The Painting

#82 The Courthouse - An Teach Cuirte

Monroe's trial began a week later. I told Grace the day after and she moved the schedules around so that Lyle and I could travel to the city. Neither Lyle nor I was needed for testimony as we had no expertise in the fraudulent documents uncovered in Monroe's finances. Frankie, however, was needed to provide a statement to elaborate his work with the police.

We sat in the hall way of the courthouse while we waited. The court was closed to the public due to the media frenzy our video caused and they met in the judge's chambers.

The tap of my toe on the shined tiles could be heard throughout the building as we waited for Frankie to finish up. On either side of us the hallway took a sharp corner – presumably to more judges chambers and courtrooms. At the slightest sound of footsteps my eyes bounced back and forth as if I were watching a tennis match. The thought of Monroe suddenly appearing from behind the corner terrified me.

Would he be here today? If he was, surely he'd be in handcuffs. He had already confessed to much of the fraud charges. I tried to picture him in an orange jumpsuit.

The door to the judge's chambers opened and I shook the thought out of my head.

"I'm starved," Was the first thing out of Frankie's mouth as he gave a friendly wave to the room he left.

Lyle rolled her eyes and once we got a few feet away Frankie spoke again. "This place gives me the heebie jeebies." He said.

I nodded. Maybe it was the lack of windows in the structure but I felt closed off from the outside world. I was anxious to return to the fresh air and as we marched down the court house steps I unbuttoned my sport jacket so I could take a deep breath.

Twenty seven minutes we'd been in the courthouse and not one sight of Monroe.

I wondered if I'd ever see him in person again. As we took the last few steps I allowed myself to imagine my mother's case. Surely I would testify then. I would have to look him in the eye – and maybe that is what felt so uneasy in the courthouse. I was here for the wrong reason.

All this time I imagined being the one to put the final period on this chapter of my life. But here I was with the pen taken from my hands, being used for something off to the side from the path I carved.

I was happy that Monroe was going away – but it was it enough?

Frankie, Lyle, and I met Beth and Ivy for lunch in a small café on the corner a block South of the courthouse. The women greeted us each with exuberance and I noticed them prolonging our hugs for a few extra seconds.

"How are things in paradise?" Beth winked as she pulled out a seat for her partner. Her long hair was in a neat bun at the back of her head and the gold earrings that hung from her lobes brought out the flecks of gold in her irises.

"Just peachy." Lyle grinned sharing her adopted mother's sarcasm.

Frankie laughed and patted Lyle on the back before folding his long torso into a chair.

Ivy rolled her eyes and reached across the table to take my hands in hers. "May, dear I am sure Lyle has already told you, but I wanted to again let you know that we do not blame you for any of this."

It was Beth's turn to roll her eyes in teasing exhaust. "Jesus, let the girl move on." She said then shot me a kind wink.

"Hey!" Ivy slapped Beth's arm. "I just wanted to get the unpleasantness out of the way and make sure she knows we love her." She turned back to me. "Beth and I love you very much." She squeezed my hand and I squeezed back unable to think of anything to say without bursting into a blubbering mess.

"Aye, and what about me?" Lyle interjected.

"Chop liver." Beth grunted and received another slap from Ivy.

Lyle and I chuckled at the two as they picked up their menus and began bickering about which salad and sandwich combo to split.

We left the café three hours later with promises to visit again sometime this month. During lunch Beth and Ivy had explained that after the police finished taking crime scene photos and dusting for fingerprints they put the home on the market and had already found a buyer. Ivy and Beth were in the middle of negotiations and trying to decide whether or not to disclose the break in. Beth thought it was immaterial since the house was not the instigator, but Ivy thought it was best to disclose to create a clear conscious and good karma for their next home.

Frankie sided with Beth and told them he'd be happy to recommend a good exorcist if they wanted to truly get all the "bad juju" out.

Lyle and I decided not to get involved and switched the subject to filling them in on the latest gossip at the B&B and new photos from our hiking trips. 

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