“I pulled the Maricopa County docket this morning, Mrs.

Briggs,” he said in his low voice.

“Take a look at line four.”

I put on my reading glasses and drew the page into the lamplight.

The heading at the top said Superior Court of Arizona.

Below it was my full legal name, typed in black capitals.

“What’s an emergency ex parte petition?” I asked.

“It’s a request for immediate temporary financial conservatorship,” Arthur said.