The most glittering event of the year in the Boston legal community, the Pro Bono League reception showcased the charitable work done by major law firms. It was always held in a fabulous venue, with an open bar and food catered by the most notable chefs in the city. Madison dreamed of attending once she was an established attorney. To go as a law student was rare. The only person she knew who’d ever managed to snag an invite was Chloe, because her father was a name partner in one of the sponsoring firms. Normally, she would have jumped at such a rare opportunity. But she suspected that this one came with a catch. Judge Conroy insisted that their deal remain secret. She wanted Madison to tell nobody, sneak into the town house through the back alley, keep up her normal routine. It didn’t make sense that she’d invite her to the social event of the year where people would see them together—unless she had an ulterior motive.
“I’d kill to go to that, but I thought nobody could know about our deal or—” She waved her hand as if to say, Whatever this is.
“That’s right. The fact that you got your ticket from me will remain our secret. We’ll arrive and leave separately.”
She wasn’t surprised. Like all of the judge’s invitations, if it seemed too good to be true, it was.
“I assume you’re not inviting me simply for my own enjoyment. Is this one of those errands you mentioned?”
“Let’s call it an assignment. Meet me back here by five, and I’ll give you the details. Oh, and you’ll need to get dressed up for this. The invitation says ‘cocktail attire.’”
“I’ll do my best.”
Madison was distracted at school all day, worrying about what this “assignment” might entail. At five on the dot, she let herself in through the back, decommissioning the alarm. The house was dark. They kept the shades drawn still, but the threat of Wallace seeped in anyway, like the smell of a dead animal through the cracks in the walls. She went around turning on the lights. She was refreshing Lucy’s food bowl when she heard a key in the front door. Judge Conroy swept into the vestibule on a wave of metallic air, cheeks bright from the cold and arms full of shopping bags. Saks, Neiman Marcus. It was a spree.
“Oh, good, there you are,” she said, catching sight of Madison. “I’ve been thinking about what you should wear.”
“I was thinking about that, too. My interview suit is probably best.”
“That thing? It’s all pilled. It sags at the knees. It won’t do. I have some other options. Hurry up, we’re running late.”
Did the judge mean there was something in the shopping bag for Madison? She rinsed the cat-food tin under the faucet and threw it in the recycling bin, following Judge Conroy up the stairs with growing anxiety. In the dressing room, the judge was pulling pieces from the bags, draping them over chairs, hanging them on racks and smoothing out wrinkles. There were dresses, jumpsuits, pants, blazers, blouses, all in gorgeous fabrics and cuts, but subtle, and sexy only in the classiest way, like what the most beautiful lawyer in the world would wear to an important professional social event. Stroking the satin lapel of a white, tuxedo-style blazer, she snuck a peek at its price tag and blanched. $2,290. These were from the couture floors of the department stores that Madison never set foot in.
The judge looked Madison up and down, then walked around, thoughtfully perusing various items.
“This one,” she said, snatching a jumpsuit from a hook and holding it up against her. “It’s something you could plausibly buy for yourself.”
Madison fingered the price tag, fighting a laugh. $895! Was she kidding? Though the question remained how the judge afforded these clothes herself. There had to be ten or fifteen thousand dollars in purchases here, in one afternoon, by a public servant who made two hundred grand before taxes and owned piles of designer clothes already. The likely answer was, Judge Conroy was a criminal, bought and paid for with dirty money, just like these clothes. Why did Madison continue to resist that obvious conclusion?
“Try it on,” the judge commanded.
She undressed quickly and stepped into the jumpsuit. As the judge zipped her up, they fell silent, staring in awe at her reflection in the mirror. The jumpsuit was black with filmy, diaphanous sleeves and beading at the neckline, cuffs, and belt. With its restrained, elegant sparkle, it was the most exquisite thing she’d ever worn. It wasn’t the outfit that struck them, though, but how she seemed like a different person in it. More beautiful, more mature. Rich. Like she belonged. She loved it. And yet it was a fraud, a costume, to be worn for some nefarious purpose that had yet to be disclosed.
“That looks amazing on you,” the judge said.
Judge Conroy was sending her to this event for a reason. Until she understood what it was, she couldn’t agree to attend at all, let alone accept a gift this extravagant.
“It’s generous of you, Judge. Too generous. Why are you doing this?”
“This is the most important networking event of the year in the legal community. I want you to look nice.”
There was more to it than that, obviously.
“You’re avoiding my question,” Madison said, holding her gaze, demanding an answer. “If there’s something you expect me to do while I’m there, you need to tell me what it is.”
Breaking eye contact, Judge Conroy busied herself cutting tags off the garments.
“There are a couple of people I’d like you to speak to on my behalf. That’s all.”
“I see. Is there some reason you can’t talk to them yourself?”
“It would be—inadvisable.”
“I don’t understand. Inadvisable how?”
“These are people I can’t be seen with. Or who can’t be seen with me.”
That didn’t sound good.
“I want to help. I really do. But if it’s inadvisable for you, wouldn’t it be for me as well? I’m worried I’d be walking into a trap or exposing myself to prosecution. Can you promise me that won’t happen?”
The judge’s eyes flashed. “I need a favor, Madison. We had a deal. I’ve remained silent about your indiscretion. Your crime of lying on that form—”
“I didn’t lie. I left it blank.”
“That’s a technicality. You lied in the interview. I could get you expelled, or worse, but you begged for a second chance. And I gave it to you. Now I’m asking you to do something for me.”
Madison felt the rope tighten around her. She should have foreseen this. The judge was presenting her with an awful choice—get turned in for lying or be forced to do something of even greater risk that could destroy her legal career and possibly send her to prison. Her only option was to call the judge’s bluff. She couldn’t see any other path out of this nightmare.
“Something that’s probably illegal. You said if I was uncomfortable with what you asked me to do, I could say no. I’m saying no now.”
She reached back to unzip the jumpsuit. The judge stopped her hand.
“Listen to me. This is not illegal per se. I’m not asking you to carry drugs or anything. Is it risky? Yes. Could you go to jail? Let me remind you, that possibility also exists if I decide to turn you in. Think carefully before you walk out on me. I’m desperate, and as much as I would hate to destroy your very promising career, I will.”
“You should think carefully, too. If you turn me in, not only will you lose an ally. You’ll gain an opponent. You know things about me, but I know about you, too. If you force me, I’ll have no choice but to defend myself.”
“You’d cooperate against me?”
“Not by choice. But if you report me, what else can I do?”
The judge crumpled at the knees, sitting down hard on the vanity chair.
“Please, Madison. I’m in a very tough spot. I’m appealing to our friendship. Can’t you help me out?”
“Can I ask you something? If our friendship is important to you, then why, when I told you that my brother was missing, did you refuse to help me? And don’t say it’s because of ethical rules. I won’t believe that.”
“I did try. I tried to locate your brother.”
“You’re a federal judge. He’s a defendant in a case before you. How is it possible that you can’t find him?”
“Because they have him squirreled away somewhere.”
“Who, they?”
“The people investigating me for corruption.”
Madison took a step back, hand going to her heart. She wasn’t surprised at the bare fact, just shocked that the judge would admit to it, after all the cover-ups and lies.
“You’re being investigated? For what, fixing cases?”
“Something like that. Anyway, it’s not true. I’m innocent, just like your brother.”
“If you’re innocent, why are they hiding Danny from you?”