Page 63 of Viper

I stare at the burner again and then I sigh and tuck it into my purse. I might regret putting it there, but I don’t want to leave it behind either. I need to figure out what I’m going to do, but first, I need to get to work.

The drive to work is uneventful, and when I get there, it’s unsurprisingly busy. It’s a Friday and that means everyone is anxious to finish things up before the weekend. Not to mention there are a hell of a lot of people sitting in cells that want to go home this weekend instead of cooling their heels in jail until their hearings. I make my way into the side entrance, go through the metal detectors with no issue, and head to my office.

Before I get there, though, I realize someone is waiting outside it. A small lump of worry fills my throat, but I force a bright smile on my face as I get closer. Shit. It’s Judge Brown. He looks at me with a warm smile, but now, seeing him and what I know, there’s a hollowness to his eyes I never noticed before. Or the fact that his smile also seems forced. Shit.

“Judge Brown,” I say with a fake warmth I’m not feeling. “I’m so sorry, were you waiting for me long?” I look at my watch. I’m a full half hour early.

“No, no, just got here,” he assured me. “I was just wondering if you have the transcripts from the cases a couple of days ago?”

“I do,” I say as I unlock my door and let us in. I don’t want to be alone with him, but at the same time, what choice do I have? Though it’s not lost on me he’s asking for the transcripts of the files from the very same day he met with this mafia guy Viper mentioned. Shit. Did he figure out I was here that night? That I overheard? My heart pounds faster in my chest, but out of sheer will, I manage to keep cool. I set my bags down under my desk, and then start rooting around my desk. “Just let me find those for you. Sorry, it’s been crazy around here.”

“Not a problem dear,” he assures me, and I see him glancing around the space. What is he looking for? To make sure there are no cameras in here? Shit, I’m getting paranoid, and I need to calm the hell down. “I’ve been straight out busy myself, so I can only imagine how you and the other court reporters are feeling with trying to keep all the records straight. Do you have to pull some late nights to keep caught up?”

I manage not to react to his question as I find the file of his case notes. “Sometimes,” is all I say, keeping my response easy. “That’s the nature of the job, though. I just put my headphones on and get to work. Sometimes I get so into it, I don’t realize how much time has gone by and I’m here super late,” I joke lightly.

He frowns slightly at that. Shit. Shit. Shit. Why did I say that?

“Eden, you shouldn’t be working late,” he lightly scolds, though his eyes are sharp and searching. “Have you done that this week?”

“Just once,” I shrug. “And it’s not a big deal, honestly. I get the overtime, and you know how nice it is to have some extra cash in case you need it.” Shut up, Eden!

He chuckles. “Yes, I suppose you’re right. My wife loves to shop, and that little bit of extra is helpful to keep the banks at bay,” he jokes. “I have a feeling once I retire I’m going to have to figure out a way to keep her out of the shops.”

I force a light laugh. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out. You can’t be thinking of retiring yet? You’re hardly old enough now to be a judge.”

Turning on the light bit of flattery and charm makes his lips twitch and his shoulders relax. “How kind of you, my dear,” he preens. “I do try to take care of myself, but you know that growing older is never easy.” He flips through the folder almost absently, but I don’t miss the way his eyes search each and every name at the top, and I know instantly what he’s looking for. I don’t have to wait long for him to confirm my suspicions. “Oh, Eden, I don’t see the Mackenzie notes in here,” he remarks casually.

I frown, pursing my lips in thought, while my mind frantically tries to sort out how to give nothing away. “I’m sorry, Judge, but you’re going to have to refresh my memory. I don’t remember being in the courtroom for that one, but all the names are starting to blend together.”

“Ah, I believe it was Knox Mackenzie, and he was after joint custody of his son. Archie? Andrew? I can’t recall the boy’s name.”

I take a moment to pretend to think that one over, and then I make a production of looking at my files and flipping through them. A normal occurrence for me when someone asks me about something I can’t quite remember. Finally, I snap my fingers like I’ve just recalled who he’s mentioning. “Oh, yes, that one. I wasn’t the one in the actual courtroom for the case,” I tell him, looking up at him with an apologetic smile. “You sent the boy back to me for when you talked to him away from his parents. I did type up those notes and they’re in the file for whoever was in with you to review and put together for the record. But I can’t remember who was in with you. Would you like me to check the schedule to find out?”

“Oh right,” he says with a nod. “I remember that now. I think it was Hana, actually, who was in with me. You only met the boy, right? Not the parents? Well, specifically, the father? I have to tell you that he was a quiet one, but he struck me as the kind of man you want to avoid, if you know what you mean.”

I want to rage at him for talking about Viper being dangerous, or seeming to be, but instead I reply as casually as I can, “I vaguely remember him picking him up, but he only looked at me and said thank you and then the two of them left. I was quite busy so I didn’t have much time to chat and he seemed anxious to get going.” A half truth and a half lie, but hopefully at least believable.

Judge Brown must think so because he nods, accepting that at face value. “Yeah, sounds about right from what I knew of him briefly. Still, I found out later that he’s a member of the local MC, so can’t be too careful. Back in the day, they were well known for being wild and dangerous. Killed innocent people in the streets, peddled drugs, you name it. Saw more than a few of them in court during my time as a prosecutor.”

“Oh.” I widen my eyes in surprise. “I had no idea. Wow. I thought I heard that they are a legit club and did a lot of fundraising and stuff. That’s not true?”

Judge Brown hesitates, clearly not realizing I would know anything about them. And I can almost hear the wheels in his head turning on how he’s going to spin this to make it sound legit and not arouse suspicion on why he’s asking. “Yes, those are also true, I suppose,” he finally admits. “But a leopard can’t always change its spots, and I wonder if they’ve just gotten better at hiding it. With the way of the world now, heaven knows that they have far more means to keep those kinds of things under wraps without the law getting involved.”

“I suppose you’re right,” I say grimly. “Well, at least it was only a one time meeting and hopefully I won’t have to worry about it in the future.”

“Let’s hope,” he says with an easy smile. “A woman can’t be too careful these days with so many of the men out there being far worse than ever.” Is that a warning? He looks at me when he says this, his eyes on mine, like he’s trying to come off as threatening me, but really, he can’t quite pull it off. Then, the look in his eyes is gone just as abruptly and he holds up the file with a grateful smile covering his mouth. “Thanks for this, Eden. I appreciate it. I’m sure I’ll see you in with me at some point today.”

“I think I’m with you this afternoon for one case,” I say with a quick glance at the schedule. “So yes, I’ll see you later.”

“I really should request you to help me out more often,” he mumbles but then he smiles. “Oh, that reminds me, would you be able to do some recording for me later with Sherry? I have some orders to send through and the clerks are busy, but I want to make sure they’re on the record as well before I send it to them.”

“Ah, sure, no problem,” I say with a half smile. “Though I am quite busy so it will have to be between cases as long as none of them run over.”

“Of course, dear. And can you make sure to have the Mackenzie, Dobson, Jones, and Smith files with you? They all have something that needs to be scheduled. Mostly just drug tests, and I figure best to get those done sooner rather than later.”

I make a note of those names, and nod. “I’ll make sure Sherry or I have them for you.”

“Excellent. Thanks, Eden, and I’ll see you later.” Then he turns and heads out the door with the file in hand, and never once turning around to look back.

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