Ben Soul

oozes out like grease from a cheap hamburger. After an hour of listening to him, I wanted to scrape myself clean. The defendant, this Vanna Dee, should get somebody else to represent her.” Chester rolled over on his side and stared at his shoes.

  “Ms. Dee, that is, the defendant, is an elegant woman. She wore a gray dress today, kind of tight, but very proper. She looked tired, like she hasn’t slept well for a while. No wonder I guess if she’s been in jail. That’d make anybody sleep restless, I suppose. Her eyes are strange. It’s like there’s no life in them, or like she was looking inside all the time. I think she’d be hard to get close to. Maybe she’s just got a shell built up around her, to protect her. Anyway, I guess the real show gets underway on Monday.” He stood, and performed his ritual fingertip kiss. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Love. No trial news, though, until Monday.” Chester left the cemetery.

  Monday afternoon was cooler than the previous week had been. Chester had brought a dandelion digger today. The grave next to Unda’s was only occasionally attended by the family, as they lived at some distance. Once in a while Chester tidied away the weeds, or swept the flat grave marker with a whiskbroom. Today he had decided to uproot several sheep weeds that had thrived despite the regular mowings that leveled them. The sheep weed’s long taproot rivaled the dandelion’s, and so the digger was most helpful. Wouldn’t do, he muttered to himself, to let Unda’s neighborhood go messy.

  “There,” he said to L. Bow, whoever he or she was, “that’ll do till your family can come by.” Then he went to Unda’s grave. The snapdragons had withered over the weekend, and he had thrown them out on Sunday. Today he had cornflowers from his neighbor’s yard. Their bright blue blossoms echoed the deep summer sky overhead.

  “Quite a day today,” he told her. “That young prosecutor laid out quite a case against somebody named Noah Count. He hasn’t shown how this Vanna Dee connects with it, though.” Chester knelt to unwrap the cornflower stems from the wet paper towel that kept them fresh. He’d put fresh water in a clean replacement vase, which he put at the foot of Unda’s stone. He’d drop the dirty vase off at the office on his way out.

  “I got a bit stiff today,” he said. “It’s a long time to sit on a hard chair and listen to people. This is what the computer paper had to say.” He lowered himself to the grass.

  “August 11, 2003—Prosecutor Mann called his first witness today in the Vanna Dee trial. Elke Hall, secretary and companion to Ms. Salvación Mandor, testified that a man, later identified as Noah Count, had entered her boudoir with the intent to harm her. She, not being asleep, was able to resist his attack long enough for Ms. Mandor’s resident handyman, William Waugh, to enter and subdue Mr. Count.”

  “Defense Attorney Mann waived cross-examination of Ms. Hall.”

  “Prosecutor Cooda then called William Waugh to the stand to corroborate Ms. Hall’s testimony. The prosecutor further elicited from Mr. Waugh that earlier in the month someone had shot several arrows at Ms. Mandor’s llama herd, greatly upsetting the creatures. Mr. Waugh’s voice broke when he spoke of the stress this incident caused those llamas who were with cria.”

  “Defense Attorney Mann also waived cross-examination of Mr. Waugh. Prosecutor Cooda then entered into evidence a forensic specialist’s affidavit regarding fingerprint evidence that demonstrated Noah Count had been responsible for both the intrusion into Ms. Hall’s bedroom and the attack on the llamas. Defense Attorney Mann agreed to the admission of the affidavit. Then Judge Sauer recessed the court until tomorrow.”

  “This Elke Hall is quite a woman,” he went on. “I wouldn’t want to take her on in a show of strength. She’s tall, and looks like she has a lot of muscle. Not a bad looker, either, if you like big women.” He chuckled. “Not my type, Unda, as you know. I just observed. She sure had a strong voice. The bailiff turned down the microphones, so she didn’t blast us all out of the courtroom.”

  “The handyman looked real uncomfortable. Somebody had got him into a coat and tie. He kept running a finger around his neck all the while he was testifying, so I don’t think he wears a tie very often. He spoke kind of soft, and twice the Judge had to ask him to repeat himself. He sure must love those llamas, though. He got all teary-eyed when he talked about them.”

  “Time for me to go, Unda,” Chester said. He stood and performed his finger kiss ritual. “I’ve got to turn in early tonight. Thank goodness, I’ve got a partial casserole in the freezer. I can microwave that. Did I tell you I’m turning into something of a cook, now? I use the recipes on the boxes and cans. Sleep softly, Unda, safe as you are from all harm.” Chester walked toward the cemetery gates, mournfully whistling Beneath the Cross of Jesus off-key.

  Chester knelt before Unda’s tombstone the next day. “Quite a day in court,” he said. “The prosecution brought in this fellow, Noah Count. Even scrubbed up like he was, and dressed in a quiet gray suit and white shirt, no tie, you could tell he’d been around a hard block or two. Lots of lines in his face, and a stringy body that he must have used up by living fast. He looked like the survivor of some bad disease. Clear-eyed, though, and gave straightforward answers to the prosecutor’s questions. This is what the computer said about his testimony.” Chester sat on the grass over Unda’s coffin. He opened the sheet and read.

  “August 12, 2003—Fireworks today in the Vanna Dee trial. Prosecutor Mann called Noah Count as his star witness. Mr. Count readily admitted to felonious assaults on Ms. Mandor’s llama herd and on Ms. Hall. He admitted he was currently sentenced to La Lechuga for those crimes. Prosecutor Mann asked him what motivated him to attack the llamas and Ms. Hall. He testified former Commissioner Dee had hired him to damage or destroy the llamas, and to disrupt Ms. Mandor’s household. He cited his dependence on drugs and Ms. Dee’s offer of five thousand dollars as inciters for his actions. When Prosecutor Mann asked Mr. Count why he had come forward to witness for the prosecution, Mr. Count stated he had undergone a profound spiritual awakening in prison, and intended henceforth to perform only good works to ameliorate the harm had done in his earlier life. At Attorney Mann’s request, Judge Sauer recessed the trial until tomorrow, when Mr. Mann is expected to cross-examine Mr. Count.”

  “Be interesting to see what the City slicker has in store for this fellow. He’s the one connecting Ms. Dee to the crimes. I looked over at her several times. She was dressed in a pale green dress today. It kind of tones down how dead white her skin is. Lot of fury in her eyes. I think she’d have killed this Noah Count, if she could have.” Chester brushed a sparrow feather from Unda’s marker.

  “I don’t rightly know, and I should wait ‘til I’ve heard her side of things, but I don’t trust this Vanna. She’s hiding something in her past. Did I tell you that neighbor lady, the one whose name I can never remember, invited me to supper? I declined. I never liked her much. She talks a mile a minute, and doesn’t say anything worth hearing. Anyway, tomorrow’s Wednesday. We’ll see what happens.” He pushed himself to his feet and touched his kissed fingers to the stone. “Sleep well, Unda,” he said, as he headed for the cemetery gates.

  “More against Ms. Dee,” Chester told Unda when he had seated himself on her grave. He had first replaced the spent cornflowers with two red roses. “That slick Dayton Mann was in full cry today. Raising and lowering his voice like a TV preacher, striding back and forth, as he grilled that poor Noah Count about his whole life. Looked like a silly ass, too, in his white linen suit and red tie. Got his comeuppance in the end, though. This is what Billy’s computer had to say:”

  “August 13, 2003—Defense Attorney Mann cross-examined Mr. Noah Count today. He forcefully pressured Mr. Count into admitting a life of drug dealing and use, as well as involvement in several confidence schemes. He extracted from Mr. Count an admission that Mr. Count had yielded a painting of llamas in return for Ms. Dee’s five thousand dollars. He questioned Mr. Count’s spiritual awakening, particularly sin
ce this event occurred without benefit of clergy from any known religious group. Mr. Count repeatedly answered Mr. Mann’s jabbing questions in a simple and clear voice. No matter how Mr. Mann attempted to provoke Mr. Count to an outburst, Mr. Count remained calm.”

  “In mid-afternoon, Mr. Mann rested his cross-examination, and the prosecution called its last witness, Ms. Bertha Van Nation, Ms. Dee’s Commission secretary. Ms. Van Nation affirmed that Ms. Dee had received a painting of llamas, but testified to Ms. Dee’s disdain for the object. Ms. Van Nation further testified that Ms. Dee had frequently expressed her desire to be rid of Ms. Mandor and the Villagers of San Danson. When Mr. Mann pressed her on cross-examination, she surprised the court by saying she had overheard Ms. Dee wish Ms. Mandor and the Villagers dead on several occasions. When Mr. Mann tried to object to the testimony as hearsay, Judge Sauer pointed out he had “opened this can of worms yourself.” The trial recessed until tomorrow at nine in the morning.”

  “Tomorrow, I expect this Dayton Mann will try to put on a defense. We’ll see what happens with that. I bought me a pork chop to fry up tonight, and a