Thanks for reading!  It is my intention to finish!  Life has intervened and effectively derailed my attempts until now.  It is encouraging to know that you are enjoying the tale.  I am currently deciding what to do with Alicin's tormentors.  Donald Gleason may step into an empty elevator shaft soon, but death is too good for Jerry Wurth...bwahahah.  Wurth, btw, irepresents real person who worked for well known research and development corporation and drew out a lawsuit for a man who worked in a room full of toxic and radioactive cannisters (not harmful, they insisted) until the man finally died of cancers related to the substances he was working with.  The man and his wife were dear friends of my sister in law and I was moved by their story.