Page 12 of Mile High Mystery

“Christopher and Charlie were in the pub when I got there. With another man. Do you know Judge Hennessey?”

“No. How do you know him?”

“Don’t you watch the news?” she asked. “He’s the judge who got in trouble for not recusing himself from that money laundering trial that ended last week.”

“What money laundering trial? And I don’t have time to watch the news. I have a life.”

“I was having a drink with Diane last week, and they had the TV on over the bar and I saw the story,” she said. “Judge Hennessey was accused of taking a bribe, and word was he was going to confess who had paid him.”

“Did the Chalk brothers pay him?” Zach asked.

“I don’t know,” Camille said. “But one of them killed him.”

“What?”

“I had retrieved my wallet from the hostess stand and was getting ready to leave when I heard a gunshot. I turned to look, and there was the judge, lying on the floor bleeding, with Charlie and Christopher standing over him. I ran as fast as I could and got back to you. I don’t think they know I was there.”

“I heard the shot,” Zach said. “I thought it was a car backfiring. And there was a guy...”

“What guy?” She grabbed his arm again. “What are you talking about?”

“Just a guy in the street. He ran from the direction of the restaurant. A guy about my age. Dark hair, dark pants, white shirt. Big nose and chin.”

She stared at him, eyes wide. “That doesn’t sound like Charlie or Christopher. They’re both pretty big guys. Charlie must be at least forty. Christopher is a little younger, but he’s fat.”

“This guy wasn’t fat. But he was terrified.”

“Did he see you?”

“I don’t think so. When he turned toward me, I ducked down.”

She gripped his arm tighter, fingers digging in. “You can’t tell anyone about this, Zach.”

“Why not?”

“The Chalk brothers are terrible people. If they think you saw anything, they will kill you.”

“So you’re saying we both just keep this a secret?”

“Not both of us,” she said. “I’ll tell the police what I saw. They don’t even have to know you were there.”

“Wait a minute—you’re saying I should keep quiet because the Chalk brothers will kill me, but it’s okay for you to talk? In what world does that make sense?”

“I was in the building when Judge Hennessey was killed,” she said. “I was practically in the same room. All you saw was some guy run down the street. He could have come from anywhere. You would risk your life for nothing. And our parents! It’s going to be bad enough for them, having me involved in this mess. If you’re in it, too, it could be too much for them. You need to be able to focus on taking care of them.”

“Who’s going to take care of you?” he asked.

“I’ll ask for police protection, and I’ll get it. I was an eyewitness to murder, and I can help law enforcement convict criminals they’ve been after for years.” Her color returned as she spoke, and her eyes lit with excitement.

“Camille—” He tried to interrupt her, but she rushed on.

“This will work, Zach. You don’t have to get involved.” She opened the truck door. “Let me out here and drive straight home. I’ll tell the cops I ran here from the restaurant. It’s not that far.”

“I can’t just leave you here.”

“You have to, Zach. Now go.” She slid out of the truck and slammed the door behind her. Then she took off across the parking lot. Within seconds, she had disappeared into the building.

He sat for a long while, gripping the steering wheel, waiting for Camille to return then thinking he should go inside after her. He thought about the man in the street. Zach had seen him for such a brief moment. Was Camille right? Would he be opening himself up to danger for no reason? It could have been someone walking home after a late night, or a street person, terrified by the sound of gunfire nearby.

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