A chill went through her. Who sent “word”? It didn’t sound like the judge herself had contacted the registrar. Someone from chambers? Nancy, maybe? That didn’t bode well. Besides, if Judge Conroy had been planning a trip out of town, wouldn’t she inform the law clerks? And wouldn’t they tell Madison? Wouldn’t the judge tell Madison herself, to make sure Lucy got fed? That was the most alarming fact of all. The woman loved her cat more than any human in her life. She would simply never go out of town without arranging for Lucy to be cared for. No, something unexpected—possibly catastrophic—had come up. Arrest, or worse.
The judge disappearing was the fall of the first domino. Madison had to protect herself, or she’d be next. But how? Going to the authorities was complicated when you had criminal exposure of your own. She’d passed the warning to Kessler, and now she was mixed up in the conspiracy. How big a conspiracy? She had no clue. She’d agreed to carry a message without verifying what it meant, or what the implications might be. And yes, she did it for Danny, and for Mom, but she was beginning to realize how stupid she’d been. It wouldn’t help either of them for her to go to jail.
She should look into that case the judge made her ask about.
She exited the T, heading straight for Langdell. The silent magnificence of the law school reading room normally calmed her. But this time, the glittering chandeliers, the soaring columns, and the mahogany tables just reminded her of all she stood to lose. If she got arrested, she’d be expelled. And everything she’d been working toward for so long would come crashing down.
Ty was coming toward her down the long aisle between the rows of tables. She felt a small flame-lick of longing. Not just for a shoulder to cry on, but for the past, before things were so terribly screwed up.
She gave him a nod and half smile, preparing to pass. But he stopped her.
“I’m glad I ran into you. Can we go somewhere to talk?” he whispered.
“Sorry, I’m really busy.”
“It’s important. Please?”
“All right. The carrels?”
He nodded. Heads were turning, seeing them together, but that was not her problem. They set off for the dank study carrels in the depths of the basement, which were usually deserted, and found a quiet corner.
“By the way, I apologize for Chloe, how she treated you the other night. She doesn’t know how she comes off sometimes.”
“Is that what this is about? If she feels bad, she can apologize herself.”
“No, it’s actually not about that. We need to talk about Judge Conroy.”
“Oh.” She hesitated. “I suppose you saw class is canceled? Have you heard anything about where she is?”
“I have no idea. Do you?”
“No. But I think it’s concerning. Her chambers don’t seem to know, either. I’m worried something happened to her.”
“Okay, yeah. That’s exactly why I need to talk to you. She’s not the only one who vanished into thin air. Chloe’s dad went missing, too.”
“What?”
“After the Pro Bono League reception, he didn’t come home. Didn’t go to work the next morning. His phone is going straight to voicemail ever since. They’re freaking out. Her mother is considering filing a missing person report.”
“But she hasn’t yet? Why not?”
“Because something weird is going on, and they don’t know the extent of it. Which is where you come in. Chloe and I saw you talking to Doug the other night. Whatever you said upset him a lot. We sat with him at dinner, and he was extremely distracted. He was on his phone the whole time, really agitated. Halfway through, he just got up and walked out—of a major event where he sponsored two tables and was scheduled to give remarks. And he hasn’t been heard from since. So I have to ask. What the hell did you say to him?”
Her mouth fell open. “I—I. Nothing. It wasn’t me. I was just networking.”
He struck the nearest carrel with his fist. A sound rang out like the report of a gun, making her jump.
“Don’t lie to me, Madison. This is too important.”
“I just— I passed a message from the judge. She asked me to.”
“And now they’re both missing? What did it say?”
“I can’t. It’s confidential.”
“You’re in way over your head here. I warned you that Conroy is trouble. Don’t you understand you could end up facing criminal charges?”
She knew that already. Hearing Ty say it just made her panic.
“You’re scaring me,” she said, and started to cry.
He sighed, patting her shoulder.
“Hey, hey. It’s okay. We’ll get to the bottom of this. Listen, I’ll tell you something in confidence, okay, but you have to promise not to tell anyone.”
She sniffed, nodding.
“Doug is under criminal investigation. The Kesslers are on the verge of divorce over it. Chloe’s mom confided in her, and Chloe told me everything. It’s all about Conroy. Apparently, years ago when Doug was a prosecutor, he worked with her, and they were close. Inappropriately close. She did something wrong, and either he knew about it or was in on it. Covered it up. Something, I don’t know. Now they’re both missing. Chloe thinks they ran off together.”
“The judge and Doug Kessler? No. I’d be shocked. I know enough about her to say pretty certainly that he’s not in her life. As far as I know, she’s obsessed with her late husband. And any other men in her life, well—”
She paused, thinking of Wallace. As with all Judge Conroy’s troubles, he was probably behind this.
“What men? Conroy confides in you about her personal life?” Ty said.
“No. Not at all. I just— I heard gossip around chambers. But she and Doug Kessler are not an item. I promise.”
“What did you say to Doug at the reception? You have to tell me.”
“The judge asked me to speak to him.”
“Like, deliver a message?”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t break her confidence.”
“Why would you cover for that woman? You’re telling me she had you speak to Doug. Do you understand the implications? Instead of making a phone call that could be intercepted, or speaking to him in public where she might be seen, she used you to do her dirty work.”
“I know. You’re right. It’s just—”
She was shaking her head. He took a step closer, his hands on her shoulders, gazing into her eyes. Despite herself, her heart thumped. At some level, she would always have feelings for Ty.
“You didn’t know any better, Maddy. But now you do. You’re mixed up in some dirty business. Two prominent people are missing. If you won’t tell me what the message was, then go to the authorities. Talk to them, before it’s too late.”
She pulled away, a mist in her eyes.
“Thank you. I appreciate the heads-up. Now, I should go.”
“That’s it? Thank you and goodbye?”
“No. Of course not. You’re a good friend. I’ll think very seriously about what you said. And I promise to be careful. See you later.”
She stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek, then hurried away, leaving him gazing after her.
Upstairs, at the far end of the reading room, were computers with Wi-Fi that any student could use. They didn’t require entering your ID and so would leave no trace. That’s what she needed—to act like a criminal, cover her tracks. She remembered the case name. Fiamma. Holding her breath, she typed it into the database and watched as the result loaded. A headline from years earlier hit her like a Mack truck.
Bomb Blast Kills Mob Prosecutor
Boston, April 21—A car bomb exploded in the North End late last night, claiming the life of Bradley McCarthy, Chief of the Organized Crime Section in the Boston U.S. Attorney’s Office. McCarthy, an experienced and highly regarded prosecutor, had recently indicted alleged mafia boss Salvatore Fiamma on racketeering and murder charges.
Fiamma’s attorney, Raymond F. Logue, Esq., denied that his client played a role in the killing.
“Any suggestion that Mr. Fiamma was involved in this tragic incident is a lie. It’s impossible. My client has been under constant surveillance for months. He’s as disturbed by the violence as anybody and sends condolences to the family,” Logue said.
Deputy Chief Douglas Kessler was appointed Acting Chief of the Organized Crime Section upon McCarthy’s death. The Fiamma case will now be handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Conroy, formerly second chair on the case.