'You know I can't reveal what goes on in conference.'
'You've got to. We're talking about a double homicide and the possibility of an innocent person being convicted for one of them.'
Justice Sherzer sighed. 'You're right, of course. But I can't remember the discussions of those cases. Some of them took place four years ago.'
'What about Deems. It's fairly recent. Who pushed for the reversal?'
'I believe Frank Arriaga was very concerned about the use of the informant. He and Stuart argued vehemently about the case.'
'Why did Justice Griffen write the opinion?'
'Frank was going to do it. Then he got hung up on a complex land-use decision and he asked Robert to write it. They were in agreement on the issues and Robert didn't have any outstanding decisions, so he volunteered to help out.'
'Can you think of any reason why Justice Arriaga would work for Raoul Otero?'
'Certainly not! And I cannot imagine Frank killing anyone.
That's preposterous.'
'What about money? Is he in debt? Does he have a drug habit? Anything like that?'
'Frank Arriaga is a dear man with a rock-solid marriage and two children who adore him. I don't even think he drinks, for God's sake. You're way off base if you think Frank is your killer.'
'Then what about Mary Kelly?'
Justice Sherzer frowned. 'Money wouldn't be the motive. She was a very successful corporate attorney and has done quite well in the stock market and real estate.'
'Did you know that she and Justice Griffen were having an affair?'
'No, but I'm not surprised. Mary's marriage is not particularly happy.'
'If they were seeing each other when Laura was killed, Justice Griffen might have confided what Laura told him without realizing that he was alerting her. If Justice Kelly is the murderer, that would explain how she learned that she was in danger.'
'I'm afraid I can't help you, Tracy. I can't think of anything that would lead me to conclude that Mary is dishonest.'
'Which brings us to the most likely suspect. Arnold Pope is a conservative ex-DA. What was he doing voting to reverse the convictions of two murderers and two drug dealers?'
'Arnold is a peculiar man. He's the most obnoxious and contrary justice with whom I have ever served, but a lot of what he does is a pose. The man is very insecure and he desperately wants our approval. He knows he's seen as a buffoon and he knows everyone resents the way he ran his campaign and the fact that he replaced a brilliant justice who was well liked and widely respected. So to prove he is a legal scholar, too, Arnold occasionally takes positions that run counter to his image.'
'Do you know about Pope's run-in with Laura?'
'No.'
Tracy told Justice Sherzer about the confrontation in the library.
'I told Justice Griffen, the day I left the court. He said he was going to tell everyone about it.'
'He was very upset when Laura was killed. Maybe he forgot.
What are you planning to do, Tracy?'
'I don't know. ,I was hoping you could help me. I thought that you might recall something that would shed some light on this if I told you what I'd discovered.'
'I'm sorry to disappoint you. But I'm still far from convinced that one of my colleagues is a killer who is working for a major drug dealer.
It's too fantastic.'
'As fantastic as a justice and his clerk both being murdered in less than a month? It could be coincidence, but I don't think so.
I've been thinking back to the night Laura was murdered. I was in the library working on a memo for you in the Scott probate matter. When I came downstairs, there was a light on in Laura's office, but there were no other lights on in the clerks' office area.
I looked in Laura's office. I could see someone had ransacked it, so I reached for the phone to call Laura. That's when I heard the door to the clerks' area close.
'I wasn't thinking straight or I'd never have done it, but I rushed into the hall. There was no one there. I rushed to the back door and didn't see anyone in the parking lot. I was upset and I didn't want to stay alone in the building, so I calmed down and headed for my office to leave my notes with the idea of finishing the memo in the morning.
That's when I discovered Laura's body.
Do you see what I missed?'
'No, I don't.'
'Where did the killer go? I was in the hall seconds after the door to the clerks' area closed. If the killer left by the front door to the building, I would have heard it close. It's the same with the back door. And there was no one in the parking lot. A stranger to the building would have hightailed it out, but someone who worked in it would have just as likely run upstairs.
'The person who killed Laura had to be familiar with the layout of the clerks' area to hide so quickly and to be able to get out in the dark without me hearing. I think the killer rushed upstairs, waited for me to go back into the clerks' area, then Shuck down the stairs and left.
This all points to the killer being a person who was very familiar with the court.'
Justice Sherzer mulled over what Tracy had told her. When she made her decision, she looked grim.
'I still don't buy your theory, but I'm going to discuss it with Stuart.'
'Thank you. And try to think back to the conferences. If I'm right, the justice who's behind this had to have been working very hard to swing the necessary votes. If you can remember who the common denominator was in all four cases, you'll know the murderer.'
Tracy started back to Portland on the interstate as soon as she left Justice Sherzer. She was certain she knew why Laura and Justice Griffen had been killed. What she did not know was the clue that had tipped off Laura to the identity of the judge who was working for Raoul Otero. No one was going to believe a Supreme Court justice was on the take without proof and she had to believe that the transcript held the proof.
As far as Tracy knew, Laura had never heard of Charlie Deems, or his case, until Deems's appeal was filed in the Supreme Court. If that was true, then the information in the transcript had to concern the crooked justice, but Tracy had read the transcript and none of the justices were mentioned in Volume XI.
Tracy arrived home at 4:30 and went for a run along the river.
She wore only shorts and a tee shirt even though it was cold. She was still sore from her climb, but the exertion soon warmed her.
When she was into a comfortable pace, Tracy began reviewing what she knew about the Griffen and Rizzatti murders. She exhausted the subject with no new insights.
Tracy turned for home. A light drizzle dulled her enthusiasm for the run. She wished Barry was there to keep her company.
She always felt so comfortable when they were together. Would Barry really leave her if she told the court what Matthew had done? The possibility was real and the thought of losing Barry frightened her. But would their relationship change if she sold out her principles to keep them together? Wouldn't the sacrifice kill the feeling between them anyway?
Tracy felt a tightening in her chest that had nothing to do with exertion. What she and Barry had was so good. Why couldn't it last?
Tracy knew Barry was special the first time they kissed.
She would always remember that morning at the beach below the Griffen cabin and the wonderful picnic afterward.
Tracy stopped in midstride. The Overlook. She bent over and rested with her hands on her knees. They had gone to the Overlook after their picnic and she had looked at the register. It had been right there all along. Tracy stood up, oblivious to the rain and cold. She followed her train of thought to its inevitable conclusion and knew she
