by Jayne Blue
“Pissy? I haven’t been pissy.”
I sat on the couch closest to the fireplace and patted the space beside me.
“You talked to Director Loomis before we got on the plane. Are you going to keep me in suspense or are you planning to tell me what’s going on with my case?”
“Jillian …”
“Don’t Jillian me. I’m about to walk out there tonight and give a speech that the president asked me to make. In the meantime my ex-whatever-he-is got murdered on the street two blocks from where a bomb went off that by all accounts was meant for me. Then there’s the little matter of a sex tape that could hit the internet any second. I need to know what I’m up against and I’m depending on you to protect me. Not just from the bombs, Huck. Tell me what’s going on.”
“I hate this.” He pursed his lips together. “It’s one thing when it’s a threat I can see.”
“Lack of control,” I said. “You need me to rub your ears now?” I smiled at him then hooked my finger under his chin. When he locked his gaze with mine my heart flipped.
“Very funny. I have good news and bad news. I wanted to wait until after your speech to fill you in. I don’t want you to worry.”
I sighed and sat back against the couch. “I’m already worried. Keeping me in the dark won’t help. But I can take it. I had my moment of weakness. Whatever it is, I’d rather face it head on.”
Huck gave me his thousand-watt smile and moved in to kiss me. I put up a palm and gently shoved him back. We needed to stick to the matter at hand.
“They tracked Ross’s movements for the week before he turned up dead. He was staying at a house he rented in Pittsfield Township. There was a laptop and a safe. We’ve got what we think are the originals of that videotape.”
I sagged further into the cushion and buried my face in my hands. “Are you serious? Are you sure?”
Huck nodded. “Yeah. They’re still running forensics on the laptop. He’d uploaded the footage to his hard drive and made the stills from it. So far it doesn’t look like he emailed any of the files. We found photo paper in his printer that matches the prints he sent you. So chances are he printed them from home and didn’t send them to a commercial printer like a drugstore.”
“Oh God.” My fingers trembled as I brought them into my lap. “Tell me that’s the good news.”
“It is. It’s very good. Except we know he called you from a cell phone just before he turned up dead. No one has been able to find it yet. The working theory is whoever shot him took it.”
“And you have no way of knowing what’s on that phone.”
Huck moved closer to me and gathered my hands in his. “That’s it exactly. Yes. Nothing was emailed from that laptop, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t have downloaded them to a disc or another drive. Our forensics guys may not be able to answer that question. And he could have taken pictures of them with his phone.”
I let out a breath and nodded. “Okay. Okay. So I’m not out of the woods yet.”
“Not completely. But whatever happened, Ross Dennison got murdered over it. One theory is if he was working with whoever’s been threatening you, he got cold feet. It’s been nearly a week since the bombing. No one has taken credit for it. And since Ross showed up dead, there haven’t been any other threats against you. But we’re a long way from solid answers and that’s got me frustrated. And this place makes me edgy as hell because I can’t control it.”
“We’re safe here though, aren’t we?” I hated that my voice sounded small.
Huck nodded. “Yeah. No one knows we’re really staying out here. They think we’re at the main lodge. You’re surrounded by the best security in the world and as of tonight or at least tomorrow, this place will be crawling with press. I just would rather have you back home. That’s all.”
I smiled and touched his face. “It was fun there, wasn’t it?” For the past three days, we’d lived in a bubble at Huck’s house. I never thought I’d be able to relax there but I had. Part of it was the time away from the courthouse. I’d been running at a hundred miles an hour since I got sworn in eighteen months ago. In some ways, the last few days had felt like a vacation. If you could count hiding out from death threats and a looming sex scandal a vacation.
Huck kissed my palm then leaned in. As he gathered me in his arms I realized how well we fit together. But a cold sense of dread snaked up my spine along with that feeling of warmth he always seemed to bring out in me. We had lived in a bubble for the last few days. Bubbles had a way of bursting.
As if on cue, we heard the bleating beep of one of the golf cart’s horns as another porter brought Gemma back from the main lodge. Huck gave me a quick peck on the cheek and we separated just as Gemma walked through the front door.
“There!” Gemma put the finishing touches on my lipstick and fluffed my hair.
“I’m not sure about this at all, Gemma. It’s not me.”
“It’s perfect. I promise. The suit too. You’re stunning.”
I turned toward the mirror. I’d gone with a stark white silk suit cut just above the knee. Gemma had styled my hair down, brushing it out in shimmering waves. I didn’t like it this way, loose, out of control. I slipped into my silver pumps as she clasped the sapphire and crystal necklace I had on loan for the evening. Gemma had arranged for me to get ready at one of the guest suites in the main lodge so I wouldn’t have to go flying through the woods on one of the golf carts. Huck had taken a position outside while I primped.
My heart fluttered as I stood up and smoothed my skirt. Gemma ran a lint brush down my back side and then moved to my shoulders.
“You need your notes for the speech?” she asked.
“No. I’ve got it memorized. I just want to get this over with.”
It wasn’t that I was nervous. Not about the speech at least. I did well under pressure and in front of a crowd. But that looming sense of dread over Ross’s tapes still hovered. Huck tried to reassure me time and again that chances are they’d caught everything in time. But he couldn’t be sure. I kept refreshing the news app on my phone waiting for the boom to hit. So far nothing. There was just a small item about the gathering at The Legacy Foundation. The president’s traveling press pool was already here and he was the main attraction tomorrow morning. I was just an appetizer. Only the party faithful in the ballroom tonight would even see me. I wasn’t running for anything.
I dropped my phone in my clutch purse and shook out my hair one last time. The urge to pull it back into a bun and smooth every strand made my hands tremble. Another deep breath and reassurance from Gemma and I was ready to go. Almost. I took my phone back out of my purse and called the only other person on the planet whose opinion mattered to me.
“Hey, lady!” Rhonda answered on the first ring. She was finally home from the hospital and her last surgery went fantastic. The doctors were optimistic about her recovery although it would be slow.
“Hey, gorgeous.”
“You give your speech yet?”
“Just about to. Word is they are carrying it live on C-Span if you wanna catch it. That is, if you need help falling asleep.”
Rhonda’s rich laughter settled my nerves. “You’re gonna wow them. And I’ve already got the channel on. Some fat-ass congressman is getting ready to introduce you. So quit fussing with your hair and get down there.”
Tears of laughter came to my eyes at how well Rhonda knew me. God, I wished she were here. I knew she felt the same. I’d be back on the bench next week, but not having her by my side, even for a little while, would hurt.
“Okay. I’m going. It’s good to hear your voice. And when it’s over, I want your opinion. Your honest opinion.”
“You got it, Your Honor. But I already know you’ll be fantastic. I’ve got my bowl of popcorn all ready.”
A hard thump against the wall drew my attention. Gemma heard it too and narrowed her eyes at me.
“I’ll talk to you soon, Rhonda. Don’t try and do too much. I want you back in
fighting form as fast as possible.”
I clicked off the phone while Gemma headed for the door. Another thump shook the picture on the wall. Huck’s muffled voice raised in alarm made my blood run cold. Before I could stop her, Gemma opened the door and stepped outside. I went after her, intending to pull her back in but never got the chance.
Huck’s back was to me. His body blocked the face of the man he held against the wall but his words cut through the air.
“You fucking son of a bitch. You’re done. Understand? Done. I’ll end you.”
I took two steps sideways and stopped cold when I could finally see the man’s face. Huck held Judge Sheldon Pierce a few inches off the ground with his forearm pressed against Pierce’s neck. Pierce’s eyes bulged and his skin was turning purple.
“Shit,” I whispered. I grabbed Gemma’s arm. “Go down to the other end of the hall. Don’t let anyone come down here.”
Gemma froze for a second until I gave her bit of a shove. Then she scurried down to do what I told her.
“Huck!” I was afraid to try and step between the men. But Pierce was about to pass out. He wasn’t breathing. God, Huck was going to choke him to death right in front of me. What could he have possibly said?
Pierce tried to say something else but all he could muster was a gurgle. A line of spit formed in the corner of his mouth as Huck banged him against the wall a third time.
“Deputy Huckman!” I whisper-shouted. There was a commotion further down the hall. Someone was coming.
I put a hand on Huck’s shoulder. His muscles felt like granite and a vein bulged near his temple. I’d never seen him like this. Rage clouded his vision and for a moment, I didn’t think I’d be able to get through to him. But my touch on his arm made him flinch. He looked at me then back at the judge. Huck stepped back and let go of Sheldon Pierce abruptly, letting him fall to the ground. Pierce gagged and staggered sideways before righting himself and pressing his back against the wall.
“I’ll have your badge,” he croaked. “You’re out of your mind. I’m filing charges.”
“No, Sheldon, you’re not.” I took a step forward and put a hand on Pierce’s shoulder. I’d sent Gemma to one end of the hall, but the commotion came from the other. Three congressmen and two reporters I recognized had rounded the corner. Their stunned expressions told me they’d seen enough.
This was catastrophic. Huck had just assaulted a sitting judge right in front of them. And there I was right in the middle of it. Never mind the sex tapes, Huck might have just ruined both of our careers.
Chapter Nineteen
Huck
Jillian turned from me. I couldn’t see straight. I could only see Sheldon Pierce and his smug smile as he straightened his tie and turned toward his new audience. As he opened his mouth to say I don’t know what, Jillian stopped him.
“You don’t need a scene any more than I do, Sheldon.” Her voice was acid but she kept her expression cool. She had her hand on his arm and even that little bit of contact rankled me. I wanted to kill him. I’m not ashamed to admit it. But a tiny flicker of fear in Jillian’s eyes made me realize what might really happen.
She leaned in and whispered something in Pierce’s ear that made a fresh blotch of red form on each of his cheeks. His eyes darted from me to her then to the crowd forming at the end of the hall. Gemma pushed past us and headed for the grouping of people. Her voice was bright and she somehow managed to draw them all back toward the lobby. I probably should have thanked her. For now, I still felt ready to do murder.
Jillian looked like she was too as Sheldon turned and left. She grabbed me by the arm, digging her nails into my flesh and shoved open the door to the suite she’d been using.
“What. Was. That.” Her hand went to her hair. For the first time I realized she wasn’t wearing it in a bun. My God. She was stunning. She looked like a damn supermodel with blonde waves cascading over her shoulder. A furious supermodel though.
“He’s involved,” I said, though it occurred to me to keep her in the dark. I probably should have.
“What do you mean?”
I smoothed a hand over my jacket. I caught a look at myself in the mirror by the door. My hair was wild and sweat beaded my brow. Pierce probably had thought I was going to choke him out right then and there. That smarmy little fuck. He knew something. He’d approached me in the hallway and asked about Jillian. His expression dripped with some self-satisfied secret. I could have ignored it. Pierce had a reputation with law enforcement of all kinds. He was anti-cop and tended to legislate from the bench in my opinion. For now, he sat on the bench in state trial court, but everyone knew he’d been hoping to get Jillian’s seat. He’d been tentatively ruled out by the FBI as a suspect, but after today, I planned to have them look again.
“He said something.”
“Said something? What? Sheldon Pierce is an asshole, Huck. This isn’t news. But now he’s threatening to press charges against you. What the hell got into you?”
I dug my fist into my thigh. “He said … he asked about you.”
Jillian flapped her hands then crossed them in front of her. “That’s it?”
“No. That’s not it. Dammit. It’s a gut feeling, okay? I make my living off gut feelings. Hell, Jillian, I’ve saved your life off gut feelings. You have to trust me on this one. That slimy fuck knows something. I can’t prove it yet but he does.”
“You really think he’s behind the death threats? Huck. That’s a serious accusation. He’s a dick. Granted. But this is … well … it’s bordering on ridiculous. What in God’s name did he say to you?”
I started to pace. Now that I was trying to put everything into words, I knew how it would sound. But the hell with it. My gut had saved her life already.
“He said, your Judge Key is quite something. I hear she’s very photogenic as well.”
Jillian took a step back. She blinked wildly and brought her hand to her mouth. Then she turned her back on me and headed toward the door.
“He knows about the tapes, Jillian. What the hell else could it mean?”
She whipped around. “Well, it could mean I take a good picture is what it could mean.”
“Don’t be naïve.”
She raised her hand and charged me. She curled her hand into a fist and let it hover in the air between us. “I can’t unfuck this, Huck. And you can’t go around choking a sitting judge because he looked at you funny and said something snide about your girlfriend. Not now. Not here, for God’s sake. He was going to press charges if I hadn’t …”
“Hadn’t what? What the hell did you say to him?”
She let out a breath and dropped her fist. “I told him if he minded his own damn business and didn’t raise a stink, I’d put a good word in for him with President Vance.”
“You what? Woman, have you lost your damn mind completely?”
“I’m not the one who tried to kill him in front of witnesses! Witnesses, Huck. You better just hope Gemma was able to defuse that little bomb. Jesus. I’m about to go out there and give a speech in front of about ninety percent of every power player in Washington. Never mind bombs going off at the courthouse. You’re going to blow up both of our careers right here. Dammit. How is anyone ever going to take me seriously if I give them tabloid fodder. You’re supposed to blend in, not attack the guests for saying shitty things. Do you hear what you sound like?”
“What do you want me to do? I told you. I’ve got a gut feeling about that asshole. He’s got plenty of motive to do you harm. And don’t forget there’s still a killer out there.”
She whirled back toward the door then at me again. “I haven’t forgotten. And yes, fine, you should take another look at Pierce but the right way. With solid evidence. And maybe you’re right. But you and I both know that isn’t how to go about it. Like it or not, Pierce has powerful friends too. If this little incident gets back to Loomis you’re going to be sunk. Then what am I going to do?”
I didn’t get to answer. A soft
knock at the door drew our attention back. Gemma poked her head in, her face white with fear.
“I’m sorry. But people can hear you. Not what you’re saying but the shouting. And it’s time for Judge Key to give her speech. Do you want me to try and stall?”
Jillian put a hand to her forehead and took a deep breath. “No. God, no. Just. No. I’m coming.”
I stepped to her side and she put her hand up to stop me. “You’re not getting rid of me,” I said. “No matter what else happens, I’m here to do my damn job.”
“So am I!” Her voice was pure fire. “Just do yours further away from me. If I walk into that ballroom with you at my side this is going to get a hell of a lot worse. Just … I don’t know … like I said … blend in somehow.” She looked me up and down and shook her head. Then she stormed past Gemma and we headed toward the ballroom.
I took a position toward the back of the room where I had a clear view of everyone in it. I watched Jillian waiting in the wings. Anger still colored her cheeks and she shook out her fingers as she waited for her introduction. As the crowd rose to clap for her, her face changed in an instant. She lifted a steady hand and waved then stepped up on the dais and took her place behind the podium.
It had taken five seconds before it became clear to me and everyone in the room exactly why the president needed her here. She was flawless. Stunning. She had the audience captivated. My beautiful, perfect Jillian. She told a version of her life story that had them eating out of her hand. She walked a political tightrope. On the one hand, as a sitting federal judge, she couldn’t really come out and endorse the man. But everyone here knew who appointed her. And even her presence at the function spoke volumes. She was a living embodiment of his commitment to women’s causes. She wasn’t just some token appointment and everyone in the room could see that she’d earned it if they bothered to listen. But I could also see the reaction toward the back of the room that Jillian couldn’t. There was whispering, knowing nods. As much as she’d hoped to dispel rumors, they were swirling all around her. I hung my head knowing I’d just helped stoke them.