I tapped the screen. “That’s Union Springs, for sure. They’re on the sidewalk in front of Bria Gaines’s medical office.”
There was no mistaking it. Her name was still painted on the front window. The shiny black letters hadn’t been obscured by the red paint vandals had flung on the building’s exterior.
Luna nodded. “That’s what I saw, too. Seemed like you needed to know about it. It’s not the only fight I’ve heard about. Did you know that Vic Fowler punched out Bria’s lawyer?”
I did not know that. “Where?”
“Outside of Uptown Barbecue.”
“Shit.” I muttered the word, though I wanted to shout it. Had to exercise some self-control, in the heart of the courthouse. “No, I hadn’t heard that.”
“Yeah, Bria had to take him to the hospital. His head hit the pavement, gave him a black eye and a bloody nose.”
“Good Lord! Why am I the last person in town to hear this? That’s an assault on defense counsel. I have the duty to provide oversight for the trial of this case.”
Well. I couldn’t pretend that it was a surprise, because I’d been expecting it. I capped my ink pen. My desk pad held a stack of motions I’d been reading, to enter rulings in other cases. I hastily returned the papers back to their respective file folders, shoved them to the side.
“Luna, get counsel for both sides ofState v. Gaineson the phone, arrange a time for a conference. We need to have a serious talk about damage control.”
“Okay.” She started to head out, then lingered in the doorway. “One more thing, Judge. I heard it over at the sheriff’s office. Can’t swear that it’s true.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. “Lord help me. What did you hear?”
“The governor. He’s threatening to send in the National Guard.”
Okay, that announcement threw me. I was speechless. Opened my eyes to see Luna standing in the doorway, awaiting my response. When I recovered, I said, “We’re going straight to hell. I don’t suppose the governor’s office tried to contact me? To give fair warning?”
Only Luna could provide that answer. She shook her head.
I took a breath. Released it. Turned to my keyboard, pulled up the court calendar. “Luna, after you make these calls, get back in here. We’re setting that case for trial before they burn this town to the ground.”
CHAPTER
37
Luna hadn’t managed to reach the DA. His clerk said he was taking a break at LuLu’s, a diner about two blocks from the courthouse. He’d be back in a bit, she said.
I wasn’t inclined to wait. Not in the mood.
I decided to run Reeves down myself. In person. Get things settled.
I shoved my laptop in my bright red leather briefcase, so I could access my court docket. I needed to move this train down the tracks, for the good of everyone involved.
I stepped out the front door of the courthouse and walked straight into a cloud of smoke.
Aurora Freeman, my former school lunch lady, was taking her morning cigarette break.
I waved the smoke out of my face. “Aurora, why aren’t you in the parking lot? You know the mayor’s gonna complain if he sees you smoking on the front sidewalk again.”
Aurora was unmoved. She flicked an ash. Sucked on the filter, inhaled the smoke deep before blowing it out. “I just wanted tosee what’s going on out here.” She pointed down Prairie Street. “Looks like the circus is in town.”
Aurora had the right of it. Just one block away from the courthouse, the sidewalks were crowded with people, swirling around the storefronts and surging into the street. Traffic was at a standstill. Drivers were laying on their horns, trying to get the crowd to part. No use.
Aurora pointed with her cigarette. “That’s a sight, ain’t it? I can’t remember a crowd like this since the Christmas parade.”
“That’s not a crowd, Aurora. It’s a mob. You should get back inside.”
“What about you?”
