Damaged

Damaged

Adult fiction
"'I'll put them in front of little Poindexter on the stand.
I'll have him authenticate them. I'll ask him if he drew them. He
won't lie, not about this. From what I hear, he's very proud of his
drawings. He wants to be a comic book artist someday.' Machiavelli
chuckled. 'Except that he can't read. Oops!"
Mary felt her fists clench. She knew that Machiavelli was low,
but she hadn't thought he was low enough to make fun of a disabled
child. He was no better than the bullies in the schoolyard. Then it
occurred to her thar maybe schoolyard bullies grew up to be lawyers."
There are some things a lawyer does not need as she gets ready
for her own wedding complete with potential pitfalls. A new,
complicated, potentially dangerous case is probably near the top of
the list. But that's what Mary DiNunzio finds herself dealing with in
Lisa Scottoline's Damaged.
Edward O'Brian hires Mary on behalf of the 10-year-old orphaned
grandson he cares for. Patrick is a special needs fifth grader who
can't yet read. He isn't getting the remedial services he needs.
He's so anxious he throws up in school. His peers torment him,
calling him names like Vomit Boy and Duke of Puke.
Only kids aren't the only ones bullying Patrick. A teacher's
aide, Robertson, acted abusively, punching him in the face and
threatening to beat him up if he told anyone. When Edward was finally
able to get at the truth, he notified a school official who promised
to investigate.
Edward contacts Mary when he's served with a lawsuit. Robertson
is suing him and the school district, claiming that Patrick tried to
stab him with scissors, "attempting to do him grevious bodily harm."
He claims to be traumatized enough not to be able to return to work.
He's hired a lawyer, Machiavelli, a great admirer of the evil genius
whose name he bears.
Of course that's only the tip of the iceberg plot wise. Before
the end of the book Edward has died under suspicious circumstances,
Patrick has pulled a gun on a human services worker, and Mary's
upcoming marriage is on real jeopardy.
On a personal note, as I add my personal note I'm in my studio with a
delightful breeze caressing me. It will get muggier later. I have
finally saved up enough to pay for Joey cat's summer shave. It's
medical necessity, not vanity on my part. His fur is so long and
thick and, in the summer when he won't tolerate grooming, so matted.
He will be so much more comfortable after he gets his little lion
(everything shaved but head, legs, and tail) cut.
A great big shout out goes out to Mother Nature for the very tolerable
weather and sleepable nights we've been having lately up to Penobscot
County.
jules hathaway


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