Blindsided by Fern Michaels Page A

checked the door twice—not that she was obsessive-compulsive; it was just something she did every night. Now she was good to go.
    The courthouse was quiet, with only the evening workers around. The lawyers and their clients were usually gone by four o’clock, four-thirty at the latest. The other judges were usually out of the building by four-thirty, never later than five, along with the stragglers. The clerks and bailiffs followed on their heels. It was a well-known fact that the Ciprani twins were always the last to leave the building and usually the first to arrive in the morning.
    The twins met in the hall, smiled at one another, touched each other on the arm in a sisterly way. “Good day?” Eunice asked.
    â€œEvery day’s a good day except when it’s a bad day, Nessie,” Celeste said, calling her twin by her childhood nickname. “I guess I should say, uneventful. How was yours?”
    â€œSame as yours, Cee. I can’t wait to get home and have a drink. I called home a little while ago to see what Thelma prepared for dinner. It’s warming in the oven. Your favorite, Cee. Rare roast beef, creamed peas and onions, garlic-mashed potatoes, and pickled beets. Oh, yes, yeast rolls and peach cobbler for dessert.”
    â€œThelma is a gem. I’d hate to lose her.”
    â€œWhy would we lose her? She’s been with us forever. We pay her well. She starts at nine and leaves at four-thirty. Did she look at you crossways or something? No one cooks like Thelma, and she minds her own business. If you’re thinking of firing her, perhaps you should rethink it. There aren’t that many good cooks around these parts.”
    â€œDid you forget that I sentenced her nephew to eighteen months at the farm? After that, her attitude toward me changed. I know this may sound bizarre, but I like to think ahead. What if she puts something in our food? The boy is her favorite nephew. She made a point of telling me that. Favorite nephew or not, it’s not her concern; it’s the concern of the parents who allowed the boy to drink and drive. Think in terms of the boy’s sentence as a new Chanel purse, Nessie, and forget about it. Just because Thelma is our housekeeper she has no right to question what we do in court. She needs to remember her place. Regardless of what you say, cooks are a dime a dozen, and there’s always takeout.”
    Nessie shrugged off her sister’s comments except for the part about a new Chanel purse. “You’re paranoid, Cee.”
    â€œLike you aren’t!” Cee snapped. “Listen, I need you to cover for me tomorrow morning for two motion hearings. I saw on the roster that the case you were to hear settled at four o’clock this afternoon. I found a wrinkle, and I need to go for some Botox.”
    Nessie stopped in her tracks and looked up at her twin in the dim light. “Sure. Let me see! Oh, my God! Yes, you do have a new wrinkle. Are you sure Ethan can take you on such short notice? And the next question is, Can you get Botox on top of other Botox? Won’t it lump up on you?”
    â€œI’m just going to show up. Trust me, Ethan won’t turn me away. He won’t even fuss; he’ll just have his girls reschedule everyone else. He wouldn’t be the man to go to for cosmetic fixes if it wasn’t for you and me. We put him where he is. I’m not worried about it. I’ll be back in time for my ten o’clock hearing. No, it won’t lump up on me, at least I don’t think it will,” Celeste said, but her tone betrayed uncertainty.
    Eunice skipped ahead as she pressed a button on her key chain and unlocked the doors to a sleek, black Porsche.
    The short ride to their luxurious condo was made in what the twins considered comfortable silence. They were so in tune with each other that words weren’t necessary. It had always been that way since early childhood. It amused both women that