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have been suffering.”
    It was a valid question; we never kept
anything
from each other.
    I locked eyes with her. “I don’t know, Teen. I guess I just hoped the whole thing would go away like a bad dream.” I gave her a chagrined smirk. “Anyway, I didn’t suffer that much—remember, I was on Prozac through most of it.”
    Tina nodded, her expression forgiving. “I understand. Coming here tonight? That
had
to be difficult.”
    Kevin asked, “Who all knows about this?”
    “Peggy Sue, Mother, Senator Clark I’m pretty sure, and now you two…. And the instigator, of course—Connie Grimes herself. Wicked Witch of the … which one had the house fall on her again?”
    Teen touched my knee. “You’re
sure
the letters came from her?”
    I nodded. “She as much as admitted it.”
    Kevin looked out across the lawn, where darkness had crept in. “There must be a way to stop her.”
    I slapped at a mosquito. “I don’t think there is one—that woman is hell-bent for leather to ruin us.”
    Tina was getting to her feet. “What does that mean, anyway … ‘hell-bent for leather’?”
    I stood with a sigh. “Don’t know … but it fits her to a T.” Another expression I didn’t understand. “I should go.”
    Kevin rose, kissed me on the cheek, then retreated inside, giving us girls some privacy.
    “Why don’t you let me drive you home?” Tina asked as we made our way down the porch steps. “Kev can follow in his car.”
    “No, honey. I’ll be fine. Honestly.”
    Our conversation was accompanied by a chorus of cicadas and crickets.
    Tina said, “Brandy, I
am
worried about you having another panic attack. Won’t you please consider going back on—”
    “Look, we’ve been over that. Nothing but aspirin.” We were at my car now. “But I will go see my therapist, and talk to her about this latest attack.”
    “Promise?”
    I smiled. “Girl Scout’s honor.”
    She gave me a hug, then held me by my forearms, her eyes painfully earnest. “You know there isn’t
anything
I wouldn’t do for you. Kevin, too. We both love you.”
    I touched her cheek. “I know. Please don’t worry. As somebody much smarter than me once said, ‘This too shall pass.’ “I opened the car door. “And after all, I’m not the real victim in this—it’s Peggy Sue and Mother who will have to face what’s to come.”
    Tina shuddered. “And your sister so values the opinions of others.”
    “Tell me about it. And Mother hates being on the wrong end of gossip….”
    That got a little laugh out of Teen, and I got in my car, backed out of the drive. I watched her in my rearview mirror, still standing in the driveway, smaller and smaller until the darkness swallowed her.
    What
was
to come?
    Mother ridiculed.
    Sis ostracized.
    And me caught in the middle.
    The next morning I slept in later than usual, and when I finally made it downstairs there was a note from Mother taped to the coffee machine (I would not give
that
up for
any
baby) saying she had taken the gas-driven trolley downtown to do some personal business (i.e., snooping).
    This gave me the privacy I needed to get Connie Grimes on the phone. The conversation was fairly brief.
    “I’d like to come and talk to you,” I said.
    “Talk to my lawyer. Violate that restraining order at your own risk.”
    “I’ll only stop by if you give me permission.”
    “Why should I? I can tell you right now what my plans are—I’m going to have your mother arrested, and that little dog of yours put down. For attacking me.”
    Getting Mother arrested was one thing, but threatening to have Sushi put to sleep? I felt my face flush and I had to tell myself this was just Connie blustering—after all, a day had passed, and neither the police nor animal control had shown up at our door….
    So I took a deep breath, let it out, and replaced my fear and anger with a gently ribbing tone.
    “Ah, come on, Con—imagine the fun you’ll have … me, groveling at your feet? You really