Page 59 of Fish in a Barrel
“He’s currently home with friends and the cats,” Ellery said, not wanting to be nasty to the judge anymore. “Sulking because I wouldn’t let him patrol the streets of Gotham in a cape and cowl.”
Brentwood’s laugh had a bit of an evil edge to it. “He does seem to be a bit larger than life, doesn’t he?”
“Yeah, but even heroics didn’t buy you that deal you wanted, did it, Cramer?” Cartman asked meanly, and Ellery was aware of an icy hot rage boiling in his veins.
“He didn’t put himself in danger for me,” he said, hoping his voice stayed level. “He put himself in danger for our client. Don’t forget, your office was trying to put an innocentdisabledman in prison today. If that’s the way you want to make a name for yourself, go to town, but those things tend to come back to bite a career in the ass.”
“I don’t know,” Cartman said with a roll of his eyes. “That disability seemed awfully suspect. How could four police officers not spot it—”
“Of course they spotted it,” Brentwood said, surprising ElleryandJade. “The entire case spoke of sloppiness on the part of law enforcement, and if Cody Gabriel turns out to be a reliable witness, it speaks to corruption as well. Or at least some damned poor decision-making. I was in the room as Mr. Cramer here was making that deal, and you know what I didn’t hear him promise, because he can’t?”
“I’m sure I don’t know.”
Brentwood stopped and caught Ellery’s gaze while Ellery tried not to let his heart quail. Ellery knew exactly what Brentwood was talking about. Ellery had made no promises about keeping the Department of Justice from investigating the DA’s office, and certainly no promises about keeping Cody Gabriel from testifying.
But if Cartman didn’t think about that he couldn’t anticipate it, and suddenly Brentwood, who had seemed to be so very much above politics in the courtroom, was completely in the game here at the Sacramento Law Enforcement Annual Halloween Soiree.
The corners of his mouth turned up, an almost impish look crossing his distinguished features. “Well, then,” he said, with all the aplomb of a fourth grader, “I’m not going to tell you. Now if you gentlemen will excuse me, Trey, I’m going to go give my regards to your lovely wife.”
And with that, the judge whirled around, his cape billowing behind him as he went in what Ellery had to admit was a ferocious exit.
Cartman watched him go with murder in his eyes.
“Do you have any idea what he was talking about?” Boehner asked, and unlike Cartman and Brentwood, who could keep their apprehension to themselves, Boehner was eying Ellery with open hostility and fear.
Jade snorted. “You people really have no idea who you’re dealing with, do you? Do you think my brother got his back sliced up for glory or for something to talk about at a cocktail party? He did that because he cares about Ezekiel Halliday and Cody Gabriel. That doesn’t go away because Ellery here was forced to cut a shitty deal with a guy who onlythinkshe holds all the cards.”
Cartman’s rage flashed dangerously, and Ellery found he had taken a step slightly in front of Jade, because he was suddenly afraid for her.
“As long as those cards don’t involve going after my guys, he can play any game he wants,” Boehner said with disgust, and Ellery eyed him coldly.
“The Marshals have the weapon your guy used to slice and dice a civilian without identifying himself. It’s an illegal three-inch fixed-blade knife, and it has your guy’s prints. Don’t worry, either of you,” he said through his teeth. “Now that Ezekiel Halliday is safe, we can take the gloves off. This is allfarfrom over.”
He let that shot fall where it landed and glanced at Jade. “You know, I’m not excited about the scotch, but those desserts look first-rate. You in?”
“Sure. But I want some scotch too.”
“Well then, we should stop there first,” Ellery said indulgently. He turned toward Boehner and Cartman. “Now, if you’ll excuse us….” And with that, he and Jade made for the open bar.
He waited until they were out of earshot and there were a couple of people behind them before he let out a sigh.
“That was not as smooth as I would have liked,” he muttered.
“Speak for yourself,” Jade muttered. “I wanted to put an oxford shoe down that asshole’s throat.”
Ellery gave a sharp bark of laughter, feeling marginally better. “He is not nearly as self-contained as he should be,” he muttered, not liking this at all. Powerful men who didn’t know how to control themselves were exceedingly dangerous. “Not for someone in that position.”
“And Boehner couldn’t have his lips more firmly positioned on his ass,” she returned, as deadly serious as Ellery. “And we’ve already seen him abuse his power. The surprising one is Brentwood. Going by how much he let happen in the courtroom, I thought he was a lock for corruption, and I was really disappointed in him.”
“I don’t think that’s it,” Ellery said with a sigh. “I could be wrong—but I do know he’s run on a conservative law-and-order platform his entire life. Maybe he’s seeing what that can mean when the system’s being abused?”
Jade let out a frustrated sound that Ellery couldn’t blame her for one bit.
“It doesn’t hurt that Ezekiel is white,” he agreed softly.
“No it does not.” She sighed. “But I don’t think Boehner was ever personally that way. I think political parties are comforting—you have all your friends, they all vote for the same people. It’s like rooting for a basketball team. It’s not until individuals take a deeper look and realize that hey, the guys on the basketball team are blowing away the other team with howitzers that they can start to change things.”
Ellery gave a humorless bark of laughter, and at that moment they got to the bar. He ordered a seltzer water for himself and a double Macallan for Jade.