Catholic, despite her irreverent appearance and demeanor.
“Then her sister came to the office and alternated between cursing me and demanding that I help her sister,” Theia told her.
“Wow. And I thought my day sucked,” Lu shook her head.
“I guess I’ll have to call the police again,” Thea sighed. “I hope they send out a different officer.”
“No, you can’t!” Lu shrieked. “He said if we tell the police he’ll kill her and it will be on our shoulders.”
“Are you seriously kidding me? What am I supposed to do?” Theia asked. “I’m not a cop.”
“I don’t know. Don’t shoot the messenger,” Lu leaned back. “You think I want to be mixed up with this?”
“Well neither do I!” Theia said with passion. “Why would he want me to come? I’m nobody.”
“I hate to tell you this, but he called you ‘that bitch lawyer’ and said you would pay for helping his wife betray him,” Lu explained.
“But I wasn’t able to help her,” Theia responded, baffled.
“He doesn’t care,” Lu said. “He just wants revenge.”
“What should I do?” Theia asked. “You know me. I’m no superhero. I’m afraid of my own shadow half the time.”
“I don’t know. I guess we’ll figure that out when he calls back. You never know, you might be a lot stronger than you think,” Lu suggested.
“You must have me mixed up with someone else,” Theia replied. “Why couldn’t your news have been some of that ridiculous celebrity gossip you’re addicted to? You know they just make that stuff up.”
“Yeah, I know, but what can I say? It’s my guilty pleasure. Hey, I can’t read Kafka all the time.”
“And you’re in Mensa. That’s rich. Well, I guess I should thank you for delivering the message, even though I hate the message as much as you hate delivering it.” Theia paused. “I just don’t understand this, Lu. My life had finally become sane again. I have worked hard for five years to have a normal life, and now it is getting crazy again. I feel as though a black cloud is following me around. All I want is to go to work, and come home to my cats. I don’t even go on dates. I just want a normal, quiet life. Is that too much to ask?”
“Apparently for you, it is. Don’t worry. You’ll figure something out and get through this just fine,” Lu assured her. “You might have to grow a little self-confidence, but you’ll get through it. You have been through far worse.”
“Thanks for the pep talk, coach. I feel so much better,” Theia replied.
“I’ll be in touch.”
“I was afraid of that, but who’s going to rock me to sleep tonight?” Theia asked as she walked Lu out of the office.
CHAPTER FOUR
Mollie walked past Theia’s office door the next morning, then backed up, looked in, and plopped into a chair facing Theia. “What’s wrong?” Mollie demanded.
“What do you mean?”
“Theia, I’ve known you long enough to know when something is bothering you. What is it?”
“Nothing.”
Mollie stared her down.
“Okay, I just had a bad dream the other night,” Theia confessed. “I’m sure I’ll sleep better tonight.”
“Bad dream about what?”
“I’d really rather not talk about it.”
“Talk to me.”
“You’re going to bug me until I do, aren’t you?”
“You know it.”
“Fine. This Rose Catalino case is getting to me. It’s bringing back a bunch of bad stuff from the past, stuff I thought I had gotten over.”
“I’d be surprised if it didn’t.”
“Yeah,” Theia replied. “Maybe I need to go back to my shrink. If these things can still get to me after all this time, maybe I’m not as ‘over it’ as I thought I was. One thing is for sure, I have to find a way to get off this case.”
“What do you mean, get off the case? There is no case. The judge dismissed the petition for the order of protection. Your client has
“Then her sister came to the office and alternated between cursing me and demanding that I help her sister,” Theia told her.
“Wow. And I thought my day sucked,” Lu shook her head.
“I guess I’ll have to call the police again,” Thea sighed. “I hope they send out a different officer.”
“No, you can’t!” Lu shrieked. “He said if we tell the police he’ll kill her and it will be on our shoulders.”
“Are you seriously kidding me? What am I supposed to do?” Theia asked. “I’m not a cop.”
“I don’t know. Don’t shoot the messenger,” Lu leaned back. “You think I want to be mixed up with this?”
“Well neither do I!” Theia said with passion. “Why would he want me to come? I’m nobody.”
“I hate to tell you this, but he called you ‘that bitch lawyer’ and said you would pay for helping his wife betray him,” Lu explained.
“But I wasn’t able to help her,” Theia responded, baffled.
“He doesn’t care,” Lu said. “He just wants revenge.”
“What should I do?” Theia asked. “You know me. I’m no superhero. I’m afraid of my own shadow half the time.”
“I don’t know. I guess we’ll figure that out when he calls back. You never know, you might be a lot stronger than you think,” Lu suggested.
“You must have me mixed up with someone else,” Theia replied. “Why couldn’t your news have been some of that ridiculous celebrity gossip you’re addicted to? You know they just make that stuff up.”
“Yeah, I know, but what can I say? It’s my guilty pleasure. Hey, I can’t read Kafka all the time.”
“And you’re in Mensa. That’s rich. Well, I guess I should thank you for delivering the message, even though I hate the message as much as you hate delivering it.” Theia paused. “I just don’t understand this, Lu. My life had finally become sane again. I have worked hard for five years to have a normal life, and now it is getting crazy again. I feel as though a black cloud is following me around. All I want is to go to work, and come home to my cats. I don’t even go on dates. I just want a normal, quiet life. Is that too much to ask?”
“Apparently for you, it is. Don’t worry. You’ll figure something out and get through this just fine,” Lu assured her. “You might have to grow a little self-confidence, but you’ll get through it. You have been through far worse.”
“Thanks for the pep talk, coach. I feel so much better,” Theia replied.
“I’ll be in touch.”
“I was afraid of that, but who’s going to rock me to sleep tonight?” Theia asked as she walked Lu out of the office.
CHAPTER FOUR
Mollie walked past Theia’s office door the next morning, then backed up, looked in, and plopped into a chair facing Theia. “What’s wrong?” Mollie demanded.
“What do you mean?”
“Theia, I’ve known you long enough to know when something is bothering you. What is it?”
“Nothing.”
Mollie stared her down.
“Okay, I just had a bad dream the other night,” Theia confessed. “I’m sure I’ll sleep better tonight.”
“Bad dream about what?”
“I’d really rather not talk about it.”
“Talk to me.”
“You’re going to bug me until I do, aren’t you?”
“You know it.”
“Fine. This Rose Catalino case is getting to me. It’s bringing back a bunch of bad stuff from the past, stuff I thought I had gotten over.”
“I’d be surprised if it didn’t.”
“Yeah,” Theia replied. “Maybe I need to go back to my shrink. If these things can still get to me after all this time, maybe I’m not as ‘over it’ as I thought I was. One thing is for sure, I have to find a way to get off this case.”
“What do you mean, get off the case? There is no case. The judge dismissed the petition for the order of protection. Your client has
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