“Plus one.”
“Who?”
“Where were you at the time of the shooting?”
Neal glared at him.
“Only kidding. But in addition to visitors and people who work in the courthouse, you have to question every law officer and public official. Every-damn-body.”
“Do you have any idea the fallout this is going to create?”
“That’s the least of my concerns. It should be the least of yours.”
“Well, unlike you, I don’t like the hot seat and do everything I can to protect my reputation.”
“That’s one point you don’t have to sell me on, Neal. Ordinarily I wouldn’t give a rat’s ass what your priorities are. But Chet’s killer is at large. To say nothing of the threat our unsub poses to Judge Spencer. I’d say that’s more important than fallout. But that’s just me.”
That sank in. The detective no doubt had more words for Crawford, but he pulled himself together and addressed Holly. “You’ll be under police protection until the perp is captured.”
“As I’ve told Mr. Hunt, I won’t go into hiding. First because of the message it would send to my opponent and constituents. But primarily because I don’t want to give my attempted assassin the satisfaction of seeing me afraid.”
Neal heard her out, then said, “I’m sorry, judge, but I know the chief, mayor, all your colleagues, and especially the governor will agree that you should keep a low profile and have ’round-the-clock bodyguards. I’ll get Matt Nugent on that immediately.”
“I’ve handled it.”
“What?”
Neal and Holly had responded in unison, but Crawford directed his explanation to Neal. “I called our Houston office on the drive between the park and here. Two Rangers have already been dispatched.”
Neal looked like he could have bit a nail in two. “On whose authority?”
“Mine. Which is the only one required. But, figuring you’d get your back up about my interference, I got clearance from my major lieutenant, who, along with the lieutenant in Tyler, happily agreed to your chief’s request that I work the case. We’re back to that, Neal. Sorry you got me out of bed this morning?” He continued before Neal could form a comeback. “Anyway, it’s done. Rangers will be posted to guard her house.”
“What about inside?”
“Forget it,” she said succinctly.
“Nowadays, public officials in major cities, including judges, have guards with them constantly,” Crawford said.
“This isn’t a major city.”
“We’re not arguing about this, judge.”
She backed down, but only to an extent. “All right. But I draw the line at having officers in the house. I made a call on the way here, too. A friend is coming to spend a few days with me.”
“What friend?”
She replied coolly to Crawford’s brusque question. “Someone I trust implicitly.”
He wanted to ask who that implicitly trusted individual was, but Neal spoke first. “That’s good.” He glanced at his wristwatch and winced when he read the time. “Before it gets any later, I have to go ruin the chief’s night.”
Crawford said, “I’ll see Judge Spencer home and stay with her till I’m no longer needed.” He sensed her disapproval of that plan but didn’t give her an opportunity to object. Effectively settling the matter, he got out of the booth.
“One thing before you go,” Neal said.
Crawford looked down at him, and the smug tilt at one corner of the detective’s lips signaled that he wasn’t going to like what was coming.
“Your father-in-law called me this afternoon.”
Even braced for something bad, Crawford was shocked to hear that. However, he kept his expression as uninterested as possible.
“Mr. Gilroy told me that you had refused to talk to him about your confrontation with Rodriguez up on the roof. He asked if I thought that was odd.”
“Do you?”
“Do I think it’s odd?” Neal shrugged. “A bit.”
Trying to keep his anger under control, Crawford said, “I was under no obligation to talk to Joe about it. But the reason I declined to discuss it last night was because I had just wrapped up with you. I was beat and wanted to go home.”
“That’s the only reason you didn’t share?”
Crawford tipped his head to one side. “Something on your mind, Neal?”
“I more or less wrote off Joe Gilroy’s call because of the bad blood between you two.”
“But?”
“But if what you say is true, and Rodriguez wasn’t the gunman, then how you handled the situation takes on graver importance. Your reckless chase might have cost an innocent man his life.”
Holly had factually cited all the reasons that Rodriguez was responsible for his own tragic death. And Neal was goading him because it was within Neal’s petty nature to do so.