'It doesn't look like there's anyone here,' he said, looking for a car.
Maria parked in front of the cabin. Kerrigan opened the door and started to stand. The movement made him dizzy and he sat back down.
'What's wrong?' Maria asked.
He shook his head. 'I'm fine. Let's go.'
Kerrigan pulled himself up and followed Maria. She was carrying the thermos and her briefcase and seemed oblivious to the rain. It took Tim a while to join her at the front door. He was having trouble focusing.
'Here, let me help you,' Maria said, taking his elbow and supporting him as he stumbled inside.
'I don't feel well,' Tim said. Maria flipped on the living room light and helped him to the couch.
'Must be something you ate,' she said. The words sounded as if they came from far away. Tim looked up. Maria was holding out the plastic cup that acted as a cover for the thermos. 'Drink some more coffee. It will wake you up.'
Tim swallowed half a cup, dribbling some of it on his raincoat. His mouth didn't work well.
'Let's get you out of that coat,' Maria said as she slipped off one sleeve of Kerrigan's raincoat.
Tim looked around. 'There's no one here,' he managed. Saying the words took an effort.
'Guess we've been stood up,' Maria answered. She was opening her briefcase and extracting a sheet of paper. It looked familiar. He was so focused on the paper that he didn't notice the gun in the Ziploc bag until it made a noise when it hit the coffee table in front of the couch.
'Wha's that?' Tim asked. He tried to sit up but he didn't have the energy. The paper looked like the confession he'd signed for Stan Gregaros, but he couldn't get his eyes to focus long enough to read it.
'I'm sorry this didn't work out,' Maria said. 'No one realized how weak you are.'
It took a moment for her comment to register. By the time it did, Maria had slipped on gloves and had taken the gun out of the bag.
'What . . . What are you . . .?'
'I'm getting ready to help you kill yourself. The drug should kick in completely in a moment or two.'
Kerrigan shook his head. 'I don' unerstand.'
'Of course you don't. You still think that I'm a dumpy, enthusiastic deputy DA.' She laughed. 'I'll admit, the dumpy part has been a little tough to carry off, but the enthusiasm has been genuine. I enjoy my work.'
Kerrigan stared at Maria.
'Let me introduce myself, Tim. I'm Pedro Aragon's daughter.'
Tim shook his head again, trying to clear it. He was fading fast, but he was still fighting.
'You might as well give in to the drug, Tim. I dosed the coffee like you wouldn't believe.'
Kerrigan tried to stand and toppled sideways. Maria shrugged.
'Suit yourself.'
Tim was almost under. When he was out, Maria would press the gun into his hand, twist the muzzle into his temple, and pull the trigger. Kerrigan's eyes closed. Maria picked up the gun and walked around the table. She checked Kerrigan's pulse and sighed. She did like Tim. He was such a hunk. If everything had gone as planned, she might have even bedded him at some point. With her weight off, she was pretty sexy, and she knew that Timmy was having problems at home.
Ah well. Maria pressed the muzzle of the gun against Kerrigan's temple.
'Sweet dreams,' she said.
Chapter Fifty-One.
Harvey Grant had met Maria Lopez in the park across the street from the courthouse during the noon recess, and given her Tim Kerrigan's confession and the weapon Kerrigan had used to murder Ally Bennett. Grant ate dinner while Kerrigan and Lopez were driving to the cabin. The judge went to bed at ten and slept soundly, expecting to wake up to news that Tim Kerrigan was dead. The bad news was waiting with his morning paper.
The judge usually enjoyed a hearty breakfast before going to work, but the story on the front page of the Oregonian killed his appetite and made Grant feel something he had not felt in a long time--fear.
DEPUTY DA ARRESTED IN MURDER PLOT
Maria Lopez, a deputy district attorney in Multnomah County, was arrested last night by the FBI and charged with the attempted murder of former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Kerrigan, her direct superior at the district attorney's office. The murder attempt took place at the cabin where Jon Dupre, the owner of Exotic Escorts, allegedly murdered United States Senator Harold Travis. Kerrigan and Lopez are prosecuting Dupre for Travis's murder and the murder of prominent Oregon attorney Wendell Hayes.
In a prepared statement, FBI agent J. D. Hunter stated that he and several other agents were involved in an ongoing investigation--the details of which he could not disclose--when they followed Lopez and Kerrigan to the cabin and set up surveillance. The agents arrived as Deputy District Attorney Lopez fired a gun at Kerrigan. They arrested Lopez, who is now in custody. The agents would not comment on Kerrigan's medical condition or reveal his whereabouts.
There was more to the story--most of it recapping Kerrigan's football career and his achievements in the district attorney's office.
