Tarnished Armor
Part 125

Belinda’s apartment.

Belinda is on the couch, reading some papers. She has a mug in her hand.

There’s the sound of a key in the front door. The door opens and Liza enters, carrying a paper bag.

Belinda: Hi.

Liza: Hi. Sorry it took so long. Long line.

Belinda: I told you it could wait.

Liza: Are you drinking milk? Or tea?

Belinda: Tea. I’ll tell you, if I can’t get rid of this cough, you’re going to have to stand behind me at the hearing with your arm up my back, moving my lips and speaking for me.

Liza: No, thank you. You can do your own talking. I’m doing enough of my own. Go to a doctor.

Belinda: It can wait.

Liza: Well, far be it for me to nag.

Liza sits down on the couch.

Belinda: Move a little bit away from me. I don’t want you getting this.

Liza moves a little bit away from Belinda.

Belinda: You look... disturbed. Not in a “lock her away” sort of way, but a “something’s bothering her” sort of way.

Liza: Gee. I wonder what it could be.

Belinda: Which one? Jake? Adam? Colby?

Liza smiles weakly.

Belinda: I’ve been reading the transcripts of the hearing. We have a lot to --

Belinda has a coughing fit.

Liza opens the paper bag and takes out a bottle of cough syrup. She opens the bottle, takes the spoon from Belinda’s tea, and pours some syrup into the spoon.

Belinda takes the spoon and swallows.

Belinda: Liza Chandler. Nursemaid.

Liza: In your dreams. You tell anyone about this and you’re dead meat.

Belinda: We wouldn’t want your reputation as a heartless witch to be challenged.

Liza: That’s right.

Belinda: Back to the case. Jake’s case is based on Adam being a bad father. Barry based your case on the timeless love that you and Adam share.

Liza: Yeah, well, Barry was Adam’s lawyer. You’re my lawyer. Find another angle.

Belinda: We can’t backpedal our way out of this one.

Liza: Why not?

Belinda: Because Jake’s case is also based on the fact that you had lousy judgment in marrying Adam, not once but twice. And choosing him as the father of your child.

Liza: Are you trying to tell me something?

Belinda: If you make your split from Adam public, you’ll look like one of two things. Either you’ll look like a hypocrite, who dumps her husband after playing the loving wife -- just because you think it will help your case. Or you’ll look like a fool who is repeatedly taken in by the same man.

Liza: Thanks.

Belinda: I’m just saying what it looks like.

Belinda takes a sip of her tea.

Liza: This is impossible.

Belinda: You have been talking in circles ever since you got here.

Liza: What are you talking about? I gave you your medicine, tried not to nag, and talked about the case. I don’t see any circles.

Belinda: I’m talking about since you got here that first night. With Stuart. I mean Adam. Adam pretending to be Stuart. You’re a difficult client, you know. But I like having you as a friend, and you’re very lucrative, so I’ll keep you.

Belinda sips more of her tea.

Liza peers into Belinda’s face.

Liza: Are you perspiring?

Belinda: I’ve been drinking this tea all day. What do you expect? I want to work this cold out of me. Are you trying to distract me from figuring out what you’re talking about?

Liza: No. Well, maybe a little.

Belinda: So what do you want to do?

Liza: About what?

Belinda: About Adam. About Colby. About the case.

Liza: Who knows?

Belinda: Unbelievable. You can’t figure anything out on your own, and you have your brilliant attorney sitting right next to you, ready to give you all the answers. And all you can do is hem and haw.

Liza: I don’t haw, and I have a woman who does my hemming for me.

Belinda: Do you make her guess how much to take off? Or do you actually model the clothing for her?

Liza: I let her guess. And you wonder how hemline trends start. Ha!

Belinda: Oh, Liza. Please keep away from the comedy clubs.

Liza throws a pillow at Belinda.

Belinda: So heartless. And me in my weakened state.

Liza: Belinda Keefer, delicate flower. Right.

Belinda: And you say I’m an insult factory.

Liza: Most people would not consider the phrase “delicate flower” an insult.

Belinda: You would.

Liza: Lawyer.

Belinda: Your lawyer. Three days until the trial. We should probably have an “official” meeting in a couple of days to go over everything.

Liza: What does that mean? We set up a bridge table in the apartment and sit on either side?

Belinda: Liza.

Liza: Okay. I’ll mark it on my calendar.

Belinda: Mark this, too. “Must buy more milk.”

Liza: Already? I just bought some yesterday.

Belinda: And you finished it this morning. Please don’t start doing a dumb blond act at this late date.

Liza sighs.

Liza: Okay.

Liza is silent for a while.

Belinda: Is there something you’re not telling me?

Liza: What do you think?

Belinda: I think there’s something you’re not telling me.

Liza: Good. Now I know I hired a smart lawyer.

Belinda: What could be worse than you tricking Adam into marriage, Liza? And I knew that the whole time I was your lawyer.

Liza: Too many other people involved this time, Belinda. And many, many problems with the law. I’m not dragging you into the whole mess. I just need a good lawyer.

Belinda: Well, I’ll see what I can do, but it’s hard to be a good lawyer with almost no information coming from your client. Could you at least tell me if the reason you’re not with Adam has anything to do with Colby?

Liza doesn’t say anything.

Belinda: Because I think it does. I think that you left Adam because of something to do with Colby.

Liza: Remember everything you just told me about looking like a hypocrite and a fool?

Belinda: Hmm. Let me see. Of course I remember!

Liza: Well, multiply that by about a million and you’ll have what this case would look like with my reasons for leaving Adam.

Belinda: Plus Colby’s future schoolgirl humiliations.

Liza: What?

Belinda: Last night. Our conversation.

Liza: Forget about that. How would beleaguered spouse play?

Belinda: Fool.

Liza: Outraged beleaguered spouse.

Belinda: Have you been outraged before?

Liza: What?

Belinda: In the previous marriage? Outraged? Publicly?

Liza: Well, if you consider the WRCW broadcast of the Corview mess public...

Belinda: Fool. Again and again.

Liza gets up and goes to the door.

Liza: I’ll be back soon. Unless there’s a line at the grocery store.

Belinda: That will be all, Liza.

Liza: What?

Belinda: You’re my nursemaid, right?

Liza laughs.

Liza: You do dream big, Belinda.

Liza leaves.

Belinda gets up. She winces. Then she limps into her room.

Tarnished Armor Index
Part One Hundred and Twenty Four
Part One Hundred and Twenty Six