Barnes.â
âWould you care to join us, Jack?â
âThanks for asking, Judge, but Iâm lunching with someone. Wintergreenâs is a nice place, this is only the second time Iâve been here.â
âI come here all the time. So does Justice Barnes. I think I know everyone in the room. Even the ones at the bar,â she said, emphasizing the word âbar.â
Jack nodded, smiled, said it was a pleasure to meet Justice Barnes, and continued his trek to the menâs room.
âNow what?â Pearl asked.
âWhat is your window of time?â
âWhat does that mean, Nellie, my window of time?â
âWhen are you supposed to give your exâson-in-law your answer?â
âHe said heâd be in touch with me by the end of this week.â
âCan you stall him?â
âGod, Nellie, I donât know. I suppose I could say itâs taking longer than I thought to liquidate my holdings to meet his demand. He wants . . . so much money . . . On top of . . . changing my vote. Heâs such a bastard. My . . . My . . . What I do is not like what you and the others do. I donât know how to . . . I can try. How much time do you need?â
âI donât know, Pearl. I have to talk to some people. How do you want me to get in touch with you?â
âIâll get word to you somehow. Just be on the lookout. I meant it, Nellie, I wouldnât have blown the whistle on you.â
âI know that now, Pearl. Thatâs why Iâm going to do my best to help you. By the way, I wouldnât have turned you in, either. Weâre on the same team, so to speak.â
âI wonder where our food is,â Pearl said vaguely.
âThis might come as a surprise to you, dear lady, but we havenât ordered. You need to get it together, Pearl or youâre going to blow yourself out of the water. Now, what about Grant?â
Pearl straightened in her chair, looked around and snapped her fingers for the waiter again, who appeared almost immediately. âFrench toast, one sunny-side up egg on the side, more coffee and a bowl of whipped cream,â she said.
âIâll have the same thing,â Nellie said, even though she hated French toast.
Pearl looked down at her glass, surprised that it was empty. She picked up her water glass and took a big gulp. âLike I said, Grant is Grant. Lately it doesnât seem to be working as well as it has in the past. I cannot ignore the fact that the current director of the FBI is Grantâs brother-in-law. You know what they say about family and how blood is thicker than water. Grant adores his sister and Elias. Really adores them. I canât risk telling him. If the time comes when I have to tell him . . . Well then, thatâs when Iâll tell him but not before. I can walk away, Nellie, if I have to. I can make myself disappear, the way I make all those women and their children disappear, but I donât want to have to do that unless there is no other way. Do you understand what Iâm saying, Nellie?â
âI do, Pearl. It might come down to that.â
âI know. Iâve been preparing myself. If Myra and Annie can do it, then so can I. What does Emery have to do with all this? God, heâs a shill, too, right? Tell me more, Nellie.â
âIâd rather not, Pearl.â
Justice Barnes pursed her lips. âEmery, the jujitsu guy, the hottest reporters in town and that sex-bomb lawyer, all in the same room.â She laughed as she held up her water glass to clink it against Nellieâs. âTo sex, lies and audiotapes,â she said, slapping a small mini recorder down in the middle of the table. Nellie was no slouch. She yanked at her pocket and pulled out a matching recorder.
âTrust is such a wonderful thing,â Nellie said.
âIsnât it, though?â Justice Barnes responded.
Chapter 4
P ost reporter Ted Robinson finished the last
Tabatha Vargo, Melissa Andrea