Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
“The fictional character equals a real person argument is hard to win in court,” Dee Flanders, Mudville’s resident lawyer, began. “But in the case of your books, Harper, the character you wrote is obviously Doug.”
“How is that obvious? My fictional Dougal Payne is not Doug Pompinou. He has a completely different name,” Harper protested.
“And the same job, personality and habits,” Dee added.
“Dee is right, sweetie,” Agnes said gently to her great niece. “Everyone in town recognized that character is him immediately.”
Harper scowled. “That’s ridiculous.”
As soon as Jules had arrived to watch the shop for Natalie, they’d all met in Dee’s office—Harper along with her great aunt Agnes and Natalie for support.
“You made him a real estate agent, Harper,” Dee said.
“Lots of people are real estate agents.”
“You had him complain about zoning laws,” Agnes said.
“Every town in America has zoning laws.”
“You also gave him high blood pressure,” Natalie added remembering when she and Harper sat together at a village meeting behind Doug and had to listen to him complain about his ailment.
Harper paused. “Okay, that one detail might be seen as… specific.”
“But it also proves he was already not a healthy man,” Natalie said, hoping that detail would help prove Harper innocent.
“Which means any undue exertion or stress inflicted upon him, such as an argument, could affect him more than a healthy man,” Dee pointed out.
One point for the plaintiff.
Damn. Things weren’t looking good for Harper in this lawsuit.
Two-million dollars. Holy crap. Natalie couldn’t even imagine owning that much, never mind losing that amount in a lawsuit... on top of legal fees.
The office was so quiet they could hear the ticking of the antique clock on the wall as the three on the client side of the desk, defeated, slumped silently in the leather chairs. Dee, opposite them, looked on with empathy.
Finally, Natalie asked the question that must be on all their minds. “What now?” She glanced around. “We can’t let Doug win.”
Dee frowned. “He can’t win. He’s dead.”
Natalie knew better than most that dead didn’t necessarily mean gone. “You know what I mean. Harper can’t lose. It’s not fair. She did nothing wrong.”
Dee tipped her head to the side. “She did write the books in question.”
Agnes drew back. “Deloris Amelie Flanders, whose side are you on, anyway? We’ve known each other since grade school and we’ve just handed over a hefty retainer for you to represent Harper.”
“Agnes, I’m on yours and Harper’s side, of course. But it’s my job to play devil’s advocate. I have to raise any objection the opposition could. You know that.”
Harper shook her head. “Dee’s right. I wrote those books knowing exactly what I was doing at the time. I sowed those seeds. Now those chickens have come home to roost.”
In spite of the mixed metaphors, Harper seemed to be deep into an epiphany. A come-to-Jesus moment of self-reflection and remorse.
Harper continued, “You saw the glares I got from the people we passed on the way here, Aunt Agnes. They hate me and I deserve it.”
Her defeat just raised Natalie’s hackles further. “Late night comedians joke about real people all the time. And they get away with it. They don’t even change the names to protect the real people like Harper did. Why are her books any different? It’s artistic license. Parody. Hyperbole.”
“Ooo, look at you, pulling out the SAT words,” Gabe commented after walking through the closed door.
She scowled at him before turning back to Dee.
Dee bobbed her head. “We can try that defense. However your example is flawed. Those comedians are mocking public figures. Their defense is that by putting themselves in the public eye, public figures willingly open themselves to parody. Honestly it all comes down to the jury.”
Harper let out a sniff. “Then I’m sunk. You can all come visit me in jail, or debtor’s prison, because any jury made up of people from this town is going to want to hang me.” Her shoulders drooped impossibly lower. “And I deserve it.”
Natalie shook her head. “No. Harper, you are not giving up. And you are not going to blame yourself. Sure, you were a bit snarky about almost everyone in this town. Did they deserve it? In many cases, yes. Yes, they did. And they deserved to be called out for their bad behavior. Were you a little too on the nose in some cases? Yes, but that doesn’t mean it should ruin your life.
There was no malice. No ill intent. You don’t write what you do to cause harm to any of them. Do you?”
“No. Of course not. I write about them because I have to do something to get all my feelings out or I’d have an ulcer. Writing’s cheaper than therapy.”
“Then I think we have the core of our defense,” Dee said, finally smiling.
Even Harper looked a bit more hopeful.
“All right then. This was a productive meeting.” Agnes stood. “Dee, I’ll see you at mahjong this afternoon?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
With that, the meeting broke up. Harper went home with Agnes. Natalie continued on to the shop, accompanied by Gabe.
When they were alone, she said, “I’m glad you popped in. I have to call a meeting of the ghost council.”
“About the neighborhood watch?” Gabe asked cockily.
She frowned. Gabe wasn’t there during her discussion with Liam this morning. “How do you know? Were you in my apartment?”
“No, Nat. I wasn’t. You really have become paranoid lately, you know that?
Anyway, you texted the LADS group chat about wanting to discuss setting up a neighborhood watch.
You think we ghosts don’t check the texts of any living we’re near?
It’s like one of the few truly good entertainments we’ve got left in the afterlife.
You should see some of the things we’ve seen.
Though actually, some of the things I’d like to unsee. ” Gabe gave a little shiver.
“Anyway,” he continued. “The council has already coordinated a ghost watch. The first shift is on duty now. We’ve got your shop and Liam’s lab covered twenty-four/seven.
And when Millie or I aren’t with Harper, there will be a team assigned to her as well.
Oh, and we’ve got a watch on Mrs. Doug. Just to keep tabs on what she’s up too.
Can’t hurt to do a little recon. Especially in light of the lawsuit.
That shit is just crazy. Millie nearly fell over when she heard the settlement was two mill.
Do you know how much that was back in the nineteen-twenties? A lot.”
Natalie let out a sigh. “Thank you.”
Gabe frowned. “For what?”
“For having my back. And Harper’s. For believing me and not thinking I’m crazy for hearing things. For being more efficient and organized than the livings sometimes. For spending your time and energy to help us, without complaint. Just…for everything.”
Gabe smiled. “You know I’ve always got your back.”
Tears threatening to fill her eyes, she swallowed and nodded. “I know.”
“But as for us ghosts being more organized than the livings… You might want to rethink that.” Gabe tipped his chin back toward Main Street.
Natalie turned to see what he was referring to… and got an eyeful. “What in the world?”
“Alice already coordinated a watch schedule with the LADS… and her gang,” Gabe said with a laugh in his tone.
“Don’t worry, Nat! The B-Listers are on it!” Alice shouted from aboard her trike.
It was quite a sight.
“So see? We’re good. We got it, Nat. You can go back to work and stop stressing so much. The students have become the master.”
“Or the inmates are running the asylum,” she mumbled as she watched the electric bike brigade speed by at at least a solid ten miles an hour.
But she’d take all the help she could get.
Whatever it took to save Harper.