To address this concern, the Board asks that you submit a letter from a treating therapist regarding your mental and emotional fitness as well as a letter from your supervising attorney as to your fitness to handle the stresses of the practice of law. We will then set up an interview with you.

Please understand that this letter is not intended to make your path to admission to the bar more difficult, but rather to ensure that any and all concerns are properly addressed. We look forward to working with you to address this issue.

Respectfully,

Lucius Wolterman

Director of Character and Fitness Evaluations

Minnesota Board of Law Examiners

“What the fuck?”

“What’s wrong?” Joe asked from the kitchen.

Lila read the letter again. “That son of a bitch!”

Joe walked in and Lila handed him the letter. “He’s going after my license.”

“Who is?” Joe started reading.

“Frank Dovey.”

“How?”

“You have to pass a character and fitness requirement before you can be admitted to the bar. Dovey must have sent something to the board.”

“I don’t understand. What do they mean by ‘in-court event’?”

Of course Joe didn’t understand. She’d never told him about freezing in court, or about Gavin Spencer’s lisp. She hadn’t told him about her trip to see Dr. Roberts or the afternoon she spent with Niki at the Fifth Precinct. She wasn’t ready to tell him yet, and she couldn’t tell him now that he was about to leave for North Dakota.

“I had a little stumble in court, that’s all. It was nothing, but Dovey was there. He has me under a microscope.”

“How would he know about you being in the hospital?”

“As a prosecutor, he has access to my case from…that night. All he’d have to do is type my name into the system, and there I am.” Lila remembered the list at the Fifth Precinct. He had done much more than just type in her name.

“And Dovey is using that to…”

“Stop me from becoming a lawyer.”

“That stuff is so old. Can he do that?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.” Lila’s knees softened, and she sat down on the bed.

“That’s bullshit,” Joe said.

“He’s head of the division. If he doesn’t stop me from getting sworn in, he could transfer me—or fire me. The only reason he hasn’t done something like that already is he knows he’ll catch heat when Beth comes back.”

“I’m not going to North Dakota,” Joe said.

“What?”

“It’s not right.”

“You’re going to North Dakota, Joe Talbert.” Lila spoke in that same tone her mother had always used when she put her foot down.

“It’s no big deal—”

“I’m not letting that asshole ruin your career too.” She turned to Joe and cupped his face in her hands. “I appreciate the thought—I really do—but I want you to go to North Dakota. Write a great story, and when you come back, I’ll have this all figured out—I’m not sure how, but it’s my dragon to slay.” She kissed him to keep him from saying anything more, and when she drew back she added, “I’m a legal ninja Jedi, remember?”