Otherwise they all became one urgent problem I could not solve.

Martha helped me find a civil attorney for advice about my own position and the protective arrangements.

His surname was Vance too.

He was a different man from Detective Vance, and I kept their numbers separate in my notebook.

The detective handled investigative questions.

The attorney represented my interests.

Sarah Jenkins, the prosecutor, made the state’s decisions about the criminal case.

None of them could do every job, and it became easier once I stopped expecting the next person at my door to resolve everything.