Page 25 of Trial Run

Still, she wasn’t about to admit that to Lennox or anyone else seated around this table. “Look, do you want to help me out or not?”

Lennox let loose a heavy sigh. “Of course. Look, it’s classic bad guy to say ‘don’t involve the police,’ but that rarely meansthey’ll do anything about it or even know the cops are involved. I worked on a task force case last year with an FBI agent who knows her way around. What if I reach out to her and see if she has any ideas?”

“I want to be there when you talk to her,” Reggie said, thinking she could hang on to some modicum of control if she was in the room.

“Wouldn’t want it any other way. I’ll see if I can set something up tonight.”

Reggie turned to Nina. “What am I supposed to do in the meantime?” She looked at her watch. “I sent Leroy a text this morning to tell him I was running late, but there’s only so long he can hold the judge off from tossing me in the holdover. I should get back.” She left unsaid the reason, which was to keep watch over Brooke, but she could tell from the looks she was getting that the others knew exactly why she wanted to get back.

Nina made a shooing motion. “Go. Lennox will call you later and if you get any flack about being late from Hunt, let me know and I’ll handle it.”

Reggie slid out of the booth. “Thanks, guys. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” As she walked to the door, a deep feeling of loss settled over her. When this trial was over and she was no longer at the courthouse every day, she’d likely lose touch with these folks. Who would she turn to then?

* * *

Brooke looked up at the sound of the door opening, but like the dozen other times this morning, there was no Reggie in sight. Where was she? Reggie had dropped her at the courthouse and promptly disappeared.

She’d spotted Leroy, the bailiff, in a whispered conversation with the judge before he’d let them know that they would bestarting late this morning due to “other matters before the court,” but she couldn’t help but wonder if Reggie’s absence was the cause for the delay.

“Where’s your friend?”

She turned to find Mark standing behind her. “Who?” she asked even though she knew exactly who he meant.

“The woman who acts like a cop and used to work here at the courthouse. I think she likes you.”

His words were delivered in a monotone recitation without a drop of judgmental inflection, but Brooke felt seen and it was pretty uncomfortable. She looked around the room, wondering if anyone else had heard Mark’s remarks, but he beat her to the punch.

“I don’t think anyone else notices,” he said. “Your other friends are focused on themselves.”

Again, there was no judgment in his tone, but Brooke instantly knew he was talking about Jennifer and Lisa and she choked back a laugh. “Anyone ever tell you you’re really observant?”

“Yes, but they don’t usually mean it as a compliment. Do you?”

“I do.” Brooke smiled to emphasize her point. “It’s always the quiet ones.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “What else have you noticed?”

It was his turn to look around, before leaning in to whisper back. “I think you’re worried about something. Are you okay?”

She’d expected him to share some revelation about the players in the trial or one of the other jurors, but the pointed observation about her own behavior took her off guard. “Uh, yes, of course,” she replied, wondering if Mark was also a deft lie detector. “Guess I’m just like everyone else—I have other things I need to be doing.”

He hunched his shoulders. “Not me. I work at the most boring job ever. This is the most interesting thing I’ve done in a while even if the pay sucks.”

She fished through her memories of jury selection. “You work in IT.”

He sighed. “I work a customer service line for people who can’t figure out their computers. I spend most of my time telling people to turn it off and turn it back on. Not much in the way of intellectually challenging.” He pointed to the coffee maker on the counter. “At least here I get free coffee.”

“True.” She hefted the mug she’d filled when she arrived. “Free coffee is not to be scoffed at.”

“Do you think she’s going to show up? Your friend, I mean.”

His focus on Reggie unnerved her and she wasn’t sure why since she was singularly focused on Reggie herself. “I don’t know.”

“She could be in big trouble if she doesn’t.”

Brooke resisted looking at her phone. If Reggie had texted or called, it would’ve buzzed in her hand. The silence was telling, but she wasn’t entirely sure she understood the message. Frankly, she was starting to get worried. Had whoever been watching her decided Reggie was a threat?

As if in answer to her question, the door to the jury room opened again and Reggie walked into the room. She was smiling and strolling and seemed utterly unconcerned about the fact she was an hour late. She was two steps away and Brooke was still scrambling for something to say, but she needn’t have worried because Reggie walked right on by and struck up a conversation with Jennifer and Lisa who greeted her like they were long-lost friends. Brooke continued to stare and, at one point, Reggie met her eyes and quickly glanced away, her expression unreadable. She hadn’t imagined that, had she?

“She’s back.”

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