He had a long, pale face with dry skin that always looked as if it was coated in a fine powder. His pink lips, by contrast, appeared constantly wet and shiny, and they hid his small rat-like teeth. He had eyes that could’ve been black pearls, and he gave off an odor that I couldn’t put my finger on. It was chemical, but not clean. Like a stink that he’d tried to mask with dead flowers.
He looked at me expecting a response. I turned away.
‘I said it was an unusual speech,’ said Stone, again.
‘I heard you the first time,’ I said. ‘I was being polite by not arguing with you. It was honest. Harry’s devoted a lot of time to this job. He doesn’t want his work to be unraveled when you take over.’
Dreyer took a step closer, a look of anticipation on his face – like he was about to watch a car crash and he couldn’t wait to see the blood and carnage.
‘Do you think I’m not a worthy successor?’ said Stone.
He took some pleasure in his question – a smug look hung around his little black eyes.
I said nothing.
‘Judge Stone asked you a question, Mr. Flynn,’ said Dreyer, eager to join in with the judge.
‘I heard him. I thought it was a rhetorical question. But if you really want me to answer him, I will.’
Harper tugged at my arm, said, ‘Hi, I’m Harper.’
She was smarter than me, and the judge and Dreyer both took a moment to look her up and down appreciatively.
‘I’m going to steal Eddie away, if you gentlemen don’t mind,’ she said. I could tell she was pissed, and didn’t like the way Dreyer and Stone let their eyes wander over her.
I didn’t like it either.
She pulled on my arm, trying to get me away from the situation.
‘So, Miss Harper, do you think I’d be a worthy successor to Judge Ford?’ said Stone, unwilling to let any perceived criticism slide.
‘Stone, what’s going on?’ said Harry, cutting me off before I said something I could regret.
‘Mr. Flynn was just going to tell us that he believes Judge Stone will be a worthy successor to you, Judge,’ said Dreyer.
Harry said, ‘Eddie’s not that drunk. Not yet. Stone, you wouldn’t be a worthy successor to a shithouse attendant. I know your politics. I know your kind.’
Harry reached out, pointed to the lapel of Stone’s tux. There was a metal pin there. It was small, and I hadn’t taken any notice of it until Harry pointed it out. A circle with a ‘1’ in the center.
‘Your time’s up, Ford. You had your run. Don’t make me come after you,’ said Stone.
‘Let’s get a drink,’ said Harry, ushering Harper and me away. ‘There’s a bad smell around here.’
As we walked away, I glanced over my shoulder and only then did I notice that Dreyer wore the same pin on his jacket.
We made our way to the back of the room, Harry said his goodbyes to some other judges and lawyers, and we split to an upscale bar on the next block. Harry felt the same way as I did about parties, even his own. The bar was part of a hotel, and we didn’t look or feel too out of place in our penguin suits, while Harper would have looked like a million dollars in any room in that dress.
I got us some beers and Scotch and we took a booth in the corner.
‘What was that pin Stone was wearing?’ asked Harper.
‘It belongs to an organization that changes its name every year or so. It used to be a white-boy gangbanger outfit out of Tennessee. They got political, changed their names from Nation First, to American Lives First, Men of America, then something else – they split and reformed and split that many times I don’t even know what exactly they call themselves these days. It doesn’t matter. They don’t admit women, Jews, blacks, Hispanics, or anyone for that matter who isn’t white, wealthy and ignorant.’
‘I thought judges couldn’t be that political once in office,’ I said.
‘There are rules. Stone keeps to the letter of the law, that’s for sure. He has his first amendment right to free expression when he’s not on the bench. I just can’t abide the thought of that asshole taking my place. I never thought he would get the appointment – if I’d known, I wouldn’t have left, but by then I’d already put in my papers.’
‘The new hotshot at the DA’s office, Wesley Dreyer, he was wearing one of those pins too,’ I said.
‘I saw that. Dreyer and Stone are tight. Racists are weak, Eddie. They only have strength in numbers. I’m not sure Dreyer believes all the crap that goes with that pin. He’s aligning himself with a powerful judge in whatever way he can. In some ways, that’s worse. Stone is too stupid to recognize his prejudices. Dreyer doesn’t care, as long as he’s climbing a ladder. Be careful though, they’re a dangerous pair. There’s nothing in the rulebook to prevent Dreyer appearing in Stone’s court. You challenge Dreyer for judicial bias and he’ll hand you your ass,’ said Harry.
We took some time to sip our drinks in silence, and I ordered another round from the waiter.
‘Harper and I have been talking. You don’t have any immediate plans for your retirement, do you?’ I asked.
‘What do you mean, plans? I don’t like the sound of that, Eddie.’
‘Well you can’t sail a boat, you don’t have any hobbies, and you’re not going into any consultancy work with the big firms. You’re kind of a free agent now, right?’
‘I thought we could leave it at least a week before we go to Vegas and get arrested,’ said Harry.
‘I don’t think that’s what Eddie has in mind,’ said Harper.
Harry pushed himself away from the table, looked at me over the rim of his glasses.
‘Eddieeee …’ he said, in a tone that implied I’d already done something wrong.
‘I want you to work with me. I know you’re not allowed to practice, but there’s nothing to stop you being a consultant. I need help. I need someone who knows the law inside out. If it’s any consolation, Dreyer is my opponent. I’m representing Sofia Avellino. Harper is handling the investigation. I’ll handle the evidence and witnesses, but I need someone with a great legal mind. I don’t have ten associates writing briefs twenty-four hours a day.’
Raising his glass to his lips, Harry took a thoughtful sip, and by the time he put the glass down he had a wicked smile on his face.
‘Eddie, your cases have a habit of becoming … messy. Have you been beaten up, threatened or arrested yet?’ asked Harry.
‘Give me a chance, we haven’t really got started.’
Harry raised his glass, Harper and I did likewise. We clinked glasses, and Harry said, ‘Well, at least we won’t have to go all the way to Vegas to get in trouble.’
FOURTEEN
KATE
It started to rain heavily when Kate pulled out one of the pages she’d printed in the office and checked the address listed at the top. She looked at the sign over the building. A panel of intercom buttons lay in the recessed doorway. Raindrops spattered the page, and she folded it and put it inside her coat pocket. Her finger paused just before she hit the intercom. Once she pressed it, there was no going back.
Her finger pressed the button, almost unconsciously. A buzzer sounded to let her know an alert had been sent to the inhabitant of the apartment above. Kate straightened her jacket, cleared her throat and swept strands of wet hair away from her face.