Page 72

“I have a bunch of targets on my back, and we lost our witness, so that’s not paranoia.”
“No. You’ve had one hell of a week,” concern colored Steph’s voice, “personally and professionally.”
“I think I’m full. Though I will say, I’m getting a better perspective of what it is to have life disrupted by criminals—most certainly to a lesser extent than how my witnesses are typically affected,” Olivia said. “Right now, I’m focused. I’m going to go hold this trial together with my one witness who, unfortunately, but understandably, has wobbly knees.”
“The dog is going to be there?”
“I sure hope so.” Olivia pulled to a stop at the light, and her phone pinged. She looked down to a window that said: Unknown tracking device detected. She blinked at it.
“Okay. Did they serve Mickey-shit-for-brain’s yet?” Steph asked.
“Nope. They can’t find him.”
“Maybe he went on vacation?”
Olivia lifted her phone and looked at the warning. What did that mean? “I checked when I woke up this morning, and there’s nothing in the police system.” She squeezed the buttons to take a screenshot, then settled the phone back in her cup holder as she followed traffic through the green light. “Would be weird for him to go on vacation just before our court case and without telling work. He’s missed his second day without a call in.”
“How worried are you about what he could be up to?”
“Worried enough. On the way home from Iniquus yesterday, I bought a burner phone and called my Aunt Jo from the parking lot well away from my car. Paranoid or not, I don’t want her traced, and I don’t know who Mickey is friendly with and what skills they have—putting secret apps on my phone or what have you.” Obviously, Olivia was right to have taken that extra step. Unknown tracking device?
Mickey knew where she lived and worked. He could easily look up her court schedule. He might have an app on her phone to find her if he found Aunt Jo first. Or maybe to trace her to her aunt. That could be what that warning was about.
Another possibility was that last night, while he was driving her car, Nutsbe had put something on her vehicle to protect her—so he could watch out over her and forgot to mention it at dinner. That would be an out-of-character thing to do. Nutsbe had seemed forthright in every interaction. Still, she’d met him Monday, and here it was Wednesday. Could that be right? She’d known him for about forty-eight hours? That was a mind-blowing realization.
All the same, she’d ask him at some point that day.
“Sorry for your crappy week,” Steph said.
“Yup. And you, sorry for your crappy week, too.” Olivia said with a sigh. “I’ll be by the office after court to discuss that. Thank you for letting me know about our witness.”
Parked, Olivia glanced in the mirror and deemed her appearance acceptable. Then, she stuck her phone in her pocket and slid her briefcase along as she exited the car.
There was no line at security, and she breezed through with a flash of her court paperwork, allowing her phone. And right now, Olivia clung to it like a lifeline. Yesterday’s sniper hell went so much better than it might have because of that approval. At least Nutsbe was able to communicate with help. Olivia sent a thank you thought to Judge Madison, and hoped that his quick return meant his personal emergency was easily handled.
Arriving at the waiting room door, Olivia tapped before entering; she didn’t want to startle Candace.
“No one’s in there,” the bailiff said.
“Man with a dog?”
“From yesterday?” he asked. “No, ma’am, they’re not here yet.”
Olivia walked to the security hall, waiting as long as possible.
With five minutes until the case started, Olivia returned to the courtroom, sending a pressed lip acknowledgement to her paralegal, saving the front seat for a missing-in-action Nutsbe.
The jury filed in.
The bailiff stood in front of the bench. “All rise for the Honorable Judge Madison.”
Olivia lifted from her chair with a furtive glance at the closed doors.
The judge took his seat and waved his hand to seat the courtroom.
“Ms. Gladstone, you may call your next witness.”
Olivia stood. “Sir, my final witness has not yet arrived.”