“You don’t have to take her so literally.” Dulsie kept her attention on the rock-packed road. “Mom isn’t a rigid ramrod.”

“I know that.” His response was quick that time.

“The fact you’d offer her any kind of apology is gonna make Mom have to soften up a bit. It’ll at least be that start you’ve been looking for.”

Shad had to think again. “How? Where? There’s no way I’m gonna wind up being alone with your mom to say anything like that to her.”

“You can do it in front of Dad. He’s on your side anyway.”

A few more seconds passed. “I don’t know if having your dad around is a good idea.”

Dulsie had to chuckle. As much as Shad claimed he had trouble understanding people, he had their family dynamics pretty well figured out.

“How about when Erin comes to visit next weekend?” Dulsie knew Shad had a rather unique relationship with her oldest cousin. “We’ll be a pretty big crowd, and it’ll kinda be like old times. Just make it a point to say something to Mom during that time. Pretend it’s like the good ol’ days when she used to be nice to you.”

“I don’t want to impose on her.”

“This isn’t the first time she’s been a mama bear. When Aunt Maddie and Uncle Pax first took you in, Mom kept me away for the first couple of weeks. Once she apparently became convinced that you weren’t going to pounce on anybody with a tire iron or nail clippers, she finally let us start playing together. You can get her to trust you again. Just use those memories of better days to your advantage.”

Shad seemed to consider Dulsie’s suggestion for a few seconds before responding. “I can’t help thinking it’ll be like an invitation to her to start sprinkling arsenic on my plate every weekend.”

Dulsie cast a sidelong gaze toward him. “You know, sometimes you set the bar really low with your expectations of some people. You know how direct Mom is. She’d stick a bratwurst up your butt and sic starving dachshunds on you.”

“And that’s supposed to encourage me?”

“I know you’re up to the task. We both know you’ve survived far worse.”

Again a few seconds passed before his response. “I think the difference here is I actually do have a relationship with Jill. Right now it’s just repressed. When I don’t care about somebody’s thoughts or feelings, it’s a lot easier to do something. But I don’t want to put your mom in a worse place than she already is, which by backlash would also put you in a worse place. And you’re definitely the last person in the world I could bear having harm come to. So you see why I’m so hesitant with this?”

Shad sometimes used that bachelor’s degree in psychology like a defensive weapon, but Dulsie had lots of citations to fight back. “It’s you and me against the world, remember? I’m watching your back, and what doesn’t kill us will only make us stronger.” She smiled at Shad. “It’s worth a little hardship to repair your relationship with Mom. Say something next weekend.”

“Maybe so.” Shad seemed to study the scenery out the windshield. “But if she offers me a bratwurst, I’m getting the heck outta there.”

Chapter Seven

The more laws, the less justice.

--German proverb

Shad was reaching the conclusion he was once again going to have to do something he would really rather not do.

He could credit Dulsie with giving him the idea that Shad was just going to have to talk to Wally. If the man was still preying on young boys, Shad was obligated to stop him. But if Wally had actually repented and was no longer a threat, Shad saw no reason to harass the man, regardless of the limitations statute. The only way he was going to be able to ascertain what course to take next was by determining which path Wally had chosen.

That wasn’t going to be easy. But thanks to his very thorough experience and training in the dynamics of abuse, Shad was reasonably sure he’d be able to see through Wally’s barriers. This time Shad wouldn’t be able to rely on his gut instinct, since that one flicker of insight he possessed was based on empathy with victims. Those who were being abused could tip Shad off, but abusers could fool him as easily as they did everyone else – unless he was able to pick up on some of the warning signs he had acquainted himself with so well.

Shad did have the advantages of surprise and knowledge about Wally. He would keep in mind that Wally had the reputation of being a liar. And with the change in his surname and use of his legally given name of Shadow basically limited to Karl calling him “Shady” in reference to Shad’s law practice, Wally would never realize who he was until Shad told him.

His profession as an attorney could also provide a convenient screen for wanting to meet with Walden Palmer.

That Monday Shad donned a dark grey suit with a light blue shirt (he wore the white shirts only on court days) and as always left his tie, which was maroon today, draped unknotted around his neck as he drove the Ford pickup truck to his office in Linn.

Since his office and Dulsie’s job were in opposite directions once they reached the highway, Dulsie drove the car because it was newer and less likely to suffer a mechanical failure. Shad drove the old blue pickup because his route took him closer to the feed store and he could pick up grain and dog food. Both of them were in the habit of leaving for work early. Shad wanted to miss the rush hour traffic and Dulsie liked being able to take off early from her job whenever possible.

It wasn’t even seven-thirty when Shad parked the truck at the back corner of the old single-story red brick house with a black hip roof. Over twenty years ago the home had been converted to an office building. Since he was the first one there Shad had to unlock the back door to enter the structure. The back door didn’t have any sign, but at the front door a large wood sign was mounted under the window, and a year and a half ago it had been repainted to read “Harcourt and Delaney – Attorneys at Law.” Before that the names had read “Martin and Harcourt,” but when Martin prepared to retire, Nolin Harcourt began looking for a new partner.

At that time Shad had been working for a year and a half as a staff attorney in Jefferson City. He and Dulsie often got to ride together, but otherwise Shad started to question why he had chosen this profession. He had to take whatever cases were assigned to him, which made Shad feel like just another cog in the wheel, even though he knew he would benefit from experience before trying to strike out on his own.

Then opportunity masqueraded as coincidence. Shad happened to cross paths with Nolin while both men were attending a continuing legal education seminar in Cape Girardeau. Nolin had hoped to take on a young attorney as a partner whom he could mentor as Martin had once mentored him. Shad’s “home boy” qualities definitely piqued Nolin’s interest, and he invited Shad to give the partnership a try.

The back door led into what was once a small, screened-in back porch which was now totally enclosed. As soon as Shad stepped in he faced the back of the rock chimney of the now defunct but still regal fireplace which sat in the rear of the reception room, formerly a living room, on the other side of the wall. To Shad’s right was the entry to the kitchen that also provided the access to the basement which was used for storage and where the second bathroom was located. To his left was the entrance to a long hallway that connected to the first bathroom, a conference room, and finally Shad’s own office at the front of the building.

Nolin’s office, which had once been the dining room but now the kitchen access was walled off, was located directly across on the other side of the reception area. Nolin now had the larger office but agreed that Shad’s office had the better location. The joke was Shad could sneak out the back if he wanted since he had a door to the hallway as well as the entrance to the reception room.