Alison Lurie - The War Between the Tates - A Novel

“You’ll excuse me if I don’t believe that.”

“Well it’s true, whether you believe it or not. And I didn’t tell her to leave town, that was her idea, I didn’t know anything about her plans, I didn’t think she was going to go to you and make trouble—”

“Wendy didn’t come here to make trouble. She came because she wanted to apologize to me, because she at least has some sense of guilt, some sense of decency, and since she thought I already knew all about her—”

“How could she think that? I never said anything that could make her think—At least, not since last spring. Erica, listen. I’m coming home now, and we can work out—”

“I don’t want to work out anything with you.”

“All right, if you feel that way now, I can understand that, but at least we can talk—”

“And I don’t want to talk to you. I don’t know why I’m talking to you now, it’s a waste of time talking to someone who does nothing but lie and make excuses.”

“Erica, please listen—”

“If you really want to do something, Brian, you might try to find a decent doctor who would be willing to help Wendy. And don’t bother calling Dr. Bunch. I already tried him.”

“You mean someone in New York.”

“New York, or Corinth, or Albany or Boston or Puerto Rico, it doesn’t matter.”

“But there’s no point in that, Erica. Even if I could locate someone, I still can’t get in touch with Wendy. I don’t have her telephone number in New York, I mean New Jersey.”

“I know how to reach her.”

“You do? Good, give me the number.”

“I’m not going to give you anything. Wendy doesn’t want to speak to you, anyhow.”

“But—”

“If you find a doctor, you can call me. Otherwise, I don’t want to hear from you again.”

“But Erica! ... Erica? ...Are you there? Don’t hang up ... Oh, shit.”

3.

“799-0579.”

“Leonard? This is Brian Tate.”

“Well, good evening; Brian. Are you in the city?”

“No, I’m in Corinth.”

“Ah, Corinth. And how is everything up there? How is my ex-wife, and my ex-children?”

“They’re well, as far as I know; I haven’t seen them recently—”

“And how are you, and all your relatives?”

“Fine, thank—Well, not so fine, actually. Something’s come up, that I wanted to consult you about.”

“Of course. Listen, Brian, can I call you back in about half an hour? I have a friend here now.”

“Yeh, all right—No, wait a minute; I’m not at home.”

“Not at home? Where are you, then?”

“I’m at a motel.”

“A motel, in Corinth?”

“Well, just south of Corinth. I believe it’s in Hesiod, actually. It’s called the Twin Birches Motel.”

“You’re in a motel, hm. It sounds like you’ve got a problem.”

“Yeh.”

“All right, give me your number.”

“It’s—No, I’ll call you back. I’m in a pay phone.”

“In that case, maybe you’d better tell me about it now. Inez, honey, could you excuse me a minute? This is an old friend calling from Corinth, and he’s got a problem ...No, you don’t need to leave, just move over to the other side of the bed so I can reach the phone a little better ...Okay. So what’s up there? What are you doing in a motel, did Erica throw you out?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact she did.”

“That surprises me. I would have said it wasn’t in Erica to do anything so vulgar, so obvious, so lower-middle-class. But we live and learn. And why did she throw you out?”

“Well, it’s complicated. I don’t want to go into the whole thing now, I just ...

“Was it for the obvious, vulgar reason?”

“What? I’m afraid I don’t understand you. I’ve had a hell of an exhausting day.”

“Let me put it this way. I take it you’re not alone now.”

“What? Oh no, that’s all right, no one can hear us.”

“I mean, there’s somebody with you, isn’t there? Not in the phone booth, in the, what was it, Twin Bitches Motel.”

“Twin Birches. No, I’m here alone.”

“I see. Excuse me. I mean, I don’t see. You’re not drunk, by any chance?”

“Not as far as I know. I wish I was drunk. That’s an idea. Maybe I should get drunk.”

“All right, Brian, hold on. I’m listening to you ...So what’s your problem?”

“It’s—Leonard, can your girl friend hear me?”

“I don’t think so. She’s not listening, anyhow; she’s reading Art International. ”

“It’s—You know I’m counting on your discretion about this.”

“Yeh, all right. Go ahead.”

“I mean, if what I’m going to tell you should get out, if it was known around the university, it would really screw things up for me.”

“It won’t get out. Don’t worry.”

“The thing is—Couldn’t you ask her to go into the other room for a few minutes?”

“There is no other room. You’ve seen this apartment, haven’t you? I can’t afford two rooms on what my ex-wife leaves me. Do you want me to ask her to go into the bathroom?”

“No; never mind. You know, Leonard, I want you to understand that I wouldn’t have called you if I wasn’t really up against the wall, or if I had any other way of getting the information. You understand that, don’t you?”

“For shit’s sake! What information?”

“I don’t want to relate the whole history. What I wanted to ask you. What I called about, is. I need to locate an abortionist.”

“I see ...Well, you surprise me more and more. Hold on. Let me think a moment ...How soon do you need this information?”

“As soon as possible. There’s a chance the, uh, girl might do something rash, she’s in kind of a disturbed state now of course, she’s very young, quite emotional ...

“Very young. A student?”

“No. A graduate student.”

“Well, congratulations ...It’s not going to be all that easy, you know. I’ve never had this particular problem myself, touch wood. I’ll have to make inquiries.”

“All right. But you can find someone?”

“I don’t know yet. I think I might be able to get you a name. But it’ll cost you.”

“I have some money. I already went to the bank this afternoon.”

“How much?”

“Six hundred dollars.”

“Better make it a thousand.”

“A thousand?”

“If you don’t want any mess. I can probably lend you the rest, if you need it.”

“No. That’s not necessary. I—”

“Your time is up, please signal when through.”

“All right ... I don’t need any money, thanks.”

“Okay. Can you call me tomorrow morning, say about ten, at the university?”

“At the university?”

“You have my number, don’t you, it’s—”

“I have it, I only wondered—”

“Your time is up, please signal when through.”

“All right, goddamn it! I was saying, I wondered if your switchboard girl might—”

“Forget about that. This isn’t Corinth, nobody here cares how many students you knock up. And try to relax, friend, okay? It’s not World War III.”

8

“HOW IS EVERYTHING?” ERICA asks in a low anxious voice, coming into Danielle’s house and shutting the door behind her against the morning frost and damp thin mist.

“All right.”

“Where’s Wendy?”

“Still asleep.” Danielle gestures toward the ceiling, toward her spare room, where Wendy has been staying since yesterday afternoon. Erica had first thought of keeping her at home until she felt better and the arrangements for her operation had been made. But Erica’s house is not a good place for Wendy. First, because it contains Jeffrey and Matilda. Meeting them would certainly be upsetting to Wendy—and still more upsetting for the children if they were to learn who and what Wendy was—something she might very easily reveal by mistake in her present state.