I winced. We had tried to hurry it along.
The judge pounced on his keyboard. “I can’t write it for you, but you can dictate. And then you sign it and so will I.” His eyes got a faraway look. “I’d like to end a major drug operation while I still, you know, can.” He started typing. “It’d be a nice way to go out.”
Nick paused by the door. “Anna? Maybe you should come with me?”
“Oh.” The judge’s face fell. “Well, okay.” He looked around the large and very quiet room. “You can redo the affidavit at your office and then come back. I have some good floral tea from Hawaii.” He glanced down at his grass skirt as if surprised.
I faltered. We had tried to take advantage of him. “We’re under a bit of a time crunch.” The lab might lead us to the one shipment that had been let loose. Who knew how big it was? “The Judge and I will fix this affidavit while you get the deal and information from the bunny. You should only be an hour or so, Nick.” Maybe I could talk the judge into getting some help.
Nick shook his head. “No. Devlin and that Spider are still out there.”
I snorted. “Come on. Nobody followed us down this private, one-way street.” I cocked my head and mouthed to him, ‘I’m armed.’ My gun was right back where it should be at my waist and beneath my jacket.
Nick’s eyebrows lifted. “Well, all right then.”
The judge danced toward Nick and the door. “If it makes you feel better, I’ll engage the alarm.” He pointed to what looked like a brand-new faceplate with numbers and pretty colors.
Nick nodded. “I’d appreciate that. I’ll be back quickly.” He opened the door and walked onto the porch, heading into the storm.
The judge shut and locked the door before engaging the alarm. He turned around and smiled through his dentures. “I’ll get us some tea before we work on the affidavit.” Humming, he walked out of sight and down a long hallway. “It has been a while since I worked on an affidavit other than signing one,” he called out. “This might even be fun.”
It seemed like the guy was really lonely. Maybe I should introduce Thelma to him. Or Georgiana. I looked around the impressive office. His diplomas, bar certificates, and judgeship certificates had been framed and hung in free areas on the walls. Law books squeezed out more law books, all looking well read.
I moved for a table by the corner that held more books along with a few framed pictures. The first was of the judge holding his diploma with a couple of older people smiling behind him. His hair had been dark brown, and he’d looked young and energetic. The next picture was of him with a very pretty blonde woman, captured probably in the early seventies, if the clothes were to be taken seriously.
A framed photo of four boys at the lake caught my eye. I pulled it out, looking them over. The judge had to have been around ten years old with scrawny arms and wild hair. He had his arm around a kid who looked like him. I brought it closer. It was Sal. His brother.
I grinned. They’d been all knees and elbows.
The kid on the far right caught my attention. He looked familiar. Hey. “Scot,” I murmured. I’d seen pictures of him from summer camp in his office just a month before. The blood roared through my ears, pounding between my temples as I studied the fourth kid.
That nose was unmistakable. It was Melvin Whitaker.
I dropped the frame and turned to see Judge Hallenback at the doorway with a gun pointed at me. He’d changed into black pants beneath his Hawaiian shirt. His hold was imposingly steady on the weapon. He cleared his throat. “So. I’m not really crazy.”
Chapter 41
Ibacked away until my butt hit his desk. “Judge.” Wait a minute. The wind howled outside, and I shivered. “You knew each other as kids.” Then it hit me. Right between the eyes. I slapped my forehead. “The car dealership. Those odd cities circled on the map are car auction cities.”
He nodded. “I thought you were smart from the first time you stepped into my courtroom.”
Once. I’d only been in his courtroom once. “I thought you were nuts.”
He lifted a shoulder. “Yeah, that was the plan. Just in case.”
“Okay.” Why was it so hot in there? Sweat rolled down my back and pooled near my gun. “Melvin manufactures Beast, Scot was supposed to keep the law off you guys, Hallenback’s Used Cars distributes the drug with cars at auctions, and the Lorde’s do what? Deal?”
“They helped finance and have the connections to the dealers in various cities once we get the drugs there.” The judge shrugged. “It’s a good drug. Pain killer. Opioid made at home from yeast. Melvin has always been a genius and they were just taking advantage of him at that seed company. He was meant to do great things.”
“Like start a new drug epidemic?” I tried to look scared, which wasn’t hard because my knees were trembling.
“Yeah, well, nobody is perfect.” The judge flashed his dentures again. “Melvin was a moron for bringing samples of pot home with him, and his even dumber nephew tried to deal that. Jackass.”
“Did you kill them?” I whispered.
“No. I’m not a killer.” He glanced down at the semi-automatic in his hand. “At least, I haven’t been. Do what I say, and I won’t have to kill you.”
My stomach rolled over.
