Read Gin Jones - Helen Binney 01 - A Dose of Death for Free Online Page B

of the world. He closed the door and climbed into the driver’s seat. “Are you sure you’re all right? I could take you to the emergency room, if you want.”
    “ It’s nothing.”
    “ I knew you were going to say that.” Jack took the turn that led into the center of town, where Tate’s office was located. “Some people don’t complain about anything, and other people complain about every little thing. Just last week, one of my passengers bumped his head while getting out. It was his own fault—he’d gotten drunk while he was at the event I took him to—and it wasn’t much of a bump, but he spent fifteen minutes yelling at me and threatening to sue the limo company.”
    “ I hope they’ve got a good attorney.”
    “ They did,” Jack said. “Until Tate retired.”
    She ‘d forgotten about that little complication. “Let’s hope he taught his nephew everything he knew.”
     
    *  *  *
     
    With the help of Tate’s nephew and a retainer that was considerably higher than what a small-town firm could reasonably command for a simple domestic matter, Helen convinced Tate to stop packing and postpone his retirement for a couple hours. He dug a battered briefcase out of one of his moving boxes and conferred with Jack before climbing into the back of the car to sit beside Helen. “Your driver knows where the courthouse is. It’ll only take a couple minutes.”
    “ The sooner you can get rid of Melissa, the better.”
    “ Don’t expect any miracles,” he said. “I’m just doing my job. The job that I’m supposed to be retired from.”
    Jack stopped the car in front of the courthouse to let Helen and Tate out. Helen hesitated at the foot of the steep stairs into the building. She couldn ‘t climb them, not the way her hip felt right now, at least not with any grace or confidence.
    A sign with the standard wheelchair icon caught her attention. Perhaps there was another entrance she could use. The sign beneath the wheelchair icon read, “This courthouse is not wheelchair accessible,” and gave a phone number to contact for more information.
    Helen didn ‘t need information; she needed an elevator.
    She couldn ‘t wait for it to be built, so she swallowed her irritation and slowly, painfully followed Tate up the stairs and into the clerk’s office.
    There were three people already in line at the counter, where only one clerk was working. Three other clerks sat at desks in the background, intent on their work, which apparently didn ‘t include dealing with people at the counter.
    “ It may take a few minutes to arrange for the hearing. Monday mornings are usually busy with the arraignment of everyone who was arrested over the weekend, and the other scheduled matters run over to the afternoon session.” Tate gestured at the battered and rusty straight-back chairs lining the wall across from the counter. “You might as well have a seat while you wait. Make yourself comfortable.”
    Helen looked at the battered straight-back chairs lining the wall across from the counter. No one could get comfortable in them, let alone a person with a damaged hip.
    Helen feigned interest in the bulletin board beside the clerk’s office doorway while she watched Tate do his job. There were three people in line before him, and while he waited, he greeted passing court officers and a few fellow lawyers, all by name and with every indication that he considered each and every one of them among his closest and dearest friends. Her ex-husband had done the same sort of thing when he was working a room. Her ex had obviously been successful with the schmoozing, since he’d been governor for a record-setting number of years, but he still wasn’t half as good at it as Tate was.
    Melissa didn ‘t stand a chance against him.
    Helen ignored the curious glances from the young man reading the notices on the bulletin board until he said, “Excuse me, but you’re Helen Faria, aren’t you? The governor’s wife.”
    “ It’s