“Russo thinks that you had Simone killed to prevent him from making a TV show about you. A TV series that exposed your, uh, personal life.”
Cate gasped, but it came out like a hiccup. “But I didn’t kill Simone. Marz did.”
“Russo doesn’t think Marz had it in him. He thinks you do.”
“He doesn’t even know me! This is crazy!”
“I agree. It’s not rational, Judge.”
“How can he think I shot Simone? Didn’t you say there was a videotape from the parking lot, and it shows Marz pulling the trigger?”
“The figure on the tape isn’t clear. It’s a short person in a baseball cap. We thought it was Marz, and the suicide confirms it. But Russo doesn’t agree.”
“I want to see it,” Cate said.
“We can’t. The only copy was in the file that Russo took.”
“But if it’s not Marz on the tape, who does Russo think it is?”
“He thinks it’s Partridge.”
“
“The man on the porn videotape.”
“I know who Partridge is, but-” Cate cut her sentence short.
“Because he thinks you hired Partridge to kill Simone, and that’s why you were paying him that night, on the tape. To shut him up because he was blackmailing you. And on the tape, he threw the money back at you. It looked like you were paying him and it wasn’t enough. He said, ‘You can’t pay me,’ remember?”
Cate found herself rising from the chair, as it dawned on her. She could see how Russo would think that. It made sense, but it was all wrong. “This is a nightmare. This whole day, this week. It’s a nightmare.”
“Judge, please, sit down.”
“No, I can’t.” Cate felt suddenly restless, as if she had to move. “Russo thinks I got away with the murder of his friend. That’s why he’s after me. He’s trying to see what he can find out. He’s investigating me for proof I was behind Simone’s murder.”
“He
“Obviously he’s having a hard time getting a grip on things, but he will, in a day or two. I remember when he got divorced, he was a mess for a week, then he was good as new.”
“I need protection, don’t I?”
“Not yet, Judge.” Shiller rocked back and forth on his feet. “Russo’s a little nuts right now, but he’ll come to his senses.”
“He tried to break into my house. I have two-by-fours for a back door.”
“That’s different from aggressing on you, physically. He won’t take it to that level.”
“Can you guarantee that, Sergeant?”
Shiller nodded. “One hundred percent.”
“You need protection,” he answered, his eyes frank.
And Cate felt a tingle of true fear.
CHAPTER 24
Cate opened the door to her chambers, immediately taken aback. Men in dark suits, FBI windbreakers, and even bulletproof vests clogged her reception room, spilling into her office along with personnel from the clerk’s office, the circuit executive’s office, and an array of federal marshals. They milled around, talking to each other and into walkie-talkies so loudly that they didn’t hear Cate enter.
“Val?” she called out, and the secretary waved over their heads. Their faces turned toward Cate, one by one, and everyone greeted her while she threaded her way to Val’s desk. She thanked them and leaned over the divider. “Full house, huh?”
Val gestured her closer. “You ever see so many cops? They’re playing
“When they leaving?”
“Soon, I hope. I don’t know when I’m gonna clean your office up. They don’t want us to touch it while they’re lookin’ around, but I can’t stay late tonight. I have choir.” Val held up a business card with a tiny gold FBI seal. “Special Agent Mike Brady is the one in charge. You’ll know him right away. He’s the tallest one. And Chief Judge Sherman says, call your rabbi when you can. That mean anything to you?”
“Yes.” Cate smiled.
“By the way, Mo said Meriden called Sherman five minutes before we did.”
“So grade school.”
“But the funny thing is, Mo keeps losing his phone messages.” Val’s eyes glittered with ersatz evil, and Cate laughed.
“Did the FBI talk to Sam?”
“Yes, and so did the marshals, and Mike from the clerk’s office and Brad from the court executive’s office.”
“Oh boy. Is he okay?”
“For a bowl of Jell-O, yes.”
“Poor thing.” Cate checked her watch. 4:10. “I gotta be on the bench in five minutes. Proceeding’s at four- fifteen.”
“Four-thirty.”
“Sam here? It’s his case.”
“No, it’s Emily’s, and she’s in her office. I’ll buzz her.” Val hit the intercom button on the telephone and picked up the receiver. “The judge’s here, Emily. Bring the case file and her robe.”
“My robe! Good thinking.” Cate rubbed her forehead. She hadn’t eaten since last night, running on bile and caffeine. She tried to collect herself as Val hung up the phone.
“You sure you don’t want to cancel this proceeding?”
“Nah, it’s just a guilty plea.”
“No, it isn’t.” Val frowned. “Judge, we canceled the guilty plea, that was the one at two-thirty.”
“A sentencing.”
“Uh-oh.” Cate worried. Guilty pleas were easy, involving her asking a series of rote questions, but a sentencing was something else entirely. She hoped that Emily had written a good bench memo, the summary for judges who are too busy with murder-suicides. “Okay, we’ll just have to see how it goes. Maybe it’s an easy one.”
Val held out her hand. “Gimme your coat, Judge.”
“Thanks.” Cate slid out of her coat and passed it to Val.
“And your purse.”
“Thanks again.” Cate plopped her purse on top of the coat.
“Need a pad?” Val handed Cate a fresh legal pad and a pen, which she accepted. “How was the meeting with the police?”
“I’ll fill you in later. Expect a phone call from SpectaSafe, a security company.” Cate had called them from the car on the way in. “I’m hiring us a bodyguard until they pick Russo up.”
“For real?” Val lifted an eyebrow.
“Yep. He’s gonna sit on that couch and keep you safe. He should be here first thing tomorrow morning. They’re going to call you back with the details. Give them my personal American Express for the bill.” Cate turned to her left as louder talking came from her office, and a basketball player in a suit made his way through the crowd toward her. She tried not to let her nerves show.
“Judge Fante?” The agent extended a huge hand, and Cate felt hers squashed for the second time that
