Lindsey Graham

You know she and her friend are in town to dig into a legal case.

They must know that your husband is the victim's lawyer.

But just now, when you mentioned his law practice, she didn't take it as a chance to dig.

Instead, she seems genuinely interested in you.

You laugh, opening the oven to check on the duck roasting.

You smile.

It's nice to have another woman around to lessen the load.

And a working woman, no less, a fellow writer.

By the time you return to the table to rejoin the group, you can't believe the two of you just met.

Because it feels like you've known her forever.

When Truman Capote arrived in Kansas, he couldn't have looked more out of place, dressed in a sheepskin coat, long scarf, and moccasins.

Lee later recalled, Those people had never seen anyone like Truman.

He was like someone coming off the moon.

His ego and his penchant for name-dropping rub people the wrong way.

Lee, on the other hand, was approachable.

She quickly began earning the trust of wives around town, like Dolores Hope, whose husband was the lawyer for the victim's family, and Marie Dewey, who was married to the detective appointed to the case, Agent Alvin Dewey.

Soon, Agent Dewey warmed to Lee, too.

He recalled, She had a down-home style, a friendly smile, and a knack for saying the right things.

If Capote came on as something of a shocker, she was there to absorb the shock.

Lee was also careful and diligent in her reporting, and her work became crucial as Capote decided to turn his New Yorker article into a full-length book.