showed up.”
“I don’t think he was watching the road. If he had been, he would’ve called and yelled at you for involving the police. Detective McCarthy said there weren’t even any recent tire tracks. I think the whole thing was a hoax. He was just playing us,” Theia said.
“One thing about this is definitely not a hoax. He’s done something with Rose. We’ve got to figure out a way to help her,” Lu insisted.
“I hate to sound cold, Lu, but is there any point?”“What do you mean?”
“Even if we succeed, what’s she going to do for the rest of her life?” Theia wondered aloud. Lu looked off to the side. “Lu, she keeps going back to him. Are we wasting our time and risking our necks for nothing? What difference have we made if she goes right back?”
Lu shook her head. “I get your point, but I can’t just walk away. She needs our help. After we help her this one time, she’ll have to make her own choices.”
“That’s easy to say now, but will we really be able to turn our backs the next time? I don’t know if she can help herself from going back to him. I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you want to help me find Rose, but I think this one’s a lost cause. Hey, I’m sorry I bit your head off earlier … even though I don’t need advice on my life.”
“All right, all right,” Lu conceded. “I’ll back off on your love life. Oh, I forgot, you don’t have a love life.”
“I don’t need a love life.”
“Everyone needs a love life.”
“Okay… how’s this for my love life – I love my life,” Theia volleyed back.
“You’re hopeless.”
“You’re an idiot!” Theia countered.
“I was a genius a minute ago. So what’re you going to do with the rest of your life since you don’t need people?”
“Just live quietly and one day buy a little cottage and write books all day long,” Theia said.
“Wouldn’t you rather live at a tropical resort, surrounded by constant parties and being waited on by cabana boys bringing you fruity umbrella drinks?” Lu jiggled in her seat as though dancing.
“Oh, no. Give me the quiet life. Peace and calm. I’d have a little garden and an orchard. I’d be pretty much self-sufficient. My needs would be simple and few. That sounds like my brand of heaven.”
“That sounds like boredom on a stick.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Theia found herself back in Judge Hamilton’s courtroom later that week. He tilted his head, directing her to meet him in his chambers.
“Yes, Judge?”
“I understand things went south on that order of protection case we had the other week,” he said.
“How’d you find out?” Theia asked.
“The police asked me a few questions. They wouldn’t tell me much, but I heard enough that I’m sorry I didn’t give her an order of protection.”
“Well, you couldn’t, Judge,” Theia assured him. “She wouldn’t testify, so there wasn’t any evidence. You can’t grant an order without evidence.”
“I know, but I still feel bad.”
“Look, even if you’d given her an order, she would’ve gone home with him anyway and the same thing would’ve happened,” Theia stated.
“You’re probably right. Can you fill in the blanks for me?” he asked. “They only told me bits and pieces. Some crap about an ongoing investigation. You’d think being a judge would count for something, but no.”
“Sure, after court she called my office in the middle of the night. He caught her making the phone call and beat her. Cops went to the house the next day and found signs of a struggle and blood on the floor, but she wasn’t there.”
“Damn. That explains why they wouldn’t tell me much. So there really is an ongoing investigation?”
“Not much of one. And get this - her husband wanted me to come get her at an abandoned quarry,” Theia continued.
“What? He didn’t really think you’d fall for that, did he?”
“Who
“I don’t think he was watching the road. If he had been, he would’ve called and yelled at you for involving the police. Detective McCarthy said there weren’t even any recent tire tracks. I think the whole thing was a hoax. He was just playing us,” Theia said.
“One thing about this is definitely not a hoax. He’s done something with Rose. We’ve got to figure out a way to help her,” Lu insisted.
“I hate to sound cold, Lu, but is there any point?”“What do you mean?”
“Even if we succeed, what’s she going to do for the rest of her life?” Theia wondered aloud. Lu looked off to the side. “Lu, she keeps going back to him. Are we wasting our time and risking our necks for nothing? What difference have we made if she goes right back?”
Lu shook her head. “I get your point, but I can’t just walk away. She needs our help. After we help her this one time, she’ll have to make her own choices.”
“That’s easy to say now, but will we really be able to turn our backs the next time? I don’t know if she can help herself from going back to him. I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you want to help me find Rose, but I think this one’s a lost cause. Hey, I’m sorry I bit your head off earlier … even though I don’t need advice on my life.”
“All right, all right,” Lu conceded. “I’ll back off on your love life. Oh, I forgot, you don’t have a love life.”
“I don’t need a love life.”
“Everyone needs a love life.”
“Okay… how’s this for my love life – I love my life,” Theia volleyed back.
“You’re hopeless.”
“You’re an idiot!” Theia countered.
“I was a genius a minute ago. So what’re you going to do with the rest of your life since you don’t need people?”
“Just live quietly and one day buy a little cottage and write books all day long,” Theia said.
“Wouldn’t you rather live at a tropical resort, surrounded by constant parties and being waited on by cabana boys bringing you fruity umbrella drinks?” Lu jiggled in her seat as though dancing.
“Oh, no. Give me the quiet life. Peace and calm. I’d have a little garden and an orchard. I’d be pretty much self-sufficient. My needs would be simple and few. That sounds like my brand of heaven.”
“That sounds like boredom on a stick.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Theia found herself back in Judge Hamilton’s courtroom later that week. He tilted his head, directing her to meet him in his chambers.
“Yes, Judge?”
“I understand things went south on that order of protection case we had the other week,” he said.
“How’d you find out?” Theia asked.
“The police asked me a few questions. They wouldn’t tell me much, but I heard enough that I’m sorry I didn’t give her an order of protection.”
“Well, you couldn’t, Judge,” Theia assured him. “She wouldn’t testify, so there wasn’t any evidence. You can’t grant an order without evidence.”
“I know, but I still feel bad.”
“Look, even if you’d given her an order, she would’ve gone home with him anyway and the same thing would’ve happened,” Theia stated.
“You’re probably right. Can you fill in the blanks for me?” he asked. “They only told me bits and pieces. Some crap about an ongoing investigation. You’d think being a judge would count for something, but no.”
“Sure, after court she called my office in the middle of the night. He caught her making the phone call and beat her. Cops went to the house the next day and found signs of a struggle and blood on the floor, but she wasn’t there.”
“Damn. That explains why they wouldn’t tell me much. So there really is an ongoing investigation?”
“Not much of one. And get this - her husband wanted me to come get her at an abandoned quarry,” Theia continued.
“What? He didn’t really think you’d fall for that, did he?”
“Who
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