Free Closet Confidential by Mary Jane Maffini Page A

first closet is anything to go by, she’ll most likely have to sort things out and get rid of some items.”
    Harry’s eyebrows shot up. “Lorelei likes to hold on to things.”
    “I suppose there are ways around that. You could add some more closets or convert a bedroom to storage space with racks or get some off-site storage for surplus clothing and gear, but she’d still have to decide what items would go where.”
    “I hadn’t thought of that. There must be more to this whole closet business than meets the eye.”
    You bet your champagne cocktail , I thought, and that’s why I can make a living at it.
    “It’s an expensive business, and if she’s not keen, it will be a waste of your money and my time.”
    By now, I was wondering how many ways I would have to make my point with Harry.
    Harry said, “I don’t give a fig about the cost, Charlotte honey, if it makes a difference. I’m at my wit’s end trying to find distractions for her, so she can let her mind rest a bit.”
    I cleared my throat. “I can only imagine how awful this whole situation is for both of you. Losing a child must be—”
    Harry’s brown eyes filled. “The day Anabel died, the light went out of my life. I couldn’t ever have dreamed how empty I would feel. Nothing can prepare you for that complete devastation. Imagine how your own daddy would react.”
    “Actually, I never knew my father. My mother divorced him a month before I was born.”
    Harry stared at me for a very long minute. “And you never met him? Your own daddy?”
    “That’s right. I had a series of stepfathers who were all very pleasant and kind enough. Generous, too. So the situation with Lorelei—”
    “Is he still alive?”
    “My father? I don’t know.”
    “Your mama doesn’t know?”
    “She never told me and she won’t talk about it. All I know is he was French from somewhere in Quebec. She’d moved on.”
    Harry shook his head. “Seems to me a child should know her own daddy, but Mama knows best. I guess she has her reasons.”
    “I imagine she does. They may even be good ones. But I prefer to believe that somewhere near Quebec City there’s a man who looks a lot like me and has spectacular storage units and a color-coded closet.”
    I sensed relief in Harry’s laughter and took advantage of it to say, “But on a serious note, Lorelei probably needs to deal with her grief. She needs to get professional help. The closets could come afterward. If ever.”
    “Honey, we’ve had lots of professional help. Psychologists, psychiatrists, grief counselors, even a medium. Like you say, she needs to deal with her grief. In fact we all do. Each in our own way. But the point is that all the professionals in this whole world won’t bring Anabel back.”
    That was true enough. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I am trying to help and maybe I am making things worse.”
    “Don’t you let yourself think like that. Now you make yourself comfortable and I’ll go check if Lorelei is able to get out of bed yet. I won’t be but a minute.” He patted my hand and left the room.
    Five minutes later he descended the long architectural staircase and shook his handsome head sadly. Lorelei would not be making our meeting today.

6

    Clip photos of closets and storage solutions that appeal to you from magazines and newspaper articles. In time a pattern of the type of closet you want will become apparent.

    The trip home was a lot faster. This time I was a bit over the speed limit. As I crossed the bridge to Woodbridge, I didn’t even notice the fast-flowing Hudson below. I was too busy thinking about the charged atmosphere in the Beauchamp home. Maybe that’s why I didn’t hear the siren until the dark car was on my bumper.
    I pulled over with my heart thumping. How fast had I been going? It couldn’t have been that bad. I’m not much for speeding. I felt almost panicked as I rooted in my handbag for my car registration and license. Naturally, I always have them