'I know, but there's a Miss Bennett at the front desk. She's very insistent.'
Kerrigan felt the blood drain from his face. Ally Bennett had called several times but he'd had the receptionist tell her that he was out. Kerrigan glanced at Maria to see if she'd noticed his discomfort. She was looking at her notes.
'Okay, patch me through to reception,' Kerrigan said. A moment later, Ally was on the line.
'Thank you for coming by,' Kerrigan said quickly. 'I'm in a meeting, but I do want to get together with you.'
'Yeah,' Bennett said, 'I think you'd better do that.'
'Let me call you when I'm through here, say in an hour?'
'I'll be waiting, and I'll be very, very disappointed if I don't hear from you.'
The line went dead. Kerrigan could feel sweat beading his forehead. He never expected Ally to show up here. Maria knew who Ally was. What if she'd seen her in reception?
'Are you okay?'
Maria was staring at him. He forced a smile.
'I think I'm coming down with something. Why don't we stop now?'
'Sure.' Maria stood and gathered up her files. 'I hope you feel better.'
'Thanks. You're doing a great job, Maria.'
Lopez blushed. She backed out of his office, pulling the door shut behind her. Kerrigan dialed the extension for Harvey Grant's chambers.
'Bennett was here, Judge, in reception,' Kerrigan said as soon as Grant was on the line.
'Did anyone see her?'
'I don't know who was out there.'
'What did you do?'
'I talked to her over the phone on the reception desk.'
'So no one saw you together?'
'No. I got rid of her by promising I'd call her in an hour. That's fifty minutes from now.'
'Okay, calm down.'
'What am I going to tell her?'
There was silence on the line. Kerrigan waited, his hand clammy against the plastic, his stomach in a knot.
'Tell Miss Bennett that you think you'll have everything worked out by next week.'
'How am I going to do that?'
'Say that you've almost put the money together, then intimate that you're working with a detective who owes you a favor. Be vague. Tell her that this detective can make evidence disappear, but won't tell you how he's going to work it.'
'What happens next week, when Dupre is still in jail?'
'We'll discuss that tonight.'
Kerrigan fortified himself with scotch before meeting with Harvey Grant. He looked like he'd slept in his clothes. Victor Reis opened the door before Tim could ring the bell. The bodyguard's craggy face broke into a smile. Kerrigan was certain that Victor noticed his disheveled state, because he noticed everything, but Reis made no mention of Tim's condition.
'Come on in. The judge is in the den. Have you eaten?'
'I'm fine. I'll find him. Thanks.'
Kerrigan walked down the hall to the room where he and Grant had last met. The judge was dressed in khaki slacks, a plaid shirt, and a baggy sweater. A book on English military history was lying at his elbow. He smiled warmly and waved Tim onto a seat.
'How are you holding up?' Grant asked.
'Not real well,' Tim answered as he slumped into an armchair.
'Can I get you a drink?'
Tim shook his head. 'I've had a couple already.'
Grant's smile became wistful. 'How long have I known you, Tim?'
'My whole life.'
Grant nodded. 'I was at your baptism, your first birthday, and your first communion. I've always been very proud of you.'
Kerrigan cast his eyes toward the floor. They misted and his voice caught in his throat.
'I'm sorry I let you down.'
'You haven't, son. You're just human. We all make mistakes.'
