Just then, Marge came walking in through the sliding glass door, carrying the little girl on her arm. When she saw how perturbed we all looked, she gave us a look of concern. “What’s wrong?”
“There’s a man staying here who’s wanted by some very bad people,” said Dooley tearfully. “And when they find out that he’s here, they’re going to shoot him, like they did earlier, and we have to catch a lot of bullets for him and then they’re going to slice all of our throats!”
Marge turned to Chase, who was checking something on his phone. “Is this true?” she asked.
The cop turned to her. “Hm?”
“The cats are saying that a man is staying here who was shot at, and the men who did it will come looking for him.”
“They won’t,” said Chase. “Since they have no way of knowing he’s staying with us. So we’re all perfectly safe. As long as nobody blabs about Rogelio.”
“Is that his name?” asked Marge.
Chase nodded. “Rogelio Hartshorn. He’s upstairs with Odelia. She’s showing him his room.” He took Grace from Marge’s arms. “And how was your day, princess?” he asked as he lifted the girl up into the air. She squealed with delight.
“I had a great day!” she said. “I got to hold a frog. He was cold and slimy, and I loved it!”
“You got to hold a real frog in your hands?” asked Brutus.
“I did! He was hopping around in the backyard of the daycare center, and Chantal said only one of us could hold him, and only for a few moments, so we wouldn’t scare him. And she picked me, and I got to hold him!” She held out her hands, which looked a little grimy. “See? I haven’t washed my hands yet!”
She then rubbed her hands in her daddy’s hair, and we all winced. Chase didn’t mind, though. Also, he didn’t know that now he would be smelling of frog until he took a shower.
Odelia returned with Rogelio in tow and introduced the man to her mom. She also impressed upon the librarian that she couldn’t breathe a word to anyone about the presence of the lawyer in our home.
“I’m so sorry to hear they shot at you,” said Marge. “Any idea who is responsible?”
“No idea,” said the man. “Though I have a lot of important clients, so any one of them could be behind it, though I fail to see the reason why.” He directed a look at Chase, who must have suggested this theory.
“Like I said, inheritances are tricky business,” said the cop. “When there’s a lot of money involved, or even a little bit of money, people do strange things. And since you seem to be in the middle of things, I suggest the reason for the attack can be found in an inheritance matter.”
“I’ll go through my files again,” said the man. “But I really can’t think of anyone who would want to do this to me.”
“You’re a notary?” asked Marge.
“An estate lawyer. I handle the legal matters when people want to handle their estates and their legacies. But like I said, I can’t think of anyone who would want to kill me over it.”
“So no contentious cases?” asked Odelia.
The man shook his head. “Nothing out of the ordinary.”
Gran now entered the house, and when she saw the handsome lawyer, did a double take. “It’s Rogelio Hartshorn, isn’t it?” she said, holding out her hand. “Vesta Muffin. You handled the estate of one of my best friends. Dick Bernstein?”
“Of course,” said the lawyer. “I remember Dick.”
“We haven’t met, but I live next door and I’m in the business of making couples happy.”
The lawyer smiled. “Is that a fact?”
“Absolutely. I guess you could call me an inventor, an entrepreneur, and also a fairy godmother all rolled into one.”
“Rogelio will be staying with us for the time being,” said Odelia. And she proceeded to tell her grandmother the same thing she had told her mom.
Gran made a show of zipping her lips. “My lips are sealed,” she promised. “Your secret is safe with me, esquire.”
“Oh, no formalities, please,” said the man. “I don’t stand on protocol, and certainly not in the current circumstances when you’re pretty much saving my life.”
“You will dine with us tonight, of course?” said Marge. “My husband would be very happy to meet. He’s been dying to get our estate handled, but we never seem to get around to it.”
Odelia stared at her mom, and so did Gran. “You want to arrange your estate?”
“Of course,” said Marge. “Doesn’t everyone? I mean, not that there’s a lot to arrange. We’re not exactly billionaires,” she said with an apologetic smile to the lawyer. “But still, it would be nice to know that if something were ever to happen to me or Tex, that everything has been taken care of.”
“If you’d like, I can ask my PA to make an appointment,” said the lawyer, but then seemed to remember his current circumstances. “I’m not going to my office, though, am I?”
Chase shook his head. “No office for the time being, I’m afraid. Until these men are caught, you’re not going anywhere, Mr. Hartshorn.”
“Oh, shoot. And I’ve got a stack of files on my desk, calls to make, clients to see…”
“Don’t you have a partner who can take over from you for the time being?” asked Odelia.
“I do have a partner, but he’s on vacation right now. In the Bahamas. But then he cheered up. “I’ll work from home. I’ve done it before.”
“I’m afraid I can’t let you do that either,” said Chase. “Doing so might reveal your current location, and we can’t have that.”
His face sagged. “But… can I talk to my clients over the phone at least?”
“I think it’s best if you don’t,” said Chase.
