Finally

by Lynn Galli

  “Don’t need to. Business is so much more crisp over at the children’s park.”

  Her blue eyes studied every inch of my face. “Why do I have the feeling you could lie well enough to fool even yourself?”

  My mouth nudged open. “I should be insulted, I think.” That I was amused made me a little warped. Maybe a lot warped.

  “But the fact that you’re not makes you all the more fascinating.”

  “Are you always this bold, Judge?”

  “Call me Suzanne and I just might tell you.”

  I smiled at the tease. Suzanne. Nice name. I could imagine saying it softly, gently, coaxingly, in a whisper, and as a shout.

  Suzanne. Suzie. Sue. I hoped I’d get the opportunity to use every version of it. “Not on courthouse grounds, Judge.”

  She tilted her head in acknowledgement. A fl icker of gratitude popped into her expression. I wondered if her reluctance to accept formality was why she was being stuck with all the crap cases. “Is that your way of telling me you’d like to see me off 65

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  courthouse grounds?”

  She’d done it again. I found myself speechless with someone so direct. In my business, directness was fl eeting. I didn’t know how to react.

  “You know there’s a pool about you?” I thought I’d try to elicit the same reaction from her.

  “In the PD’s offi ce? Yes, my spies have delighted in telling me all about it. Do they have one on you?” Her eyes twinkled with a bit of cockiness. So much for speechless.

  “No need,” I told her lightly. “They all know I’m gay.”

  She looked me up and down, raising her eyebrows. “And now, so do I.”

  Hel-lo, Judge.

  Before I could come up with something that didn’t sound mildly smarmy, she continued, “What say we fi nd an opportunity to call me by my fi rst name? Friday night, maybe?”

  My head was nodding before I agreed verbally. We set a time and place to meet up and, when Yoshi approached, said our goodbyes.

  “Don’t say it,” I warned my friend when his knowing grin lingered on the departing judge.

  “I can’t tell you that I saw this coming from a mile away?”

  “Didn’t I just tell you not to say it?”

  “It,” he shot back. “Oh, and while we’re grabbing lunch, can we talk about how your friends are idiots again?”

  “You’re my friend.”

  “Shut up.” His grin grew wider, and I couldn’t help joining him.

  ***

  The restaurant seemed tranquil on the outside, but when I stepped through the door, an explosion of activity surrounded 66

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  me. A true Greek taverna complete with people singing, dancing on tables, breaking plates, and tossing napkins. The sight stopped me cold in the doorway.

  “Good choice, right?” That luscious voice spoke right into my ear.

  I started forward, turning to spot my sneaky date. Blue eyes glinted in mischief as she watched my startled reaction. Swept up on the sides, her hairstyle gave her the appearance of being both casual and dressy. With the wide smile, she looked even more beautiful in this setting than in the few times I caught her commanding a corridor in the courthouse.

  “I’ve never been here.”

  “I can tell,” she teased. “I thought if you turned out to be a dud as a dinner date, I’d at least have some other entertainment.”

  Her hand waved to indicate the very active dining room.

  I laughed. I couldn’t help it. Who would toss out a teasing insult thirty seconds into a fi rst date? “You are something.”

  “Thanks.” She joined my laughter, making me feel instantly at ease with her. The spark in her beautiful eyes that said she liked my own attempt at casual dressy helped with the comfort level, too.

  We were seated at a corner table, away from much of the activity, but still on the periphery. The look she exchanged with the hostess told me that she’d arranged for this table. I liked that she’d teased about the possibility of a bad date but planned on having a good one.

  Suzanne made suggestions on what to eat when I told her the only Greek food I’d ever had was a gyro at a street fair.

  Surprisingly, having her take charge was relaxing. I found myself enjoying the date all the more now that I didn’t have to worry about making sure every little thing went all right. It helped that the more I got to know her, the sexier she became, and she’d started out pretty damn sexy.

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  “What would I have to do to get you up dancing with the rest of these fi ne diners?” she asked with that mischievous grin I was going to set as a daily goal to see.

  “Table dancing is saved for second dates.”

  “Is that your way of asking me out again?” One eyebrow quirked. “You like to beat around the bush, don’t you?”

  “I work for politicians.”

  “Say no more.”

  She made conversation so easy. Laid back yet constantly aware, it was hard to imagine her sitting as a judge. Impossible to imagine her fi tting in with the court’s current panel of conservatives. I’d have to sneak into her courtroom soon to see her in action.

  As for our dinner, it had been the best date I’d had in years.

  I didn’t feel like she was posing questions to tick off boxes on some list or weed me out. It was just an easy exchange, lots of kidding, lots of positive observation, and lots of fun.

  “That drug deal, want to tell me more about that line of work?”

  Back to the kidding, I see. I opened my mouth to spill the story when my brain stepped in and stopped me. Yoshi had said that she would be hearing that case. I probably couldn’t tell her about it. Not that it would be against the law, but it could become a compromising position for her if we became closer. Probably best not to mention it.

  Having seen my expression go from open to closed in the space of a heartbeat, she misinterpreted my response. “That was a joke. Sometimes I take it too far.”

  “No, it’s okay,” I reassured her. “Let’s just say my friend paid me back for money I loaned her. I’d make a whole lot more dealing drugs, I’m sure.”

  She studied me for a moment, noting my now relaxed posture and expression. I knew right then how she’d become a judge.

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  She could tell when someone was lying to her. Lots of people say they can do that, but very few actually can. She could. It was written on her face and why she was so direct. I found it all very refreshing. “I’ve seen enough in my courtrooms to know that you’re right about the money.”

  “And the possibility of shooting someone is always a bonus,”

  I quipped back.

  “Indeed.” She leaned back, taking her coffee cup with her.

  Her eyes fl icked away toward the loud group in the center of the restaurant. “I don’t think I’ve ever had that much fun at a family dinner, have you?”

  “I don’t think anyone’s had that much fun at a family dinner.”

  Not without a lot of alcohol.

  Her head nodded as a grin took over her face. “About that second date,” she started, signaling for the check, “how about something a little more lively next time?”

  I chuckled, making a show of turning around to take in all the boisterous activity. “Lively sounds good. As fi rst dates go, this one? Pretty boring.”

  “Playing with fi re, my dear.” She pointed a long fi nger that I wished would make contact just to feel her touch. “Never challenge me.”

  “I think I might quite like challenging you.”

  She signed the credit card receipt, shooting a quick amused glance at me. Rising from the table, she said, “You’re going to live to regret that.”

  I followed her outside. “Promises, promises.”

  69

  FIVE

  Inordinately tall, the district attorney stood a forehead taller than even the lankiest guy in the roo
m. When he stormed through the mayor’s offi ce doors, every head turned to watch his progress.

  He liked making an entrance. He did it everywhere he went.

  Yoshi was terrifi ed of him, as were most of the PD’s offi ce and almost all of his own employees.

  He swerved his way through the cubes, coming straight for my offi ce. “You, she’s going to need you. Let’s go.” Then he turned and headed in the direction of the mayor’s offi ce.

  Apparently summoned, I got up, mostly out of curiosity.

  He’d at least made an effort at my name this time instead of what he usually called me: “Hey” or “Mayor’s It Girl.” I found it endearing enough to want to follow his instruction.

  The offi ce heads were now staring at me. Nearly everyone fl ashed a different gesture of committing suicide as I made my way through the cubes. No one in the offi ce liked dealing with him, but as the best friend of the mayor’s husband, we were used to seeing him around here a lot.

  I made it to the outer doors of the mayor’s private offi ce area.

  He pushed through without knocking. Louisa, her personal admin and the keeper of the door, looked like she was going to pull out every strand of her eyebrows one by one.

  I waved a reassuring hand at her as I followed him inside. As 70

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  soon as he cleared the door, he was barking at the mayor to get off the phone. Tammy looked up, appalled at his order but smart enough not to cross this guy.

  “Doug,” the mayor greeted the moment she cut her phone call short. “What brings you by? It must be something important.”

  He ignored her sarcasm. “Your offi ce has a problem, which means you have a problem, which means she,” he hooked a thumb over his shoulder, “has a problem.”

  I realized his thumb hook was pointing at me, but I twisted a look over my shoulder just to make sure.

  “What’s the problem?” Mayor Kingston asked while making herself comfortable in her chair, obviously hoping Doug would do the same.

  “Someone in your offi ce is bribing judges to get city offi cials and dignitaries out of trouble before any cases can be made.”

  “Allegedly,” I supplied, taking a guest chair and looking him into the other one.

  “Oh, they’re doing it.”

  “Until you prove it in court, it’s slander to state otherwise.”

  He cut an intimidating look at me, thinking I’d cower in his presence like so many others. “Listen, Lainie, we’re not kidding around here. Someone in this offi ce is guilty of bribing a judge.”

  “I’m not kidding around either, Dean—”

  “Doug,” his lackey immediately inserted, surprising himself with his fervor. The guy had been completely lost in the wake of Doug’s tsunami when he entered the offi ce.

  I stood and held my hand out. “Lindsay St. James, I don’t think we’ve met.”

  His eyes popped wide at my confi dence in front of his boss.

  He fl icked a glance at the man, clearly confused by my name. In the end, he automatically shook it.

  “We don’t have time for introductions,” his boss shrugged off.

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  “It might be a good idea, though, Doug, seeing as you still don’t know Lindsay’s name,” the mayor inserted.

  Tammy slapped a hand to her mouth and turned away.

  Watching her try to keep her laughter in almost drew an audible laugh from me.

  “Oh, I know her name,” he replied as if the idea of knowing the name of such a lowly person was beneath him. “I’m just not a fan of spin doctors, Jennifer.”

  “You might have an easier time on election day if you were, Doug. Now, what’s this about a bribe?” Mayor Kingston hoped to move him along.

  “We have reason to suspect,” he stressed the last word, shooting a glare at me, “that someone in your offi ce is bribing judges. Four traffi c incidents, one DUI, two possession charges, and fi ve disorderly conduct charges have mysteriously been dismissed by the courts over the past ten months.” Apparently he expected us to gasp and start scurrying around to seek out this perpetrator because the glare this time was expectant.

  “Why do you believe it originates in this offi ce? I asked.

  “Every one of the charges was lodged against members of city hall or close friends.”

  Damn. I exchanged a look of dread with the mayor. We so didn’t need this. “May we see the case fi les?”

  He snapped his fi ngers and the lackey jumped in place. Two inches off the ground jumped. It would have been funny if the DA’s accusations weren’t potentially damaging to this offi ce.

  After touching ground again, the lackey started forward and stretched the fi les out to his boss. I snagged them fi rst.

  Flipping through the folders, I saw many familiar and important people in the city government. This wasn’t good.

  “The DUI looks questionable. He blew .01 over and admitted to drinking while waiting for the cops after the accident to calm his nerves.”

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  The DA scoffed loudly. “They all say that. Anyone who’s ever watched a lawyer show on TV knows to say that.”

  “Which is why so many DUIs are bumped if they show up with a good lawyer,” I retorted. It wouldn’t mean that he’d escape the mayor’s wrath, but his case dismissal was legit.

  “The others are solid,” Doug assured the mayor.

  Reading on, I saw he was right. Every one of them had their cases dismissed based on judicial subjectivity. This looked bad.

  I glanced up at the mayor and gave her a single nod of my head.

  We’ve been working together for nine years. She knew what I meant.

  “What do you propose, Doug?” she asked.

  “We set up a sting operation. Of course my offi ce will run it, but we’ve got to fi nd out who is doing this and shut it down.”

  “How would we do that? You don’t know who’s doing this.”

  “We approach a judge,” I supplied, reading his mind.

  He looked equally put out that I’d stolen his thunder and impressed that I was smart enough to think like he did. “Yes. The new one. It’s the only way we can know for sure the judge isn’t already compromised.”

  The new one. Suzanne. He was talking about Suzanne. I wasn’t crazy about the idea all around. Involving Suzanne didn’t suddenly make it better.

  “You,” he started, but a scolding look from the mayor made him try again. “Lindsay, you know her. We want you with us when we approach her.”

  Taken aback by his observation and order, I stalled. “I’m not with the DA’s offi ce.”

  “No, you’re with the mayor’s offi ce where this is happening.

  She may be reluctant to help us. If we’re successful we might bring down several of her colleagues. That’s not a good position to be in. You’re her friend,” he smirked at the word, telling me he suspected we were more than just friends. “She’ll be more open 73

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  to it with you talking to her.”

  “No.” I wouldn’t use my friendship with her to put her ask risk.

  “Lindsay.”

  Nobody missed the slight warning the mayor’s tone implied, but I wasn’t going to let Suzanne’s reputation be harmed with a shoddily run sting op. “We’re not waiting around indefi nitely until someone in the offi ce gets into trouble again and prompts this bribery.”

  Tammy lifted a brow. The mayor smiled. “She’s right.”

  He raised his palms and shrugged his shoulders. “It wasn’t until this last case that we noticed a pattern. What are we supposed to do?”

  His tone basically said, “Hey, good luck with fi nding a solution. You guys are screwed. Mine is the only option.”

  What he forgot is that I was a professional solution fi nder. “I know a case we can use as a target.”

  He looked startled for a moment as if the idea of using a specifi c case as bait never occurred to
him. After a moment, he tried to hide it. “There aren’t any suitable cases.”

  “Three of these bribes happened for so-called important friends of people in city hall. I have a friend who is facing assault and battery charges. We can use her case as bait.”

  “You have a friend who assaulted someone?” Tammy blurted.

  “I have an idiot friend who gets drunk on Friday nights and thinks she can physically stop someone from fl irting with her boyfriend.”

  “A catfi ght in a bar?” Doug clarifi ed.

  “A scuffl e is more like it. From what I understand she told the woman to back off and when the woman didn’t understand the need to back off, she landed a slap before her boyfriend pulled her back.”

  The mayor seemed shocked. For nine years I’d been cleaning 74

  Objection

  up her messes. It never ceased to amaze me that she didn’t realize other people had some messiness in their own lives. I could have made the excuse that Valerie and I weren’t close or technically real friends, but neither the mayor nor the DA needed to know this.

  “What’s the status of her case?” Doug asked his lackey who was already on the phone back to the DA’s offi ce.

  He covered the mouthpiece. “Plea has been offered and rejected. Felicia was going to try again before pre-trial motions next week.”

  Doug nodded, considering. “What makes you think this case will work?”

  “I’m important to the mayor. Helping me means helping her.

  The one trend that brought you in here is that all these cases had some tie to the mayor’s offi ce. It’s likely that this person already knows about Valerie’s case.” When they gave me a questioning look, I continued, “She was pretty boisterous in our café a few weeks ago when I told her I couldn’t and wouldn’t help her out of this mess.”

  The DA let a laugh escape. “She already asked you to help her?”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “She’s a bit of a princess. Can’t seem to handle much on her own. Usually her uncle helps her out, but when he’s not around, she comes to me.”

  “Might work,” he admitted reluctantly. “Can you get her to cooperate? She’ll need to take the plea. It can’t go to trial if we’re using her as bait.”