Page 89 of On the Land, We Shoot Straight
It was his turn to laugh.
“Have you got a lawyer yet?” she asked.
“Just send me the papers and I’ll sign ’em. This ain’t about that.”
She sighed. “Get a lawyer.” Then she switched to her lawyer voice, sharp and serious. “What can I do for you, then?”
“It’s about Cole.”
“Your hand?”
Grady nodded. “Yeah.”
“You got him back, then,” she said. She sounded far away, like she’d spun her office chair to face the floor-to-ceiling windows and look out at the city, at the river.
“I got him back. But I reckon some people done wrong by him, and I wanna know where we stand on that.”
She blew out a breath. “I think I take your meaning. When?”
“Been goin’ on a few years, I reckon.”
“And he’d barely be legal now.” She breathed out long and slow. “I thought something was up. Shit, I shouldn’t have said—”
“Never mind that now. I need the lawyer, not the woman.”
“Always such a sweet talker, huh? How did we ever get married?”
“You know it. Now, lawyerin’, what’re we lookin’ at?”
“Well, he was underage, so minimum its statutory, and then if you got non-consent, it’s rape. But I’m assuming there’s no physical evidence? Of course not, years.” She blew out another breath. “Then it’s his word against the man who did it.”
“Men.”
“Jesus. Yes, men.”
“He ain’t gonna talk.”
She sighed, and her tone was gentle. “Then you ain’t got a case.”
“Fuck.” Grady slumped back against the wall. “I wanna, shit. I wanna fuckin’ end them.”
She was oddly silent on the other end, and Grady pulled it together.
“Thanks for the advice,” he said.
“You’re welcome.” She paused, and he let the silence fall between them. “Are you in love with him?”
Grady dragged a hand down his face and nodded. “I reckon.”
She exhaled but didn’t say anything.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
She laughed, but there was a sadness in it. “It’s okay. I mean, it’s not, but you know.”
He imagined her waving her hand, rocking side to side in her chair and shoving the tears that’d sprung in her eyes deep down.
“I don’t know what happened,” he said.
