Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
It had to be just around lunchtime when the shop door swung open and Harper walked in.
Natalie rushed forward to meet her. “I’ve been texting you. Gabe and Millie never got back to me with an update. I was worried the sheriff actually arrested you for running Margaret Trout off the road.”
“I wasn’t arrested and I did not run her off the road.” Harper sighed, making her way back toward the meeting room where she plopped down in a cushioned chair, looking exhausted.
“What took so long,” Harper began, “was proving it. We had to get the manager from the gas station to let us review their security camera footage which showed Margaret swerved off the road and ran into the phone pole all on her own. Long after I’d already cut down Bridge Street to the Post Office.”
“Thank goodness for that footage.”
“Exactly, because all the ‘eyewitnesses’ who supposedly ‘saw’ the incident were lying. Saying she swerved because I yelled at her.” Harper wrapped up her air-quote laden rant with, “I told you. This town hates me.”
“No—”
Harper’s raised brow stopped Natalie’s protest.
“Okay, then we’re just going to have to clear your name regarding the Doug thing. And I had an idea how to do it.”
“Oh really? Do tell, because I’m out of ideas.”
Natalie moved to sit in the chair opposite Harper’s. “So Doug’s body is currently at the county coroner’s office in Morris, but when it’s returned here to Mudville for burial, what if it comes with his ghost? Then he can tell everyone you had nothing to do with his death.”
“I love you for trying, but I don’t see how any of that will help. First, he might not even be a ghost. Not everyone who dies hangs around, right? If they did we’d have wall-to-wall ghosts in this town. We don’t, do we?” Harper asked, looking horrified.
“We don’t. You are correct. From what I can see most spirits move on, but I can totally see Doug not. Can’t you just picture him not taking the door, or staircase or light or whatever brings them to heaven, just so he can hang around and be a pain?”
Harper tipped her head. “Actually, yes. I can. But to your point, what if he doesn’t tell the truth either? And even if he did, who would believe you? No one else can hear him. Only you and you’re my friend. You could make it all up.”
“Gabe and Millie could hear him and they could tell everyone. They have no reason to lie… except they live in your house and you pay for their cable TV hookup, but I don’t think anyone else knows that.”
Natalie took in the worry marring her friend’s usually happy continence.
“It could work,” she prompted Harper.
Harper raised her gaze to Natalie. “I’m afraid to even hope.”
“Never be afraid to hope. We’ll figure it out. I promise. You’re not alone.”
The tiniest smile twitched up Harper’s lips. “All right. Thank you. And you’re right. Who knows? Maybe the ghost of Doug will turn out to be a good guy and save the day. Stranger things have happened.”
Natalie snorted. “You can say that again.”
The front door opened, sending the bell tinkling.
“Customers,” Harper announced. “Let me get out of your way. And go home and shower. I didn’t get a chance this morning with having to get that package into the morning mail and then the sheriff hauling me away and all.”
“And that all worked out in the end. Right?”
“Yes, Suzy Sunshine. It did.”
A stranger stood by the counter as Natalie walked ahead of her through the door between the meeting room and the shop.
“Hi, can I help you?” she asked.
“Are you Harper Lowinsky?”
Frowning, she said, “No. She’s Harper.”
The man turned to Harper. “Harper Lowinsky, aka Harper Lowry?”
She swallowed hard. “Y-yes.”
He reached into his messenger bag and withdrew a large manila envelope which he thrust into her hands. “You’ve been served.”
Harper stared at the envelope for so long, the process server was already outside by the time she glanced up and said, “I’m afraid to look.”
“Want me to look?” Natalie offered.
Harper held out the envelope, her hand trembling enough Natalie could see it shake.
Legalese wasn’t Natalie’s forte but she skimmed the document and managed to catch the drift. And it wasn’t good.
“So it looks like the Plaintiff, Mrs. Douglas Pompinou, is suing you.”
“For what?” Harper demanded.
Natalie’s gaze moved down the page to read some pretty frightening phrases.
COUNT I – WRONGFUL DEATH
COUNT II – DEFAMATION (LIBEL)
COUNT III – INVASION OF PRIVACY / RIGHT OF PUBLICITY
COUNT IV – INTENTIONAL INFLICTION OF EMOTIONAL DISTRESS
Then her eye traveled to the dollar amount and she almost choked. There were so many zeroes she had to check it twice to make sure she’d gotten it right. But no matter how many times it came out the same.
Plaintiff seeks damages in the amount of $2,000,000…
She couldn’t do it. Couldn’t be the one to deliver this life altering news to her best friend.
Natalie handed the paper over to Harper. And as she watched, the expression on her friend’s face darkened as she read each devastating line.
Finally, Harper’s eyes popped wide. “Two million dollars?”
Natalie drew in a breath, feeling how tight her chest was. She could only imagine how Harper felt. How was she even remaining upright?
One thing was clear, to Natalie if not Harper, who couldn’t possibly be thinking clearly at this moment. “Harp, we talked about it, but now it’s time to actually call a lawyer.”
Hell, the local pastor wouldn’t be a bad idea either, because if there was ever a time for prayers, this was it.