“Yes. Yes, of course. I contacted her personally to let her know.”
“Well, she’s been threatened. Now, we don’t know by whom exactly because he’s being very careful to stalk her in the shadows and leaving cryptic threats on her vehicle, but the timing is suspicious since it began the day after the Undertaker was released from prison. I’m not a betting man, but if I was, I’d say our boy has a grudge. Wouldn’t you?”
She had no idea how to answer me. Maybe I couldn’t blame her at this point. Except she was hiding something from me.
“That’s terrible.”
“Yes, it is and as you might imagine, I can’t allow the threats to continue. I also need to know how in thefuckher information was leaked. That was confidential with the highest level of security clearance. That certainly puts a very bad taste in my mouth and when that happens, I become very angry.”
She wasn’t used to seeing me this way. No one was.
“I… I don’t know what to say.”
Deep breaths were necessary before I could continue. “If you know anything, Jasmine, I suggest you tell me. If I discover there was any impropriety regarding his release, then everyone involved will be complicit in the crime punishable by time spent in prison. And I assure you that when it allows order and truth to prevail, I’m like a dog to a bone.”
I backed away on purpose, giving her air.
The ball was in her court.
With a look of confusion on her face, she nodded and moved around me to shut the door to her office. “You didn’t hear this from me, Judge Armstrong, but from what I’ve heard through the grapevine, the DA was pressured. By whom I do not know. I’m telling you the truth. I assure you that I stormed into Mr. Moore’s office demanding answers as soon as I heard the news. He was visibly shaken as well. While he did a commendable job at attempting to shove aside my fears, I had a sense he was highly anxious.”
As the man should be. Who in the hell was pushing him into going against the oath he’d taken to uphold the law?
“And I assure you that there was nothing wrong with my case against Mr. Jones. I’m good at what I do.”
“I believe you. That’s all I need to know, Jasmine. I’ll give you a piece of advice. I’d distance yourself from having to do anything with the case or with Mr. Jones. Do you understand? I’d even consider taking a few days off.”
The look in her eyes was now one of relief. “Yes, sir. I completely understand.”
“I hope you do because we could have blood on our streets.”
I headed out of her office straight to Dan Moore’s. The state attorney and I had been buddies for a long time, although I wouldn’t consider us close. We’d had a couple of beers, had shot a few baskets, and compared notes to various cases when appropriate.
As soon as I walked toward his open door, he saw me, immediately shaking his head. I didn’t give him the option of saying no, stepping inside and shutting the door behind me.
“What in the hell is going on, Dan? Just so you know, I’m not in the mood to take any shit. Not today.”
He scoffed. “You never are, buddy. How are you?”
“Let’s skip the shit. What in the fuck happened with Jones?”
“Who?”
He appeared terrified when I took three long strides toward him. “I’m serious about the mood I’m in. I had a very terrified young lady drop by my house insisting she was in danger and being followed. Or what I would call being stalked in a threatening manner.”
“What? You’re shitting me.”
“Do you think that’s something I’d kid about? Now, spill it. You were the one who signed off on his release. Right? You were the one who mentioned tampering of evidence. Yes?”
“Actually, no. That was the Florida attorney general. I was just following orders. That’s it.”
Exhaling, I took pride in being able to know when someone was telling a lie. That made for a better judge of character. He wasn’t.
Yet even in his eyes, there was some fear.
“Then I guess I’ll need to have a chat with Mr. Worthington. And I assure you that he won’t like what I have to say.”
Before I made it to the door, Dan was right behind me. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
