They ended up in a grimy parking lot behind a restaurant. An old Volvo with New Hampshire plates was parked beside a dumpster. The judge unlocked the car with a fob, opening the passenger door.
“That’s your car?”
“It belongs to a friend of mine. You’re driving. Get in.”
“Can you take her?”
Madison held out the cat, who took one look at the open car door and dug her claws into Madison’s hands. Leaping, Lucy hit the ground running and disappeared behind the dumpster. The judge went after her.
“Goddamn it, Lucy. Get out here now.”
The cat shot out suddenly, avoiding both their attempts to grab her. In the blink of an eye, she was gone.
“Did you see where she went?”
“Down the street, I think.”
Judge Conroy ran after Lucy, returning a few minutes later, looking frantic.
“I don’t see her anywhere.”
“What should we do?”
“We have to get out of here before Charlie finds us. We’ll drive around and look for her.”
They got in the car, with Madison driving, and squared the block several times without a single sighting of Lucy. They stopped at a red light. The judge was distraught.
“I don’t know what to do. We can’t stay. It’s too dangerous. But it’s below freezing tonight. And I won’t be there to let her in if she comes home.”
“Let me get out. I’ll keep looking, I promise. I won’t give up.”
They were several cars back from the intersection when the light changed. A dark-colored sedan passed them, going in the opposite direction, toward the town house. They turned in unison to watch it go.
“Was that him?” Judge Conroy said, her voice cold with fear.
“I think so.”
“Did he see us?”
Madison’s eyes were on the rearview mirror. “I’m not sure. He hasn’t turned around yet.”
The light changed. The car behind them honked.
“Go. Take 93, heading north,” Judge Conroy said.
As Madison stepped on the gas, she tried not to think about the fact that she was driving off with a woman who was at the center of a vast conspiracy, whose closest associates were criminals and dead men. In the moment, there didn’t seem to be any alternative. Merging onto the interstate, she kept glancing in the rearview mirror. There was no sign of Wallace yet. That didn’t mean she was safe, any more than getting on the interstate meant she’d decided to flee. They were heading north. To where, Canada? She had no intention of leaving the country, no matter who was chasing her.
“Where are we going? You can’t just take me hostage. I have my family. School. Exams start next week.”
The judge’s mouth fell open. “Finals. Right. I guess that slipped my mind,” she said.
They looked at each other, dismayed at how crazy things had gotten.
“You say you can’t run because of your family,” Judge Conroy said. “That’s exactly why I have to. We’re going to New Hampshire. There are people there I love, who I need to protect.”
As far as Madison knew, Judge Conroy had no family left. Her mother and her husband were dead, and she’d never mentioned any other relatives. She seemed to be alone in the world.
“Who are you talking about?”
The judge shook her head. “I’ve said too much already.”
“If you don’t trust me, then why am I even here?”
It was starting to snow, fat flakes drifting down and melting on the windshield. As Madison turned the wipers on, the silence lengthened.
“You asked why you’re here,” the judge said finally. “I didn’t want to leave you behind to face Charlie. But the bigger reason is, I need your help. You and I are in very tight spots. There’s a chance we could save each other, but it would require total honesty. If I tell you about—about them—well, I’d be putting their lives in your hands. That’s hard to do when I’m not sure you’ve been honest about what happened in DC.”
“If I told you everything, and you didn’t like it, where would that leave us?”
“Maybe in a better place to make a deal? I’m not going to harm you, if that’s what you’re worried about. And the people who would are my sworn enemies.”
Madison nodded. “I know.”
“Tell me about DC. And I’ll tell you about my family.”
So she did have family. Madison glanced over in surprise to find the judge watching her, looking as nervous as Madison felt, and knew deep down that she could trust her.