"It was a misunderstanding," Forrest said easily.
"Let me guess, he thought you killed his father. Or his mother."
Forrest chuckled. "It was nothing like that."
"It sounds to me like Woody Taylor-Francis is a hazard," I said. "Are you sure he shouldn't be arrested?"
"If he was arrested, there wouldn't be enough evidence to charge him with anything," Forrest said.
"Not even a witness to attempted murder?" I gestured at myself.
"Threatening you isn't classified as attempted murder." Forrest toyed with his glass, turning it around slowly in his fingers.
"Tell that to my heart, which still hasn't stopped racing like crazy, for your information." I took another sip of water, only to realize the glass was empty. I held it out while Forrest refilled it.
"He intended to kill me, you know. Otherwise he wouldn't have shown me his face. Maybe I should get a restraining order. Maybe you should get a restraining order as well, since he attacked you too."
"He didn't attack me," Forrest said. "He sent me some lavender."
I blinked. "Lavender?"
"Yes. I'm allergic."
My mouth dropped open to an O of surprise.
"I'm starting to dislike this Woody guy. Who sends someone something they're allergic to?"
"For what it's worth, he also sent a packet of antihistamines." Forrest placed the water jug back on the puddle of moisture it left on the table.
"Oh, well, that makes it okay then," I said sarcastically. "You're going to tell me it's not attempted murder because he sent an antidote, aren't you?"
"Something like that," he agreed. He accepted a basket of garlic bread from the server and offered me the first piece.
I didn't think I was hungry until I smelled it. My stomach was still in knots after the encounter with my masked attacker.
"What's with the mask?" I asked. "On Woody, I mean."
"It adds a dose of drama, as well as hiding his identity." Forrest tore off a piece of bread and popped it into his mouth.
"Drama," I echoed. "It certainly did that. It scared the shit out of me."
He chewed and swallowed. "I’m sorry, I should have been there sooner. If I had, I could have stopped him before he stepped foot in your apartment."
"He might have killed you before killing me," I said. "He seems a bit, what's the word… unhinged."
"Woody wouldn't have killed me," Forrest said firmly. "He knows better."
"Because then hewouldbe arrested," I said.
"Exactly. Killing a judge doesn't usually go down very well with, well, anyone."
"Is that why did you decided to be a judge?" I asked, half joking.
He chuckled. "Believe it or not, I like to put the bad guys behind bars," he said. "I realized early on I didn't have what it took to be a superhero."
"No cape?" I asked.
"No lair," he said, almost sad.
