looked on in wonder. “I respect your
position, but right now I’m more concerned about your safety. Your life. I’m calling the cops, so you might as well tell them what’s going on.”
Isaac grabbed her shoulders. “What the hell is this all about, Chelsea? If you’re in trouble, I think I have a right to know.”
“Nothing.” She threw her napkin in the plate. “I’m prosecuting Curtis Hamilton. I found a threatening note on my car, someone let the air out of my tires, and I’ve had hang-ups and verbal threats at work. More than usual, and more than any of the other DDA’s. My boss thinks someone is trying to send me a message. You’ve met David. He’s been assigned to…I guess look after me. I don’t think it’s that serious. A colleague could have left that note on my windshield. I’m sure some of them expected to get this case. In fact, when the first calls came, it suspected a colleague. It could just be jealousy.”
“Damn!” Dee’s eyes widened. “This has been going on and you didn’t tell
anyone?” She looked across the table. “Well, you told Skip.”
“She didn’t tell me,” Skip added. “David did. There’s no use trivializing this,
especially now. I was hoping it was not serious, but someone was in here this morning. He was large enough for me to think it was Isaac, and he didn’t break in. That’s pretty fucking scary.”
“And you didn’t think you could tell me this?” The look on Isaac’s face was now
unmistakably anger. “Skip is right. Damn your position if your life is being threatened. Someone was here in your house last night. This morning. What would have happened if you had been here alone? Did this person say or do anything when you came downstairs, Skip?”
“He didn’t look up or I would have known it wasn’t you. I made it halfway down
the stairs and saw him walking down the hallway toward the living room. I saw your number on his back and thought it was you, which means he was a big dude. I didn’t see any facial features.
Nothing beyond the jersey.” He looked at his sister. “You said you would worry if this thing followed you home. Start worrying.”
Dee sat, stone faced and silent. Isaac paced the floor, pounding his right fist into his left palm and hurling angry expletives with an accent that brought attention to his heritage.
“I can’t believe you! What do you think work is supposed to mean, Chelsea?
Nobody expects you to put your life on the line for a job. I don’t even understand why that would be an issue. Everyone in Louisiana, possible the whole damn country knows about Curtis Hamilton. I don’t know why you’re opposed to David or anyone else looking out for your safety.”
“I’m not the first one in the department to get this kind of treatment. It happens a lot. I have a big case, so I’m getting a lot of heat.”
Isaac turned on his heel. “You mean this is routine? Men as well as women?”
“I don’t think people who terrorize actually practice sexual discrimination.” Chelsea stood. “Most of the people targeted are men since most of us are men. Whitney is the only woman I know of who went through this kind of torture.”
“Yeah, she was shot,” Dee said.
“You mean somebody was killed?” Isaac fell in step with Chelsea.
“Someone was killed once, but not Whitney. You were with me at her wedding to
Leander Perry. She’s now my boss. Everyone thought the threats were the result of a case she was prosecuting. Most of her problems came from personal relationships and her parents’
music business. Both are our families are hooked into the music industry, but to the best of my knowledge, no one in my family is connected the way her family was.” She took Isaac’s arm and glanced at Skip. “Unless you and my brother are doing something I don’t know about.”
“I don’t know what your brothers are doing but keeping this from me was deceitful, Chelsea. You know that boy’s
position, but right now I’m more concerned about your safety. Your life. I’m calling the cops, so you might as well tell them what’s going on.”
Isaac grabbed her shoulders. “What the hell is this all about, Chelsea? If you’re in trouble, I think I have a right to know.”
“Nothing.” She threw her napkin in the plate. “I’m prosecuting Curtis Hamilton. I found a threatening note on my car, someone let the air out of my tires, and I’ve had hang-ups and verbal threats at work. More than usual, and more than any of the other DDA’s. My boss thinks someone is trying to send me a message. You’ve met David. He’s been assigned to…I guess look after me. I don’t think it’s that serious. A colleague could have left that note on my windshield. I’m sure some of them expected to get this case. In fact, when the first calls came, it suspected a colleague. It could just be jealousy.”
“Damn!” Dee’s eyes widened. “This has been going on and you didn’t tell
anyone?” She looked across the table. “Well, you told Skip.”
“She didn’t tell me,” Skip added. “David did. There’s no use trivializing this,
especially now. I was hoping it was not serious, but someone was in here this morning. He was large enough for me to think it was Isaac, and he didn’t break in. That’s pretty fucking scary.”
“And you didn’t think you could tell me this?” The look on Isaac’s face was now
unmistakably anger. “Skip is right. Damn your position if your life is being threatened. Someone was here in your house last night. This morning. What would have happened if you had been here alone? Did this person say or do anything when you came downstairs, Skip?”
“He didn’t look up or I would have known it wasn’t you. I made it halfway down
the stairs and saw him walking down the hallway toward the living room. I saw your number on his back and thought it was you, which means he was a big dude. I didn’t see any facial features.
Nothing beyond the jersey.” He looked at his sister. “You said you would worry if this thing followed you home. Start worrying.”
Dee sat, stone faced and silent. Isaac paced the floor, pounding his right fist into his left palm and hurling angry expletives with an accent that brought attention to his heritage.
“I can’t believe you! What do you think work is supposed to mean, Chelsea?
Nobody expects you to put your life on the line for a job. I don’t even understand why that would be an issue. Everyone in Louisiana, possible the whole damn country knows about Curtis Hamilton. I don’t know why you’re opposed to David or anyone else looking out for your safety.”
“I’m not the first one in the department to get this kind of treatment. It happens a lot. I have a big case, so I’m getting a lot of heat.”
Isaac turned on his heel. “You mean this is routine? Men as well as women?”
“I don’t think people who terrorize actually practice sexual discrimination.” Chelsea stood. “Most of the people targeted are men since most of us are men. Whitney is the only woman I know of who went through this kind of torture.”
“Yeah, she was shot,” Dee said.
“You mean somebody was killed?” Isaac fell in step with Chelsea.
“Someone was killed once, but not Whitney. You were with me at her wedding to
Leander Perry. She’s now my boss. Everyone thought the threats were the result of a case she was prosecuting. Most of her problems came from personal relationships and her parents’
music business. Both are our families are hooked into the music industry, but to the best of my knowledge, no one in my family is connected the way her family was.” She took Isaac’s arm and glanced at Skip. “Unless you and my brother are doing something I don’t know about.”
“I don’t know what your brothers are doing but keeping this from me was deceitful, Chelsea. You know that boy’s
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