Chapter 9
“You think you’re so clever, don’t you? Let’s see you try to follow me now.” Evie bit down on her lower lip as she typed in lines of code, creating an extra layer of security around her avatar. She hadn’t been able to play her favorite mystery game in weeks, but after hours of grueling studying and writing a multiple-page essay, she decided to reward herself with an evening of gaming.
Sipping on a glass of red wine she watched other players searching through the dark hallways and cobwebbed rooms of the haunted house. There were clues to be found, and a daunting murder plot to solve. She navigated through an empty ballroom with a chandelier that swung gently by a breeze coming in through the various shattered windows. A shimmer on the floor in the corner caught her attention.
The breathtaking emerald jewel on the dusty dance floor had obviously been recently broken from a larger piece of jewelry given the broken clasp and the lack of dust to mar its sparkle. She pocketed the item and checked it off in her inventory of items discovered. She needed to find the murder weapon, though. She had enough clues to give her an idea who had committed the heinous crime but needed to get to the weapon before any of the other players.
She concentrated on typing in several lines of code, taking her avatar to the second story. She had discovered the dark web games by accident and had been addicted ever since she learned to write code. She enjoyed the anonymity as much as she enjoyed the details built into the games.
She took another big swallow of wine. Her foray into the dark web could also be what Judge O’Connor toyed with since Evie had introduced it to her years ago. She didn’t want to believe the judge would continue pursuing the dangerous lines of inquiry into a terrorist cell, but the file on her desktop indicated she may be doing just that. Evie set her glass down and focused on her game. She couldn’t do anything until she had a chance to search the judge’s computer thoroughly.
She came upon a door with a unique lock and quickly searched her inventory for a key that would work. She drew in a deep breath as she looked at the specific key to match the lock. The door could either lead her to a critical clue in the game, or it could be a deadly trap. She hesitated several moments, her heart thudding hard in her chest.
She screeched out loud and nearly knocked over the glass of wine next to her when her phone rang. “Son of a…” She exhaled sharply and grabbed her cell, swiping to answer without looking at the name on the caller id. “H-hello?”
“Hi. I’ve been thinking about you all day. Had a hard time waiting this long to call you.” Santo’s warm voice seemed to reach through the phone and caress her all over at once.
She leaned back against her couch, realizing she sat in the exact spot where they had been so intimately intertwined less than twenty-four hours ago. “Then why did you?” She smiled.
“I’ve got to make sure you don’t think I’m as fascinated with you as I am.”
She chuckled, tilting her head back into the cushion and closing her eyes. “I think you just gave yourself away.”
“Damn.” He laughed. “And here you thought I’m good with secrets.”
She couldn’t stop smiling. “I guess I read you all wrong. You’re just a very entertaining rancher.”
“Entertaining? That’s how you choose to describe me?”
“There are many adjectives to describe you. Where would you like me to start?”
The rumble of his laughter over the phone made her heart beat faster. “I’m only teasing you. I just needed to hear your voice and know that your day has gone well.”
“It has. I’ve had a rather productive day with my studies. Though it keeps getting interrupted with thoughts of you. I don’t have words for how amazing last night was.”
“Yeah…about last night…we need to talk about that.”
Her heart skipped a beat and her eyes snapped open. Surely he didn’t have regrets. She didn’t think she could handle hearing such a thing from him. Their time together had been magical—at least she thought.
“I’d like to figure out how we can have another night together. The sooner the better.”
Evie let out a trembling breath, holding the phone away from her mouth so Santo wouldn’t hear her. She smiled as she drew air back into her lungs. “I agree. Though my week is going to be crazy. We might have to wait until next weekend.”
“That seems like forever, but I know what you mean. Running this ranch with just seven men is far more demanding than we ever imagined. With the drought we’ve been facing it’s made it even more intense.”
“At least I can look forward to seeing you on Thursday when you come to Judge O’Connor’s office, right?”
“Absolutely. I won’t bother you all week like a crazy stalker, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t on my mind.”
“Same here. I look forward to Thursday.”
“It can’t get here soon enough.”
She couldn’t stop smiling even after she told him goodbye. She ate a light dinner and pulled out her clothes for the next day. She struggled to fall asleep as memories of the steamy previous night ran through her mind. Her alarm startled her awake early the next morning having been plagued by dreams of Santo’s hands on her body.
She arrived at the courthouse early and printed out the judge’s calendar for the day and set the coffee to brew. She looked at her large stack of papers still remaining from Friday and squared her shoulders, preparing herself for the long day ahead. Judge O’Connor arrived just after Evie had unlocked her office, earlier than usual. Evie had wanted to jump on her computer, but her plans were ruined until the judge stepped out. She put a steaming cup of coffee in her favorite spot and placed her calendar across her keyboard for the judge to review.
“Ah, Evie, what would I do without you?” the judge sighed as she settled into her chair and reached for the coffee mug.
“Suffer through awful coffee each morning?” Evie offered as she grabbed a stack of papers tucked away on a corner credenza. “And enjoy not having someone nagging you every day about overdue paperwork?” She set the pile down in front of the judge. “I believe this stack is at least three weeks old.”
Judge O’Connor groaned and rubbed her forehead. “And here I thought I would enjoy a typically busy Monday and you throw this at me.”
Evie smiled. “Door open or closed this morning?” she asked as she stood with her hand on the knob.
The judge clicked open her computer and her eyebrows knitted together as she frowned deeply. “Closed. I need to concentrate.”
Evie hesitated at the tension in her voice, the too-familiar unease tickling her senses. “Is it anything I can help with?”
She looked up from her computer quickly, and the look of worry on her face concerned Evie even further. “No, no. There’s nothing you can do. I need to manage this.”
“If you change your mind…” She could tell from the way the judge looked at the computer her words were falling on deaf ears. A tiny knot of apprehension started in her stomach. Silently, she stepped out of the office and pulled the door closed.
The morning seemed to move at the pace of a snail as she worked on the documents she needed to file and fielded phone calls, answering the questions she could and scheduling calls or meetings with Judge O’Connor as needed. Lunchtime rolled around and she sighed with relief. She forwarded her phone to voicemail and pulled out the lunch she had packed for herself, looking forward to an hour of silence and catching up on some studying.
She hadn’t even pulled out her food when the judge stepped out of her office, her satchel strap thrown over her shoulder and her face tense. “Evie, there’s been a request from the district courthouse, and, unfortunately, I need to honor it.”
The tiny knot of apprehension grew larger. “I don’t understand.”
“Their top assistant quit without notice this morning. I’ve done such a great job bragging about you, they’ve requested for you to come and assist them until they can find a permanent replacement.”
Evie felt the need to tug on her ears, certain she hadn’t heard her correctly. “Why do you have to honor their request? Can’t they just get a temp to help them out?”
“The district judge happens to be a friend of mine, and she personally requested you. She’s done a ton of favors for me in the past. I need to pay her back.”
“Corpus is hardly Hebbronville. Do they even have a decent Mexican food restaurant there?”
She gave her a tight smile. “It won’t be that bad. Just find a place to stay that’s close to the courthouse and you’ll be fine.”
“Wait—how long do they expect me to be there?”
“It should only be a few days. They’ve already put in a request with an agency and are beginning interviews tomorrow.”
“So, when do I need to be there?”
The judge sighed. “That’s the hard part. They need you to start tomorrow morning.” She held up her hand when she saw Evie about to fire off more questions. “I know it gives you no time to prepare. I’ve decided to head out early for the day, and I encourage you to do the same. You can pack and drive out there tonight. If everything moves swiftly, I’ll have you back by Thursday.”
Thursday reminded Evie of Santo. She needed to be back by Thursday. She didn’t want to go much longer without seeing him. He brought excitement and joy to her life that she hadn’t realized she’d been missing.
“Who will make sure you stay out of trouble while I’m gone?” Evie asked jokingly, though inside her stomach churned with the previous doubts she’d had about the judge.
“Well, we get to test your theory of how well Nancy, the County Clerk, will be able to take care of me part-time. She’ll get me up and running every morning, but I’ll be on my own every afternoon.”
“I wish you all the best with that.” Evie shook her head with doubt, trying to hide her paranoia with a forced smile.
“All will turn out fine. I might even surprise you and learn your coding system by the time you get back.” The judge laughed, patting her on the back.
Evie rolled her eyes. “That would require miraculous intervention.”
The judge shrugged. “Stranger things can happen. Wrap up whatever you have pending right now and get out of here for the day. You’re going to enjoy working with Judge Mitchell and the other judges. I’ve emailed you all the details you’ll need once you get there tomorrow morning. Take this as your moment to shine. You never know what doors might open for you.” She hesitated, toying with her key chain as she stood in front of Evie’s desk. “I just want…” She shook her head. “Just promise me you’ll stay safe, okay?”
The knot tightened in Evie’s stomach. “I promise.”
Judge O’Connor nodded firmly and turned away from her, walking briskly to the stairs. Evie looked down at the Tupperware container that held her lunch of ramen noodles and broccoli and wanted to throw it across the room. She didn’t want to go to Corpus. She wanted to stay and figure out if the judge had gotten into something dangerous.
The drive to Corpus would take two hours, and she had to pack for an unexpected amount of days. She needed to wrap up and get back to her apartment quickly. She looked at her phone as she pulled it off her desk to put in her purse and fought the urge to call Santo. She wanted to tell him she might not be able to see him as soon as they had hoped after all.
She dismissed the thought. She couldn’t come across too clingy or needy. Yes, their fledgling relationship had already surpassed her expectations, but she didn’t want to push it. He had been right when he said things had progressed quickly between them. She hadn’t thought she would practically attack him when he brought her home, but the temptation had been too much to resist.
She pivoted in her chair and stood, grabbing the last stack she had to get filed before she could comfortably leave for the day. Slowly her gaze turned towards Judge O’Connor’s dark office, and all the comments from Santo the first night they had been together, as well as his continued expression of concern Saturday night echoed in her ears.
The judge sending her away to another city for an unknown amount of time, plus her leaving in the middle of the day seemed strange. Could she be in danger and hoped to shield Evie from it by sending her away?
Her heart pounded harder in her chest as she set the papers down, smoothing her skirt with sweaty palms. She always went into the judge’s office to get her day set up for her, and sometimes shut everything down in the evening, too. It wouldn’t hurt for her to explore a little, would it? If anything, her intentions revolved around protecting Judge O’Connor.
Swallowing hard she pulled out her key to her office and quickly opened the door. She flicked on the lights and turned on the computer, glancing around and noticing the judge hadn’t touched the stack of papers she had given her that morning. Frowning, she drew a deep breath as the computer came online and she focused on the icons. She opened her calendar first, searching for any recent entries. Nothing seemed to be unusual, and the only new items were ones Evie had keyed in herself earlier in the day.
Her hand trembled as she navigated the cursor over her emails. Quickly she scanned the messages, searching for anything that jumped out at her. Could her actions be considered a betrayal of the judge’s trust? What would Judge O’Connor think if she knew what she was doing?
When nothing seemed unusual in the overflowing inbox of the email, she minimized the screen and jumped into the folder that had been plaguing her thoughts for days. The security log-in flashed again and she began trying the passwords she knew Judge O’Connor used frequently. Evie glanced out the door in apprehension, worried the judge could have forgotten something and return unexpectedly.
Finally, the last password she attempted worked and the folder opened. The file contained screenshot after screenshot of conversations being conducted on the dark web, specifically on a site Evie had helped the judge build over two years before. The judge had told her she had taken down the site nearly a year prior when things had gotten strained with South America. The large file proved otherwise. The most recent screenshot had been taken on Friday. Why didn’t she take any screenshots this morning?
She tried to control her nerves as she hurried to her desk and grabbed a flash drive. She couldn’t take the risk of being discovered in the judge’s office and didn’t have the time to look at everything the judge had her fingers in. She had to do the next best thing. Scrambling, she clicked for the file to begin to download on the flash drive.
She fished a hairpin out of her carefully coifed bun and aimed for the drawer she had struggled with on Friday. Much to her surprise, it popped open without any need for the pin. The inside had been wiped clean, much to her dismay. Frowning, she swept her hand through it and cursed when something cut her finger at the far back corner.
Ducking her head, she peered inside and saw a scrap of paper at the perfect angle to nick her finger. She reached in and pulled it free from the crevice it had become lodged in. The words made her heart pound faster. “Judge Mitchell has file.” It could mean nothing. Or it could mean her boss had pulled the District Judge in Corpus into her activities.
She went back to her desk, clearing of pressing items, knowing it would take time for such a large file to copy to the flash drive. Her heart pounded the entire time she worked, and her palms were sweaty.
As she passed the open door to grab something from her desk, she heard the judge’s computer ping softly, indicating that the large file had been successfully copied onto her flash drive. Clicking through windows rapidly, she erased the history of her activities and set the computer to shut down. On shaky legs, she rushed out the door and locked the office behind her. She made it to her desk and stared blankly at her computer for several moments her mind racing.
She couldn’t let anyone know about what she had found. Until she knew what the judge had been doing, she couldn’t share it with anyone. Every fiber in her wanted to share it with Santo, but she couldn’t take the risk. Especially if the information
could be harmless and just Evie’s overactive imagination. Still, doubt plagued her.
Oh, judge…what have you gotten yourself into?
Chapter 10
Evie arrived at the courthouse in Corpus early Tuesday morning. She always liked to arrive early to work, but she had other motives, as well. She needed to see what she could uncover about Judge Mitchell before anyone came into the office.
She squared her shoulders as she faced the imposing structure built of concrete and steel with giant windows and a large tower at the center. She had a mission to accomplish on top of her regular job to do. Her heels clicked on the flooring as she stepped inside and she scanned the building log quickly to find where she needed to go for Judge Mitchel’s office.
The sound of her footsteps echoed in the silence and she wondered if the area she would be working would even be unlocked yet. Much to her relief, the door opened and she stepped into the area that housed a few desks, multiple filing cabinets, and several offices. She walked around the room slowly, finding a desk that appeared to lack any personal items and placed her purse down on it.
She quickly found Judge Mitchell’s office and held her breath as she tried the door handle. She mumbled a curse under her breath when the latch held firm. Chewing on her lower lip, she tried to decide if she wanted to attempt to break into the district judge’s office on her very first day. Santo’s concerns and her own mingled, making the decision easy for her.
Turning so she could keep an eye on the door that led into the main suite of offices, Evie pulled out another of her endless hairpins. She wiggled the pin in the keyhole for a couple of frustrating minutes, beginning to think the crash course she had studied on Youtube for picking locks had been a complete waste of time. The sudden click of the lock sliding open gave her a chance to release a pent-up breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
Protected in His Arms: Elite Texas SEALs Page 9