Read Online Cascade by Claudia Hall Christian - Free Book Online Page A

a
joke?”
    “ You’re so hard, Aden. Nash and
Noelle need me. Especially during their teen years. Their bipolar
disorder will start and …”
    “ Why do you insist that they will
become bipolar?”
    “ Because that’s what happened to
me. I was mentally ill and took drugs to self medicate. I wouldn’t
be here now if my parents understood my disability or if you
understood my disability.”
    Aden shook his head. Nuala had found another
way to avoid being responsible for her life.
    “ We’ll have to go to court,” Aden
said.
    “ Fine, it’s your money,” Nuala
said. “You’ll have to pay my lawyers fees because you infringed on
my rights.”
    “ Your rights were taken away by the court, not me. You had
those rights taken away by your actions,” Aden
said.
    “ If
you’re going to be like that, then we will go to court. You’ll see.
Maybe your parental rights will be taken away.
How would you like that?”
    Without another word, Aden stood and knocked
on the door. The corrections officer led him through the facility
to the door where he retrieved his watch and other belongings. He
jogged through the light snow to his car. Turning onto left Smith
road, he made the almost immediately right turn to the Sand Creek
Open Space.
    Aden knew he would not stay sober if he held
onto his rage and helplessness. Despite the bitter cold, he ran the
Sand Creek trail. Screaming and crying, he vented the feelings that
always arose around Nuala. By the time he returned to the car, he
felt more like himself.
    Nuala wasn’t going to get the best of him. Not
now, not ever.
    He hoped.
    ~~~~~~~~
    Monday morning — 11 A.M.
     
    Delphie and Sam had been waiting for more than
two hours in an estate lawyer’s wood paneled waiting room.
Delphie’s fingers clasped a metal box on her lap. The box held all
of her legal papers – her birth certificate, her name change
documents, and everything else. The box should clear up this
mess.
    Sam insisted on driving Delphie to Leadville
to ‘just deal with’ this nonsense. With each passing moment,
Delphie felt more lost. She was losing track of time, losing track
of herself and even losing track of Sam’s warm presence.
    Sam got up to refill their water glasses. She
looked up to take his offered glass.
    “ Do you want to visit anyone while
we’re here?” Delphie asked.
    Sam smiled. She’d asked this question two or
three times already.
    “ You’re right,” Delphie said.
“Let’s get this done and see what’s next.”
    Sam took her hand. Hearing a sound behind
them, they turned to see two Leadville Police Officers come into
the waiting room. They had a quiet conversation with the
receptionist then stood near the door.
    “ Ms. Delphinium?” A gray haired
man came out from the back office.
    Shocked, Delphie popped to her feet. She
gawked at the man.
    “ Officers, you may arrest this
woman,” the gray haired man said.
    “ Surely there’s some mistake.” Sam
stood to block the men from Delphie. “Listen, I’m Sam Lipson. I
went to high school with both of you. Chet? You remember Big
Sam?”
    The older police officer nodded to
Sam.
    “ This woman stole a valuable asset
from the Johansen estate. We generously offered her some leeway in
returning the item.” The man sneered at Sam. “She didn’t bother to
bring the item with her.”
    The police officers moved toward
Delphie.
    “ Officers please,” Sam said. “This
is clearly a misunderstanding.”
    “ Where is the Chastity Bell?” The
gray haired man asked. “Where is it?”
    Delphie cowered from the man. With Sam in
front of her, and the police closing in, Delphie did the only thing
she could think of – she called for Celia.
    There was a popping sound. The lights
flickered then went out.
    “ Holy crap! There’s only one
reason the lights go out around Big Sam Lipson,” Chet, the police
officer said. “There’s a Marlowe here. No stolen property is worth
running afoul with any Marlowe.”
    “ I’m not waiting