I press my lips together.
“No fucking explanation? What, did you just decide to hunt this guy down? You’re lucky you’re just going to traffic court and not away for murder. Get him dressed. We have to be at the courthouse in an hour.”
I scowl at the suit Fitz brought. “I’m not wearing that. That’s your suit.”
“It doesn’t have cooties. Grow up.”
Whitman pulls at the orange jumpsuit I’m wearing. “It’s better than this, right? Orange isn’t your color. It really washes you out.”
“Mr. Svensson,I thought I told you not to show up in my courtroom again, and now here you are not even a month after your last altercation.” The traffic judge peers over his glasses at me.
“No,” he says to my lawyers when they try to speak. “I want to hear from Mr. Svensson. Why are you in my court? Driving after I suspended your license? To make no mention of running over two persons with your car.”
I don’t speak. I’m not going to rat Jenna out. I’m not a snitch. I can survive prison better than she can.
Hawthorne finally pipes up. “His girlfriend was getting stalked, sir.”
“Son, I wasn’t talking to you.”
Salinger shoots our brother an ugly look.
The judge looks down at me, like he’s waiting for me to say something.
“Stu is her former supervisor’s husband. He’s been stalking her for a while. You should see the messages. Titus is his frat brother and—”
“And where is this girlfriend? In Canada?”
“She broke up with me,” I say. “Your Honor.”
The judge sighs and looks down at me for a long moment. “We have a process for handling these types of matters.”
“To be honest, Your Honor—”
Salinger makes a strangled noise behind me.
“Your process sucks. She’s made reports before, and nothing happened. I literally had to lock her in my house for days at a time to keep her safe, and even then, it wasn’t enough.”
“So you took matters into your own hands.”
I shrug. “No one else was going to.”
“One more chance, Mr. Svensson. Since you’re such a righteous man, I think a big strong guy like you can give back to the community. Three years’ probation and community service. Your license remains suspended. This doesn’t discharge you from any civil liabilities. I expect you’re going to get sued, but not my court, not my problem. Unless you want to play the slots and go to trial?”
My lawyer jumps in before I can tell him I’d rather do time. “Thank you, Your Honor, that is fair and generous of you.”
Salinger haulsme into the lobby.
“Did my motorcycle get picked up?” I ask Anton, hoping he’ll get my silent communication that I’m looking for Jenna.
“Are you kidding me?” Salinger shoves me against the lobby desk. “Your motorcycle? You really think you’re driving? Shit, do you think you’re so much as walking anywhere? I’m locking you in that fucking penthouse. I’m sick of your shit.”
48
JENNA
I’m sitting on the pier, still in McCarthy’s jacket, waiting for the sun to rise and the first ferry to run.
The big black bike is parked on the street where I left it after a slow, nervous ride into the city. Just one of those random skills I picked up from the parade of Mom’s boyfriends.
