Turning to the front of the case file to locate her arrest record she noted the first arrest had taken place three months after their break up. The first time she was charge with D.U.I and possession of cocaine in L. A. Obviously at that time she still looked the same as when Tina left. Apparently Bette with the help of an expensive lawyer and this being a first time offence was let off with large fines and a court order to seek help for her addiction in a thirty day out patient treatment center.

But as Tina continued to read her arrest history the charges began to compound into multiple offences, the drug and alcohol use became harder and more frequent, and the punishment from the courts became more severe until finally she arrived at the charge that brought this file to her desk.

Bette was now addicted to crack as well as alcohol. She had not worked in four years, she had sold all of her assets to keep up her addiction and she was broke. With no money to hire a lawyer after being charged with using and selling illegal substances and prostitution she was now faced with involuntary court ordered treatment at Mountain Lake or 5 years prison sentence with ten years probation upon release after serving the full term of incarceration.

The last mug shot did not even look like the Bette that Tina remembered. Her hair was dull and limp, those beautiful high cheek bones stuck out to the point of making her weight loss very prominent in her face, but what surprised Tina the most was the lifelessness that she viewed looking into her deep brown soulful eyes.

Tina also noted while looking through the file that after her fifth arrest in L.A. the next three came from different states and she had remained in jail from the time of her arrest until the date of her court appearance. In other words she had not posted bond and no more lawyers had been present in court to plead her case nor had treatment been offered for her addictions. Bette had been at the courts mercy and this was her last hope.

As Tina softly closed the file she picked up her briefcase and placed the file inside. Questions were forming in her mind so rapidly that she couldn’t think clearly. Was Bette now homeless living the life of a street vagrant? What happened to the successful CAC director and brilliant Yale graduate that her life was now reduced to a pro bono case? How long had it been since Bette had contact with her friends? How long had it been since she had been a part of Kit’s life? My God Kit was her only living relative did she know what Bette had become how far she had fallen? Suddenly Tina stopped she needed to get out of this office before she broke down and was unable to do so. Picking up her desk phone she called an associate to inform him she was taking the rest of the day off due to not feeling well and grabbed her purse heading down the long hallway to the underground parking garage.

Twenty minutes later sitting on a park bench Tina’s mind was still reeling with the unanswered questions. Questions to which she had no answers to at the present but she might know someone who could possible answer them for her. Pulling out her I Pad she Google searched and typed in the only name of someone who might give her some answers…Kit Porter.

The screen showed 5 matches but quickly reading through the information the fourth one was a match and provide the positive clue Tina had been searching for…famous music artist and successful business owner…Kit Porter continues to make her home in sunny, L.A. California. She is linked to the successful café…The Planet and a nightclub…Hit.

Tina immediately pulled out her cell phone and dialed directory for the current phone number of The Planet.

“The Planet…Carrie speaking”

“May I speak with Kit Porter please”

“She is not here today may I take a message?”

“Yes, Tell her Tina Kennard called and could she return my call at this number.”

“Certainly, Bye”

“Bye”

As Tina closed her phone up and put it away she decided that if Bette was selected for treatment at Mountain Lake it would be in her best interest if another doctor took over her case. That would mean that Tina would have to explain to the board her past relationship with Bette and she was not sure she wanted to do that. She had made North Carolina her home after leaving L. A. years ago and then there is Bette’s connection to Angie. No one knew these connections except Rachel and Tina had put it all behind her a long time ago and she wanted to keep it that way.