Page 36 of In the Line of Ire

"It wasa rather frightening incident."

"It wasa total surprise," said Solomon. "Although those things happenevery so often in our line of work. It wasn't the first time I'vebeen shot at, and it probably won't be the last."

"How doyou feel about that?" asked Polly.

"Solomonis right. We do make easy targets. It happens. I’d prefer to say itwill never happen again but I don't think that's verypractical."

"You cantake precautions. Kevlar, for example?"

"We dothat already," said Solomon.

"Yeah,at work," I said. "We don't wear Kevlar at home. We were completelycaught off guard."

"Lexidoesn't like having food delivered anymore," saidSolomon.

"I stilllike eating it," I added.

"Whydon't you like having it delivered?" asked Polly.

"Becausewe ordered a pizza when Solomon was shot. We were eagerly waitingfor the delivery guy. The doorbell rang and of course, we thoughtit was him. We were completely unprepared for what happenednext."

"So nowyou correlate the two incidents? The food delivery and theshooting?"

"No."

"Yes,"said Solomon. He turned his head. "Yes, you do."

"I'mjust worried that the next time one of us answers the door, like wedid before, being so unprepared, something bad willhappen."

"Do youopen the door to the mailman? The FedEx guy? Door-to-doorsalespeople?" asked Polly.

Iwrinkled my brow, thinking back. "Sometimes."

"Whathappens when you don't answer?"

"Theyleave the package on the stoop, or next door, or put those littlecards in the door that no one ever responds to."

"And what happens when youdoanswer the door?"

"Iaccept my packages with a smile. I got the cutest pair of blackboots a few days ago. Perfect for fall."

Pollymade another note then said, "So… nice things happen when youanswer the door?"

"Yes."

"Wouldyou say nice things happen more often than bad things?"

"Yes."

"Couldthis one bad thing have happened anywhere at anytime?"

"Yes," Isaid.

"Butyour fear is linked to that doorway and the pizzadelivery."

"Wedon't live at that house anymore. We live at Lexi's house now andshe's scared of that doorway too. I think she's scared of anydoorway in any building I'm in."

"Whydon't you live at your former home?" asked Polly.

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