Page 48 of Trial Run

Chapter Nineteen

“My client was here at the courthouse all morning,” Gloria Leland practically shouted the words while waving her arms to emphasize the point. “But you think she somehow spirited away a juror and hid her at one of her office buildings?”

Reggie wanted to shout back, but since she shouldn’t even be in the room, she kept her cool and let Lennox do the talking.

“Brooke Dawson was last seen mere feet from your client’s office building. She’s received threats designed to influence deliberations. She’s disappeared, and her disappearance could result in a mistrial which benefits one person—your client.” Lennox ticked each of the points off on her fingers. “It’s easy for your client to prove there’s nothing nefarious going on. All she has to do is let us search her building.”

“In front of clients and employees,” Leland sneered. “Right. You can’t put Ms. Mitchell away so you try to ruin her business instead.”

“She’s doing that on her own without any help from us by joining forces with Harry Benton.”

“Okay, that’s enough,” Judge Hunt said, smacking his palm on his desk like a makeshift gavel. He turned to Lennox. “If you have enough to get a warrant, bring it to me.”

“We do and I will,” Lennox said. “Just figured I’d give her the benefit of the doubt and let her cooperate on her own.” She stood and motioned to Reggie to follow.

“Wait.”

Reggie’s back was to Mitchell, but she heard the defeat infused in the one word.

“You can search, but do it quietly please,” Mitchell said. “Half the building is empty, but I can’t afford to lose more tenants at the rates this one is charging me.” Mitchell pointed at Leland who merely shrugged.

Lennox put a fist in the air. “Perfect. We’ll start there.”

She dashed out of the room and Reggie was right behind her. “What’s the plan?” she asked as they boarded the elevator to the parking garage.

“We’ll call Sarah from the car, but she’s already got a team lined up to help us execute the warrant we no longer need. It’ll be better this way because we can go in unannounced.”

Reggie nodded and started thinking of ways she could get in Mitchell’s building without being noticed.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Lennox said. “Sarah will never let you in there.”

The declaration was a challenge. “You can get me in.”

“No can do. It’s bad enough I’m involving you at all.”

“Seriously?” Reggie’s anger sparked and she could barely contain the rage she’d been holding back. “You really think it’s going to matter that you let a juror get involved in this investigation when it’s pretty damn clear Mitchell’s trial can’t go forward under any circumstances? One of the jurors is freaking missing and if she doesn’t show up soon, a mistrial isn’t going to be the worst thing that will happen.” Her voice cracked, but she forced the next words. “I didn’t get a chance to tell her how I feel. I…”

She stopped short because she couldn’t say the words out loud. Not to Lennox first anyway. She balled her fists and staredhard, daring Lennox to fight her on this, but Lennox stepped into her space and clapped her on the shoulder.

“I’d be saying the exact same thing if Wren were in trouble.” The doors to the elevator opened and she motioned for Reggie to go first. “Come on, you can come with, but you’re going to have to trust the rest of us to find your girl.”

Reggie led the way, determined that by the time they got to Mitchell’s building, she would find a way to be part of the charge. Brooke wasn’t her girl yet, but the minute they made sure she was safe and sound, she was going to do everything in her power to make that happen.

* * *

The clink of a key jammed into the lock, a hard click as it turned, and then the loud whoosh of a door swinging wide. With the blindfold on, Brooke could spend a moment imagining that whoever was coming through that door was someone else—someone come to rescue her—but when Mark spoke, she was certain her fate was sealed.

“You’re awake. Must’ve been a bad batch.”

Footsteps slapped toward her and suddenly the blindfold was ripped away. She squinted at the light until she could fully focus on his cold, dead eyes. Gone was the socially awkward, but friendly veneer, replaced with callous disregard. He didn’t see her as a person, only a means to an end, but she still couldn’t figure out his angle.

“I’ll take out the gag if you promise not to yell.” He waited until she nodded and then loosened the piece of cloth, letting it fall around her neck.

“Can I have something to drink?” Brooke asked, as much of a test of his humanity as to quench her thirst.

He walked over to a desk across the room and retrieved a bottle of water. She used the moment his back was turned to survey her surroundings. It appeared they were in an office, but if it belonged to someone, that person didn’t waste time on making the space personal inadvertently thwarting her attempt to find a clue to where she was being held.

When he turned back toward her, she quickly jerked her gaze away from the desk and focused on the water. She was parched and eagerly swallowed several gulps from the upended bottle of water until he pulled it away.

---