The Intern(78)

“I think we both learned our lesson, huh? Stick to what we know. Be humble, be grateful. Take care of each other, and of Mom.”

“That’s exactly what I’m going to do. Take care of you. And Mom. Because she’ll never be okay until you’re out of jail.”

“Madison. No.”

“Hey, if it was me in trouble, and you in a position to help, you’d do it. Besides, like I said, I’ve got legal problems of my own. Brooke Lee seems to actually believe I’m a murderer.”

“Nah, she’s playing you.”

“I’m not so sure. Anyway, I’m going to tell them yes. That I’ll wear a wire. There’s just one problem. Judge Conroy is missing. The feds seem to think I know where she is, but I have no clue. If I can’t find her, then I can’t get her on tape, and the whole deal falls apart.”

There was a knock on the door, and Olivia marched in.

“Time’s up. We just got word that Kathryn Conroy resurfaced in Boston.”

Danny nodded. “Problem solved, sis. But are you sure?”

She met her brother’s eyes. “I’m sure.”

She turned to Olivia. “I’ve decided to waive my right to an attorney and fully cooperate.”

“That’s great news. Say your goodbyes for now, Madison. They’re waiting in the conference room. We have work to do.”





28


The sun had set, and the temperature was plummeting. Madison crossed the courtyard and fit her key into the back door, huddling into the borrowed puffer jacket. The lights were off inside the town house. She stepped into the darkened back hall.

“Hello?”

Nothing. The feds had assured her that Judge Conroy would be at home when she arrived. They were wrong, apparently.

As the beep-beep-beep of the alarm started up, she entered the code into the keypad near the back door. It should’ve turned off immediately. But the beeping didn’t stop. An error message flashed on the panel. She input again, more carefully this time, but it still didn’t work. There was a second keypad by the front door. She ran to it and tried the code there. Nope. As the beep turned to a shriek, her heart rate skyrocketed. The code had been changed.

A light switched on behind her. She whirled to see Judge Conroy, Lucy in her arms. She’d been sitting in the dark. Waiting. Hiding.

“Judge. You’re back. I was worried. Where have you been?”

She stared accusingly with those ice-blue eyes. “The more interesting question is where you’ve been.”

She knows.

“Did you change the code?” Madison asked, and her voice was high and shaky.

“Why, yes, I did. I can’t have just anyone coming into my home. People are dangerous, the ones you trust most dangerous of all.”

Any second now, the alarm system would send an alert to the security company, which would in turn call the police. That could bring Wallace down on their heads.

“It’s about to call the cops,” Madison said.

The judge didn’t want that either, apparently, because she walked decisively to the panel and tapped in the new code.

The beeping stopped.

“Come in. And take off that extremely large coat.”

Madison advanced hesitantly into the darkened living room. It looked like Judge Conroy had been about to flee. She was wearing a dark raincoat that Madison had never seen before. A pet carrier sat on the sofa, unzipped, yawning open. The judge tried to force Lucy into it, but the cat struggled, jumping down with a yowl and taking off.

“I’ll get her later,” she said. “After I deal with you.”

In the harsh light of the single lamp, she looked like she’d aged a decade since the night of the reception. There were purple shadows under her eyes and lines around her mouth. In spite of everything, Madison was worried for her.

“Are you all right, Judge? You look—”

“Oh, spare me the phony concern and take off that ridiculous coat.”

The borrowed black puffer was bulky enough to conceal a wire. That was why Judge Conroy had fixated on it. Madison shucked the coat. The judge looked her up and down skeptically.

“Now the rest of it.”

“What?”

“Take off your clothes.”

“Are you kidding?”

“This is no joke. I know where you’ve been, and I’m not taking any chances.”

“Where I’ve been?”

“Don’t lie. You’ll just make me angry and destroy what’s left of our friendship. I know you went to DC. You met with the feds. You turned on me. And I know how that goes. You’re wearing a wire.”

“It’s not true.”

“Prove it, then. Take off your clothes.”

“That’s absurd. I refuse.”

Judge Conroy sighed and leaned sideways, reaching for something hidden in the murk, outside the circle of lamplight. She stood up with the gun in her hand, leveling the barrel at Madison’s chest.

“You wouldn’t shoot me. You couldn’t,” Madison said, but she was shaking.

“You have no idea what I am capable of when pushed. Do it.”

When Madison returned to the conference room after meeting with Danny, Brooke Lee told her that Judge Conroy had murdered Douglas Kessler. The prosecutors showed her evidence, but it was all circumstantial. A text from Kessler to the judge arranging to meet. Photos of Kessler’s car in a parking garage with the windows shot out. A woman they claimed was the judge in a dark wig, at what they said was the same garage. Madison hadn’t believed them then because the Kathryn Conroy she knew was no killer. Maybe it was time to reevaluate that.