“Hey, wait,” he said, rising. “Dresden, what about me?”
“I already saved your life,” I said. “Walk your own ass home.”
Chapter Fifteen
With a little good fortune and without a bunch of fancy legal maneuvers, the case took a couple of months to go through.
“Congratulations, Miss Maya,” Maximillian Valerious said to her as we came out of the courthouse into the early fall sunshine. “I hope you never have to put up with such an odious person ever again.”
She bent over and gave Max a full and open hug. “Thank you, Mister Valerious,” she said. “Thank you, thank you.”
“Now, now,” he said, patting her shoulder fondly. “Heloise says to tell you she’s sending over fresh eggs and home grown tomatoes for your franchise meeting. I’d be surprised if she didn’t include cookies, too.”
Maya laughed and released him, then turned to me and smiled up at me. “You look a little better than you did two months ago.”
“Time heals all wounds,” I said, forcing out a smile I only felt about ten percent of—but that was ten percent more than it had been. “I’m glad the judge saw the right of it.”
“It probably helped that Tripp kept talking.” She beamed and gave me a hug as well. “You really are a miracle worker.”
“On a good day.”
Behind us, the door to the courthouse slammed open and Tripp Gregory came stalking furiously out of the building, heading straight for the street.
I’d already noticed the cars that were waiting.
Max said something else to Maya, who departed to greet a circle of women who were laughing and giving her hugs. Max glanced up at me shrewdly and followed the direction of my gaze. It only took him a second to realize what was happening.
“My God,” he said.
Two men closed in behind Tripp Gregory, just as a black car pulled up on the street, and another slowed to hold traffic for a moment. One of the men had a hand in his coat. Gregory gave him one terrified look, then glanced at the car, whose door swung open.
The car had Missouri plates.
I watched the St. Louis crew bundle Tripp smoothly into the car, right in front of God and everybody.
“Are you going to do anything?” Max Valerious asked me.
I took a breath and then I said, “No.”
The old lawyer peered up at me, took off his spectacles, and cleaned them carefully while felony kidnapping happened twenty yards away.
“Because he deserves it?” Max asked quietly.
“Hell if I know,” I said. “I’m not sure what anyone deserves anymore, Max.” I blew out some air through my lips as the car pulled away, taking Tripp Gregory to his fate. “But he sure as hell worked for it.”
Max huffed out a short breath and put his glasses back on. “I’ve arranged a payment schedule with Miss Maya.” He winked at me. “I believe Sunflower is going to receive a regular anonymous donation to their underprivileged tutoring program in the same amount.”
I eyed Max.
Then I offered him my hand.
The old man shook it gravely.
“Do you and Heloise like pizza?” I asked him. “We use croissant mix for the crusts…”
* * *
THE END