide you will become the Angel of Death?”
“Of course not.” Kate pushed a wisp of mist-curled hair off her face. “I agree in principle with assisted suicide. I just don’t want to be the one fighting the fight.”
Eddie pushed himself to his feet. He stood next to her, feet planted wide as if the wooden planks of the porch were a ship’s deck, gazing at the mist that shrouded Randall’s front garden. “I shouldn’t have pushed you. I was playing devil’s advocate. I obviously touched a nerve.” He gave her shoulders a squeeze. The cigarette came perilously close to her sleeve. “I don’t think you should do this. You’ve been through too much. You need time to heal.” His voice sank. “And…you need to forgive yourself.”
For what? Killing two people? Not saving someone else?
“Gotta run,” she said. “Thanks for dinner. It’s my turn next.”
He nodded. “I’m expecting you to use that new pasta maker.”
“First I’ve got to baptize my new roasting pan,” she
“Oh?” He turned to look at her. “You look worried.”
“Confused is more like it.”
“I’m listening.”
And Kate knew that, despite whatever was bothering him, Eddie was listening. He always did. “Randall referred a new client to me.”
“Frances Sloane?”
“How did you know?”
“He called me just before supper. He was concerned about you.”
“Oh, really?” Kate bent down to pat Alaska’s head so Eddie couldn’t see her face.
“He said you knew her. From a long time ago.”
Kate glanced away. “Yes.”
“It was good of you to see her, Kate.”
Kate threw him a glance. So Randall had obviously told him of her history with the Sloane family.
“I like her. I feel sorry for her. She’s dying. She asked to see me. How could I say no?” She gave a wry smile. “Besides, I thought it would be a one-time deal.”
“It isn’t?”
Kate exhaled. “No. Yes. Well, from a legal perspective, it’s over. But she asked me to help lobby an M.P. to change a law.” She was bound by solicitor-client privilege to not say more. But she wished she could have Eddie’s insight.
Eddie blew out a cloud of smoke, away from Kate. “And did you agree?”
“No.”
Eddie turned to look at her. “Why not?”
A flush heated Kate’s cheeks. “I’m not a lobbyist, Eddie. I have no desire to become one. I would be terrible at it, anyway.”
He said nothing.
“Besides, I’m not sure what I think about the whole thing.”
“You mean about helping someone kill herself?”
Kate bit the inside of her cheek. “I killed my sister, Eddie.”
He shot her an admonishing look. “Kate, it was an accident—”
“I’ve had enough of death and destruction.”
“But the philosophy behind assisted suicide is to allow people to die with dignity. Peacefully.” Light was fading fast. Eddie tapped the glowing ember on the end of his cigarette, the ashes reminding Kate of a dying star. “You’ve seen your share of violent deaths. Perhaps this an opportunity to change that.”
“Eddie, I don’t want to screw this up for Frances Sloane. This is too important. I don’t know the first thing about lobbying. She told me that she thinks I’ll be successful because I’m ‘famous,’ but I don’t think that’s true.” She watched the mist drape itself along a branch, the water globules suspended from its underside. Eventually they would crash to the ground or evaporate.
What would it be? Crash? Or fade away?
“Why don’t you think it’s true?” The question drifted through the twilight.
“I don’t think my fame will change people’s minds. And besides, I really don’t want to dredge that all up again. It was one of the worst periods of my life.” Kate clipped the leashes on the dogs. They lumbered to their feet. Alaska nosed Kate’s thigh. “Nietzsche sums it up pretty well— Battle not with monsters lest ye become a monster… .”
“So you think if you become an activist for assisted suicide you will become the Angel of Death?”
“Of course not.” Kate pushed a wisp of mist-curled hair off her face. “I agree in principle with assisted suicide. I just don’t want to be the one fighting the fight.”
Eddie pushed himself to his feet. He stood next to her, feet planted wide as if the wooden planks of the porch were a ship’s deck, gazing at the mist that shrouded Randall’s front garden. “I shouldn’t have pushed you. I was playing devil’s advocate. I obviously touched a nerve.” He gave her shoulders a squeeze. The cigarette came perilously close to her sleeve. “I don’t think you should do this. You’ve been through too much. You need time to heal.” His voice sank. “And…you need to forgive yourself.”
For what? Killing two people? Not saving someone else?
“Gotta run,” she said. “Thanks for dinner. It’s my turn next.”
He nodded. “I’m expecting you to use that new pasta maker.”
“First I’ve got to baptize my new roasting pan,” she
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