“That’s not okay,” Madison said.
“I said I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was you. Please, come in. Have some wine. I ordered DoorDash.”
The judge walked into the kitchen. Madison followed, watching as she stashed the gun in her bag on the island. All was warm and cheery in here. Candles lit on the table, flames dancing in the fireplace. Lucy rubbed up against Madison’s legs, purring. But her heart still hammered in her chest. A terrible thought had occurred to her.
“You thought I was him,” she said, facing Judge Conroy across the island. The gun was within the judge’s reach, but Madison no longer believed that it was meant for her. “Wallace has a key, doesn’t he?”
The judge sighed. “It’s possible.”
“You’re not sure? Did you give him one or not?”
“I didn’t. No.”
“Someone else gave him a key to your house?”
“Please, I really don’t want to talk about this tonight. It’s too stressful. Sit down, have something to eat. I got ramen. It’ll warm you up. It’s so cold tonight. They’re saying snow by Friday.”
Taking plastic containers from the warming drawer, she dumped the soup out into bowls, which they carried, steaming, to the table. There was an open bottle of pinot noir. The judge filled their glasses, then dipped her spoon. Madison was too keyed up to eat. She crossed her arms, stone-faced.
“Look, if you’re going to point a gun at me—”
“I’m sorry. That was a mistake. It won’t happen again.”
“I don’t believe you. I don’t feel safe. Not just because of you. I’m risking Wallace showing up at any minute. If you expect me to stay, I’m going to need something in return.”
“Yes, of course. I said I’d pay.”
“Not money. I’m concerned about my brother.”
The judge’s face fell. “Oh, now, wait a minute. This arrangement was not an invitation to sway me on his case.”
Her chest swelled with anger. “Stop acting like this is a normal case where normal rules apply. It’s not, and you’re not a normal judge. Danny was framed. And now he’s missing. I think you know something about that.”
The judge’s spoon clattered to the table. “Missing? That’s not possible. He’s in custody.”
Her look of shock seemed genuine. Was she simply a talented actress?
“Well, they moved him, and they won’t say where. He’s not in the database. He hasn’t called home. At this point, we’re worried something terrible happened. If you want my help, then I need you to look into this. Find him. Tell me where he is. The Bureau of Prisons is giving us the runaround, but they’d have to answer you.”
“That doesn’t make sense. They don’t relocate prisoners until after sentencing. Your brother hasn’t been sentenced yet.”
“That’s correct.”
“Are you sure he was moved?”
“Positive. My mother talked to the guards on duty, and then to an administrator at the prison. I confirmed it online. He’s not there.”
“And they wouldn’t say where they took him?”
“She couldn’t get a straight answer. The guards say he was transferred, but they didn’t have details. The administrator claims he can’t give us the information because Danny’s status is confidential.”
The judge looked shaken. “Confidential?”
“Yes. What does that even mean? I searched the BOP database. He’s no longer listed. How can they not tell his family where he is? Is this normal, because it doesn’t seem like it.”
“No, it’s not. Thank you for telling me. I didn’t know this was happening.”
“Can you do anything? My mother is going crazy.”
“Let me make some calls tomorrow. I’ll see what I can find out.”
Madison thanked her, sitting back in her chair and picking up her spoon. She tried to relax, but it wasn’t easy—for either of them. They were both on edge, listening for any threat. When the cat suddenly attacked a squeaky toy shaped like a mouse, they both jumped, and then laughed in unison. But the laughter rang hollow. The second she got news of Danny, Madison vowed she’d be out of here, no matter what Judge Conroy said.
* * *
The following afternoon, she reported to the courthouse for her internship, eager to hear what the judge had learned. But her office door was shut, raised voices emanating from behind it. Kelsey the receptionist gave her a suspicious look.