Page 32 of Danny Hall Gets a Lawyer (Goose Run #1)

I considered Harlan’s sudden crankiness and how he’d cut down the tree with no warning.

I thought about how he’d started coming to the door to complain and accusing us of playing music when we weren’t home.

When you added in his new habit of wandering around at night, his confusion over the dog, and his failure to recognize the twins, it started to make a sick sort of sense.

My stomach twisted into knots as I tried to imagine what it must be like living alone and slowly losing your grip on reality. Fucking terrifying, probably.

“That fucking sucks,” Wilder said from where he was perched on the arm of the sagging armchair. “So what do we do?”

I ran a hand over my face. I couldn’t face this tonight. “Harlan’s home safe for now, so we’ll worry about it tomorrow. I’m going to bed.”

But sleep didn’t come, and I spent a long time staring at my ceiling, wondering what the hell I was supposed to do now and wishing I could call Miller and ask his opinion.

“He has two daughters,” Grandma said the next day when I’d finished filling her in on what had happened with Harlan.

She was wearing the same expression she’d had when I’d explained to her about Chase and Cash being homeless—somewhere between heartbroken and determined—and I knew she’d do everything in her power to make this right.

“One of the girls lives overseas, but I’ve got her sister’s number in case of emergencies. ”

“I think this probably qualifies,” I said.

“Have you spoken to Harlan since?” Grandma asked.

“Nope. I saw him out front watering this morning, but I wasn’t in the mood to approach him, you know? And what was I gonna say? Hey Harlan, you know your dog is dead and you were searching for a ghost last night, right? And also, Joe’s been dead for longer than I’ve been alive.”

Grandma snorted. “Fair point.” Her gaze tracked to the framed photograph of my grandfather she kept by the TV. He was kinda scruffy and had a bushy mustache, and he was dressed in some terrible 1970s fashion, but he had a crooked grin and a sparkle in his eye that made up for it.

“But yeah, I sort of waved to him and waited to see if he’d say anything about last night, but he didn’t notice, just kept staring into the distance and muttering under his breath. He didn’t even react when the plumber turned up.”

Because yes, we finally had hot water. The plumbers had been here first thing, and it hadn’t taken long to install the new system. As soon as they were gone, Cash had dived into the bathroom, clutching his towel to his chest and grinning like a little kid, and he’d been in there a good long time.

When he was done, I’d had my own shower, then headed over to Brodnax to see Grandma and fill her in on last night’s shitshow.

Grandma hummed to herself, leaning on the kitchen counter. “I’m in no position to diagnose anybody and neither are you, but it does sound like someone needs to check on him.” She pulled out her phone and scrolled through the numbers. “Okay. Do you want me to call Helen or will you?”

I raised an eyebrow at her. Did I look like I wanted to call a someone and tell them their father’s cheese was sliding off his cracker?

Luckily, Grandma always could read me like a book. She gave me a wry smile. “Fine. I know Helen, so it might be better if she hears it from me anyway. You can fill her in on the details later.”

“Thanks, Grandma.”

“Why don’t you make us some coffee while I call her?” she suggested and made her way to the living room and settled in her armchair.

I took my time brewing in the kitchen while she made the call, and by the time I emerged with two mugs and set them on coasters—Grandma had standards , thank you—she was off the phone.

“Did you get hold of her?” I asked, taking a seat on the couch.

She picked up her mug and let out a sigh.

“Yes. Helen wasn’t all that surprised. She said there have been a few times recently when she’s called that Harlan hasn’t made sense.

She was already planning a visit for later this month, but she’s going to get in touch with his doctor, then try to get a flight this afternoon. ”

Relief flooded through me. Partly because I was glad Harlan had someone to step up to the plate for him and partly because I had enough of my own shit to deal with.

“Of course, if Harlan can’t be held responsible for his actions, that does leave the question of the lawsuit,” Grandma said, sipping her coffee and waiting patiently for me to catch up.

When I did, my heart sank. If Harlan had some kind of dementia, there was no way we were going to take him to court. Which meant no payout. And no loan. And no community college.

A tight ball of resentment gathered in my gut. Like, Harlan couldn’t be blamed for something he’d done while he wasn’t in his right mind. It was just that I’d made the mistake of allowing myself to hope, and watching my dreams die—again—fucking hurt .

Grandma was still watching me over the rim of her coffee mug, and I realized I hadn’t answered her.

“I mean, obviously we’re dropping the case,” I said.

She gave me an approving smile. “Obviously. You can let your young man know next time you see him.”

The ball of misery grew, expanding until it was hard to breathe, and some of what I was feeling must have shown on my face.

Grandma put her mug down and moved to sit next to me, rubbing a soothing hand up and down my back.

“Danny, honey? What did Miller do? Do I have to send Wilder to kick your boy’s ass? ”

I let out a wet, hitching laugh. “He already offered. But no, Miller didn’t do anything wrong. He’s leaving. Moving to New York for work.”

“Oh,” she said.

“Yeah.” And really, what else was there to say? Miller was following his dream, and I couldn’t even be mad at him about it. But it still sucked that he was going. I already missed him, and he hadn’t even technically left yet.

And maybe I didn’t have a right to miss him, since he wasn’t mine or anything, but since when did logic count for shit when it came to feelings?

Helen Whittaker didn’t look much like I remembered, but maybe I was getting her mixed up with her sister.

My earliest memories of the Whittaker girls had been when they’d both already been at college, and after they’d graduated they only really came back to Goose Run for holidays.

Anyhow, I was expecting a redhead, but Helen was blonde and she was wearing mom jeans and a pastel pink sweater, and that wasn’t how I remembered either of the Whittaker girls at all.

“Oh my lord,” she said. “Little Danny Hall!”

I guessed I wasn’t exactly how she remembered me either.

“Hi, Helen,” I said and shook her hand as she stepped up onto the porch. “Do you want a drink? I can make up some iced tea.”

She put her hands on her hips and let out a sigh. “I don’t suppose you have a beer, do you? Wait, are you old enough to have beer?”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said. “On both counts.”

Helen took a seat on the old couch on the porch, and I went and grabbed the last two beers from the refrigerator. Technically they were Wilder’s, but I figured Helen and I needed them more right now. When I came back outside, she was looking through some official-looking pages.

“I found this in Dad’s kitchen drawer,” she said. “You’re really suing him?”

I looked out at the ugly stump where the tree had been. “He cut down our tree.”

“I loved that tree. Your grandparents let us put a swing in it when we were kids.” She sighed again.

“I asked him about it. He doesn’t remember doing it.

He’s… well, I don’t know. He was getting more and more vague on the phone, so I knew he wasn’t in great shape, but I didn’t think it was this bad. Have you seen inside the house?”

I shook my head.

“It’s a mess. I think he’s been living on cans of beans.

There’s stacks of them all over the place.

And he’s been hoarding. I could hardly even get inside his bedroom.

” Her eyes filled with tears, and she sniffed and shook them away.

“Anyway, I’m going to stay as long as it takes to get him sorted out. ”

“Grandma’s already called the lawyer and dropped the case,” I said, feeling a stab of guilt that I hadn’t paid more attention to Harlan’s weird behavior. If I had, maybe Grandma would have called Helen sooner.

“Oh God.” She held a hand to her chest. “Thank you. I’m really sorry he’s been causing you trouble, Danny. I didn’t know how bad it was.” She wiped at her eyes with the sleeve of her sweater. “I feel so fucking awful .”

“Hey, it’s okay,” I said, trying not to think of the money.

It was weird how we’d never actually gotten that far, but it still felt like I’d been ripped off.

Something about counting chickens, right?

Anyway, Harlan was ill, so none of this was his fault, and what kind of assholes would Grandma and I be if we took advantage of a neighbor who wasn’t in his right mind anymore?

In the end we hadn’t lost anything except that poor tree, and I could replant one.

Okay, it’d take another thirty-odd years before it grew to the same size as the previous one, but so what?

One thing trees had was a shitload of time.

“I don’t know if Harlan’ll be willing, since we’re kind of on his shit list right now, but if you need a hand cleaning up over there, me and my roommates can help out. ”

“Oh, you boys don’t have to do that,” she said.

“Course we do,” I said. “We’re neighbors.”

The guys wouldn’t be happy I’d volunteered them, but they’d do it because it was the right thing to do.

Besides, Helen had turned up in a tiny little rental car, and if Harlan had been hoarding, she was going to need some guys with trucks, and Wilder and I could help out on that score.

Chase and Cash, not so much, given they only shared custody of a dirt bike, but they could lift boxes.

We finished our beers, and then Helen went back to Harlan’s place.

We’d already plowed through most of the groceries and it wasn’t payday yet, which meant it was a beans and rice night. Luckily, I made a killer beans and rice. Wilder got home right at dark, limping into the kitchen.

“Smells good,” he said.

“What the hell happened to you?”

He opened the refrigerator, sighed when he looked at the spot where his beer had been, and grabbed a can of the off-brand soda we had in there instead. “Fell off a roof.”

“Seriously?”

He cracked the soda can open. “Okay. I fell off a ladder. From like, three rungs up. I landed wrong. Bruised my ass mainly, but I’m okay.”

“You’d better be,” I said, stirring the beans, “because I just told Helen we’re gonna help her clean out Harlan’s place.”

“Oh, fuck you,” Wilder said, but there was no heat in it. “That’s Harlan’s daughter, right?”

“Yup. She came over and saw me earlier. She says he’s not right, and he’s been hoarding.”

Wilder winced. “Shit.”

“Right? I gave her your beer.”

Wilder peered over my shoulder at the pot of beans and rice. “I can get some boxes off Uncle Steve if she needs ’em.”

“I’ll let her know.”

I had a feeling there would be more dumping than boxing happening, though.

Wilder went and took a shower while dinner was cooking, and the twins got home while he was still in the bathroom. It wasn’t often we all got to sit around together and eat—not as often as I’d like, at least—so it was good that for once everyone’s shifts had synced up to make it happen.

“Aw, come on!” Chase said when I told him I’d volunteered us to help Helen. “But Harlan’s been such an asshole !” He relented under the power of Cash’s stare. “Fine. Whatever. Hey, do you think we’ll find his missing dog mummified under a pile of old newspapers?”

This time Cash reached out and smacked him on the arm.

“Ow!”

“We’re not gonna find a mummified dog,” I said.

Wilder nodded, then said, “That would be pretty cool, though. In a gross way.” Then he scooted back in his chair so Cash couldn’t reach him.

“He buried the dog,” I said. “I remember he planted that rose bush on top. Pretty sure we’re just hauling trash to the dump. Also, can we not talk about mummified dogs while we’re eating?”

Cash nodded emphatically.

“So, it’s been a week. Are you ever gonna tell us what’s up with Miller?” Chase asked.

I shoveled a forkful of food into my mouth and said around it, “How long would it take for a dog to mummify anyway?”

Chase smirked. “Man, you don’t want to talk about anything .”

“Miller’s leaving for that big city lifestyle,” Wilder said.

I glared at him.

“What? You didn’t say it was a secret,” Wilder said.

“It’s not,” I said. “I just don’t want to talk about it, okay?”

“So he’s actually leaving?” Chase asked. “Like, for real? Can’t you go visit him?”

“Yeah, cause my truck can totally handle the six or seven-hour drive to New York,” I said, snorting. “And I don’t think I’m really a New York kind of guy, you know?”

I didn’t bother to mention the price of gas or that it wasn’t really that I thought I didn’t belong in New York.

There were all kinds of people in New York, right?

But I didn’t think I was the kind of guy that Miller would want to hang out with in New York.

Could you imagine? All those fancy people with their fancy jobs, and I worked the register at Goose Run Gas.

Plus there was the fact he hadn’t asked me.

Which was a pretty big fucking fact.

Wilder changed the subject by telling some dumb joke he’d heard from Steve at work today, and I pushed my rice and beans around my plate, my appetite gone.

We got through the rest of the meal without talking about dead dogs or Miller.

Then we did the dishes and watched TV for a while.

It was nice. I wondered how Helen was doing next door, but she had my number now if she needed anything.

“I’m gonna head to bed,” I said, getting up from the couch and stretching.

“Early shift tomorrow?” Wilder asked.

I shook my head. “Nah, late start. Today was just a lot, you know?”

“Can I get a lift with you tomorrow?” Chase asked. “I swapped my shift with Renata.”

“Sure.”

I passed out pretty quick, and the next thing I knew there was daylight filtering through my bedroom window.

I got up and showered, then wandered through to the dining room where the twins were sitting around eating toast and peanut butter.

I snagged a slice off Chase’s plate and had just taken a bite when someone knocked on the door.

Chase pushed his chair back and went to answer it. Moments later, a familiar voice, one that I hadn’t ever expected to hear again, said, “Hey. Is Danny here?”