The Tenth Justice (22 page)

“I’m fine,” Ben said, his hands cupped together. “I just need some contact solution.” Turning toward the bathroom, he explained, “Mastermind made me take out my contacts so I couldn’t make out his license plates.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter what you saw, because we got everything,” Nathan said as Ben reinserted his lenses. “We got some shots of the limo, and Lisa got everything else.”

“Where is she?” Ben asked. As he blinked his contacts into place, saline-solution tears ran down his face.

“She went home to shower,” Ober explained.

“Did she see Rick when he opened the window?” Ben asked.

“She said she did. She took a whole roll of film.”

“Did you bring it in yet? Are they clear shots? We can probably enlarge them.”

“Already taken care of,” Nathan said. “We took them to the place around the corner. They were closing, so the pictures won’t be ready until tomorrow. As soon as we pick them up, I’ll bring them into work. We’ll have an I.D. in no time.”

“So what’d he say?” Ober asked. “What happened?”

“You saw the whole story,” Ben said, still struggling with his contacts. “Just like we thought, he fucking knew everything. When I was sitting at the table, he slipped me a note saying that I should meet him outside since he didn’t want to be photographed by the two of you. I almost shit my pants.”

“So he did know we were there,” Nathan said. “Did you save the note? Maybe we can analyze it for fingerprints or do a handwriting analysis.”

“Forget about it,” Ben said. “The limo driver took it away from me right before he patted me down for the microphone.”

“I told you—” Ober began.

“I don’t want to hear it,” Ben said angrily.

“Take a seat,” Nathan said.

“I can’t,” Ben said, leaning on the kitchen table. “I’m too wound up.” Running his hands through his hair, he added, “I can’t believe this. Now we have no audio. If we’d given him a power drill, I don’t think he could’ve screwed us harder.”

“What else did he say?”

“He wants the
Grinnell
decision, and he said he’d pay me three million dollars if I gave it to him.”

“Three million?” Ober asked.

“Did you tell him no?” Nathan asked.

“Of course not,” Ben said. “I did exactly what we talked about. I told him I’d think about it.”

“When did you talk about that?” Ober asked. “I don’t remember that.”

“Last night,” Ben said. “You were down here talking to Eric.”

“How come you didn’t invite me?”

“I just said—you were with Eric,” Ben explained. “Sorry.”

“About Eric—” Ober began.

“Ober, I know it upsets you, but I really don’t want to talk about it,” Ben said. “It’s a dead issue, so drop it already.”

“Do you think Rick believed that you were interested?” Nathan asked.

“Absolutely. He said if I’m linked to Eric, I’m screwed. So if I don’t take the money, I’d be a fool.”

Nathan paused for a moment. “You would be.”

“I know,” Ben said. Pushing himself away from the table, Ben walked toward the kitchen. “The only other thing that freaked me out was how much information he had on me. He knew everything. He knew about Eric and the Marshals Office. He even mentioned something about my meeting with my firm,” Ben said as he picked up the phone.

“Who’re you calling?” Nathan asked suspiciously.

“Lisa,” Ben said. “I want to tell her what happened.” Noticing the odd look on both Nathan’s and Ober’s faces, Ben asked, “Why? What’s wrong?”

Nathan was silent.

“He thinks Lisa might be leaking information to Rick,” Ober explained.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Ben said, hanging up the phone. Coming back into the dining room, he asked, “You don’t really believe that, do you?”

“It’s definitely possible,” Nathan said. “How else do you explain how Rick knew about everything?”

“It’s not that hard to figure out,” Ben reasoned. “He knows Eric’s name, so he probably saw his story in the paper.”

“And how did he know about our entire plan?”

“He might’ve seen you guys across the street.”

“That’s what I said,” Ober said.

“But what about the rest? What about the marshals? And your firm? And the mikes?” Nathan asked. “C’mon, Ben, don’t be blind to this.”

“I’m not being blind,” Ben insisted. “Trust me, I’ve been thinking about this since the beginning. I just don’t think it’s Lisa, though. She’d never do that to me.”

“You barely know her,” Nathan said. “You have no idea what she would and wouldn’t do.”

“She’s a good friend,” Ben said. “I guarantee she wouldn’t do that. Besides, just because Rick is unbelievably resourceful doesn’t mean that one of my close friends is responsible.”

“Eric’s been your close friend for two decades and he had no problem selling you out. How can you say Lisa wouldn’t do the same?”

“Because Lisa’s a better person than Eric is. I know she seems like a loudmouth to you guys, but she has integrity. Trust me, she’d never do it.”

“Ben, now you’re being stupid,” Nathan said, rising from his seat. “If you think she wouldn’t sell you out, you’re wrong. Everyone has their price, and she’s no exception. If you started thinking with your real head, you’d see how right I am.”

“No. No way,” Ben insisted, shaking his head. “If Lisa was leaking information, Rick would be better informed than he was. He knew about things that have gone on, but he only knew about them in a general sense. He really didn’t have any details.”

“You don’t know that for sure.”

“Yes, I do,” Ben said. “I dangled our red herring and he snapped it up.”

“He fell for the security clearance?” Nathan asked.

“Hook, line, and sinker.”

“That’s interesting,” Nathan said.

“What security clearance?” Ober asked, confused. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Last night, we were talking strategy,” Ben explained, “so Nathan and I said that I should say something happened when it really didn’t. If Rick said he knew about it, we’d know to what extent he was bluffing his way through some of this crap. So I told him that the Marshals Office knocked down my security clearance, which they didn’t. And Rick said he knew about it.”

“Great move,” Ober said, impressed.

“It definitely was,” Ben said. “But I still want to know how Rick had even the little information he had.”

“I think he has us bugged,” Ober said.

“I still think it could be Lisa,” Nathan said.

“I don’t want to hear about it,” Ben said, walking up to his room. “I have way too much to worry about, and I don’t want to have to start suspecting my closest friends.” When he got into his bedroom, Ben closed the door behind him, picked up the phone, and dialed Lisa’s home number.

“Ben?” she answered anxiously.

“Relax, I’m fine,” he said, looking under his desk for anything that resembled a microphone.

“What happened? Are you okay? Did he proposition you?”

“He definitely wants info,” Ben said. After a full explanation of the last few hours, he continued, “So all we have left are the pictures that you and Nathan snapped as we drove away. Hopefully, those’ll be enough.”

“When will they be done?”

“They’ll be ready tomorrow morning,” Ben said, searching under every piece of his memorabilia collection. “Nathan gave them to some place around the corner. But if those don’t come out, we’re back where we started.”

“They’ll come out,” Lisa said. “Once Nathan runs the photos and the license plates through the State Department, we’ll have everything we need.”

“I guess,” Ben said.

“So you’re calm? You’re not crazy?”

“I’m completely calm,” he said, crawling on the floor and searching under his bed. “Lisa, by the way, thanks for hanging in the dumpster. We would’ve been lost without you.”

“Don’t sweat it. That’s what I’m here for.”

“I know, but I just wanted to say thank you.”

“Any time,” Lisa said, hanging up the phone.

Later that evening, Nathan walked into Ben’s room. Ben was sitting at his desk, slumped in his chair and staring at the wall. “How’re you doing?” Nathan asked.

“I’m okay. Just trying to figure this whole thing out.”

“Any ideas?”

Ben slowly shook his head. “Not really.”

“You don’t really need to stay involved with this bullshit,” Nathan said as he sat on Ben’s bed. “I mean, you can just walk away. The only thing hurt is your pride.”

“It’s not about pride,” Ben said, still slumped over. “Rick will always have information that can damage my career. If I walk away, I’ll never know when he’ll be back to dangle it in front of my face. At least if we get something on him, we can counteract whatever blackmail he might think of in the future.” Ben opened the top drawer of his desk and pulled out a pencil. “Besides, I want this guy.”

“Not to be a pessimist, but have you thought about turning yourself in and explaining the situation to the police? I mean, it’s not like you leaked the information on purpose. Rick tricked you out of it.”

“I’ve definitely thought about that,” Ben said. “But it doesn’t matter how Rick got the information from me. If they found out I released a decision, they’d have to kick me off the Court.”

“Yeah, but it’s not like you’d go to jail—there was no criminal intent on your part.”

“If a clerk got fired from the Supreme Court, it’d make every paper in the country. The media eats up Court scandals faster than my family eats dessert. And if that happened, my entire career would be finished. I’d be disbarred and I’d never be able to practice law again.”

“I think you’re just worried that you’d lose your Golden Boy status.”

“You’re probably right. I’ve busted my ass to get where I am. The last thing I want to do is throw it all away by confessing. No offense, but that doesn’t sound like the optimal solution.”

“I’m just exploring all your options,” Nathan said. “You know I’ll support you no matter what you decide to do.”

Early the next morning, Ben knocked on Nathan’s door. “Do you have the receipt for the pictures? I want to go pick them up.”

“Hold on a second,” Nathan said, bent over as he tied the laces on his sneakers. “I’ll go down with you.”

Nathan untied his laces and retied them again. “C’mon,” Ben said. “How many times have you tied them already? Four? Five? Six? You have a sickness, y’know that?”

“I just like the perfect knot,” Nathan said, still bent over. “Excuse me for being a perfectionist.”

“You’re not a perfectionist. You’re the poster boy for next year’s obsessive-compulsive calendar.”

“There. Done.”

“Now
that’s
a beautiful bow,” Ben said, staring at his roommate’s shoes. “Wonderful job.”

“Jealous,” Nathan said as they headed downstairs to get their coats. “By the way, my mother’s been bothering me all week. Are you coming over to dinner the night before Thanksgiving?”

“Who’s going to be there?” Ben asked, buttoning his coat.

“Well, it’ll be my family, the four of us, and Lisa, if she’s coming.”

“What do you mean, the four of us? I’m not eating with Eric.”

“C’mon,” Nathan pleaded, opening the front door. “Now you’re being immature.”

“I’m not being immature. I just want to enjoy my time at your house. If Eric’s there, I won’t. It’s as simple as that.”

“What do you want me to do?” Nathan asked. “Should I tell him he can’t come? Should I invite everyone and leave him out? Besides, if he’s not invited, our mothers’ll never leave us alone. They’ll want to know the whole story, start to finish.”

Silent until they reached the corner, Ben said, “Fine. He can come.”

“Thank you,” Nathan said, breathing a sigh of relief. “I’m glad your forgiving side won out.”

“Don’t think this has anything to do with forgiveness. I just weighed my hatred for Eric against the consequences of maternal interrogation. From there it was no contest. Moms are undefeated.”

Ben and Nathan walked three more blocks until they reached Rob’s Camera and Video. As they approached the store, Ben said, “We’ll probably have to enlarge the photo.”

“It won’t be a problem. They can do that within an hour. I’m more worried that the license won’t give us good information.”

“It definitely will. Even if it only gives us a limo company, that’s a start.” Ben opened the door for his friend and followed him inside.

Nathan pulled out the two ticket stubs and handed them to one of the two female clerks waiting behind the counter. “We have some pictures to pick up.”

As one of the clerks took the stubs to the photo bins, the other looked at Ben. “Did you go to Maryland undergrad? Because you look really familiar.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t,” Ben said. “My friend did, though. He got a degree in shoelace tying.” Pointing to Nathan’s feet, he asked, “Have you ever seen anything tied so tight in your whole life? I mean, besides him?”

The clerk leaned over the counter. “That
is
a nice bow.”

“I’m sorry,” the other clerk said, shuffling though the envelopes of finished photos. “When did we say your pictures would be ready?”

“You said to pick them up this morning,” Nathan said. “They were under the last name Oberman. Two rolls of film.”

The clerk shook her head. “I can’t find them here. Hold on a second.” The clerk flipped through a small looseleaf binder and stopped on a page. “Wait, I found them. They were picked up about an hour ago by your friend.”

A chill ran down Ben’s back. “What friend?”

“Oh, I remember that guy. I helped him,” the other clerk said. “He said that if you came in, we should tell you that he already picked up the photos.”

“This wouldn’t happen to be a tall guy with blond hair and droopy eyes?” Ben asked.

“That’s him,” she said. “He was so sweet.”

“Fuck!” Ben said, banging the glass counter.

“Relax,” Nathan said. Looking at the perplexed clerks, Nathan explained, “That wasn’t our friend. You gave our pictures to someone who shouldn’t have seen them.”

“I’m so sorry,” the clerk said. “I didn’t mean—”

“Don’t worry about it,” Nathan said.

“What do you mean, don’t worry about it?” Ben yelled. Turning to the clerks, he asked, “Don’t you have a policy about picking film up? Don’t you always ask for a receipt?”