Page 7 of Scout’s Honor

Bonhi nodded. “Yes.”

“Oh. I thought...”

Bonhi didn’t smile. “You thought I was a man.”

“I did, I did,” the man spouted, smiling broadly. “But this is much better. The fairer sex is also the smarter sex. I know it’s after-hours Miss Candor, and this may not be a true life or death emergency, but it’s an emergency to me, and I hope you’ll help me. I just know if anyone can help me, it’s you.”

Bonhi smiled politely. “Why is that?”

The man stepped back and gestured to Bonhi’s sign. In large letters it said, ‘CANDOR AT LAW,’ with smaller letters reading, ‘B. Candor, attorney.’ The backdrop was a cut-out of a white wolf in an alert posture standing alongside a tree line. The White Wolf of Nantahala was a local legend, one Bonhi had found fascinating from the moment she’d rolled into town many years ago. She’d put him on her sign as a touchstone reminding her of the heart of the community she aimed to serve.

“The wolf told me, of course,” the man said. He bowed his head, then held out a hand. “Pleased to meet you, my name is Vernon Bunn.”

Bonhi shook his hand. “Thank you. Please come in.”

The man smiled and entered, leaving the other guy outside, where he stood solidly and did not move. Bonhi raised her eyebrows, then shut the door.

Inside, she gestured him to a seat in her inner office, and she sat behind her desk. “What can I help you with, Mr. Bunn?”

“Please, call me Vernon.”

“If you’ll call me Bonhi.”

He nodded and opened his wallet, pulling out a folded note, which he handed over.

She opened it and read it:

I won’t be back for years. Take care of the cabin. It must stay in the family. The evil will be seeking it. If it stays in the family, they will never find it.

Bonhi held the note up, looking at Vernon quizzically.

“The cabin is on a plot of land surrounded by the Nantahala National Forest. The land and cabin were promised to Augustino Cove Sr., and his descendants. Augustino Cove Jr. wrote that note to his son, my nephew-in-law.” Vernon shook his head. “My nephew took off. He doesn’t care about the cabin, or about family.” Vernon leaned forward. “I think family is the most important thing, don’t you?”

Bonhi nodded. She agreed, and she hoped to someday have a family of her own, with a lawyer husband, raising two tiny lawyers-to-be.

“Augustino Cove Jr., that’s the father’s name.” He inclined his head. “Perhaps you’ve heard of him?”

“No.”

“His father was an infamous Civil War general. There’s a statue out at Cove Park.”

Bonhi nodded politely. She didn’t know where Cove Park was. She spent most of her time working.

“The cabin was built by Augustino Cove Sr., and it’s always been in the Cove family. The government is trying to steal it from them!”

Bonhi shook her head. “That’s not right.”

“It’s not right, young lady, that’s correct. It’s exactly wrong, and that’s why I need your help.”

Bonhi nodded. “It’s not easy going up against the government.”

Vernon shook his fist. “But we must! Evil must be stopped.”

“Evil?”

Vernon nodded, deep lines around his eyes. “Evil has infiltrated the government, otherwise, why would they be doing this?”

“Greed?” Bonhi offered.