“I have a way to do it, but if she figures it out, you could be in danger. Is she armed?”
Madison hesitated. She could tell them about the gun. What was one more crime, on top of all the charges Judge Conroy already faced? On the other hand, the FBI had its ways of locating even the cagiest suspects. If they believed the judge was armed and managed to track her down, they’d storm the motel room. Break down the door, use a percussive device, start shooting. The judge might be killed. Madison could be caught in the crossfire. No, she had to defuse this.
“I didn’t see a gun.”
“Wait a minute, I don’t understand. If she didn’t take you at gunpoint, why did you go with her?”
“Are you seriously victim-blaming me? You’re holding my brother prisoner in exchange for information. I went because you put me up to it.”
“Oh,” Brooke said, sounding almost surprised. “Okay, I’ll tell you how to record her, but I’m warning you: it’s risky.”
“I’ll take any risk for Danny.”
“Well, I don’t want to be held responsible if things go wrong.”
“You’ve made that perfectly clear.”
“Okay, you need to download an app called Spyware Pro to the phone you’re using right now. Then give the phone back to her. The spyware hides in the OS, so she shouldn’t be able to see it. Unless the phone is set up to detect intrusion, which it may well be.”
“Understood.”
“You’re assuming that risk.”
“I get it.”
“The app will prompt you to enter a phone number. Put in mine. Any calls Conroy makes from that phone will be automatically shared with me. I’ll take care of recording them.”
“Understood. If I do all this, and provide you with information leading to her arrest—”
“Then Danny’s charges will be dropped. You’ll get full immunity. Along with any protection you need and the thanks of a grateful nation. You have my word.”
“It’s a deal. The judge is coming. I’ve got to run. Bye.”
Dropping the call, she went inside. The restaurant was warm and steamy, smelling of coffee and maple syrup. She slid into a booth.
“I ordered you scrambled eggs with wheat toast,” Judge Conroy said. “How’d it go?”
“We’re on.”
* * *
Later, when they were back in the motel room, the phone with the spyware rang. The screen showed an incoming call from Ray Logue.
Kathryn caught Madison’s eyes. The intern nodded.
“Hello.”
“Kathy. It’s Ray.”
“What do you want?”
“I have something that belongs to you,” he said. “I think you’re going to want it back. I’d like to arrange a handover.”
“And walk into an ambush? I’m not stupid.”
“I would never do that to you.”
“You’ve been doing it for half my life. Any information I gave. Any cases I threw. And yes, I admit I did some of that, but only because you forced me. You and Charlie and Nancy. She put you up to this, didn’t she?”
“What?”
“Nancy Duffy, my so-called case manager. She’s Charlie’s mother, Eddie Wallace’s widow. She’s been part of your scheme all along, and she put you up to this.”
There was a pause on the line.
“What are you doing?” Ray said. “Leave her out of it.”
“I’m sorry, I can’t.”
“She’s just an old woman. I’m not down with this. Nancy wasn’t part of the deal. I didn’t agree to that.”
It was true, he hadn’t. But Kathryn had scores to settle, whether he was on board or not.
“Nancy gave the order to kill my husband, didn’t she?”
“I won’t deny she was involved, but give the order—”
Kathryn hung her head. “I knew it. God.”
“Kathy, why are we talking about this now?”
“Because. She kept me a virtual prisoner for years. She’s the one who murdered Doug Kessler. I know that because I was there. I saw it, and I have a photo to prove it, of her leaving the scene after Doug was shot. You can clearly see her in the driver’s seat. She pulled the trigger. Not me. Not Charlie. And now she wants me dead.”
“I’m not bringing Nancy into this when the feds got nothing on her. I’m trying to make things right here, not become a snitch in my old age.”
“Oh, come on, Ray. You know she’ll kill me the second she has a clear shot. So would Charlie.”
There was a pause.
“Ray?”
“Well. It’s true you and her never were on the same page. I guess she didn’t treat you too good.”
She scoffed. “That’s an understatement.”
“But I don’t want to take sides.”
“I’m not asking you to. At the end of the day, giving up Nancy is on me. You can have a clear conscience, so don’t let it prevent us from doing business. Remember, there’s something you want more than anything else, right? Eyes on the prize.”
His sigh was audible. “You’re right. Where should we meet?”
“How about the Mass. Ave. bridge? There’s always traffic there. I’ll feel comfortable.”
“Works for me. Say, ten o’clock tonight?”
“Sure.”
“No funny business now.”
“You either.”
“I swear it on your mother’s life.”
“I’ll see you then. Oh, and I’ll be wearing a plaid raincoat.”
“Gotcha. And Kathy?”
“Yeah.”
“Take care of yourself.”
Tears filled her eyes. This was goodbye, and there had been too many of those. When she finally spoke, it was with a catch in her voice.
“You too, Uncle Ray. You too.”
38
Judge Conroy had an arrangement with a waiter named Theo, who worked at a restaurant that she’d been frequenting for years. She paid him to do things for her that she couldn’t do herself, out of fear of being watched. This waiter had arranged for her to park the Volvo behind the restaurant the night before. Theo was willing to pick up the judge’s Nissan and drive it to the Best Western, for use in the meeting later tonight.
The judge trusted the waiter, but Madison thought it would be too great a risk.
“Doesn’t Wallace have the town house staked out? Or what about the feds? They could follow the car right to us.”
“I don’t see why the feds would be watching the town house when they know I’m not there. And Ray will call Charlie off. Tell him I’m somewhere else so he goes chasing after ghosts,” the judge said.
Judge Conroy had worked out a deal with Raymond Logue. Their safety hinged on him holding up his end of the bargain.
“I still think you’re too trusting. The idea that Logue is taking your side against Wallace—don’t you think that could be a setup?”
“Ray knows what he took from me, and what he owes. He wants to make amends. I’ve known him my whole life. I know his heart. Have you ever read Harry Potter?”
“Of course. Every kid my age did.”
“You know how Snape seems like a bad guy who hates Harry? But in the end, he helps him, out of love for Harry’s mother?”
“Yes.”
“It’s like that.”
“You’re sure about him? Really sure?”
“Enough to bet my life on it. And my daughter’s.”
And mine, she thought.