Page 166 of State of Suspense

“That won’t go anywhere. Despite what his father might believe, if Shane hadn’t been killed, he would’ve spent the rest of his life in prison. We had him nailed every which way. I doubt that lawsuit will make it past the preliminary stages.”

“I doubt Ramsey cares about winning. He wants to make us look bad by piling onto what’s happening with Stahl and Davies and the rest of it.” Prior to learning that Stahl was a serial killer, they’d uncovered irregularities in most of his earlier cases. He’d failed to do even the most rudimentary investigations.

“Yeah, that’s probably true. Remember what your dad used to say.”

“Which pearls of wisdom are you referring to?”

“No matter what’s happening at the moment, it’ll pass, and something else will come along that’ll take everyone’s attention off the thing that has us so worried.”

“He was right, most of the time. But I don’t think this thing with Stahl will blow over quickly or easily.”

“Probably not.”

“What else is going on in the outside world?” she asked.

“Are you sure I can’t interest you in a smartphone of your very own?”

“Why do I need that when I have you and yours?”

“God, I walked right into that one.”

“She does have a point, Detective,” Vernon said.

“Don’t tell her that.”

Sam gave him a smug smile. “I love being right.”

“See what you did, Vernon?”

“I see, and I’m sorry.”

“You were racking up the points, Vernon,” Sam said. “Don’t ruin it now.”

When they arrived back in the pit, Malone and Farnsworth were waiting.

Sam gestured for them to lead the way to the conference room.

“I understand you’ve spoken to Judge Sawyer.”

“We have, and she’s agreed to participate.”

“How do you see this going down?”

“If Harlan Peckham has been watching her, he’s begun to know her routine. He’d know when she leaves the house, when she leaves the office, when she goes to one of her kids’ games or when she goes to church or whatever else she does. I suggest we zero in on one of those events and make her a sitting duck who’d be surrounded by every form of protection we can provide, including sharpshooters on every nearby roof. I’m thinking church could be our best bet, with the other churchgoers being plainclothes officers who’d surround her coming and going.”

“What do we do with the rest of the congregation?”

“I haven’t gotten that far yet. Maybe we ask them to exit through another door while Cori and the officers leave through the main door?”

“I’d want to see the layout of the church you plan to use and to figure out whether it’s conducive to something like this. We’d have to involve the pastor and the judge’s security as well.”

“I’ll figure out the details and have a better plan in place by tomorrow morning.”

“I want Emergency Response brought in on this,” Farnsworth said. “Leave nothing to chance.”

“Yes, sir. The FBI will be assisting as well.”

“If a federal judge is killed in an operation we organized, it’ll be the end of all of us in this business.”

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