LITMIR.BIZ

       Nine

      Olivia Lockhart-Griffin wondered if job shadowing was such a good idea. The high-school guidance office had contacted her a couple of weeks earlier to make the arrangements, and in a moment of weakness she’d agreed. The high-school girl sitting in front of her looked terribly young, but her eyes glowed with sincerity and keen interest. Olivia had believed in the justice system as a girl of that age, and she did now. The difference was that years of experience had shown her its weaknesses as well as its strengths.

      “So you’d like to be an attorney?” Olivia glanced down at the girl’s name on the sheet of paper. “Allison?” she added. Allison Cox. Cox. That name sounded vaguely familiar.

      “Yes, Judge, I would,” Allison said, her back straight.

      “Any particular reason?” Olivia asked.

      The girl nervously flipped a strand of dark hair over her ear. “I’m hoping to learn how to use the law to help someone who doesn’t have a lot of options.”

      Olivia nodded. It sounded as if the girl had a personal agenda; however, there wasn’t time to delve into that now. She needed to get to court. “I’ll be spending the morning in court, listening to a variety of cases. You can sit in the jury box near the court reporter. We’ll take a short break midmorning, and then stop for lunch around noon. I have a luncheon engagement with my mother. You’re welcome to join us if you’d like, and then we’ll return to court about one-thirty.” She smiled at the girl, who nodded. “Depending on the cases, I generally stop for the day at four. I stay a bit longer to read case files for the next day, but you’ll be free to go then.”

      Allison made a notation on a yellow pad. “Thank you for giving me this opportunity.”

      “You’re welcome. Is there anything you’d like to ask me before we head into the courtroom?”

      The girl offered her a tentative smile. “I…I asked the guidance counselor if I could be assigned to you specifically. You might not remember this, but about three years ago my parents were in your court. They were getting a divorce.”

      That was why the name seemed familiar. Olivia did recall the couple and their situation.

      “Mom and Dad had decided on joint custody of my brother and me. You said you didn’t like Eddie and me moving between houses every few days, so you gave us the house and had Mom and Dad move in and out.”

      Olivia smiled. “I remember. But professional ethics prevents me from discussing any case if there’s a possibility the parties might come before me again.”

      Allison nodded. “They remarried, you know.”

      Olivia didn’t, and was pleased to hear it. “That’s wonderful.” Checking her watch, she stood and reached for her black robe. Pulling it on, she left her chambers. Allison followed and she introduced the girl to the court reporter, who escorted her to a seat near the bench.

      The court cases on that morning’s schedule probably opened Allison’s eyes wider than anything she’d read or seen on television. The child custody cases always tore at Olivia’s heart. The state’s position was to leave the child with the primary residential parent, in most cases the mother, if at all possible, as long as the child’s welfare wasn’t in jeopardy. More times than she cared to admit, Olivia wanted to shake these young parents and ask them to take a hard look at what they were doing to themselves and their children. Too often, their minds were addled by drugs or alcohol. Sadly, she doubted anything she said would sink in. Of course she dealt with other cases, too, but these were the ones that stood out most prominently.

      Olivia noticed Allison taking copious notes and could only imagine what the high-school senior must be thinking, looking at the ravaged lives of those who stood before her.

      Shortly after court went into session, Charlotte Jefferson Rhodes slipped onto a bench at the back of the courtroom. Within about a minute, she’d taken out her knitting. Olivia smiled. Charlotte was an inveterate knitter. More than that, she was exceptional in every way, and Olivia’s admiration for her continued to grow.

      Case in point, her mother and friends were responsible for the new medical clinic in town. It’d taken a senior citizens’ demonstration and an arrest to get the council to respond. Word of Charlotte’s arrest had spread faster than chicken pox through their small community. Not long afterward, the council had made some major concessions that allowed the establishment of a medical facility in town.

      The irony of it was that this same medical center had saved Jack’s life. Olivia’s husband had suffered a heart attack the year before, and the EMTs had told her that if they’d had to drive him all the way to Bremerton, Jack wouldn’t have survived.

      At the time of the demonstration, Olivia had been embarrassed by her mother. Now she’d be forever grateful that there was a medical clinic in Cedar Cove, and it was mostly due to Charlotte, her second husband, Ben, and their friends.

      Olivia was accustomed to seeing her mother in court, although she didn’t come by as often as she used to. Since Ben Rhodes had entered her life, Charlotte had better things to do than sit and listen to Olivia.

      At noon, the court broke for lunch. Allison and Charlotte met Olivia in her chambers, and Olivia made the introductions.

      “Would you care to join us?” Olivia asked the teenager. She didn’t expect the girl to accept, and she was right. They agreed to meet again at one-thirty.

      “What a lovely young lady,” Charlotte commented after Allison had excused herself.

      “She is,” Olivia agreed. “Where would you like to have lunch?” Her favorite place had always been The Lighthouse. Olivia missed it even more than she would’ve thought.

      “How about the Wok and Roll,” Charlotte said. “Grace tells me Maryellen likes their chicken hot sauce noodles, and I have a hankering to try that.”

      “Sounds good to me.” Olivia was just grateful her mother didn’t suggest The Taco Shack, which happened to be Jack’s favorite. She’d had about all the tacos and enchiladas she could stand for a while.

      “Speaking of Grace, have you seen her lately?” Charlotte asked as they walked through the courthouse and to the parking lot behind.

      “She’s so busy, we haven’t talked all week. She’s had to temporarily give up her Wednesday night aerobics class.”

      “My goodness, you two have been going to that class for years,” Charlotte exclaimed. “What’s happening? Is Cliff keeping her all to himself?”

      “No.” Using her remote, Olivia unlocked the car doors and opened the passenger side for her mother. “Nothing like that. She’s helping Jon and Maryellen as much as she can. Kelly’s pregnant, too, you know.” Olivia slid into the driver’s seat. “Grace rented out the house on Rosewood Lane and you won’t believe who her tenants are. The Randalls! Do you remember them?” At her mother’s blank expression, Olivia elaborated. “You were in court the day I denied their divorce. A young navy couple. Apparently they have a baby now and were looking for a house to rent and Grace met them. She remembered the case. Then, while she was talking to Mrs. Randall, my name came up. That’s when Grace learned this was the very same couple. It’s a small world,

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