fainted. Deems threw ice water in his face and waited patiently until Cruz revived. Then he leaned over and whispered in Cruz's ear, 'Jeopardy! is a pretty violent game. It can hurt to get the wrong answer.'
'Okay, okay, I'll tell you what you want,' Cruz whimpered, his eyes wide with pain and fear.
'That's not how it works, Bobby. You have to wait for the question.
However, it is time to play Double Jeopardy! There are two grand prizes. The first prize is a trip to Disneyland, where you get to meet Miss America. The second prize is you get to fuck her.
Pretty good, huh?'
Deems smiled and picked up another knife. 'Unfortunately, there's also a double penalty for a wrong answer. It's both your eyes, amigo. Ready?
Here's the answer. 'He won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1974.'
What's the question, Bobby?'
'Please, Charlie, please,' Cruz sobbed.
'Buzz!' Charlie shouted in Cruz's ear. 'Time's up.'
Deems grabbed Cruz's chin and put the blade under Cruz's right eye. Cruz began to tremble violently. He tried to shake his head from side to side, but Deems held it steady. Tears ran from Cruz's eyes.
'The cat's by the field,' Cruz screamed. 'On the gravel road.'
Deems smiled coldly. He shook his head from side to side in disgust.
'I'm disappointed in you, Bobby. I was sure you'd hold out a little longer. I guess you're not so tough after all.'
Deems picked up the gun and shot Cruz between the eyes.
Then he took Cruz's car keys from his pocket, went upstairs and changed his clothes. When Charlie left the house, he was feeling good. Bobby Cruz had been a great preliminary and' he was ready for the main event.
Arnold Pope's front door was opened by a short woman with leathery skin and a sour expression.
'Mrs. Pope, I'm Tracy Cavanaugh. I used to clerk for Justice Sherzer.
We met at the clerk's picnic.'
'Oh yes.'
'Is Justice Pope in? I have something very important I need to discuss with him.'
'It's almost eight o'clock, Miss Cavanaugh. Couldn't this wait until tomorrow? Arnold's had a very hard day.'
'I wish it could, but it's urgent. I promise I won't be long.'
'Very well,' Mrs. Pope said, not bothering to mask her disapproval.
'Step in and I'll ask Arnold if he'll see you.'
The Popes lived in a modern ranch-style home in the hills south of Salem. The entryway where Tracy waited had a stone floor and white walls. There was a small marble table against one wall. A slender blue-gray pottery vase filled with daffodils stood at one end of the table under a mirror with a gilt frame.
'Tracy! Good to see you,' Justice Pope said affably, smiling at her as if she was an old friend.
'I'm sorry to come by so late.'
'No problem. Myra says you have something important to discuss. Why don't we go back to my den.'
Justice Pope led Tracy to the back of the house and down a set of stairs to the basement. To the left was a wood-paneled room where two BarcaLoungers were set up in front of a big-screen TV.
In one corner was a small desk. A bookshelf with Reader's Digest condensed books, some best-sellers and a scattering of law books took up one wall.
The smile left Pope's face as soon as they were alone.
'You have some nerve coming to my house after telling those damn lies to the police.'
'I was very upset when Laura died. She was my friend. I wanted to help the police and it did look like you were making a pass at Laura.'
'Well, I wasn't. And I don't appreciate people talking about me behind my back.'
'That's the way it appeared to me. If I'm wrong, I apologize, but Justice Griffen told me you'd done something like that before.'
'What! I never . . .' Pope stopped. He looked furious. 'I'll tell you something, Miss Cavanaugh. I know all the clerks mooned around about Robert Griffen, the great protector of constitutional rights, but Griffen was no angel. He's the one who made passes at the clerks. I'm surprised he didn't put the make on you. Now, what's so important that you had to interrupt my evening?'
'I've come across some information that suggests that Justice Griffen's murder and the murder of Laura Rizzatti may be connected. Can you tell me why Laura was upset when you talked to her in the library?'
'I shouldn't give you the time of day after you started that damn rumor and I don't see how our conversation in the library can possibly bear on Laura's murder.'
'Please. I promise you it's very important.'
Pope frowned, then said, 'Oh, all right. I'll tell you what happened.
Then I want you to leave.'
'Thank you.'
'That meeting was Laura's idea. When I got there, she asked me why I voted to reverse the Deems case. I told her that was none of her business. I must have sounded angry, because she got upset. I put my hand on her shoulder and told her to calm down.
That's when you appeared. As soon as she saw you, Laura backed away from me. She looked frightened. I had the impression that she was concerned that you'd overhear us. In any event, I left and that was all there was to it.'
'Why did you vote to reverse Deems?' Tracy asked.
'That's confidential.'
'Justice Pope, I have reason to believe that one of the justices on the court was paid to influence cases involving the Otero narcotics organization. Over the past five years, four cases involving members of this group have been reversed. You, Justice Griffen, Justice . Kelly and Justice Arriaga voted to reverse in each case. I think Laura Rizzatti figured out who was taking money from Otero. If one of the other justices put pressure on you to vote for reversal, that justice may be the person who killed Laura Rizzatti:'
Pope looked at Tracy as if she was insane. 'That's absolutely preposterous. Are you out of your mind?'
'No, sir. I have evidence to support my suspicions.'
'I don't believe it. And I can tell you that none of the justices put any pressure on me . . .
Pope paused in mid-sentence, suddenly remembering something. He looked uncomfortable. When he spoke, he no longer sounded sure of himself.
'There is some horse trading that goes on among the justices.
I felt very strongly about a fishing rights case, but I couldn't get a majority. One of the justices told me I'd get my majority in the fishing case if I changed my vote in Deems. Well, I was on the fence in Deems. It bothered me that the police used an informant the way they did. Deems deserved the death penalty, but I thought the law had been violated. I wouldn't have done things that way when I was DA.'
'So you switched your vote.'
'Right. And the other justice gave me my majority in the other case.'
'You also voted to reverse in the Galarraga, Zamora and Cardona cases.
,Think back. Did the same justice do anything to win over those votes?'
'My God,' Pope said, and suddenly grew pale.
'Which justice was it?' Tracy asked, certain she knew the name Pope would tell her.
Abbie had prepared chicken with apricots and avocado in a light cream sauce. The dish had been complemented by a fine Vouvray. It was one of several dinners Abbie had cooked for Matthew, who was beginning to appreciate cuisine more extravagant than the steaks he normally ate.
While Abbie was putting the finishing touches on their dinner, Matthew built a roaring fire in the living room. After dinner, they carried their coffee cups to the couch and sat side by side in front of the fireplace. Matthew had been distracted in court that morning during the hearing on Geddes's motion and he had been quiet all evening. Abbie was not surprised by his courtroom demeanor. They were both concerned about the possibility that Judge Baldwin would permit the state to reopen its case. But Abbie expected Matthew to loosen up when he was alone with her.
